Chapter 189

Yongning Palace.

Concubine Yun originally lived here.

After Concubine Yun passed away, Yongning Palace has been vacant.

When Qu Dubian was a child, he lived in Shunning Palace with Concubine Xuan. The two palaces were located at opposite corners and far away, so he rarely came. Only when the Fourth Prince called him to go to Fu'an Palace to sleep, he would pass by and take a look here.

Emperor Chongzhao did not come often, he just asked people to clean the place.

But some of the Zichen Hall was burned down and has not been completely repaired yet, so he moved his residence here temporarily.

He got up at night and walked around the temple, and his guilt grew even deeper.

He mistakenly believed what the Astronomical Observatory said and was responsible for Xiao Qi's birth, which resulted in Yue Qing's death. He then placed him in the remote Ju'an Temple and ignored him for two and a half years.

No wonder Yueqing appeared in his dream that year.

She probably resented him.

Emperor Chongzhao sat on the steps of Yongning Palace without any imperial airs.

After he took the pills given by Doctor Yang, he aged rapidly in the past two days, and his hair turned black and gray.

The four-season flowers in the yard have also withered. The half-opened flowers are sleeping on the branches. Occasionally, a cool breeze blows, and the petals are blown away by the wind like withered yellow leaves.

Eunuch Yu was also old. He stood beside Emperor Chongzhao with his back bent, shielding him from the wind.

"Your Majesty, please take a cloak and put it on."

Emperor Chongzhao coughed twice and said, "No, I don't have many days left."

Eunuch Yu didn't know that he had taken medicine, and he quickly spat a few times: "Your Majesty, please don't talk nonsense. I have to walk in front of you anyway."

Emperor Chongzhao smiled.

"Lying on the bed, unable to speak, I really feel like I am not an emperor, but a piece of pork to be slaughtered at will."

He would spill medicine all over himself when taking it, and he couldn't take care of himself when going to the toilet.

He controlled the affairs of the court for decades, but in the end he could not control his own body.

The dignity of an emperor made it impossible for him to accept wasting his limited time in bed.

Eunuch Yu: "Aren't you all right now?"

Emperor Chongzhao did not respond, but asked, "Where is Xiaoqi now?"

Eunuch Yu: "His Royal Highness Prince Yong is in charge of the affairs of the Fourth Prince, and has been very busy these past two days. Although the Ministry of Rites can also handle it, His Royal Highness Prince Yong wants to accompany him personally. Do you want me to ask His Royal Highness to come down?"

"If he wants to do it himself, then let him do it himself. If he hasn't thought it through yet, I'll wait for him."

-

The Fifth Prince’s Mansion.

Qu Dubian found in a warehouse the piece of paper that the Fourth Prince had sent to the Fifth Prince when he moved to his residence.

Master Liu, who came with them from Yangzhou, helped to check it, confirmed that there were hidden characters, and then deciphered them.

[Only when a wolf cub leaves its mother can it know how to fight.]

What Concubine Yi said to them were words that could stab them in the heart.

Master Liu never thought that he could decipher the hidden characters and get into the palace, and even be related to the princess of the previous dynasty. He couldn't eat or sleep these days, and he was afraid that he would be killed if he lived to this age because he knew some royal secrets.

Qu Dubian comforted the old man and gave him some gold.

Then he searched the Third Prince's Mansion again, but found nothing there. Because his arm was broken, he smashed everything that could be smashed in the mansion during that time. Not to mention the papers in the box, he even replaced the tables and chairs in the Third Prince's Mansion.

"It doesn't matter if I can't find it, so I won't get angry when I see it," the third prince said bitterly, "God is jealous of talents. So many people want to attack me. If I wasn't so outstanding at the time, I wouldn't have aroused such jealousy."

The eldest brother's quarrel, the second brother's poisonous snake, the fifth brother's eating horse grass, Concubine Yi who drives away the bear and Concubine Lan who takes the blame.

After a while, he patted his chest again and said, "Fortunately, I'm still alive."

Qu Dubian pondered and made a suggestion: "Third brother, if you are still not satisfied, Leng Yue is in the prison of the East Factory. You can go and see him."

"Can I go?"

Qu Watanabe nodded.

The third prince went there immediately, and Qu Dubian went to the Ministry of Rites next.

In this way, three days later, the Zichen Hall was repaired, but there was still no interaction between the father and son.

