Chapter 005 Who is in Favor? Who is Against?
In the hall, there was an uproar as several middle-aged young men dressed as princes retreated in haste, some falling to the ground, scrambling backward with hands and feet, leaving long wet trails on the floor
Long live our Emperor! Long live, long live, long long live!
The precious orb and the long sword simultaneously emitted a shimmering white light, illuminating the dark-haired girl like a statue carved from white jade. When she parted her lips to speak, the statue came to life, transforming into a descending deity
The woman in white behind sighed deeply, "Miss, you must think it through..."
How could this happen
The tall and radiant girl with black hair stood beneath the Danbi, her voice, which should have been as bright and melodious as a yellow oriole, transformed into the roar of a she-tiger due to extreme anger
You all... have set aside the threat of chaos returning, merely to oppose my ascension as the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, to oppose the emergence of a female emperor in the Ming Dynasty
The opposing voices and even shouts were as noisy as a boiling pot, and the girl's expression darkened, her already striking willow-leaf eyebrows gradually arching upward
This voice, carrying a literal sense of fierce wind and thunder, caused everyone to feel their clothes fluttering and their bodies swaying, rendering the entire hall instantly silent to the point that a pin drop could be heard
Shut up
The waves have subsided, the heavens and the earth are at peace, and the ministers, as if awakening from a dream, finally have the strength to speak.
In the eastern part of the Zhendian continent, the originally smooth and curved coastline has been indented to form a deep and vast bay, resembling the bulging belly of a corpulent man being struck hard. The bay takes on a crescent shape, remarkably regular, leading one to suspect it is the result of supernatural craftsmanship beyond the forces of nature. According to the legends of the Zhendian people, a terrifying natural disaster occurred tens of thousands of years ago, when stars fell to the earth and all living beings perished. This bay is regarded as evidence of that event and is named the Bay of Fallen Stars.
The ancestral mountain is guarded by the temple and mausoleum, and under ordinary circumstances, not to mention officials, even royal family members do not have the privilege to enter. The Heavenly Temple at the highest point of the ancestral mountain is only opened during the ascension of a new emperor. The tradition of the Ming dynasty holds that only by wielding the Tai'a and firmly sitting on the throne can one be deemed recognized by heaven and attain the position of the Son of Heaven. Whether this tradition is merely a ritual or, as rumored, has practical significance, is unclear to the general populace. It is worth noting that the late emperor ascended to the throne at the age of fifteen and reigned for eighty-two years, with few living longer than he ruled.
This is the new emperor of the Ming Dynasty, who has been the crown prince for fifty years and finally ascended the throne today, yet at this moment has become a cold, lifeless corpse
The girl was taken aback: "Me?"
Long live our Emperor
With a resounding bang, the hall trembled slightly, as the giant paused with the long axe in hand
We do not wish to see the throne vacant, but the problem is that no one is able to ascend it now
The Ming Dynasty would rather be without a ruler for a hundred years than have a female sovereign for even a single day
The young girl appeared very confused, "It's so easy, Your Highness... What is going on with my elder brother? How could he not withstand it?"
The television station is still broadcasting, the matter of the throne can be deliberated over time, but we must first deal with the television station
It is these warrior sculptures that have actually come to life
"The state cannot be without a ruler, and the Tai'a sword cannot be left hanging in vain." The giant silenced the discussions of the crowd as if swatting flies, "If there are no candidates left, we can only follow the decree of the sacred mountain and let you decide for yourselves, but there are still candidates available now"
On either side of the throne stood two rows of warrior sculptures, each one and a half meters tall, all clad in dark heavy armor, wielding long weapons such as halberds, spears, axes, and hammers. The chests bore the heads of various beasts, including tigers, leopards, bears, and wolves. The mouths of these beasts were wide open, with fangs bared, as if ready to devour. However, the necks above the beast heads were empty, revealing that they were headless warriors.
Through the curtain, I saw a face that no longer belonged to the living. The black-haired girl with trembling red lips stirred the depths of her autumn-like eyes, creating intense ripples.
The bald giant lifted the corpse from the throne, and a group of tall figures in dark robes, only half a head shorter than him, took it over. The crown tilted askew, and the tassels parted, revealing a yellow-brown skull. The skull's mouth was wide open, its jaw dislocated in a twisted manner, as if it had endured unspeakable agony before death
I initially just wanted to help you bear the burden, and once a suitable candidate emerged, I would step aside. As for the Empress or the like, I have no interest in that at all
The young girl mounted the dragon, casually taking a seat as if entering a small tavern, with one hand resting on the dragon's head and the other gripping the hilt of her sword, she sheathed it back into the dragon's tail
The throne may be temporarily left vacant, and when the various princes possess both the will and the strength, a wise choice shall be made to establish a ruler
Once again, a tremendous sound echoed, and the bald giant knelt down, shouting.
The continuous rumbling sound startled the people in the hall, causing them to look around in panic, fearing that the entire hall was about to collapse
The young girl shrugged and sighed, "I don't want this either, but now that things have come to this point, what other options do we have?"
The young girl smiled coldly, her gaze sweeping over the crowd like lightning, "Now I have changed my mind, this empress, I shall claim her for myself!"
