Do You Know?: I, the Little Cabinet Elder, Regent of the World.

Chapter 166 The Secret Establishment of an Heir Apparent is Revealed to the Public!
At the third watch of the night, a sudden change occurred in the capital region.

Fires blazed down the long street, and spears guarded the thoroughfare.

Torches surged outwards from the inner palace, armor clashed, horses pounded the streets, the noise kept people awake, and the commotion silenced them.

"Close the gate! No entry!"

At a single command, in this vital area of ​​the capital, every ten steps were marked by a single soldier, all armed and armored.

Torches were everywhere, illuminating almost the entire capital city.

The dogs barked hoarsely in the alley, but fell silent at the glint of a spear.

Whether they were women, children, the elderly, or officials of the court, they all huddled in the shadows, holding their breath and not daring to make a sound.

No one knows the inside story, but the raging fire and the menacing armor clearly illustrate some issues.

Xuanhe Street, Jiying Lane.

"This, this, this -"

"Your Majesty, has the Emperor passed away?"

The side gate was open, and Sheng Hong stood cautiously on the steps. He saw the soldiers holding torches and spears, and couldn't help but point a finger, his voice trembling.

Such a scene at midnight.

Aside from the emperor's death or a rebellion, he couldn't think of any other possible outcome.

"Dad, dad!"

"How can you say such things so carelessly?"

Sheng Changbai was startled and quickly stepped forward to pull his elderly father back from the steps.

The imperial court did not issue an obituary. Even if it was the emperor's death, it was enough to know in one's heart; there was no need to say it aloud!
If someone were to seize upon such baseless remarks, it could be considered a curse wishing for the emperor's death.

(Attached image: Sheng Hong can be quite interesting sometimes)
"close the door."

The father and son entered, and Sheng Changbai immediately ordered his servants to bolt the door and lock it with an iron lock.

Upon being reminded by his eldest son, Sheng Hong realized he had said the wrong thing and fell silent.

"What happened?" Hai Shi helped up Old Madam Sheng, and Wang Ruofu followed closely behind, with several maids behind her, rushing over anxiously.

"Mother, grandmother."

Sheng Changbai remained calm and replied, "In the middle of the night, a large number of armored imperial guards suddenly arrived. I reckon something must have happened within the palace."

"What, what should we do?" Wang Ruofu asked hurriedly.

This kind of spectacle constantly gives people the illusion of a house raid and a massacre, which is truly unsettling.

"No problem."

Sheng Changbai quickly reassured her, "If something happens in the palace, Grand Chancellor Han and the other Grand Secretaries will take care of it. The Imperial Guards are also under the control of the Duke of Ying."

"Go and rest, everyone. Just keep the servants calm and don't make any noise." As he spoke, Sheng Changbai looked intently at his wife, Hai Shi.

My grandmother was old, and my mother was impatient. Only my wife, Hai, could spare the time to appease the servants.

Hai nodded gently, helped her grandmother up, and looked at her mother-in-law: "Let's listen to Father-in-law and Master."

"Yes, yes, everyone hurry back and don't cause any more trouble," Sheng Hong echoed.

Then the women turned back.

"Since the Emperor is in trouble, I reckon the Grand Chancellor will convene the court meeting ahead of schedule."

Sheng Changbai put his hands behind his back and said, "It's only the third watch of the night. Father, why don't you go back to sleep for a while?"

Attending court is a physically demanding activity, and you'll really feel sleepy if you don't get enough rest.

"Not urgent."

Sheng Hong waved his hand, full of energy, and moved closer, peering through the gap between the two doors.

He was jolted awake; he was not sleepy at all.

Not only him, but the vast majority of Beijing residents were destined to have trouble sleeping.

Sheng Changbai was helpless.

He seemed much more composed than his father.

Judging solely from the behavior of the father and son, it's truly difficult to tell who is the father and who is the son!

"I'm going to the study." Sheng Changbai cupped his hands in greeting.

He can't sleep either!

At the hour of Mao (5-7 AM), dawn was breaking in the east.

Civil and military officials stood in orderly rows.

Nearly four hundred high-ranking officials and dignitaries expressed their opinions and engaged in lively discussions.

From the third watch of the night, the capital was almost guarded by imperial guards every ten steps, all in armor and armed, creating an exceptionally solemn atmosphere.

