When Li Zhi was just a wealthy businessman, he never thought of becoming an emperor or even becoming an official.

By chance, his sister was favored by Emperor Qingde, and Emperor Qingde insisted on giving him an official position. Li Zhi thought about it and accepted it.

Li Zhi was the best among Yangzhou businessmen. When he arrived in the officialdom, Li Zhi was polite to all the officials on the surface, but deep down he did not want to stay under others for a long time and look at others' eyes everywhere. It happened that the southwest rebellion was empty and Li Zhi took the initiative to donate 100,000 silver. Emperor Qingde was overjoyed and ordered him to serve as the grain transport official.

The battlefield was like a shopping mall. When he arrived at the front line, Li Zhi was like a fish in water and made his first-class military achievements. He was also the legitimate brother of Concubine Chun. Emperor Qingde was very happy to be named the Marquis of Pingxi, and soon handed over the imperial guards to him.

To be fair, Li Zhi felt that Emperor Qingde was too addicted to his sister's beauty and acted in a confused manner, but Emperor Qingde was confused and benefited by him. Li Zhi naturally would not say much. Furthermore, Emperor Qingde was almost thirty years older than his sister, so it was Emperor Qingde who took the initiative to give up the country to him, and Li Zhi was not uncommon. He would rather take his sister to Yangzhou to be a businessman and then choose a good husband of the same age for his sister.

Li Zhi wanted to plan more when he sat in the position of the imperial guards. If his sister could give birth to a prince, Li Zhi would do his best to assist his nephew ascend to the throne. If his sister had only a princess, Li Zhi would seize the throne and change the dynasty. This decision was caused by ambition, but it was a last resort. Otherwise, if he did not fight, their brother and sister and the entire Li family would become Queen Shen and the prince's sword.

Li Zhi did not hate Empress Shen and the crown prince, but he did not want to lose, so he could only let Empress Shen and his son lose.

After serving as the commander of the imperial guards for many years, Li Zhi had completely controlled the imperial guards in his own hands. The entire imperial city was surrounded by the imperial guards. As long as Li Zhi thought, he could rebel and usurp the throne at any time, and those Ziwen ministers could not do anything to him. But Li Zhi wanted to change to a gentle way. He silently waited for the opportunity until Eunuch Shi sent him a letter saying that Emperor Qingde had issued an order and ordered the imperial concubine to be buried with him.

When Li Zhi learned about this, he smiled and sneered.

Emperor Qingde was confused for most of his life, but he became awake when he died. He knew that the country left by his ancestors was more important than women, but the woman abandoned by Emperor Qingde was his own sister. Li Zhi had been ruined by an old man for several years. How could he continue to watch his sister, who was only in his early twenties, go to bury her forever?

Therefore, before Emperor Qingde dismissed his official position, Li Zhi made a plan to abdicate with several confidants.

The abdication was because Emperor Qingde took the initiative to give the throne to him, not because he was Li Zhi usurped the throne and rebelled.

This plan is ridiculous, but if you analyze it carefully, it can still be more practical.

First of all, Emperor Qingde favored the imperial concubine for many years, and was so fond of Empress Shen and the crown prince. This is a fact that the whole world knows. In order to protect his beloved imperial concubine from being settled by Empress Shen, Emperor Qingde abdicated to him. Although he was sorry for his ancestors, he deserved his favor.

Secondly, Emperor Qingde was bedridden by ill. It is well known that Empress Shen and the crown prince prohibited the imperial concubine from visiting him. Then he spread rumors that Empress Shen and the crown prince poisoned Emperor Qingde and forged the imperial edict against the Marquis of Pingxi and the imperial concubine. Even if the people did not believe it, they would definitely believe it.

Finally, Li Zhi had learned the handwriting of Emperor Qingde long ago. As long as he came up with an imperial edict from Emperor Qingde to him, even if the whole world doubted him, Li Zhi could ascend the throne with justification.

Now Emperor Qingde, Empress Chen, and Prince are all dead, with military power in control, and all his confidants among civil and military ministers, Li Zhi only needs to perform a few good shows.

In front of the city gate, facing the support of Eunuch Shi, Gu Jichang and others, Li Zhi refused to obey.

The ministers held the imperial edict and stood in front of the car, as if Li Zhi would not let him go if he did not agree to inherit the throne.

The two gangs confronted each other and continued until night fell.

There was a curfew in the city. The people who watched the bustling day did not dare to violate the law and went back to their respective homes one after another.

Li Zhi had no choice but to lead the family back to the Hou's Mansion first.

In the next three days, Li Zhi ordered his subordinates to close the door and no one was allowed to enter and exit.

In the palace, Eunuch Shi led a few strong guards to the third prince's bedroom.

The third prince's biological mother position is not high and he has passed away long ago. Since he fell down and lame when he was young, he has developed a taciturn and widowed personality. Now Eunuch Shi has come to ask him to come forward to persuade Li Zhi to follow the order. The third prince glanced at the guards behind Eunuch Shi and lowered his eyes and asked, "If I don't go, what should my father-in-law do?"