At the morning court, the ministers who had been watching for a total of six days could no longer hold back.

The Censor of the Metropolitan Censorate was the first to step forward and said, "Your Majesty, the country cannot be without a crown prince. The rebellion of Concubine Yi has been quelled. Your Majesty, please appoint a new crown prince as soon as possible to ensure the safety of the country!"

As soon as he spoke, the other ministers also found an outlet like a flood, and their stern faces instantly turned as worried as elongated bitter gourds.

"Your Majesty, please appoint a crown prince as soon as possible to reassure the people."

yes.

At least give me a letter!

They will also know who their immediate supervisor will be in the future.

Emperor Chongzhao glanced at the ministers who had different thoughts and asked, "Who do you think is worthy of being the crown prince?"

Minister of War: "I think that His Royal Highness Prince Yong should be the Crown Prince."

When this was said, the original party of the eldest prince agreed very much.

The eldest prince was in office. According to etiquette and law, he could not restore his title as long as Minister Shu was alive. In addition, he relied on his wife's family and stabbed the eldest prince's party who stood behind him at the time. He was deeply hated for a time.

When the eldest prince went to Lingbei, his followers cursed him in front of him. How could they want him to come back and be the emperor?

The second prince is dead, the third prince has a broken arm, the fourth prince is of royal blood of the previous dynasty and is also dead, and the fifth prince is imprisoned. His Majesty said it himself that they will never see each other again, alive or dead.

The Sixth Prince committed a serious crime and was demoted to a commoner, farming in Zhennan Pass.

After counting, only Prince Yong was left.

Poor health? It doesn't matter! There have been emperors with poor health in history. The Imperial Hospital took good care of them. They just didn't make Prince Yong angry.

Maybe your eyesight isn't very good? It doesn't matter! So many palace servants are not blind. If you get tired of reading memorials, you can go for a walk. You can also let someone read them. It's OK as long as your ears are good.

When the time comes, pick a few good girls, and His Royal Highness Prince Yong will choose the principal wife and concubine, and once the child is born, everything will be secure!

Perhaps the situation is better than they imagined. Based on Prince Yong's ability, after he ascends the throne, he will be able to realize the grand occasion of the Great Zhou Dynasty unifying the world.

At that time, they were the ministers of the prosperous era.

They thought very well.

Emperor Chongzhao wanted to laugh for some reason. For someone in his position, Xiaoqi's personality might not be a big deal.

His father was about to die, and no one dared to think that he would take the initiative to take over the throne. But these ministers dared to think about it, which is quite beautiful.

Emperor Chongzhao: "In this case, why don't you go to Prince Yong's gate and cry, maybe he will agree."

The ministers: "..."

Why are they crying? Don’t they have any dignity?

Between the emperor and his courtiers, either the east wind prevails over the west wind, or the west wind prevails over the east wind.

They were so humble before Prince Yong became emperor, how could they be so humble in the future?

However, His Majesty's words did reveal one thing, that he was also waiting for Prince Yong.

Emperor Chongzhao: "Okay, let's talk about this matter after the Fourth Prince's funeral is over."

He hated what Concubine Yi had done, but the Fourth Prince was innocent after all. He was the blood of the previous dynasty and also his blood. He only abolished the Fourth Prince's position as crown prince and buried him decently in the imperial mausoleum.

The fourth brother and the seventh brother had a good relationship, so it was reasonable that he handled his funeral affairs more carefully.

He should be able to hold on for a few more days.

As soon as Emperor Chongzhao finished thinking this, he waved his hand and announced the adjournment of the court session. The moment he stood up, he suddenly felt a strong palpitation.

Only two words flashed through his mind: "It's bad", and then his vision went dark. When he covered his chest, all the strength in his body quickly dissipated like a punctured ball.

It was unknown when the effect of the medicine would wear off. The gate knife finally fell, and Emperor Chongzhao closed his eyes and said the last sentence:

"Summon Prince Yong to the palace."

There was a scream.

"His Majesty--!"

Emperor Chongzhao was quickly moved into the Purple Palace.

After examining it, Imperial Doctor Yang shook his head.

Eunuch Yu issued an urgent order, asking all court officials to go back and wait for news, and the three regents, Prince Ming and others could stay outside the Purple Palace.

-

Qu Dubian entered the palace.

He stood at the gate of the Purple Palace and saw Master Fang and his two companions and Prince Ming.

