The emergency report sent from the Old Summer Palace did not contain much content, only one sentence:
The emperor collapsed, the country was in danger, and the army returned quickly.
After reading it, Lin Qingxuan knew that this message must have been sent by an important minister in the Yanjing Palace or the military minister.
From this it can be seen that Xianfeng's death must not have been a normal death, and a coup had even broken out in Yanjing City.
Remembering that the restructuring of the Daojun Kingdom that he had vigorously promoted involved the destiny of China, Lin Qingxuan did not dare to neglect, and hurriedly got up and took care of North Korean affairs. He ordered people to send Mu Ren, Li Xi and others back to Qingniu Palace, and he flew out of the palace as if flying.
It leaps into the clouds like a kite and flies away in the wind.
…
When Lin Qingxuan Yufeng returned to China, there was silence in the Forbidden City of Yanjing, two thousand miles west of Seoul. The maids and eunuchs also stayed at their posts tremblingly, and the sounds of arguments continued to be heard in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
As the foreman of the Military Aircraft Department, Yi led the ministers of the Military Aircraft Department to return the body of Emperor Xianfeng to the palace. However, after entering Beijing, he was imprisoned by the former empress and imperial concubine of the East and West Palaces, and the current Empress Dowager Ci'an and Cixi.
In the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
Then Ci'an's uncle, Prince Zheng, who was staying in Yanjing, and Duanhua, who was the admiral of the Nine Gates, had already blockaded Yanjing. They were waiting for Seng Gelinqin to lead Manchuria's last elite division to the capital, and then the ministers of the Military Aircraft Department could be abolished.
, establish a new monarch, abolish the Quanzhen State Religion and Lin Qingxuan’s position as the National Preceptor, True Monarch and Great Heavenly Master.
The Empress Dowager of the Two Palaces, Duan Hua and others have been planning for a long time in order not to let the Aixinjueluo family's power be ceded to Lin Qingxuan and other Quanzhen Taoists, and to prevent the Qing Dynasty from continuing to implement the restructuring. Behind them are the Eight Banners sect.
Strength is also the common wish of the Manchu and Mongolian nobles who do not want Taoists to usurp power and disrupt the country. It is precisely because of this that Lin Qingxuan was able to accomplish many great things in the more than a year since he left Yanjing.
Sitting on the dragon chair in the Hall of Supreme Harmony was a thin young man with an ugly face. He was none other than the Crown Prince Zai Chun. However, he was now wearing an imperial robe. He was sitting on the dragon chair with a nervous expression, looking helplessly at the things parked on the hall.
The golden coffin, the military officials on both sides, and the two biological fathers sitting on both sides of him.
As a crown prince who has been practicing Taoism under the Quanzhen Sect since childhood, although Zai Chun has not been able to become famous in martial arts, his mental cultivation is still beyond ordinary people. Therefore, his true intention is
He did not want to succeed as a new king, but wanted to devote himself to cultivating Taoism and transform the Qing Dynasty into a Taoist monarchy in accordance with the wishes of his father and grandmaster.
However, Zai Chun had a meek personality and did not dare to disobey his two biological fathers, so he could only stay in the Forbidden City and become the puppet of the two queen mothers.
The Hall of Supreme Harmony was divided into Manchu and Han military aircraft led by Yi and Zeng Guofan, and Manchu and Mongolian military aircraft led by Duanhua and Senggelinqin. Although everyone believed in the Quanzhen religion, Duanhua, Senggelinqin and others did not want to destroy their ancestors.
The family property was handed over to others, so he launched an attack when Lin Qingxuan was not at home.
Yi and Zeng Guofan were one of the few people in the Qing court who could see the world with open eyes. They were first infected by Lin Qingxuan and changed their minds. Later they also learned that the Qing Dynasty must undergo restructuring if it wanted to continue to maintain its status as a supreme state in the Celestial Empire.
It is said that relying on the worship of Lin Qingxuan and the belief in the legend of immortality, these factors supported Yi, Zeng Guofan and others, including Emperor Xianfeng, who were willing to go all out to implement the process of restructuring the Taoist monarchy.
However, Zeng Guofan and Yi had been handling national military and political affairs in the Old Summer Palace in recent years, and did not understand the undercurrents in Yanjing. In addition, after the Great Heavenly Master went east to Korea, the Qing Dynasty and Japan went to war, and Western countries participated in the reform.
The construction of industry and many other major events depended on Yi, Zeng Guofan and others. Zeng Guofan had been in poor health for the past two years and had to live in the South Garden of the Old Summer Palace for most of the year to recuperate. Therefore, military and state affairs related to reform were basically
It all depends on Yi and Li Hongzhang.
In order to introduce Britain's advanced steel and musket production lines, Li Hongzhang even set off for Europe last spring. He is still lingering in Sweden. Therefore, the most effective reformists in the Military Aircraft Department, such as Yi, are short of manpower and are not aware of the many small actions of Duan Hua and others.
