The little fat baby in my arms was like a fathead fish, twisting and turning constantly. It was a bit stressful to hold him securely. Especially since the little fat baby had already started to whimper and might start crying at any time.

Old Zhu, who was sitting on the dragon throne, naturally saw it as well, but he was not in a hurry.

Old Zhu slowly stood up and said, "The Qin Emperor swept across the world, how magnificent. It's a pity that he was deceived by traitors and fools in his later years, and he died as the second emperor of Qin."

All the civil and military officials remained silent. Everyone understood these things, and everyone was clear about the history that Zhu Yuanzhang had told.

Old Zhu continued, "Han Wu was ambitious when he was young and expanded the territory when he was in his prime, but in his later years he was suspicious and superstitious, which led to the turmoil of the country and almost lost the country. Sui Wen favored his youngest son, and the Sui Dynasty perished in the second generation when it was at its peak. Why is this so?"

Watching Old Zhu slowly walk down the Danbi, the most anxious person was Zhu Wenyao, the kid had already turned around and opened his arms to ask Old Zhu to hold him. If he didn't hold him, the child would cry.

Old Zhu reached out and took Zhu Wenyao and held him. Originally, people thought that he was going to send the child to a side hall, but he didn't want to do that.

Zhu Wenyao was twisting constantly like a chub in Zhu Yunhuan's arms, but in old Zhu's arms, the little fat boy was very well-behaved and leaned his chubby little face on old Zhu's shoulder.

Old Zhu looked at all the officials and continued, "Tang Taizong was wise and powerful, and there is no need to say more. However, he deposed the eldest son and enthroned the youngest son, which led to the Li Tang Dynasty almost losing its country."

It is difficult for the officials to put it into words, but it is okay for the emperor to say so.

Zhu Yuanzhang was just confusing concepts, but there is no way to say that this is wrong. It is a fact that Li Shimin favored Li Tai. Li Zhi was actually not bad as emperor, but he let Wu Zetian take the throne, which is also considered a black spot by many people.

As for why Li Chengqian rebelled, there is actually nothing to worry about. The fact is that he rebelled.

Old Zhu continued, "I often think that if Emperor Xuanzong of Tang had died a few years earlier, he would have been a great sage. It's a pity that he died too late. He was addicted to women and pleasure, and the prosperous times turned into the An-Shi Rebellion. The Li Tang Dynasty fell in his hands!"

If it were any other occasion, perhaps some learned people would seriously discuss with Zhu Yuanzhang which emperor should be blamed for the fall of the Tang Dynasty, but it is better not to argue in this situation.

This is not to say that Zhu Yuanzhang's opinion is absolutely correct, but that Li Longji must bear a large share of the responsibility for the fall of the Tang Dynasty. These are all facts. It's just a matter of who should take the blame.

Old Zhu continued, "Emperor Taizu of Song Dynasty devoted himself to the army and won the world. He drank with his brothers and stayed in the palace, and died the next day. He had four sons, but he passed the throne to his younger brother? How could this be justified? Only the candlelight and the sound of the axe were left, and his sons also died one after another. How tragic it was."

Other officials were even more trembling. Zhao Kuangyin had four sons, two of whom died young. But to be realistic, Zhao Kuangyi was not good to his nephews either. Fortunately, Zhao Kuangyin also left descendants.

Old Zhu said with deep emotion, "Why have I not come to court for the past two years? It is because I am old and weak, and my energy is not enough. I often feel powerless when I want to handle state affairs."

All the officials did not want to complain. The emperor looked strong and vigorous, not at all old and frail. He looked very relaxed holding a fat baby, how could he look powerless?
But even though I knew it in my heart, it would be the most foolish thing to do to say it out loud at this time.

Old Zhu looked at Zhu Yunhuan and said, "The former crown prince died young, and I was always worried about the succession of the country. Fortunately, the crown prince is wise, kind, and decisive, so I feel that the country is safe."

Zhu Yunhuan should just kneel down obediently, and all other civil and military officials should also kneel down. Don't think about anything else at this time.

Old Zhu then said, "Among all my descendants, the Crown Prince is the most like me. He suffered a lot when he was young, and his character has been tempered. He has the careful guidance of the Queen and the Crown Prince, and he is also kind and loving."

All officials chose to pretend that they didn't know anything. Many people knew what the young prince was like when he was young. But the emperor said that the young prince was taught by the former queen and the former prince, so he was taught by them.

Everyone knows why they do this, and it is all for the purpose of being more "legitimate".

In fact, many people have speculated that the former Crown Prince Zhu Biao may indeed be partial to Zhu Yunhuan. Otherwise, how could a royal grandson who was famous for being a playboy when he was young be so mature and scheming? Otherwise, there is no way to explain why this grandson could handle state affairs so quickly. This must have been taught by the crown prince.