Master Fang sighed at him, then nodded, "Your Highness is here."

Qu Watanabe: “Yeah.”

Prince Ming said, "Come in, nephew. The emperor is waiting for you. He asked us to come out."

Qu Dubian looked up.

A portion of the Purple Palace was burned down, but the emperor's residence was restored to its original state in just a few days. The only thing that changed was the new golden writing on the plaque.

This was the umpteenth time he had come here.

The memories of eating here when I was a child are vaguely left in the years, and what I remember more clearly are the other few things that happened in the Zichen Hall.

When my fifth brother was ten years old, he begged on his knees on a rainy night. He came to see me here with an umbrella.

His mother was trapped in the Xiang River, and he insisted on going here.

I received the black brocade here when I came back from Xianghe.

There was a sudden change in the northern border, and his elder sister was getting married. He offered black brocade to ask for it but was rejected. The dull affection between father and son was torn apart, and the rift in his heart still existed here.

At that time, he still needed Lao Deng's protection to survive in this harem, and he always found ways to stick to him, whether he was sick or had other problems, so that Lao Deng would devote more energy to him.

When he was eating in the imperial kitchen, he was over two years old and had just been murdered, so he was very wary of the people and things around him.

He had only one simple idea, to grow up in the countryside, stay away from the capital, be a carefree prince, and provide Ye Banban with care in his old age.

Later on, there were more and more ties, both active and passive. These ties made up for the emotional loss in his previous life, and like an inseparable net, made him willingly take on the responsibility of protection.

He fantasized about how he would grow up, and when he actually grew up, he became a child again.

From the age of two to the age of nineteen, it is about seventeen years.

No matter how much fighting there was in the entertainment industry in the past, they were all small tricks. Growing up in the gentle care of China, many people have never even killed a chicken. The innocence and simplicity in the bones of modern people have gradually been worn away by time, as well as the fighting and cruelty here.

The past events, frame by frame, emerge in my mind.

Qu Watanabe stood here for a while.

Eunuch Yu came out, his eyes red, looking at him eagerly.

"Your Highness..." Shall we go in?

Qu Dubian came back to his senses, nodded at him, and walked in.

There was no smell of medicine in the hall, only the scent of ginseng soup.

Emperor Chongzhao was half lying on the bed, with the cushion raised high behind him, his eyes still open, his breathing very weak, but his expression calm.

When Imperial Physician Yang arrived, he knew without even taking the Emperor's pulse that there was no need for the Emperor Chongzhao to take any medicine. Now he just needed to use some good ginseng slices to keep his spirits up.

Emperor Chongzhao also knew this.

Seeing Qu Dubian coming in, he even smiled and waved his hand: "Xiao Qi is here."

Qu Dubian sat beside him and helped him to press the quilt, "You are so old, don't you know how to cover yourself properly?"

Emperor Chongzhao held a ginseng slice under his tongue and spoke slowly but clearly: "You have to blame Yu Decai for this. He didn't serve me well."

Eunuch Yu: "I am innocent. It is you who are unwilling to cover it. Your Highness, look," he took out a stack of slightly old papers and placed it beside Qu Duan's hand, "This is the health code you wrote for His Majesty before."

"Your Majesty, I have been taking care of you according to the schedule you specified."

Qu Dubian flipped through the two sheets and found that he had written them after he moved to the prince's residence and Emperor Chongzhao had a high fever and he came to see him.

"He's also too nosy."

Emperor Chongzhao ignored Eunuch Yu. He knew that the old man brought out the list at this time just to ease the relationship between him and his son.

At this time of year, what’s the use of these paper tubes?

Emperor Chongzhao looked at Qu Dubian and said, "You still don't want to be the emperor?"

Qu Watanabe thought for a moment, "What if I say yes?"

Emperor Chongzhao sighed, "Looking at the Great Zhou, you are the only one who can suppress those old guys in the court. Otherwise, no matter who sits on the throne, it will be unsettled."

"You came to the king's rescue, and the entire northern border obeys your orders. It's only because I'm dying and you're your father that I don't feel uncomfortable. If it was one of your brothers sitting on this seat, he wouldn't think it's a good thing for you to come to the king's rescue."

Emperor Chongzhao had been emperor for more than 20 years, so he knew it very well.

There is a difference between begging from your father and begging from your brothers.

The brotherhood remains unchanged after one year, what about ten years, twenty years?

