142 Prayer
◎It's time to decide life and death◎
"Mother, take the medicine."
"What's going on between you and Hua'er recently?" This was the first time Bai Yi asked Rong Qianyu about this matter after he fell ill. Although she was recuperating, she was still well aware of what was happening in the outside world.
There has been a lot of commotion outside the palace these days. Even if a person is blind, he will pass the news to the palace.
Rong Qianyu's expression remained calm. "Nothing."
Bai Yi could see the bloodshot under her eyes and the lingering dark circles under them. She held Rong Qianyu's hand and said with deep concern, "My dear, Hua'er is so sorry. Even I can't figure out his behavior these past few years. He's been hanging around all day. I really don't know what he's up to. He's really wronged you!"
"Mother," Rong Qianyu said in a low, tearful voice, her breath restless and slightly tearful. "Lately, I've been dreaming about you. You've told me about your hardships, how you were always so careful and attentive, and how you were a good wife and mother, but in the end, your husband abandoned you, leaving you two dead."
As the saying goes, what you think about during the day you dream about at night. Rong Qianyu was always busy with palace affairs during the day, leaving her with no time for reflection. But at night, the faint light of the stars, accompanied by the cool night breeze, streamed through the window. The long, lonely night passed, and all sorts of thoughts kept swirling through her mind.
Bai Yi could see into Rong Qianyu's mind, perhaps because she was a fellow exhausted palace woman, or perhaps because she felt compassion for the younger generation. She felt her pain, thought about her thoughts, and understood her hardships and difficulties.
Before entering the palace, the women in the harem were all lively, lovely, and bright, even those as willful and reckless as Cui Rumei. Their underlying colors were definitely not jealousy or intrigue, but this huge melting pot called the imperial palace did not allow these women to have even a hint of different colors.
Trapped in it for a long time, everyone feels gloomy and depressed.
Rong Qianyu was in the middle of it all, clearly feeling the power of the palace, which was suffocating her and forcing her to abandon her former pride and innocence. But she always didn't want to abandon her former sincerity. Living soberly here like this would sooner or later drive her crazy.
The appearance of Xue Ji was a blessing in disguise for her. She was a ray of moonlight in Xue Ji's numb life, and Xue Ji was also her safe haven.
"Once you enter the palace, it's like entering a deep sea. The responsibility of a concubine is to expand the royal family. For this reason, those in power rarely pay attention to what kind of people the concubines are beneath their status."
This is Bai Yi's heartfelt words. People who stand at the top position in the palace are well versed in the rules and have applied them to perfection.
She continued, "I believe that the late emperor and I had a deep love for each other. We had three children, and I assisted him in managing the harem, which made me feel worthy of my responsibility as the mother of a country. But despite this, I had to watch him being affectionate with others and watching the other concubines' bellies grow bigger and bigger. Sometimes I get angry, wondering why he is not mine alone. He is the emperor, and he is destined not to belong to me alone. But I am the empress, the mother of the country. I have no time for temper and no right to be jealous. I am not just a wife but also an empress."
The position of Queen had weighed heavily on her, leaving her with no strength to struggle. Rong Qianyu no longer expected a harmonious marriage. What if there was no love? What if they couldn't even treat each other with respect?" she asked.
Bai Yi knew how difficult her life was and that his son was absurd and playful, so he rarely asked about it and never forced her.
"You've done a great job. You've taught the princes and princesses to be well-educated and well-mannered. Tao'er is also the closest to you."
"But I still don't think highly of Tao'er." Rong Qianyu lowered her eyes with a little disappointment.
Life is full of mistakes. If Tao'er were still alive, there might still be chaos, but she can marry the person she loves.
But life cannot stand scrutiny, and no one can beautify the path that did not happen.
"This has nothing to do with you. I shouldn't have been so angry at you back then. You're a good kid. You have your difficulties. Thank you for your hard work these past few years."
This was the first time that the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had such a heart-to-heart talk. Rong Qianyu shed tears and shook her head.
"How is Xue Ji's funeral going?" Bai Yi asked.
"His Majesty has granted permission to preserve the body intact, and it has already been disposed of."
Bai Yi nodded and did not continue the topic. In her opinion, the dignity of the royal family could not be violated. No matter how much she felt sorry for Rong Qianyu, she would not allow the concubines to go astray.
"I plan to move to the palace in the secondary capital in a few days. I am old and will never come back. If you take care of the harem, the emperor's throne will be secure and you will not be able to control him."
Rong Qianyu's eyes were filled with tears, but she smiled and nodded continuously, "Mother, is there anything I need you to prepare?"
Bai Yi drank the medicine in the bowl. "As the Queen Mother of Zhou, I'm lucky you're a woman, but as for me, it's a pity you're not a man. You do many things right and decisively, unlike me who hesitates."
She looked at Rong Qianyu with great relief, as if she could see in this young face the struggles of her past. She had lived for over fifty years and had seen through many of the world's grievances. Everything was under her control, but Rong Qianyu's eyes always revealed stubbornness and tenacity, as if silently screaming into a silent prison.
"If I hadn't agreed to your marriage then, I wouldn't have caused you to waste your whole life."
"I won't dwell on things I can't change. If I hadn't married into the Great Zhou, I wouldn't be as wealthy and prosperous as I am today."
Bai Yi was amused by her straightforward words, "You go back first, I want to sleep for a while."
"Then I'll take my leave." Rong Qianyu packed up the medicine, stood up and left.
"Qianyu!" Bai Yi called to her from behind, "Since your mind is enslaved by your body, why are you so melancholy and sad? Do you remember what the next sentence is?"