It is also difficult to detect, and even if you were aware, you would never have imagined that it would evolve to the current situation.
Unaware of the situation, Yi Zheng returned to the palace with Xianfeng's body, and was placed under house arrest in the Hall of Supreme Harmony by the Empress Dowagers of the two palaces, Duan Hua and others.
Zeng Guofan also came here sick. After arguing for a few words in the palace, he passed out from heartache and suffocation. Looking coldly at Duanhua, Seng Gelinqin and others who were showing off their power, he narrowed his eyes and said: "The late emperor's decree can't wait."
Feng, now you are imprisoning us here, kidnapping the crown prince and forcing him to become emperor through unfilial piety. We are really a bunch of ambitious people.
Aren’t you afraid of the fifty thousand Dao-protecting troops from North Korea coming and the hundreds of thousands of new troops from Huguang marching to the side of the Qing monarch in Beijing? Aren’t you afraid of the divine punishment imposed by the Great Celestial Master Dongmiao Qingxuan?”
When Yi talked about the Dao Protector Army and the New Army, Duan Hua, Seng Gelinqin and others still looked solemn. However, after hearing Lin Qingxuan's name, everyone's expressions changed. Even the Queen Mother of the two palaces sitting on Danqi
I can't help but wonder.
The Great Celestial Master Dongmiao Qingxuan is a real immortal, a god with great supernatural powers. Last year, he single-handedly defeated tens of thousands of Japanese troops and surrendered Japan. How can such a saint be insulted by a mortal?
After all, Empress Dowager Cixi was smarter. She looked at Sister Ci'an and shouted sternly: "Master Dongmiao Qingxuan is the national preceptor of our Qing Dynasty. How has our Qing Dynasty ever treated him badly?
Although according to seniority, the Ai family is also a junior, but if we look at it according to secular rules, the national preceptor is always under the emperor. Our Qing Dynasty's reform and powerful country may not have to build a Taoist monarchy. When the national preceptor comes back, he will still be the national master.
Master, there is nothing wrong with making him an emperor, but he is a god in heaven, and he must not be our king on earth anymore...
You have been instigating the Imperial Preceptor and the late Emperor for many years, and it is clear that you want to destroy the foundation of our Qing Dynasty. You are an eternal traitor. Someone came and removed Prince Gong of Yi. Zeng Guofan, Li Hongzhang and other accomplices were dismissed from their posts and investigated, and their family properties were confiscated.
The clan was exiled to Yunnan..."
The Empress Dowager Cixi had little foundation, but after all, she was extremely smart and ruthless, and she knew how to figure out the feelings of the late Emperor and Sister Ci'an. Therefore, in the noisy Hall of Taihe, she was the first to make a decision and gave the order.
Ci'an was afraid of the Quanzhen Sect and remained silent.
Cixi frowned and said in a low voice: "Sister, if the imperial master cannot stabilize the overall situation and reset the world when he comes back, I'm afraid it will be difficult for you and me to live in peace..."
Ci'an's heart sank when he heard this. He looked at Cixi, Duanhua and others angrily, sighed, and ordered: "Prince Gong, Yi, Minister of Military and Aircraft Zeng Guofan... are plotting rebellion, and their crimes will not be forgiven. Come,
He was deprived of the support of Prince Gong, Zeng Guofan and others, and thrown into a dungeon until his crimes were fully accounted for before he was dealt with..."
When Yi heard this, he sighed softly and let the guards take off his crown, beads, etc.
After a moment, the lonely and embarrassed Prince Gong frowned at Ci'an and Cixi, and said coldly: "Sister-in-law, you are doing this to put our Aixinjueluo family in a position of eternal disaster.
…
What kind of person is the Great Heavenly Master? How can I allow you to be so presumptuous?
Even the three masters Song Mailun, Dong Haichuan, and Yang Luchan are extraordinary. As long as you dare to overthrow the late emperor's edict and reduce the authority of the Quanzhen State Religion, the three masters will come to your bedside to question you without any intervention from the immortals!"
When Ci'an and Cixi heard this, their expressions also darkened, while Seng Gelinqin said in a deep voice: "Dong, Yang followed Li Hongzhang to Europe and may have been buried in the sea. Song Mailun is the master of Qingniu Palace. I'm afraid he will have to fight with Qingniu after tonight.
The Cow Palace disappeared together!"
Yi's expression changed and he glared: "What did you do?"
Seng Gelinqin and Duan Hua just sneered and said nothing, while Ci'an and Cixi closed their eyes and waved their hands, and the guards dragged Yi, Zeng Guofan and others out.
Silence suddenly returned to the Hall of Supreme Harmony. After a long time, the new king Zai Chun asked in panic: "Queen Mother, Prince Zheng, King Monk, what happened to Qingniu Palace?"
Seng Gelinqin said with a smile: "It must have slipped through the water, right?"
Duan Hua echoed in his heart: "It's just that the palace has already hidden gunpowder. Song Mailun and Qingniu Palace will disappear from now on..."