Chapter 29 Section 29

Empress Dowager Cixi ascended to the palace at dawn, and the emperor and princes and officials have long been "serving". The throne is not like the usual queen emperor, sitting side by side.There is only one, and the emperor is standing beside the Empress Dowager Cixi.Kneeling in front of the imperial case was Pu Jun, and behind him were princes and officials. As usual, Prince Qing Yikuang took the lead. "Where's the edict?" Empress Dowager Cixi asked the emperor. The emperor took out a piece of yellow paper from his body expressionlessly, "Prince Qing," he said, "You read it!"

So Yikuang received the imperial edict on his knees, got up and read out: "I entered into the great order at a young age, and looked up to the empress dowager to teach the government behind the curtain, and taught me diligently, meticulously. To repay kindness: that is to pay respect to the entrustment of the Vice-Emperor Mu Zongyi. Since last year, the atmosphere has been in disharmony, the affairs of the common people are flourishing, and the times are full of troubles. Only the memory of the Zongshe is the most important thing, and the empress dowager has been urged to teach the government. For more than a year, I have not recovered, and the priests of the ancestral temple in the suburbs cannot go in person. It is a difficult time. I look up at the deep palace and worry about work at night. It is difficult for the ancestors to create, and I am afraid that they will not be able to bear the burden. And at the beginning of the succession, I once obeyed the Queen Mother's order that when I have a prince, I will inherit the emperor Mu Zongyi as the heir. The system is very important; worry about this I have no place to be ashamed, how can I hope to recover from all diseases? If you ask again and again for the holiness, you will be close to the prudence, simplicity and virtuousness of the clan. You will set up an heir for Emperor Mu Zongyi, thinking that the future will be unified. I beg again and again, and I will be accepted. Pu Jun, the son of Prince Zaiyi, succeeded Emperor Mu Zongyi as his son. I am inexplicably delighted to accept Yi’s decree, and I sincerely respect and follow the instructions of kindness, and make Pu Jun, the son of Zaiyi, the prince. I will inform you of this.”

After Yikuang finished reading, the emperor had already taken off the red velvet knotted mink hat he was wearing, and put it on Pu Jun's head with his own hands. So Pu Jun, the eldest brother with pouty lips, kowtowed three times to the emperor to thank the emperor, and then made the same gift to the Empress Dowager Cixi. Obviously, the Empress Dowager Cixi was very happy to be a grandmother, with a kind face and a constant smile on her face, she said with the kind of cheerful expression that any old grandma would make fun of her grandson, "Why don't you thank me first?"

Seeing that she was so happy, King Qing took the lead in congratulating her: "The Empress Dowager has no grandsons, Emperor Yi has no sons, and the emperor has returned. The emperor has lost something that has been on his mind for many years. The slaves are waiting to congratulate them! " After meeting, everyone followed him and saluted.The Empress Dowager Cixi smiled and said, "This is a family matter, but it is also a state matter. Congratulations! Tomorrow, you will give the emperor your wishes!" Hearing these words, the emperor who was standing sideways turned around unsteadily, and bowed obliquely, as if bowing his head and obeying orders.The movement of turning around and the posture of bending over are like the "two hundred and five" in the play "Big Splitting the Coffin".

"Brother's study is the most important thing." The Empress Dowager Cixi's face became very serious, "I chose the wrong master at the beginning! After all, the preaching and learning are more reliable. Chongqi has no important errands now. Seeing that he is also in good spirits, let him write a letter to Big Brother." Chongqi was not among the trains summoned, so Li Wang, the foreman of the military aircraft, replied: "Yes! The servant will deliver the decree to Chongqi as soon as he arrives!" "Someone has to take care of the study." Empress Dowager Cixi said, "Send Xu Tong there!"

"Yes!" Xu Tong replied resoundingly, "I am old and old, but I dare not resign from this post. The elder brother's study, the slave asks for an order, why not open the Hongde Hall, which is the place where Emperor Mu Zongyi used to study classics. , just in time for the son to inherit his father's business." "Yes. Xiyuan is in the south hall." The Empress Dowager Cixi said again, "You don't have to go to the study every day, just come in and take a look when you think of it. The most important thing is to be quiet. Irrelevant people are never allowed to come in and out. It doesn't matter. Who is it, who shouldn't be in the study, Hu broke in, you name Yan Shen, I will definitely deal with it."