Rong Qianyu didn't look back, but her eyelashes trembled slightly. She understood and left.
After leaving the Empress Dowager's residence, Rong Qianyu wandered aimlessly through the palace until she saw her former residence. Outside Weixuan Hall in September, the camellias were in full bloom. Xue Ji had personally escorted her there. Spring was approaching after late autumn, and he had told her to watch over the courtyard walls and avoid any potential fires.
The next sentence in "Returning to the Countryside" is, "I understand that the past cannot be changed, but the future can be pursued."
Now Bai Yi gave this sentence to Rong Qianyu, in fact, it was a reminder and encouragement. The mistakes of the past could not be undone, and only by knowing what would happen in the future could we make some minor corrections.
After returning to the palace, Rong Pan presented Fu Hua's medical records for the past month. This was arranged by Rong Qianyu at the Imperial Hospital early in the morning, and the records of every month had to be reviewed by her.
"Your Majesty, His Majesty has been seeing that old Taoist priest quite often these days. The imperial doctors say that His Majesty's health has deteriorated significantly and he really can't eat these anymore."
Rong Qianyu didn't take it too seriously. "It's only been a few months, how could it happen so quickly?"
"Throughout history, many emperors and nobles have fallen victim to this. It is a chronic poison. How could Your Majesty be so confused?" Rong Pan asked.
"Tell the Imperial Hospital to give him whatever he wants. No need to ask me anything. I'll just pretend I didn't see it."
"yes."
"What's going on in Subuda?"
Rong Pan whispered, "Her Majesty the Queen said that as long as we take action, she will fully cooperate. Lord Wu has already entered the capital not long ago, so we can take action at any time."
"Okay." Rong Qianyu nodded happily.
Only by doing good things in the future can she make up for her regrets. She has had enough of being controlled by others. She tried her best to be humble, but still did not receive the kindness she deserved, which only made those people become more aggressive.
She did not want supreme power. She could have nothing as long as the people could live in peace. But now she had nothing.
Without her children or her lover, she only had some remaining willpower to support her to turn everything around.
"Our people are all in the inner city. The imperial city's security is not very strict. The Jinyiwei are now leaderless, and none of the associate chiefs under Commander Fang are willing to shoulder the burden. The new head of the Imperial Household Department has no foundation yet, and the East and West Factories, as well as the Imperial Approval Office, are too busy to handle everything."
"Tell the Imperial Guards that His Majesty will be offering sacrifices and performing rituals in the palace on the fifteenth of next month. He needs personnel to protect His Majesty's safety. There must be no mistakes. Also, there's the Empress Dowager's upcoming palace move. She's old and lives alone, so she needs to be guarded by skilled personnel. I don't need to speak up about these matters, do I?"
Rong Pan nodded, "I understand."
"Be prepared. On the fifteenth of next month, the battle will be fought and the outcome will be decided."
The officials found ninety-nine children. The experienced Taoist priests performed rituals. Many people gathered at the altar today, including many separated relatives. Resentment filled everyone's eyes. The respect they had felt when Fu Hua ascended the throne was gone. The people were clearly utterly disappointed in this young monarch.
Soldiers stood guard outside the altar. Inside, Fu Hua was wearing a robe and a crown. After burning incense and praying to the gods, nearly a hundred children were led onto the altar by a rope.
Everyone was dressed in gorgeous clothes, the girls had pearl hairpins in their hair, and the boys wore clothes made of exquisite fabrics. Most of these children were five or six years old, some even younger, not very sensible. The children were all plump and white, walking hand in hand, not knowing what was going to happen next.
Looking at the parents in the audience, they were already crying uncontrollably, and some had even fainted. The scene was suddenly in chaos.
Today, the city is covered with dark clouds and not a single ray of light can be seen. After consulting the gods, the old Taoist priest officially began to perform the ritual.
"In the fourth year of Daye, I look up to the Holy Spirit, who has established the will of Heaven and Earth, the destiny of the people, and brought peace to the world for eternity. His merits and influence will be great, and there will be no chaos forever. Everyone will find their place, and all living things will find their place. Everyone will find their place, as never before. I only follow the will of Heaven and respectfully offer this sacrifice."
The palace maids came up from the side of the stage, bringing ninety-nine bowls of knockout potion. The children took the medicine and drank it one by one. The anger of the people below the stage was aroused to the extreme, pointing at Fu Hua and cursing. Some broke through the guards, broke through the barriers, and ran towards the altar, but were killed by the guards' sharp arrows.
A masked young man stood out from the crowd. He was the one who rescued the children in the suburbs of Beijing that day.
"This is what you call a good emperor! He imprisoned his wife, murdered loyal ministers, favored treacherous officials, and now he's even taking children for sacrifice, all to satisfy his own imperial dignity! This kind of person is not worthy of being a king!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the people rose up in rebellion and joined the crusade against Fu Hua. This sacrifice, which was intended to pray for the eternal stability of the country, ultimately became a joke.
The children on the stage fell one after another, and the eunuchs worked tirelessly, burying the unconscious children in the pit. Fu Hua, seeing the situation getting out of control, finally shouted, "Who are you? Take him down!"
The young man stood in the crowd, drew his dagger and pointed it at Fu Hua. His voice was resounding, and every word pierced his heart. "Heaven and earth are unkind, treating all things as straw dogs. The tyrant ruler has the right to be punished by everyone!"
【Author’s words】
①②From Tao Yuanming's "Returning to the Countryside"
③ The sacrificial texts are from the sacrificial texts of the 29th year of Hongwu reign of Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty and the sacrificial texts of the 1st year of Yide reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Ming Dynasty.
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