Chapter 105 The Empress Dowager Passes Away.

After dinner, Chu Yang regained his energy and wanted to visit the Duan Prince's Mansion in the capital. Daiyu arranged for a wet nurse and maid to accompany him, while she needed to rest a little longer.

Chu Heng kept Daiyu company and chatted with her to keep her entertained: "You're just lying here all by yourself, you should go to sleep now. If you get enough sleep now, you won't be able to sleep at night."

Daiyu thought for a moment and said, "Why don't we play chess?"

Let alone five years, even fifty years later, it seems unlikely that Prince Duan's chess skills will improve. He struggled and said, "Playing chess is too mentally taxing. You should close your eyes and rest. I want to talk to you."

Daiyu laughed and said, "Playing chess with others is too much of a strain, but it's not necessary with you. Yang'er could easily beat you two years ago."

Chu Heng: "..."

“…I’m sad.” Chu Heng leaned his head on Daiyu’s shoulder. “You’d better comfort me, or I’ll never play chess with you again.”

Playing chess with Chu Heng was a favorite pastime for Daiyu over the past two years. Hearing Chu Heng's words, she naturally tried to salvage the situation: "You're not going to be a chess master. We're just playing casually, and we don't care about skill level."

Chu Heng nuzzled Daiyu's hair that was draped over her shoulders: "I'm not Emperor Jing of Han, so naturally I can't become a chess master."

"What Emperor Jing of Han?" Daiyu was stunned for a moment before she reacted. Then she laughed and rolled into Chu Heng's arms. "You... hahahaha!"

She had only just begun to speak when Chu Heng understood what she meant: "That's what Yang'er told me a few days ago."

Daiyu laughed until her stomach hurt, and Chu Heng rubbed her stomach, then said, "Stop laughing, how about I tell you something that makes you unhappy?"

Daiyu smiled and squeezed his hand. Chu Heng then said, "Let's meet Yongkang another day and ask about what has happened in the capital these past few years. His Majesty has been slow to establish an heir. I wonder why."

Daiyu could no longer laugh. She looked at Chu Heng with a mournful expression and said, "Once we return to the capital, we won't have any good days left."

Chu Heng gently brushed a strand of hair from her cheek: "Although we won't be staying for long, there are some things we still need to know, so we don't accidentally offend His Majesty."

Daiyu nodded: "It's not abrupt for us to return to the capital to visit Yongkang. We've always kept in touch, and it would be abnormal not to visit her."

“You should also go and see Fifth Sister,” Daiyu added.

Chu Heng smiled and said, "Fifth Sister probably won't welcome me, but my past wasn't a bad thing for her, so she will still welcome me."

Daiyu smiled and said, "Whether you welcome me or not, you still have to come here. So please speak politely when you come back. Let's try to avoid causing any trouble this time."

This was something they had decided long ago. Since the emperor had given the order, their purpose in returning was solely to visit the Empress Dowager; nothing else mattered to them.

If the Empress Dowager recovers, they will immediately set off back to Qingzhou. If the Empress Dowager does not recover, they will dismiss her and then immediately set off back to Qingzhou.

...

The next day, Chu Heng and Daiyu did not get up early. It was not until the sun was high in the sky that they called their maids into the room to serve them.

After washing and dressing, Daiyu asked, "Has the young master gotten up?"

In the past few years, Daiyu's maids, such as Zijuan, have all gotten married and been released from their contracts. They have been hired by other women, and the couple now have new maids by their side.

Meng Qiu smiled and replied, "Mother Wu just said that the young master slept longer than usual today, and he's clearly not awake yet. Your Highness, shall we go and wake him?"

Daiyu smiled and said, "He seems really tired. Let him go to sleep."

Chu Heng finished tidying up first and then came over to comb Daiyu's hair: "He wandered around the courtyard for most of the day after he came back yesterday. How could he not be tired?"

When the couple finished getting ready and called for their meal, Chu Yang rushed in: "Father! Mother! I overslept and didn't have time to study this morning!"

Daiyu sat down at the table and took Chu Yang's hand: "Let's rest today. We have to go to the palace again later. We'll study again tomorrow."

Chu Yang was not happy: "Mother, tomorrow and tomorrow, how many tomorrows are there? If we stay in the capital, will I not be able to study anymore?"

Daiyu smiled and explained, "You'll naturally be busy for a couple of days after you've just returned. Once you're settled, you'll have time to study."

Chu Yang then beamed with joy. He clapped his hands and said, "Great! I'm hungry too, Mom. Shall we eat?"

Chu Heng smiled and said, "I've already told them to serve the meal. You should sit down and relax." After saying that, he looked him up and down again. "You love reading so much. You're really not like me. You don't have to take the imperial examination. What could a day or two of rest possibly cause?"

Chu Yang, with the air of a little adult, said earnestly, "Father, studying makes people wise and reasonable, not just for passing the imperial examinations and becoming an official. How come you don't understand this principle?"

Chu Heng was speechless for a moment, then looked at Daiyu and said, "It seems our son will be more successful than me."

Daiyu smiled and said, "This is exactly what it means for the student to surpass the teacher."

As they were talking, the maids had already set out the meal. After the family of three finished their breakfast and rested for a while, they prepared their carriage and went back to the palace.

In Renshou Palace, the Empress Dowager was awake this time, but she was not very energetic and seemed quite dazed. She looked around for a long time before recognizing the person in front of her sickbed: "It's Heng'er. I haven't seen you for a long time... Whose child is this?"

Shuangyun said, "Empress Dowager, he is the prince's son."