"yes!" The Empress Dowager Cixi paused for a moment, looked at the emperor and said, "Next year is the emperor's thirtieth birthday, so it should be lively. The Ministry of Rites will check and find out what to do!" The Minister of Rites is Qixiu.His knowledge is not very good, but he is very familiar with the allusions of court chapters.In my memory, no emperor has celebrated the "Thirty Birthday".At that time, I wanted to speak as the Minister of Military Aircraft.Zhao Shuqiao who was beside him pulled his clothes, Qixiu fell silent. Seeing nothing, King Qing took the lead to kneel down.After exiting the palace, the princes and ministers immediately divided into several piles, one pile was Zai Lian and Zai Lan, they were facing Zai Yi, they naturally worked hard, discussing how to go to Duan Wangfu to "congratulate and have fun"; One pile is full of Han Chinese, the Six Books of History, the South Study Room, the Imperial Academy of the Upper Study Room, etc. They regard the establishment of the crown prince as the Manchurians' housework, which has nothing to do with them, so they don't need to worry about it; Tong, who participated in the big plan, returned to the military aircraft department together, and there were still many important things to discuss.

"I don't admire the empress dowager's move today!" Gang Yi yelled loudly as soon as he entered Jizhi Lu, "If things are not done straightforwardly, there will inevitably be troubles in the future!" "Yes!" Zhao Shuqiao echoed, "Looking at today's situation, if the Empress Dowager can make a decisive decision, the big thing will be settled!" "Hmph," Rong Lu said with a sneer, "You two take things too easily! Usually, when people do such things, they have to invite their relatives and friends to discuss it again and again. Like today, if they can pass away safely, even if the ancestors have spirits !"

"What?" Gang Yi opened his eyes wide, and wanted to say something more, but Rong Lu spoke faster than him. "Ziliang! Don't talk about it. The empress dowager's knowledge can't be inferior to yours, right?" This is a plaster that is not big or small, and it seals the resolute mouth tightly, making it hard to breathe.So King Qing seized the gap to speak. "Look, I don't know what will be published in tomorrow's newspaper? It's not too late, we have to send a note to the ministers of various countries." He asked Ronglu, "Zhonghua, do you think we are drafting the manuscript here, or should we go back to the newspaper?" After the Yamen?"

The "Yamen" he mentioned refers to the Prime Minister's Office of State Affairs.Rong Lu hated fortitude, so he planned a note here, fearing that he would interfere indiscriminately, so he replied, "It's better to go back to the yamen! The prince please first, and I will arrive later." Rong Lu wanted to stay at the Military Aircraft Office because Gang Yi and Zhao Shuqiao might try to hide the meaning of abolishing the establishment in the establishment storage when they were drafting the decree, so they had to be monitored there. When "Dalami" wrote the edict, Rong Lu saw that there were five ways in total. In addition to the establishment of the reserve, the delivery of Ruyi, and the opening of the Hongde Hall, there were two other ways: one was the first day of the first month of next year, the Dagao Hall, Salute at the Xiandian Hall, and ask the elder brother to respectfully take his place.One is about the emperor's thirtieth birthday next year. How should the celebration be held?

"This one," Rong Lu said, pointing to the script of elder brother Gong's salute, "the empress dowager didn't explain it!" "That's the etiquette!" Qixiu replied, "I'm ready to ask for an order later." This is not impossible. "This one," Rong Lu pointed to another manuscript, "I don't think it needs to be urgent!" "For the emperor's birthday, the empress dowager confessed in person, why didn't she state the order?" asked resolutely and eloquently. "This will cause a lot of suspicion. There has never been a celebration for the emperor's thirtieth birthday. Let's take Kangxi as an example. He ascended the throne at the age of eight. Can there be a celebration in the twenty-second year of Kangxi?" He looked at Qixiu and asked, "Yingzhi, You are an official of the Ministry of Rites, and you know the anecdote well. Tell me!" "As a rule, they are all Pentecostal birthdays..." "That's not it!" Rong Lu rushed to say: "I think we still have to ask for an order. This is not an important matter, and we can't let it go for a day." "Okay! Let's ask for an order." Fortitude replied helplessly. As a result of the request, it was temporarily suppressed.The remaining four edicts will be handed over to the cabinet immediately.At the same time, the Shanghai Telegraph Bureau was notified to transfer the telegrams to the provincial governors.