The key point is that even the high-ranking official in purple robes on the train had no idea what had happened.

This means that only a few senior officials know the inside story! "Clang!"

The bell tolled long and drawn out, and the officials entered in single file according to their rank.

However, there were already more than ten people standing solemnly below the steps.

Han Zhang, Zhang Sheng, Wu Chong, Zeng Gongliang, Ouyang Xiu, Wang Yaochen, and Zhang Fu—these seven figures represent the pinnacle of power among officials.

Zhao Ceying, Zhao Zhong, Zhao Shicheng, Zhao Shiyi, and Zhao Shiqian are the five candidates for heir apparent.

And Empress Cao!

There was no saint among them!

All the officials were shocked and fell silent, not daring to utter a sound.

Empress Cao, a mere woman in the imperial harem, stepped to the forefront, her meaning immediately clear.

At the left, Han Zhang, holding a tablet, walked to the center under the watchful eyes of all the officials.

"Last night, His Majesty fell seriously ill, vomiting blood incessantly, and unfortunately passed away," Han Zhang announced solemnly to the officials.

"This"

Before he finished speaking, all the officials began to discuss it.

The emperor has truly passed away!

"Silence!" Han Zhang shouted sternly.

It has a powerful and imposing presence, exuding an unquestionable authority.

The officials were startled and immediately fell silent.

His authority as prime minister for ten years was fully displayed.

"On his deathbed, the Emperor summoned several Grand Secretaries and the Duke of England to entrust the care of his son to them."

Under the watchful eyes of all the officials, Han Zhang slowly said, "Finally, the heir apparent has been chosen."

All the civil and military officials looked at the five younger members of the imperial family, observing them one by one, and finally focusing their gaze on Zhao Ceying.

Compared to the other four members of the royal family who bowed their heads, Zhao Ceying possessed an indescribable calmness, a composure that only a victor could possess.

Is he a descendant of the founding emperor?
"Someone, open the plaque in the Wende Hall, take down the secret edict establishing the heir apparent, and show it to all the officials," Han Zhang ordered.

The deathbed entrustment of the heir was merely to inform the entrusted minister of the successor's identity.

To ensure that all officials knew the heir apparent, a will was necessary.

Of course, this also symbolizes the legitimacy and orthodoxy of the new monarch.

"Your humble servants will take it." Ouyang Xiu and Zeng Gongliang, the two Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet, stepped forward, seemingly having been instructed beforehand.

Obtaining the imperial edict was not a difficult task.

However, the significance of imperial edicts meant that the vast majority of officials were not qualified to receive them.

The two walked out together, and imperial guards brought ladders for them to climb.

A short while later, the two removed the plaque inscribed with the three characters "Wende Hall".

All the civil and military officials looked over.

When the secret succession law was first established, in order to facilitate the placement of imperial edicts, the emperor specially ordered people to carve out about a foot of space from the plaque in full view of everyone to place the wooden box.

The imperial edict was stored in a wooden box.

It's very simple and straightforward, without even a few clever tricks!

The fact is, this does not affect the status of the secretly designated heir.

After all, storing the imperial edict in a "public place" frequented by officials was enough to prevent anyone from tampering with it.

"Take it out," Han Zhang instructed.

The two Grand Secretaries nodded, opened the wooden box, and took out an imperial edict about three feet long and about one foot wide.
This imperial edict was made from a dragon robe and soaked in phellodendron bark juice until it turned white, which has a very good insect-repellent and sterilization effect.

It has been ten years since the Secret Succession Act was established.

The civil and military officials had only seen this kind of imperial edict once.

It was during the ancestral worship ceremony when a member of the imperial family was adopted as a prince.

Originally, the adoption of the imperial grandson should have been announced to all officials, but the late emperor suffered a stroke, and the matter was dropped.

Fortunately, the late emperor had said something about "establishing an heir in secret," which allowed people to know the general situation.

Looking around, apart from some template-like content, the will deliberately left some blank space for writing the name of the crown prince.

The vast majority of the content was written in the official style, drafted by court officials.

Only the name of the Crown Prince, written in bold and elegant calligraphy, was personally penned by the Emperor.

[I have adopted Zhao's son, Ce Ying, as the son of the King of Wei, who will become my imperial grandson and be established as the crown prince!]

……

(End of this chapter)