The brilliance flowed in her eyes as she nodded in a daze, "Yes, I almost forgot that I am also of the Zhu family bloodline"
This goes against the ancestral teachings! The ancestral teachings never stated that the throne could be passed to a woman
In a daze, I heard the girl say again: "What about you? Who is in favor? Who is against?"
Your Highness, the Crown Prince
No one here is qualified, except for ... ...
The storm-like voices reverberated through the hall, as the officials of the royal family seemed to be swept up to the heavens, their bodies, minds, and even souls being struck by thunder and lightning
Zhu Moli, the youngest daughter of the late emperor, is a saint from the Holy Mountain, and a saint is a non-human being capable of destroying a nation single-handedly
The young girl leaned forward to look at the ministers, resembling a hawk surveying ants from above, her tone so cold that everyone involuntarily shivered
A person is seated on the throne, dressed in a dark dragon robe, wearing a crown adorned with twelve tassels. The left hand rests on the dragon's head, which holds a precious pearl in its mouth, while the right hand grips a sword in a reverse manner. This sword is an ancient-style long sword, with its blade partially inserted into the dragon's tail, only a small portion embedded. Observing the person's posture of raising an arm and leaning to the side, it appears as though the sword was drawn halfway and then halted.
The girl with black hair blinked to steady her mind, turned her head to look at the royal officials in the hall, and impatiently scolded: "What are you still waiting for? The ancestral teachings have stated that in such matters, if the father is unable, then the legitimate son shall take his place; if the legitimate son is unable, then the illegitimate son shall take over! In any case, it is essential to have the bloodline of the Zhu family holding the Tai'a, firmly securing the state. Who is it now?"
They knelt down and shouted in unison
The girl's gaze shifted to the throne atop the nine-tiered Dan platform, which is the seat of the state. The base is made of rice ears, the back is adorned with clouds, and the armrests are shaped like a five-clawed golden dragon, holding a precious pearl in its mouth, winding from the right hand around the back and then lowering to the left hand
On the other side of the Emperor stood a tall bald giant, whose presence was so imposing that one might suspect he was a deity descended to the mortal realm, his voice booming like distant thunder. The black-haired young woman had already surpassed the average height of a man, yet she only reached the giant's chest.
At this moment, these individuals recalled something, something that should not have been forgotten
The hen crows at dawn, how to achieve it
Is this it
The members of the royal family and the ministers exchanged glances, as unexpected changes followed one after another, leaving no one willing to speak up
A faint tremor reverberated through the heavens and the earth, as if a certain force diffused throughout the mortal realm converged upon the throne, stirring up immense waves. Merely being brushed by the remnants of these waves left one disoriented, and no one stood in the hall beneath the crimson throne.
Today marks the day of the late emperor's return to the ancestral shrine and the ascension of the new emperor. The royal officials finally have the opportunity to appreciate the scenery of the ancestral mountains and catch a glimpse of the true appearance of the Heavenly Temple. However, at this moment, the Heavenly Temple is engulfed in an invisible storm of turmoil. Over a thousand royal officials are present, some shouting loudly, others weeping softly, and approximately one-third have fainted. The magnificent and spacious hall is in disarray, resembling a prison for death row inmates leading to the execution ground
The ancestral teachings have also stated that as times change, strategies must adapt. Our Ming dynasty's state is as stable as a sacred mountain, and the royal family and ministers are sufficient to oversee national affairs. There is no need to hastily establish a ruler
Several rivers originating from the central part of the mainland flow from west to east, rushing thousands of miles to enter the sea. Zhongjing is situated on this vast plain crisscrossed by rivers. Nominally, it is a city, but in fact, it is a super city cluster composed of four cities from the southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest, along with three coastal ports, totaling seven cities.
In the plains located three to four hundred miles from the bay, a vast and towering mountain range rises abruptly, surrounding the four cities of Zhongjing. The highest peaks of these mountains reach the clouds, resembling colossal pillars supporting the sky. This mountain range is the secular hub of the Zhendan continent, referred to as the Ancestral Mountain by the Zhendan people. The Temple of Heaven, where offerings are made to the heavens, is located here, as are the spirit tablets of the emperors of the Ming dynasty. The Ming dynasty's palace, Wuzhong Palace, can only humbly crouch at the southern foot of the mountains. Wuzhong Palace is magnificent and grand, yet compared to the Ancestral Mountain, it is merely a drop of dew hanging on the edge of a lotus leaf.
Princess Mo Li, get up quickly! The throne is not a dressing table
He bowed to the dark-haired young lady and said, "Your Highness, you are also qualified."
The officials below began to clamor, interrupting the giant's words
Perhaps he thought he would never ascend to the throne, the white-clad woman remarked coldly, even the dark elf sorceress, who bears the seed of magic, dares to be kept as a concubine, yet he never considered sitting here
How can the Son of Heaven be a woman? It is not permissible, absolutely not permissible
Then they were left speechless, their eyes glazed over
"This is not a title he deserves, miss," said a woman in white standing behind the black-haired girl, speaking indifferently. "He has not become an emperor."