This is not just the idea of ​​some officials. Mr. Zhu has also believed this for many years.

Old Zhu looked at all the officials and said solemnly, "The Crown Prince is the foundation of the Ming Dynasty, and the Emperor's great-grandson is the eternal descendant of our Zhu family."

The extremely serious old Zhu said, "Why do I love my great-grandson? When he was born, I dreamed of the late emperor and empress. They passed the great jade tablet to me and said that they would give me their descendants for generations. How dare I disobey my parents' orders?"

Old Zhu should not say that other emperors were feudal and superstitious, he himself was almost the same. The most important thing is that Old Zhu is not polite at all now. No one knows whether he has a dream or not, but if he says it, it is true.

It was not the first time that Zhu Wenyao had mentioned that he was the grandson of the heir apparent, but the occasion was different.

I had said this in private before, and also in front of several important ministers in Wenhua Palace.

But the meaning this time was different. It was proposed in an extremely formal occasion, and it was a grand court ceremony.

"I am too old to handle state affairs, and I dare not disobey my parents' orders, so I can only concentrate on raising the great-grandson." Old Zhu said solemnly, "I think that educating the great-grandson well is the most important thing."

Then Old Zhu looked at Chen Di and said, "Minister of Rites, you are very talented and learned. Please discuss the reign title and report it to me in the near future."

It’s here, and all the officials know that the highlight is really here.

Everyone knows what the reign title means. The emperor of the Ming Dynasty only used one reign title in his lifetime. The current Hongwu reign title has been used for 30 years. The emperor suddenly asked his ministers to discuss a new reign title, which naturally means preparations for the new monarch.

Regardless of whether Chen Di and the others dared to respond, Old Zhu said, "I have decided to pass the throne to the Crown Prince. Before the New Year, the Crown Prince will ascend the throne, and I will step down as the Supreme Emperor."

In the huge Fengtian Hall, you could hear a pin drop. If there was any sound, it was Zhu Wenyao babbling and pulling at the beads on Old Zhu's crown. He seemed to be very interested in these things. He was a fat kid who couldn't sit still.

Old Zhu continued, "The emperor's great-grandson is also one year old. When the emperor ascends the throne, he will be made the crown prince to serve the country, the heavens, and the ancestral temple."

Zhu Yunhuan knelt obediently and dared not speak, and the civil and military officials did not dare to speak at this time.

Old Zhu then said in a very serious tone, "Marquis Wuding, I am here to receive the imperial edict to pass on the throne."

Guo Ying, the confidant, immediately knelt before Zhu with the imperial edict in his hand. But Zhu did not even look at it and said, "The Minister of Rites read the imperial edict, and the Minister of Personnel and Prince An summoned him."

Chen Di, Ru Hong and Zhu Ying all stood up immediately, their legs and feet feeling weak. They knew exactly what this meant.

Guo Ying was the Marquis of Wuding, a representative of the Huaixi nobles. Chen Di and Ru Rong were civil officials, and some ceremonies also required these civil officials to perform. And Prince An Zhu Ying was a member of the Ming royal family, and his task was to "supervise" from the side to prevent people from saying that the edict of succession was forged.

Zhu Yunhuan still said nothing at this time. He did not show any fear or refusal. He just knelt aside, as if nothing had anything to do with him.

But it is certain that he was excited. Now that the imperial edict had been formally read out, it meant that the matter had been settled. Moreover, he was enthroned before the first day of the lunar year, which was a very flexible matter.

It could be the end of the month or next month. It seems that as long as an auspicious day is picked, the coronation ceremony can be confirmed to begin.

There is no need to say much about what this means. The crown prince is the crown prince, and the emperor is the emperor. The difference here is very big, even a world of difference.

Even though some people think that with Zhu's status, even if he retired as the emperor, he could still control the government. But no matter what, Zhu Yunhuan was the legitimate emperor next.

For the civil and military officials, some things did not surprise them at all. Everything seemed to be natural, and some things were already within their expectations.

The reason can be said to be very simple. There have been various rumors about the emperor's possibility of passing on the throne, and everyone knows it well.

Even before the court session today, many people were speculating. After all, this was an extremely important occasion, and serious matters naturally needed to be taken seriously.

Chen Di began to read the edict of succession aloud, while Ru Rong and Zhu Ying stared carefully at every word on the edict, paying full attention and not daring to misread or miss a single word.

Zhu Yunhuan was still kneeling on one side, and all the civil and military officials were also kneeling, listening to the imperial edict.

Zhu Yunhuan complained in his heart that although Zhu had asked someone to help modify the edict before, and it was indeed modified a little bit, but in essence it was still based on Zhu's opinion.