Even if we consider family ties and don't target him, what about the people around him?

We must hold the edge of power in our own hands.

In fact, Qu Watanabe was very clear about what he had said.

Just as Master Fang guessed, he had thought of it before coming to Beijing, otherwise he would not have allowed his eyes to recover.

Qu Watanabe: "You are right."

Emperor Chongzhao was delighted: "Then you...?"

Qu Watanabe: "Let me think about it again."

“…”

Emperor Chongzhao coughed several times.

He pretended to be angry and said, "I am almost dead, and you still don't let me go my way."

Qu Watanabe put down the health schedule: "I have been like this since I was a child."

Emperor Chongzhao was not really angry, but the closer it got to the point, the more he didn't know what to say.

Time passed slowly in the silence between father and son.

Qu Dubian could clearly feel that Emperor Chongzhao's breathing was getting weaker and weaker, with less inhalation and more exhalation.

Emperor Chongzhao reached out and held Qu Dubian's hand.

One had some wrinkles, and the other was young and slender, but with some small shallow scars from the battlefield.

Emperor Chongzhao thought for a long time before finally speaking.

"Are you...blaming me?"

"Back then, your birth mother, Concubine Yun...I mistakenly trusted the Astronomical Observatory and treated you as an illegitimate child. I kept you in Ju'an Palace for more than two years without paying any attention to you."

Seeing that he had no reaction, Emperor Chongzhao lowered his voice and said, "I am sorry to Yueqing and to you."

"With what happened later, you blame me even more, and you are right to do so. You know that I don't have much time left, and if you don't come to see me, I know that you have a knot in your heart, and this knot cannot be overcome..."

He stroked the back and palm of Qu Watanabe's hand with his fingertips, brushing over the tiny scars and calluses on them.

The child he held the most was Xiaoqi. When he was a child, he fell ill and had a very serious fever. He had to get up every night to see if he had a fever. If he did, he would wipe his palms with hot water and feed him some medicine.

The child for whom he devoted the most energy, ended up having nothing to say to him when they met.

After a long time, he said again.

"I didn't take good care of her, and I didn't take good care of you."

His hands were even hotter than Qu Watanabe's.

Qu Watanabe lowered his eyes.

The child who should have heard this apology is gone.

In fact, he really wanted to ask the person in front of him whether he had the intention of suppressing the Xu family when he left the child in Ju'an Palace and ignored him. Did he ever think that the child would really die?

If he really loved the original owner's biological mother, why would he cripple Xu Tingfeng's legs at that time?

Without their subsequent cautious relationship and calculated father-son relationship, would Emperor Chongzhao have the regret he has now?

Maybe it’s love, love mixed with profit.

It also includes family affection.

People are all made of flesh and blood. Regarding parents, some of the affection that Qu Dubian lacked in his previous life was transferred to Emperor Chongzhao in the first few years after he came here. Although it was false, it was undeniable that he did gain some sporadic fatherly love from Emperor Chongzhao.

True and false, real and fake, if you act for a long time, you will get into the role.

However, a series of events that happened later made him rationally suppress the family affection in his subconscious.

Qu Watanabe is a person who is warm on the outside but cold on the inside. Once such a person truly gives his feelings, he will reveal his softest part, which can be hurt by knives or guns, and by words.

In order to protect himself, he will only include those who are worthy of his affection into his circle of close friends.

Emperor Chongzhao was outside the circle.

Qu Dubian caught a glimpse of a scratch on the innermost bedpost and a smiling face with its tongue sticking out.

He said, "It's been so long, and I haven't changed the bed."

Emperor Chongzhao looked in the direction he was looking with difficulty.

That was when the kid was a kid, he scraped the gold powder off the bedposts, pried off the gems, and left a weird picture. He never changed the bed, and for some reason he didn't replace the gems that were pried off.

Emperor Chongzhao: "I'm used to it. Look, this bed... I'm lucky. Concubine Yi set it on fire but it didn't burn."

He pulled the corners of his mouth, gasped several times, and a wheezing sound came out of his throat.

Eunuch Yu's eyes suddenly turned red, and he knelt on the ground, wiping his tears with his hands.

Qu Watanabe's Adam's apple rolled up and down, and he lowered his eyes, "...If I sleep here in the future, I will definitely change the bed."

This means that he will take over the throne.

His voice was controlled and calm.

