Chapter 135: What Are You Doing? Snatching the Emperor?

Yang Xin and the other two headed straight for the main hall. They needed some time to cover the hundred-meter distance. Before they even reached the steps in front of the door, they saw Wang An pulling Tianqi out from inside…

“What are you doing!”

Yang Xin roared.

His voice was loud indeed. It really was like a thunderclap out of the blue.

There were even echoes all around.

Xu Xianchun and the other man beside him were both startled by the shout.

The ministerial officials who had their backs turned also swiveled their heads simultaneously, looking at them with shocked gazes. Many among them likely didn’t actually recognize him, after all, Taichang had changed too many people this month. At the same moment, Yang Lian and Zuo Guangdou were also stepping forward, preparing to take Tianqi from Wang An’s hands. But Concubine Li also rushed out at this moment with a frantic expression, similarly reaching out to grab Tianqi’s arm. Nine Thousand Years Old and Lady Ke were behind her. Nine Thousand Years Old was still trying to block Yang Lian, while Lady Ke went to grab Wang An’s arm. Then, they were all startled into halting their movements by his furious roar…

“What is everyone doing? Abducting the Son of Heaven? Is this your way as officials?”

Yang Xin shouted angrily.

As soon as his words left his mouth, Duke of Yingguo Zhang Weixian quickly retreated down the steps. Li Banghua, Huang Kechan, and several other ministers not from the Donglin faction also stepped back. Clearly, they had also come to their senses. Whatever justification, physically dragging out the new emperor who had already effectively ascended to the throne was ultimately inappropriate.

Fang Congzhe, however, remained standing at the front.

He was the Chief Grand Secretary and had nowhere to retreat.

He didn’t even look up at anyone, just standing there with his head lowered, motionless like a statue. It was unclear what was on his mind. He had made far too many mistakes this day. In fact, from the moment Wang An dragged Tianqi out, he knew he had lost completely. But he hadn’t expected Yang Xin to jump out, helping him turn the tables again. Yet this scoundrel was also the one who had tarnished his family’s reputation, making them a laughingstock in the Capital City to this day. Clearly, Grand Secretary Fang’s feelings were very complicated at this moment.

“Yang Tongzhi, don’t distort right and wrong. We are here to escort His Majesty to properly assume the position at the Eastern Palace first. How is that abducting the Son of Heaven?”

Zuo Guangdou likewise shouted angrily.

“Escort? Then first, let go of your hands. Dragging His Majesty out forcefully, is that ‘escorting’? Censor Zuo, your learning is profound. Please explain to me, does the word ‘escort’ match Eunuch Wang’s actions right now?

I, Yang, do not see you escorting.

What I, Yang, see is you forcibly compelling His Majesty to go with you!

The Deceased Emperor has passed away. Since the imperial edict names the Crown Prince as successor, then at this moment, the Crown Prince is already the ruler, the master of the Great Ming. Forget within this Qianqing Palace, no one in all the world has the right to force him to do anything! He is the master of the world, the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. What he wishes to do should be his own decision. Who are you? How dare you force the new sovereign? Eunuch Wang, release your hand immediately. Where His Majesty wishes to go should be decided by His Majesty. You are merely a servant of His Majesty. How dare you coerce His Majesty? Do you seek to be an evil servant bullying his master?”

Yang Xin glared at Wang An and shouted.

“Treason, treason! This is outright treason! Throw this madman out!”

Wang An yelled in a flustered rage.

However, his hand did not let go because of this.

Tianqi’s reaction was rather strange instead. He neither shook off Wang An nor Concubine Li who was also holding him. He just stood there silently watching the scene before him. His gaze was mainly on the ministers, with a somewhat detached, observing air. By now, fifteen years old, he was long no longer a child. After over a year of Yang Xin filling his head with astronomy, geography, history, and military affairs, his mind was already mature.

Several strong, sturdy eunuchs immediately stepped forward, trying to drive Yang Xin away.

Xu Xianchun took a step forward.

“Eunuch Wang, only His Majesty can issue orders here. You have no authority!”

He said sternly.

Tian Ergeng hesitated slightly. But since he had come with Yang Xin, he could not stay out of it no matter what. He also stepped forward, shielding Yang Xin. Those eunuchs knew them. Seeing them blocking the way, they didn’t know what to do, so they looked back at Wang An. Wang An’s face changed color. Clearly, the situation was taking a bad turn. He hadn’t expected such an unexpected development. But now he was in a bind; retreating wouldn’t change anything. Since he couldn’t retreat, he could only brace himself and press forward.

“Seal-holder Luo!”

He shouted towards Luo Sigong.

Luo Sigong quietly retreated a step, hiding within the crowd.

This old fox retreated again.

“Yang Kedao!”

Wang An immediately shouted towards Yang Lian.

Yang Lian promptly took Tianqi from his hands. At the same time, Zuo Guangdou stepped forward, blocking Yang Xin’s line of sight. Several other officials from the Donglin faction also stepped forward. They encircled Tianqi. One of them directly pushed Lady Ke aside, though Concubine Li was still clutching Tianqi’s clothes, unwilling to let go. She was not convenient to push aside, though these men didn’t truly care about her either. In fact, this woman had been ignored. Her status was what it was. No matter how favored she once was, whether she was Tianqi’s caretaker, she was ultimately only a concubine, second-to-last in the Imperial Palace hierarchy.

A concubine had no damn right to speak.

So what if she raised Tianqi? At best, slightly better than a wet nurse.

