Dark clouds were heavy, pressing down on the city of Shuntian Prefecture like a mountain. The forbidden troops in the city were now under complete martial law, and they were all in a state of war preparation. It seemed that hundreds of thousands of enemy soldiers and horses had arrived on the top of the city of Shuntian Prefecture.
In the palace, Zhu Zhanji's bedroom was as warm as spring despite the cold winter. Sun Ruowei looked anxious, while the Queen Mother's face was full of distress. Looking at her son who was squatting on the bed, she couldn't help but shed tears.
At this time, Zhu Zhanji's face was the color of earth wax, and his eyes were still full of energy. He looked at the crickets in the jar, hunched over, and kept teasing them.
After a while, the two crickets decided the winner.
"Sure enough, the Invincible Iron King King is still no match for Jin Lin's armor-breaking swordsman." Zhu Zhanji sighed with relief.
After the game was decided, Queen Mother Zhang walked to Zhu Zhanji's side and gathered the clothes he was wearing: "Your Majesty, please rest early."
Zhu Zhanji stretched out his hand to cover the cricket jar: "Mom, my son wants to play."
Queen Mother Zhang tried her best not to let her tears fall. She nodded and said, "Better your spirits and go out to play next spring."
Zhu Zhanji did not answer, but smiled slightly, then looked at Zhu Qizhen next to Sun Ruowei, waved, and the little baby ran over, jumped onto the bed, and sat next to Zhu Zhanji.
"Qizhen, I keep this cricket cage for my father. This little thing is so fun."
Zhu Qizhen took the cricket cage. The little baby didn't understand anything, so he took it and opened the lid. The crickets jumped out and ran all over the room.
Sun Ruowei ordered the palace maids and eunuchs to catch him, and they got into a mess for a while. Then he walked up to Zhu Qizhen and grabbed his ears: "Why are you acting so nonsense..."
"That's it, that's it." Zhu Zhanji said feebly: "If you run away, just run away. If you run away, you will feel free. If two crickets are locked in a cage, they will fight every day if the partition is removed. If they run outside the cage, there will be no world.
It’s so vast that we can’t fight.”
"Your Majesty, please rest first."
Since more than half a month ago, Zhu Zhanji has been feeling cold occasionally. He thought it was a minor thing at first, but it became more and more serious day by day. Zhu Zhan basically felt that he was strong and healthy, so there was no serious problem.
But in just over half a month, the heroic Emperor of the Ming Dynasty became as thin as a dying man who has run out of oil.
He couldn't eat, vomited after eating, and could only drink a little water. In the past few days, he had severe diarrhea every day, and his whole body seemed to be exhausted. The imperial doctors tried various methods, but Zhu Zhanji's body seemed to be withered.
The tree was so big that it couldn't absorb any nutrients. Even in the past two days, the imperial doctors took heavy action and used heavy medicine, which was regarded as a gamble with their lives. However, Zhu Zhanji was still getting worse day by day.
All the imperial doctors were kneeling outside, as were the ministers. This huge Ming Empire, the young and powerful man of heaven, was suddenly like this. No one was prepared.
Sanyang looked sad, the emperor was seriously ill and could not recover, the empire was huge and there were many powers, what should we do?
In the wind and snow, Hu Shanxiang arrived wearing Taoist robes. This was Zhu Zhanji's order, and he specially summoned Hu Shanxiang.
Hu Shanxiang entered the palace and came to Zhu Zhanji. The frail appearance of her husband, whom she had not seen for a long time, surprised her. She bowed respectfully and stood aside.
"Shanxiang, I owe you." Zhu Zhanji said slowly.
"I have discussed with Qi Yu's Holy Mother. From today onwards, Qi Yu will be in your name, and we will raise it together. You should treat Qi Yu as my son, take good care of him, and cultivate this child with all your heart."
Those who are relatively weak by nature must remember to help them as a human being."
Zhu Zhanji's words surprised Hu Shanxiang and Sun Ruowei, but both of them understood Zhu Zhanji's thoughts.
This is because he is afraid that after his death, Hu Shanxiang will be targeted and liquidated. Although he does not have a deep affection for Hu Shanxiang, they are a young couple after all. He felt sorry for Hu Shanxiang when he deposed the queen, but the royal family has always been ruthless, and having no heirs is a problem.
It was a huge mistake, and she was too kind-hearted and kind, and would not fight or rob her. When Zhu Zhanji was here, she kept quiet and no one dared to disturb her. He was afraid that if he left, Hu Shanxiang's life would be difficult.
With the prince under his knees, even though he is not his biological son, he always has someone to rely on. And he only has two sons, Zhu Qizhen and Zhu Qiyu. The ministers in the court attach great importance to Datong. As long as she is nominally Zhu Qiyu's mother, how much will the ministers do?
It will help a little bit.