"Oh..." The Empress Dowager then remembered, and she murmured, "Heng'er is no longer in the capital. He has grown up. Good, it's good that he has grown up."

As she spoke, a tear rolled down her cheek, which Shuangyun habitually wiped away with her handkerchief.

This wasn't the first time Chu Heng had seen the Empress Dowager ill, but seeing her so delirious left him unsure of what to feel.

"Mother, take good care of yourself," Chu Heng said dryly.

The Empress Dowager was no longer playing the role of the loving mother she usually was, and Chu Heng didn't know how to deal with it. After all, that was what they, mother and son, were used to.

The Empress Dowager moved the corners of her mouth, as if she wanted to smile: "It's hopeless...it's hopeless."

Chu Heng was speechless.

"Child..." The Empress Dowager tilted her head on the pillow, looking at Chu Yang with difficulty.

Chu Heng bent down and supported his son's shoulder, urging him to take a step forward. Chu Yang looked at the Empress Dowager, his clear black and white eyes filled with the innocent confusion of a child: "Grandmother."

The Empress Dowager shed another tear: "Good child, your name..."

Chu Heng said to the Empress Dowager, "Yang'er."

The Empress Dowager exclaimed, "Yang'er, you don't look like yourself."

Chu Heng said, "She looks like her mother."

The Empress Dowager glanced at Daiyu again, and after a long while said, "You look just like me."

Chu Heng lowered his head and stroked his son's hair, remaining silent.

The Empress Dowager was lost in thought for a moment, then asked again, "Xu'er, where is Xu'er?"

Everyone was taken aback. After a moment, Chu Heng spoke up: "The Empress Dowager wishes to see His Majesty."

The emperor had held a high position for many years, so who dared to call him by his name? Even the empress dowager hadn't used that word in years.

With the Empress Dowager's days numbered, the Emperor, not wanting to be judged, had already given orders that if the Empress Dowager summoned him, he must immediately respond, no matter where he was.

After the Empress Dowager called out the Emperor's name and then asked to see He Jia and Yong Kang, everyone in the hall had a premonition of something ominous.

The emperor went to the Empress Dowager's bedside first, where she had fallen into a semi-comatose state again.

The emperor frowned and asked, "What did Mother say?"

Chu Heng replied, "Mother only said that she wanted to see the Emperor, as well as Fifth Sister and Yongkang."

The emperor relaxed his brow; he already knew what was about to happen.

Half an hour later, He Jia and Yong Kang also arrived at Renshou Palace, along with their child.

Having not seen Yongkang for many years, now was not the time to speak. They simply stayed by the Empress Dowager's bedside, waiting for her to wake up again, or perhaps she would never wake up again.

Fortunately, the Empress Dowager eventually woke up. She looked at her children and grandchildren by her bedside, reached out her hand, and called out, "Xu'er..."

The emperor paused for a moment before reaching out to grasp the empress dowager's hand, his voice trembling slightly as he spoke, "Mother..."

"Over the years... regardless of right or wrong, I have done everything I could for you." The Empress Dowager looked at the Emperor with her cloudy eyes. "From now on, you will have to rely on yourself."

The emperor said in a low voice, "Mother... I will never forget your protection, Mother. You... rest assured."

The Empress Dowager nodded with difficulty: "You must also take care of your sisters and your brother... do you understand?"

"I will," the emperor replied.

"And..." the Empress Dowager's voice was barely audible, "...the children are all grown up, we really can't delay any longer, otherwise..."

The Empress Dowager's words came to an abrupt end, and she closed her eyes forever.

The emperor knelt before the bed, kowtowed, and cried, "Mother!"

Everyone knelt down, and weeping filled the Renshou Palace.

The Empress Dowager had been bedridden for many years, and her coffin had long been prepared. The Emperor wept bitterly, and Chu Heng had to step forward to comfort him. He then calmed down a bit and summoned the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs and the Ministry of Rites to the palace to discuss the Empress Dowager's funeral arrangements. He also summoned princesses of the imperial clan and court officials.

Before Chu Heng could speak to Daiyu, he had to go with the emperor to meet people. Daiyu secretly gave him a wink, telling him to relax.

Chu Yang asked softly, "Mother, should I stay with you or with Father?"

Daiyu patted his head and said, "For now, you stay with your mother. In a little while, someone will tell us what to do. Then you can just observe how the people around you do it and learn exactly what they do."

Chu Yang said, "Okay, I understand."

In the evening, the Empress Dowager's coffin was first placed in the main hall of Renshou Palace, where the Emperor, Empress, concubines, princesses, and other members of the imperial family paid their respects.

After the encoffining, the coffin was moved to the Shouhuang Hall, where a mourning hall was set up. In addition to daily sacrifices, the coffin was kept vigil for 100 consecutive days, starting with the emperor.

Meals during the vigil were provided by the imperial kitchen. On this day, Chu Heng had just finished his meal when a young eunuch from the emperor's side came over: "Your Highness, His Majesty requests your presence."

Even the emperor, when observing mourning for his mother, could only eat vegetarian food. When Chu Heng arrived, the emperor's table of vegetarian dishes had not yet been cleared away.

"Please sit down," the emperor said before Chu Heng could even bow.

Chu Heng bowed and sat down to the emperor's left: "Your Majesty, have you summoned me for something?"

The emperor sighed, "Nothing, I just wanted to talk to someone."

Chu Heng didn't want to hear anything from the emperor; his intuition told him it wouldn't be anything good. But he couldn't stop the emperor from speaking, so he could only listen attentively.