“Your Majesty, according to propriety, Your Majesty should first properly assume the position at the Eastern Palace, then choose an auspicious day for the Coronation Ceremony. Yang Tongzhi is unlearned and ignorant of court rituals. His behavior is wild and unreasonable. Please pay him no mind. We, your ministers, received the Deceased Emperor’s dying entrustment. Rectifying this is our duty. Not first assuming the position at the Eastern Palace is contrary to propriety. The Deceased Emperor did not formally appoint a Crown Prince. Although the edict names Your Majesty as successor, we still need to go through the step of the Crown Prince!”

Liu Yijing stepped forward and bowed to Tianqi as he spoke.

Tianqi still stood there woodenly, looking at him.

Liu Yijing broke out in a cold sweat.

He suddenly remembered that it seemed like he was threatening the emperor. Fortunately, the emperor was still young and might not have such complex thoughts, he thought. He subconsciously raised his hand to wipe the cold sweat.

A faint, strange smile appeared at the corner of Tianqi’s mouth.

Actually, to Tianqi himself, this matter wasn’t a big deal at all. Zhu Changluo hadn’t had time to formally issue an edict appointing him Crown Prince; he only had the title of Imperial Grandson bestowed by Wanli. Of course, before his death, Zhu Changluo had already left an edict for him to succeed and brought him before several ministers to entrust him to their care. But between being a prince and the emperor, he still needed the procedure of becoming Crown Prince. Liu Yijing and these men were not wrong in principle. He should first succeed before his father’s coffin, then go to the Eastern Palace to await the selection of an auspicious day for the Coronation Ceremony.

This way, it would count as him ascending from the Eastern Palace to the Qianqing Palace as Crown Prince.

Concubine Li hiding him was wrong, but not a huge error, because he lived here anyway. As Tianqi’s designated caretaker by Taichang, of course she had to continue caring for the underage him. And as for Concubine Li, whom Taichang had verbally promised to make Imperial Noble Consort, it was not wrong for her to stay in the Qianqing Palace to accompany Taichang’s coffin. After all, Taichang had no living Empress. If according to that earlier verbal promise of Imperial Noble Consort, she was effectively the head of the inner court. Staying here with Taichang was necessary.

Thus, Tianqi would have to stay with her too.

In short, for him, going to the Eastern Palace to wait was correct, but remaining in the Qianqing Palace wasn’t wrong either.

Both were acceptable.

But the actions of these ministers instantly made him see the treacherous nature of politics.

He was literally dragged out!

Concubine Li hid him in the inner chamber. Wang An coerced and threatened Concubine Li until she brought him out. But as soon as he emerged, Wang An seized him. Then, Wang An put his arm around his shoulders and practically pushed, pulled, and dragged him out the whole way. If not for Yang Xin’s appearance, these people would have forcibly stuffed him into the sedan chair nearby and carried him off directly. He was the newly ascended emperor! He was already the ruler of a nation. Yet these ministers treated him like a puppet to be manipulated at will, with no freedom. No one asked his opinion. No one cared if he wanted to go or not. One could say no one treated him as an emperor, as a sovereign at all.

In the eyes of these High-ranking Officials, he was just a doll to be handled arbitrarily.

You are too arrogant!

Is this how you treat an emperor?

At least ask me where I want to go. So, I, the emperor, am just for you to toss around as you please?

“Yang Tongzhi, they came to snatch him! Before the Deceased Emperor passed away, his edict entrusted His Majesty to the care of Mistress Li until he comes of age. For some reason, they suddenly barged into the palace to seize His Majesty!”

Nine Thousand Years Old shouted loudly.

He could now relax completely. With Yang Xin here, there was nothing to fear.

“Cursed eunuch dog! Don’t make false accusations! If you hadn’t hidden His Majesty, why would we be like this!”

Zuo Guangdou raged.

Nine Thousand Years Old looked at him with contempt.

“Yang Lian! I, Yang, say it again. Let go of your hand!

Where His Majesty wants to go, whether to the Eastern Palace to properly assume position or stay in the Qianqing Palace, only His Majesty himself can decide.

I, Yang, don’t care what happened before. Court politics are not for the Imperial Guard to manage. The Imperial Guard serves as His Majesty’s personal guard. We are only responsible for His Majesty’s safety, only for following His Majesty’s orders. But I, Yang, will not allow anyone to coerce His Majesty. What His Majesty should do only His Majesty himself can decide. Whoever dares to coerce His Majesty, Yang Xin dares to make him bleed in the Forbidden Palace. Don’t think I, Yang, empty-handed, cannot kill you. I will count to three. If by three you still haven’t let go, I, Yang, will consider you a traitor. Then don’t blame me for taking your life.”

Yang Xin roared.

“One!”

He immediately shouted.

Yang Lian and Liu Yijing looked at each other.

Both their gazes held some panic. It must be said, Yang Xin had taken them by surprise. If it were someone else, they wouldn’t fear beating him to death like they had Ma Shun back then. Bloodshed in the Forbidden Palace wasn’t that big a deal. But if they really fought with Yang Xin’s combat power, the result would likely be Yang Xin beating all of them single-handedly. One could say all their plans were completely ruined just like that.

“Two!”

Yang Xin barked sharply.

“Yang Kedao, let go!”

Han Kuang suddenly shouted.

He was second only to Fang Congzhe here. In fact, his authority surpassed Fang Congzhe’s, as Fang Congzhe had long been unanimously labeled a treacherous minister, while his reputation was much more positive.

“Three!”

Yang Xin roared.

Almost simultaneously, Yang Lian released his hand.

“Your Majesty, this minister meant no offense. It’s just that Concubine Li was hiding Your Majesty, with unknown intentions. And many here are her confidants. This minister received the Deceased Emperor’s dying entrustment and dared not be negligent. Yang Tongzhi merely seeks to frame us. We, your ministers, have only loyalty towards Your Majesty.”

Immediately after, he bowed to Tianqi as he spoke.

Tianqi suddenly smiled.