Hu Shanxiang bowed and saluted, his eyes inevitably turned red. It was rare in these years that he could feel his husband's care for him. He said softly: "I hope your majesty will take care of your dragon body. The children are still young, and your majesty has to teach them how to ride horses and archery."
"
Zhu Zhanji smiled miserably, recalling the appearance of his brothers in his mind. He stretched out his hand and said tremblingly: "Mother, do you still remember when Zhan Zhan was born?"
"I made a fuss to see my brother, but was stopped by the eunuch and palace maid. I ordered Zhan Yong to light a fire in the next yard to clear out the smoke, and I sneaked in to see Zhan Yong."
Queen Mother Zhang wiped away her tears with a smile: "Remember, why don't you remember? Your emperor dotes on you, and even then he doesn't scold you. He also praises you for your knowledge of the art of war and your strategies for attacking from the east to the west."
"Zhan Chen was extremely ugly at that time. He was small and his skin was wrinkled. He was different from the porcelain doll I imagined. But when my mother held him in my arms, I felt that he was two or three points cuter."
"You three brothers have been close friends since you were little. Zhan Zhen has been following you like a duck since you could walk."
Talking about Zhu Zhanyong and Zhu Zhanyong, Zhu Zhanji smiled lightly, and his body seemed to be weaker. He almost fell down without sitting still, which shocked everyone, but after he sat firmly, he waved his hand.
He signaled that he didn't want anyone to support him.
"Zhan Chen has grown up now. When he was a child, his behavior was more eccentric. Although he sometimes does things recklessly when he grows up, his sincerity has not changed. He ran so far and fought for so long for Zheng He's affairs, and he fought for so many lives.
He has established an unprecedented territory like the Western Federation, and I, the eldest brother, and the emperor have benefited from him."
"What nonsense are you talking about? How can one of our brothers get the glory of the other? If it weren't for your majesty's strong support against all opinions, Zhan Zong's career would have failed long ago." Empress Dowager Zhang said angrily, regarding her eldest son,
She admired her from the bottom of her heart. Among all the emperors in history, she would not be able to find anyone who trusted and supported her brother so much.
"Mother, my son has only understood his father's hard work since he came to power. He used to think that he could just lead troops and fight. He thought that his father was just busy. Later I learned that it is very difficult to be a good emperor, including finance and taxation, government affairs, natural disasters, and people's livelihood.
ah."
Empress Dowager Zhang reached out and stroked Zhu Zhanji's back: "Over the years, Your Majesty has been very hands-on and dedicated to the people. He has opened up new territories and expanded the territory. The economy has been unprecedentedly prosperous. Every family has a surplus of food. Everyone is studying. This means that you can count down the history."
Of all the emperors in the world, none can compare with Your Majesty."
Zhu Zhanji smiled happily: "My grandpa created the prosperous age of Yongle, and my father was benevolent and loved the people diligently. The prosperity of the Ming Dynasty to this day cannot be ruined. Please pass on the decree. Yang Shiqi, Yang Rong, Yang Pu, and Xia Yuanji will come to see you."
The four veterans knelt in front of them. This stormy time was also the most difficult time for them.
In front of the ministers, Zhu Zhanji, even though he was very weak, still maintained his majesty: "The four beloved ministers are in charge of the young country's suspicion. Next, there are four beloved ministers to help."
With just a few words, the four of them understood what Zhu Zhanji meant. The whole court was in chaos these past few days because of this incident.
Zhu Zhanji's health is getting worse day by day. What if he leaves, what will happen to the huge Ming Empire?
Zhu Gaojiu and Zhu Gaosui were eyeing him, especially since Zhu Gaojiu still had many old subordinates in the army. He was in the Western Regions, but he was extremely concerned about every move in the court. Zhu Gaosui was deep in mind, and no one knew what he was thinking.
Among the new generation of princes, Zhu Zhanjuan is young and powerful and has the ability to compete for supremacy.
In addition to these people, Zhu Zhanyang, who was overseas, was the person they were most worried about. This prince didn't even need to do anything. He just had to raise his arms and there would be countless people who responded.
Because from the perspective of etiquette and law, he is the legitimate son of Emperor Hongxi, the youngest son of the current Queen Mother, and the biological brother of the emperor's mother. He is powerful and has outstanding abilities, and only he can suppress the forces of other vassals in the country.
He has many elite soldiers and generals under his command, many of his civil servants are from Nanhai University, and his reputation overseas is even greater.
He is the best successor to the emperor.
But Zhu Zhanji also had to consider his concubines and heirs. Brother-to-brother succession has never been a good inheritance method, and his children are still young.
Zhu Zhanji's words today made several ministers understand that the emperor had made the final decision. They came to assist his son, Prince Zhu Qizhen, in ascending the throne, and the succession document was also drawn up.
"Everyone, from today onwards, until the new emperor takes charge, the Queen Mother will be the regent and the King of the Sea will be the assistant."
