Tibet

In fact, Empress Dowager Zhang was initially firmly opposed to her son's public evaluation. She didn't want to see her son embarrassed in front of so many people. She couldn't stand this feeling.

However, Zhang Li still convinced her that her son was not an ordinary person, but the Son of Heaven. According to the conventions of all dynasties, abdicated emperors generally did not live to adulthood and always died for various reasons.

But if the little emperor was allowed to be publicly evaluated and abdicated in the way of a regent, he would most likely have a good end.

Compared with her son's life, what was that face?

Empress Dowager Zhang was finally persuaded and agreed to her father's plan.

The next morning, hundreds of officials gathered in the round hall of the Central Secretariat. They were all high-ranking officials above the fifth rank, including military generals in Beijing, and attended the review meeting held by the Political Affairs Hall.

The review was to see whether the Son of Heaven was capable of continuing to perform the duties of the supreme ruler.

All officials had complicated eyes. Although there were cases of abolishing emperors in all dynasties, such as Emperor Liu He of the Han Dynasty and Emperor Liu Bian of the Han Dynasty, they were all abolished by individual powerful officials.

This time, the decision will be made by hundreds of officials raising their hands to vote. This is the first time in history, but it is reasonable and fully reflects the principle that the court is not only the court of the emperor, but also the court of all officials.

The emperor is already eight years old. Many officials have only heard of him and it is the first time they have seen him in person.

The emperor sat on a platform in the middle of the round hall, concentrating on fiddling with the wooden blocks under his hands.

Chief Imperial Physician Wang Guangji introduced his situation, "He has been like this since he was three years old. He lives in his own world and ignores anyone who calls him. He eats when he is fed and sleeps when he is told to. Other than that, he just sits in the house in a daze or plays with the wooden blocks in his hands.

Even when the late emperor came to see him several times, he never paid any attention. He also ignored the roar behind him, which made the late emperor very disappointed and left with regret."

Wei Jiansu asked, "Is this child deaf?"

Wang Guangji shook his head, "He is not deaf, I can prove it to everyone!"

Wang Guangji took a wooden fish and knocked it a few times behind the little emperor. The little emperor immediately turned his head, grabbed the wooden fish, and knocked it randomly.

After a while, he threw the wooden fish aside and continued to play with his small wooden blocks.

Wang Guangji smiled bitterly and said, "He likes the sound of wood. He reacts to not only knocking wooden fish, cabinets, and wooden bowls, but not to other things. I will test it for you again."

He walked behind the little emperor and suddenly shouted behind his head, "Your Majesty!"

But the child turned a deaf ear and did not react at all. There was a murmur in the round hall.

Wei Jiansu waved his hand, "Everyone be quiet!"

Everyone gradually quieted down, and Wei Jiansu asked again, "Doctor Wang, what disease does this child have?"

Wang Guangji said slowly, "This is actually a kind of idiocy!"

There was an uproar in the round hall. The emperor of the Tang Dynasty was actually an idiot. How did he become the emperor?

In fact, there is no need to ask this question. Everyone remembers clearly what happened a few years ago. It was the eunuch party that supported Prince Ding to ascend the throne in order to control the imperial power and the court. In fact, as the son of Empress Zhang, Prince Ding Li Dong should be the legitimate son. It is natural for the late emperor to make him the crown prince, but the late emperor did not make him the crown prince. The fundamental reason is that this child is an idiot.

"Everyone, please be quiet! Be quiet!"

Wei Jiansu struck the small bell again, "Dang! Dang! Dang! Dang!"

The officials quieted down, and Wei Jiansu asked Wang Guangji again, "Can he be cured?"

Wang Guangji shook his head, "Reporting to the Prime Minister, this is brought from the mother's womb, and it will be like this for the rest of his life!"

"I understand, please take him back!"

The imperial physician Wang Guangji took the little emperor and took him away under the gaze of hundreds of officials.

After they left, Wei Jiansu slowly said: "Because the emperor was young in the past, everyone thought that maybe he would return to normal when he grew up, but now he is eight years old, and everyone has seen his current situation. Let's follow the agenda! Officials who agree to maintain the status quo and let this child continue to serve as the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, please raise your hands."

The round hall was silent, and no one raised their hands.

Wei Jiansu continued: "Officials who agree to abolish the current emperor and re-establish the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, please raise your hands!"

Everyone in the round hall raised their hands, including Wei Jiansu himself.

"Please put it down. I'll ask again. Officials who agree that he will continue to serve as the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, please raise your hands!"

No one raised their hands yet. Wei Jiansu nodded. "A total of 343 votes in favor of abolishing the current emperor, and 0 votes against. I officially announce that the court proposes to abolish the emperor and select another wise successor to the throne."

The Political Affairs Hall then drafted the "Proposal on Abolishing the Current Emperor of the Tang Dynasty", which was signed and sealed by 343 ministers as a formal document.

Although the court agreed to abolish the emperor Li Dong, this was only a proposal of the court, not a formal resolution. The proposal must be approved by the regent before it can become a formal resolution, and then the queen mother will issue an edict to abolish the emperor Li Dong.

As for who will inherit the throne, although everyone thought of the regent Li Ye, it does not mean that other members of the Li clan have no chance. The key is to see the support.

In the Political Affairs Hall, except for Liu Yan, the other eight members of the Political Affairs Hall are discussing the plan to nominate a new emperor.

Everyone is just setting the standards, not recommending who will succeed the throne, so no one mentions it, and no one submits the regent.

This is the shrewdness of Wei Jiansu. He helped Li Ye ascend to the throne in an open and reasonable and legal way, making Li Ye's ascension to the throne completely in line with the orthodoxy. No history books in the future could deny the legitimacy of his ascension to the throne.

The eight prime ministers and assistant prime ministers supplemented one by one, gradually reached a consensus, and formulated a total of five principles.

The first principle is the Li clan principle. All candidates for the new emperor must be recorded in the clan genealogy. Not all royal family members can be named in the clan.

For example, although the descendants of Li Linfu are all descendants of Li Shuliang, the Prince of Changping, and can barely be called royal family, only Li Linfu, Li Dai and Li Ye are recorded in the clan name tree, and the others are not.

There are many such cases. In fact, only the descendants of Li Yuan, the first emperor of the Tang Dynasty, are recorded in the clan name tree, and Li Linfu, Li Dai and Li Ye are specially included.

The second principle is the principle of recommendation. All officials above the seventh rank in the Tang Dynasty have the right to recommend, not only civil officials, but also military generals, nominal officials, and nobles with titles, etc. Everyone has one recommendation vote.

Therefore, candidates must get at least thirty recommendation votes to be eligible to become candidates for the new emperor.

The third principle is the principle of real-name system. All participants are required to use their real names, and each recommender must be traceable.

The fourth principle is the principle of openness and fairness. The selection process of the new emperor is open to the public. The qualifications are reviewed by the Political Affairs Hall, and the votes are counted publicly to ensure fairness.

The fifth principle is the principle of adulthood. Each candidate for the new emperor must be at least 18 years old, and royal family members under 18 years old are not allowed to participate in the candidacy.

After the five principles were determined, Wei Jiansu went to meet the regent princess and asked her to approve the five principles.