Everyone present knew about the recent rumors circulating among the common people. Initially they had just listened to them as a joke and let it pass, not taking them to heart—would the Crown Prince be foolish enough to make a move against His Majesty? Everyone knew His Majesty treasured the Crown Prince like a pearl. Though the Crown Prince didn’t greatly value his own biological sons, His Majesty was extremely fond of this grandson.
At this critical juncture, with Prince Gong in rebellion and the Crown Prince crippled, and Princes Lu and Su never having been favored, His Majesty had personally mentioned establishing the Imperial Grand Prince and announcing it at the ancestral temple on the twenty-first of the second month. At this time, unless he had gone mad, why would he make a move against His Majesty?
But the rumors spread more and more fiercely, becoming increasingly explicit. Many people, upon reconsideration, felt that these words weren’t necessarily entirely absurd—perhaps His Highness the Crown Prince, because Prince Gong’s matter had been exposed, thought to strike first against His Majesty? Otherwise, why had His Highness the Crown Prince completely changed from his usual modest demeanor, becoming unbridled and arrogant? Wasn’t it precisely because he felt His Majesty would definitely not recover and thus had nothing to fear?
Add to this the successive defeats at Purple Bramble Pass these past days and the pacifist officials being thrown into prison one after another—the fire that had been buried for so long was finally ignited. Once one person stood up to plead for Prince Gong, there was a second—after all, the common people outside were in an uproar. As court officials, never mind whether His Highness the Crown Prince would tolerate them in the future, shouldn’t they at least have some backbone?
Moreover, to put it more bluntly, Purple Bramble Pass was nearly breached now, and Tongzhou was clearly just days away. Once Tongzhou was broken through, what about the capital? Prince Gong Han Zhengqing and the Tatars were sweeping forward like a tidal wave. Who knew—they might truly attack into the capital one day. If they really did attack, wouldn’t they, as officials, at least be counted as having once cried injustice for Prince Gong?
These dark thoughts, the current unstable situation, plus His Highness the Crown Prince’s current arrogance, finally brought about today’s unprecedented grand impeachment.
Even Chief Minister Chang could no longer control the direction of events. Surrounded by several censors, his official hat fell to the ground. He couldn’t help feeling somewhat agitated. Cen Biliang was actually better off—he was from the Ministry of War and had always been domineering, so no one dared make a move on him. But Song Chengru was unfortunately the maternal grandfather of the Crown Princess and was being pointed at and cursed by the censors.
“If His Highness is still insufficient to assume regency, then who else is suitable?!” Chief Minister Chang was finally pressed to desperation and shouted loudly, at last temporarily restoring some order to the court hall. Breathing heavily, he rebuked, “You people all grew up reading the classics of the sages. Would you throw yourselves into chaos first just based on the gossip of ignorant common people? His Highness the Crown Prince was designated Crown Prince by His Majesty’s golden words and jade decree. If he isn’t suitable, who is? This was personally decided by His Majesty before he fell ill.”
Song Chengru, besieged and forced to retreat step by step, finally stood firm behind Cen Biliang at this moment. He panted for a while, gasping for breath and bending at the waist. He didn’t say a word, his complexion extremely poor.
Immediately someone jumped out. “Why doesn’t the Chief Minister understand what we mean?!”
“Where do we object to His Highness the Crown Prince’s status? Even if His Highness the Crown Prince has the most suitable status, what of it? If he truly is as conscienceless as Prince Gong’s proclamation says—framing his uncle, sowing discord between Prince Gong and His Majesty, and poisoning to harm His Majesty—then how can such a person be our ruler?!”
“Scholars remonstrate unto death, warriors fight unto death!” Another person brought out Censor Shi’s memorial and began reading its contents aloud. “If we don’t investigate the cause of His Majesty’s illness, who among us has the face to meet the Late Emperor in the afterlife?!”
Chief Minister Chang and the Cabinet members all recognized this person. He was Censor Shi’s classmate, a fellow townsman and close friend named Liang Tong.
Liang Tong knelt on the ground, his spine ramrod straight, holding Censor Shi’s memorial up with both hands, staring fixedly at Zhou Weizhao. “Censor Shi asks Your Highness—do you dare allow the Three Judicial Offices to investigate?! If the Three Judicial Offices find Your Highness is innocent, then Prince Gong is naturally a traitorous rebel whom everyone has the right to punish, and Your Highness’s reputation can naturally be restored. But if they discover…” He spoke righteously with finality, “If they discover that what Prince Gong said is indeed true, then Your Highness is unfit to be our Great Zhou’s sovereign!”
With these words, no one in the court hall opened their mouths again.
The assembled officials were all stunned by Censor Shi’s memorial. They knew Censor Shi was formidable, that Censor Shi could scold, but they didn’t know Censor Shi could scold this fiercely and mercilessly. Now, even if someone wanted to speak ambiguously, it was impossible.
If Zhou Weizhao didn’t proactively request the Three Judicial Offices to jointly try this matter, it would prove Zhou Weizhao had a guilty conscience and everything Prince Gong said was true.
Fu Youde inwardly cursed Censor Shi as a fool who had read himself stupid. He truly couldn’t restrain himself and rebuked aloud, “Never has it been heard that subjects force their sovereign to prove his own innocence. This is simply absurd! By what right does this Censor Shi do this?!”
Liang Tong knelt like a bamboo pole, completely fearless. He surveyed the assembled officials with their varying expressions, his voice like a great bell. “By virtue of the six words: scholars remonstrate unto death, warriors fight unto death! By virtue of our loyal hearts toward Great Zhou! By virtue of our unbearable sympathy for the common people of the realm! If Your Highness truly did something disgraceful, then this warfare and chaos is entirely caused by Your Highness. What—just because Your Highness is the sovereign, can he not be investigated? But Minister Fu, don’t forget—above Your Highness, there is still His Majesty!”
How could Fu Youde withstand this righteous counterargument? His face alternated between livid and pale as he stood in place, glancing at the equally grave expressions on the Cabinet Elders’ faces. He cursed inwardly.
The hall immediately erupted in discussion. After only a brief commotion, those in agreement knelt on the ground like an overwhelming tide, petitioning Zhou Weizhao.
Even the Minister of Rites, after weighing the matter repeatedly, couldn’t help but kneel on the ground as well.
Liang Tong’s eyes fixed on Zhou Weizhao as his head struck the ground in deep obeisance. “This subject requests Your Highness, for the sake of the realm, for the sake of the common people, and for your own sake—please approve a joint trial by the Three Judicial Offices! Please approve summoning famous physicians from throughout the realm to treat His Majesty! To set the record straight!”
The great hall was frighteningly silent. Liang Tong kowtowed again. “If Your Highness does not approve, today Liang Tong will remonstrate unto death, and Censor Shi in Nanjing shall simultaneously die as well!”
They were serious! The voices rising and falling throughout the hall, shouting in agreement, could no longer be stopped.
After all, someone had already become the first to stick their neck out, ready to risk their life to demand justice from the Crown Prince. These scholars, of course, should even more so demonstrate their scholarly integrity.
The Cabinet members looked at each other. In the end it was still Chief Minister Chang who sighed and glanced at everyone kneeling on the ground. “This subject also requests Your Highness to approve what Liang Tong and Censor Shi have requested.”