Everyone looked at Zhu Zhanji in surprise. Zhu Zhanji gave the Queen Mother Zhang the regency. He placed his hope on his mother. The four ministers also knew that the emperor had made up his mind, so they did not speak to persuade him.
After announcing this important decision, Zhu Zhanji waved his hand and said to them: "Everyone has been in the court since the emperor's time. You should continue to do your best to protect the prosperity of the Ming Dynasty. The country of the Ming Dynasty will always be there. I hope you will cherish it."
.”
As he spoke, Zhu Zhanji bowed to several people, and the four of them responded respectfully.
"Your Majesty, take care of it! Long live, long live, long live!!"
The four of them secretly lamented that perhaps they had met the best emperor in history. He was rational without losing his frankness, and was intelligent without hiding his sincerity. He treated his ministers with courtesy and his people with kindness. He could conquer eight thousand miles of desert, and he could sit in the temple and discuss poems and books.
, with means, benevolence, and domineering power, he was able to suppress many capable ministers and kings in the world, and was able to withstand the Sea King's westward expedition and increase the prestige of the Ming Dynasty.
However, such a person is not infatuated with women and has no bad habits. It is said that he is greedy for power, but he is also a conscientious and dedicated emperor. He can listen to the advice of his ministers and has his own opinions. Perhaps there is really no one more suitable than him.
Become the Ming Emperor.
It's a pity that Tian Enbo and Zhu Zhanji, Tian Enbo and Ming Dynasty only gave him these few years. When he was in the prime of life, when the world returned to his heart, he suddenly fell seriously ill.
No matter how large an empire is, it will inevitably experience turmoil when the emperor dies.
When the ministers left, Zhu Zhanji said to the Queen Mother Zhang: "Mother, my son is unfilial and can no longer stay with his mother. He has to make his mother take care of the family business for me. I have sent a secret letter to Zhan Yi.
I ordered him to return to the country quickly to stabilize the court and the morale of the army. I appointed Zhanyang as the Marshal of the Ming Dynasty, and commanded the imperial court. I conferred the title of Yahuang on him, and told him that if Qi Zhen has no virtue, he can replace him."
Empress Dowager Zhang understood Zhu Zhanji's purpose at a glance and held Zhu Zhanji high. In terms of status and power, he was the emperor, but she basically eliminated his intention to usurp the throne.
Zhu Zhanzhen was the younger brother of Zhu Zhanji, and was the vassal king of the Ming Dynasty. If he usurped the throne, it would be disloyal, but he might not be famous for his troubles like Zhu Di.
After Zhu Zhanji's death, Zhu Zhanzhen served as assistant to the government. The real regent was Empress Dowager Zhang, his biological mother. It would be unfilial to usurp the throne.
Everyone can see that what he learned in the end was Liu Bei's entrustment to Zhuge Liang. It would be unjust to usurp the throne.
It is difficult to have all kinds of abilities and abilities, but to have unfaithfulness, unfilial piety, and unrighteousness weigh on the top of your head.
After Zhu Zhanji ordered these things, he took a look at Zhu Qizhen's position and said with a sad smile: "The relationship between uncle and nephew is really difficult. It seems that it has become unavoidable since the founding of the country by our great ancestor."
In the end, Zhu Zhanji was too weak to say anything. He lay on the bed and moved his fingers gently, pointing at Sun Ruowei.
Sun Ruowei cried so much that she was worried about her son's future. Her eyes were all on her son, and she didn't even notice Zhu Zhanji's movements. She didn't walk to Zhu Zhanji's bed until Queen Mother Zhang reminded her.
Before.
Zhu Zhanji struggled to wipe Sun Ruowei's tears with his withered palms.
He looked at the woman crying in front of him, and his mind seemed to go back to that summer in Yingtian Mansion. The girl was holding an oil-paper umbrella and walking in the high palace cavity. The wind was gentle and the rain was soft, and the splashing rain wet her green color.
With her colorful skirt, the fifteen or sixteen-year-old woman is like a newly sprouted bud, unconsciously smiling slightly.
Not graceful, not luxurious, looking forward to it, standing on tiptoes to look into the distance. When I walked around the corner inside the palace wall, I saw her standing in the distance.
She jumped for joy, but the joy she suppressed was only the corners of her mouth gently raised.
There seemed to be love in those crystal-clear eyes, riding on that summer wind, turning into a brisk deer in the forest, gently touching the stones, moss, and shallow puddles, leaping towards him, and throwing himself deeply into his arms.
Deep embrace.
"Perhaps I should be like Zhan Zhan, with less restraints. Even if I get scolded more, at least I can live a happier life."
In a daze, Zhu Zhanji realized that his greatest regret was that he did not live happily enough in this life.
The greatest happiness for a person has nothing to do with power, wealth, fame and fortune, nor does it have to be mired in desires that are mistaken for the true self. It is to sing along with the spring breeze and summer lotuses, whisper with the autumn millet and winter snow, and love the world happily.