Emperor Chongzhao should have been happy, but he saw the slightly red corners of his youngest son's eyes.

"I took over the Great Zhou from the previous emperor and have worked diligently for more than 20 years. I believe that during my reign, the people lived and worked in peace and contentment. I am not a ruler of a prosperous era, nor am I a wise and virtuous emperor. At least, I have preserved the foundation of my ancestors and will not let them down in the end."

"Before his death, the late emperor told me that he would devote all his life's efforts to the Great Zhou. I, I..."

He breathed for several seconds, closed his eyes for a moment, and then opened them again. "I should have told you this, but once you sit on the throne, you will be trapped in the capital. I... know your temper, Xiaoqi, if you don't like it, after raising the heir, just leave..."

"The world is vast. At that time, no one can trap you."

Just as your mother expects, be a free goose flying between heaven and earth, without any restraints.

North, south, south, freedom.

Qu Watanabe: "There is nothing that can hold me back. All choices are made by my heart, and all choices have a price."

Emperor Chongzhao looked at him for a long while before saying, "Really? That's good..."

His vision began to blur.

In his lifetime, he gave birth to nine children.

Some were killed, some were exiled, and even if he felt compassion sometimes, he could not indulge and protect his children like an ordinary father would.

It can only be dealt with according to the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty. This will reassure the people's hearts and the ministers' hearts, and is what an emperor should do.

He was concerned about the royal family's face, the emperor's dignity, and power, and in the end, none of his close friends were left.

This throne is supreme.

Extremely lonely and cold.

Looking back today, he actually feels that the days before his eldest son left the palace and built his own mansion were the days when he was so angry with his youngest son that he lost all his manners.

That's what he cares about most.

Emperor Chongzhao said, "Xiaoqi, can you please call me dad again...?"

With his last breath, he did not call himself "I", but just held Qu Watanabe's hand tightly, with expectation, pleading, and even a little inexplicable stubbornness in his eyes.

Since the age of fourteen, when Zhiyi married the emperor, the father and son broke up.

He never heard the voice of "Dad" that he despised again.

The young man beside the bed pursed his lips tightly and did not move. The expectation in Emperor Chongzhao's eyes gradually faded away.

He closed his eyes, and memories of the past flashed through his mind.

Before consciousness completely disappeared, a faint and vague voice:

"father."

Into the ears.

Emperor Chongzhao's breath had stopped, and a tear, which flowed for unknown reasons, slid lightly and silently across his face, disappeared into his gray hair, and was never seen again.

The palace maids in the Purple Palace knelt on the ground and cried.

The sad atmosphere gradually spread outward from here.

Eunuch Yu's face was already covered with tears. He pulled out a bright yellow imperial edict from his sleeve and read it while crying:

"The Emperor, by the Mandate of Heaven, proclaims that I have recovered from my illness and now that my life has come to an end, I pass the throne to my seventh son, Prince Yong, Qu Dubian. All civil and military officials, royal family members, and subjects of the world all obey this decree and regard Prince Yong as the new emperor. I decree this."

Outside the Zichen Palace.

Dong——Dong——

Boom! Boom!

The heavy bells rang out, and ninety-nine and eighty-one dragon funeral bells spread out one by one from the tower of the Meridian Gate.

All the palace maids, no matter where they were, knelt on the ground and cried bitterly.

In the harem.

The Queen, Zhiyi, Sihe, other concubines and the Third Prince also knelt outside the Zichen Hall.

In the six ministries.

All the officials in the capital cried out three times towards this place and wept bitterly.

In the capital city.

Xia Fuyang, Xi Zixing, Xu Jin and others who were still at home all looked towards the direction of the imperial palace and sighed silently.

When an emperor dies, the whole world mourns.

In the East Factory prison.

The fifth prince poured himself a glass of wine, raised it towards the Purple Palace with a smile, and drank it all in one gulp.

Boom—boom—!

At the gate of the imperial city, a figure riding a horse stumbled and rolled down.

The eldest prince fell to the ground in a mess, covered in dust. He looked up at the city gate that he finally failed to cross, and suddenly knelt on his knees, choking and sobbing:

"Father——"

Amid the deep sound of the bell and the different reactions of countless people.

Qu Watanabe closed his eyes.

This father-son relationship, which was filled with both truth and falsehood and calculation, finally came to an end.

No one would chase him with a feather duster anymore.