Eunuch Shi narrowed his eyes slightly and said sincerely: "I only know that the marquis is the most kind and kind. After ascending the throne, he will treat all the princes and princess well."

The third prince smiled, and he understood that if he did not cooperate with Li Zhi in acting, the prince would be the lesson of the past.

The third prince was a little frustrated, but if Li Zhi did not rebel, it would not be his turn to the throne. If he would rather die than obey, he would only make Li Zhi's path to succession to the throne more stigmatization.

The third prince didn't want to die, so he nodded to Eunuch Shi.

Eunuch Shi smiled, bowed and left, and went to the fourth prince again.

The fourth prince is only ten years old this year. I am afraid that the fourth prince will not make up his mind, so Eunuch Shi invited the fourth prince's biological mother Shupin.

Shupin had long learned about the tragic death of Empress Chen and the prince from the whispers of the palace maids. The little palace maids described it vividly. Shupin even suspected that the palace maids were all arranged by Eunuch Shi, who threatened her in a corner.

Shupin was afraid of death, and even more afraid that her son would be in a different place.

So as soon as Eunuch Shi spoke, Shupin hugged the fourth prince and responded repeatedly: "It should be, the Marquis is both civil and military, and the late emperor is wise."

Eunuch Shi looked at the fourth prince in the woman's arms.

The fourth prince is a fat man. Under the intentional indulgence of Queen Shen, the fourth prince only knows how to eat, drink and have fun, and never thinks about major events in the court. Although he felt that the abdication of his father to outsiders was too strange, his biological mother agreed, and the fourth prince was too lazy to think about it anymore, and asked blankly: "How should I persuade the marquis?"

Eunuch Shi smiled and bent over and taught the Fourth Prince some words.

Outside the palace, Gu Jichang came to the Shen family in regular clothes.

There are many civil officials who are willing to support Li Zhi, but there is no cabinet minister.

Although Li Zhi had long told them not to lobby the Shen family, in order to succeed to the throne, Gu Jichang still wanted to give it a try.

However, Shenqu didn't even let Gu Jichang enter the door. No matter how Gu Jichang knocked on the door, the servant guarding the door was indifferent.

Gu Jichang smiled bitterly, and the son-in-law, the Marquis, knew his father-in-law's family better.

But it doesn't matter, the overall situation has been decided, and whether Chenqu will support Li Zhi can't change anything.

On the fourth day of Emperor Qingde's death, the third prince and the fourth prince also came to the Marquis's Mansion to persuade Li Zhi to ascend the throne.

Li Zhi still refused.

On the fifth day of Emperor Qingde's death, the third prince, fourth prince and many civil and military ministers knelt outside the gate of the marquis's mansion and begged hard, threatening that Li Zhi would not kneel down if he did not accept the order to ascend the throne. Li Zhi then showed up and knelt three times and nine times to Emperor Qingde's "decree" amid the support of the crowd, and vowed to be a wise monarch who benefited the people and solemnly inherit the order to succeed the throne.

Inside the Marquis' Mansion, listening to the people outside the main gate shouting "Long live the emperor", the old lady Zhu clenched her hands excitedly.

It’s so good. As soon as Changsun ascended the throne, she will be the noble queen mother from now on!

Chen Qingqing glanced at the radiant old lady, but she was half happy and half sad. Her relationship with Queen Chen had long been completely broken, but Empress Chen, the prince was the blood relative of her grandfather and uncle. The two were killed by Li Zhi. Grandfather and uncle must have hated them to death, right?

Chen Qingqing was afraid that her grandfather would lose her daughter and was also afraid that her grandfather would have a estrangement from her grandmother because of her.

In the Shen family, Song sat by the window and looked at the sycamore tree outside the window in a daze. Suddenly, the curtain was lifted open. Song turned his head and saw Chen Qu walking in in a cloth clothes. After a few days, the old man Chen Ge, who was over 60, had a lot of white hair on his face. The wrinkles on his face seemed to be getting deeper, but his eyes were still clear.

Song looked at him silently.

Chenqu walked to the window and sat down opposite her, looking calm.

"Is Qingqing a mistake?" Song asked in a low voice.

Chen Qu shook his head and gave her the answer with his eyes.

Imperial power has been like this since ancient times. It can make father and son turn against each other and make brothers enemies, let alone two gangs without blood relationships.

The daughter died in the battle for imperial power, but the one who killed her was his grandson-in-law.

Chenqu doesn't have the strength to hate anyone.

"I am old and can no longer worry about national affairs. Do you want to follow me to return to my hometown to retire?" Chen Qu sighed softly, and looked up at the woman opposite and said. That was his nominal concubine, but in Shen Qu's heart, Song had long been his wife.

Song said nothing and just stretched out his hand to the old man.

They are all old, and this capital is the battlefield for young people.
Chapter completed!