In the edict of succession, Zhu Yunhuan was praised as a flower, emphasizing his background, ability and character. It also emphasized that this was the will of the people and the unanimous voice of the royal family, as if not passing on the throne would be a shame to the country.

Zhu Wenyao suddenly turned his head to look at Chen Di. He heard his name. Although he was not very old to learn to speak and could not walk yet, it did not prevent the child from knowing something.

For example, he is happy when his name is mentioned, and as for how to praise him, the child does not have those cognitions now.

After the imperial edict was read, Old Zhu asked, "Minister of Personnel, Prince An, was there any mistake in the reading of the imperial edict?"

Zhu Ying and Ru Hong immediately knelt down and said quickly, "Your Majesty, it is correct."

Old Zhu then looked at all the officials and asked, "My dear ministers, do you have any objections?"

There is naturally no objection to this, not to mention the prestige of Zhu or Zhu Yunhuan. There have been several cases in history where the throne was passed on and the emperor retired to become the emperor emeritus. Although the situation may have been different at the time, it is fine as long as it happened.

This means that Zhu Yuanzhang is not the first person in history to do so. It is reasonable for him to do so. It does not matter whether he will give up power in the future. It is not a big deal for the emperor to abdicate now.

An earlier example was King Wuling of Zhao, who wore Hu clothing and rode and shot arrows. He was the first monarch in history to abdicate the throne directly to his son while still alive. Emperor Gaozu of Tang, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Emperor Guangzong of Song, etc., also abdicated directly, even if they were forced to abdicate voluntarily due to circumstances.

Emperor Xuan of Northern Zhou, Emperor Gaozong of Song, etc., these were people who still had real power after abdicating.

As for the title of "Emeritus Emperor", it is also fine. At the end of the Sui Dynasty, when the country was in chaos, Li Yuan entered Chang'an and established Yang You, the grandson of Emperor Yang, as the emperor. He respected Emperor Yang, who was far away in Jiangdu, as the "Emeritus Emperor". This does not necessarily have to be father and son. The emperor who abdicated the throne can be the "Emeritus Emperor".

Old Zhu nodded in satisfaction, and then said, "The Minister of Personnel will go outside the palace to read the imperial edict, and Prince An will go to the Meridian Gate to read the imperial edict, so as to make it known to the people of the world."

Seeing someone leaving the hall, Zhu Wenyao was unhappy and pointed at the entrance of the hall, "Ancestor, elbow."

The chubby boy with slurred speech was getting impatient. It was bright outside now, so he should go out and play. For Zhu Wenyao, he could stay in the house, but not for long.

Old Zhu said kindly, "I have something else to do in a while. I'll take Wen Yao out to play later."

Old Zhu looked at Zhu Yunhuan and asked, "Grandson, I entrust the country to you. Can you shoulder the responsibility of protecting the country and bringing peace to the people of the world?"

Zhu Yunhuan replied respectfully, "Your Majesty, I am a dull and stupid person, but I will work hard in government affairs and live up to your trust."

Old Zhu smiled and nodded, saying, "You are not a stupid person. You are as wise and resolute as me, and as wise and kind as your father. You should be diligent in government affairs and usher in a prosperous era for our Ming Dynasty. Don't let me down. The country is in your hands."

Zhu Wenyao was shaking his hands and dancing with joy. He was held in Old Zhu's arms and pointed happily at the entrance of the hall, saying that he was going out to play.

Zhu Yunhuan was a little dumbfounded, and so were all the officials. This emperor was definitely not a secret. But now that the birthday ceremony was over and the edict of succession was read, he was just going to take care of the child?
Zhu Yunhuan didn't dare to get up, and the officials were even less able to get up at this time. They could only kneel on the ground and look at the floor. The sound of Zhu's footsteps and Zhu Wenyao's laughter could be heard in their ears.

Zhu Yunhuan stood up after a long while, his face as usual, "I am not very talented and well-educated, and I have no moral integrity, but I am trusted by your majesty. However, the matter of succession is a serious matter, and you, my dear ministers, should make a report to your majesty and advise him."

All officials were convinced by this grandfather and grandson, and no one dared to stop Zhu from passing on the throne. Zhu Yunhuan, the grandson, asked all officials to submit memorials to persuade him, but most of those memorials would end up on his desk.

But at this time, they still have to show their obedience to the order and do some superficial work. The Crown Prince does this, and so do all the officials. The procedures must be followed.

However, this memorial of advice requires more effort. It is not only to please the emperor, but also to please the new emperor. It cannot be a sincere attempt to persuade the emperor to revoke his decision.

Even now, even if he wanted to accept it, he couldn't do it. How could he joke about passing on the throne? (End of this chapter)