Chapter 136
This time, the Emperor Emeritus came in person. He was helped into the bedchamber by the Empress Dowager. The two of them felt that the icy palace was eerily cold and the palace lanterns were dim, making it seem particularly terrifying and extremely chilling.
A wooden table stood before the bed, and Song Xuanxin's tall figure stood before it, painting. What should have been a very elegant scene appeared somewhat eerie in this ice palace.
The dim candlelight flickered, casting a long shadow of the new emperor. Dressed in his dragon robe, his once gentle and warm demeanor turned somber.
He had lost a lot of weight; the dragon robe that used to fit him perfectly now looked slightly loose on him...
"Xuan'er, all the ministers in the court are requesting an audience in the Imperial Study. You must see them," the Emperor Emeritus said in his usual humble tone, but with an air of undeniable authority.
The court has been presided over by the retired emperor for the past few days.
Seven days have passed since the Empress's death; the new Emperor cannot continue to be so despondent.
He is not only Shen Qingnian's husband, but also the Emperor of Xuan Kingdom, and he has responsibilities to bear!
Tears welled in the Empress Dowager's eyes as she softly said, "Xuan'er, he is gone; you must not wallow in his grief."
Since the Empress's passing, Xuan'er has transformed from a gentle and refined gentleman into this gloomy figure, even neglecting state affairs. This cannot continue.
Song Xuan, who was painting with his head down, paused.
With a 'thud,' the ink-soaked wolf-hair brush fell onto the table, instantly destroying the unfinished scroll.
He slowly turned around, revealing a somewhat thin face, with an air of lingering gloom and despondency, his once sharp features seemingly veiled in a layer of gray.
Like a long sword covered in dust.
In just a few days, Song Xuan had transformed from a dignified and gentle gentleman into a gaunt and gloomy figure, as if his spirit had left along with Shen Qingnian.
All that remains is a lifeless shell.
The Empress Dowager couldn't help but cover her mouth, her voice trembling, "Xuan... Xuan'er..."
Seeing their carefully raised child turn out like this would break any mother's heart.
The retired emperor was also filled with regret, and finally sighed.
Song Xuan's eyes were ashen, devoid of any emotion. He simply said, "Please rest assured, Mother and Father, I will go to the Imperial Study to resolve this matter."
"The person is gone. If you wish to stay in Qingnian for a while, that is fine, but you must adjust yourself properly. You are now the emperor, and the entire Xuan Kingdom depends on you. If you indulge in past pain, the ministers will inevitably become dissatisfied," the retired emperor said.
He originally came to hold a funeral for Xuan'er, but seeing Xuan'er in this state, he couldn't bring himself to speak. He could only use this incident to force Xuan'er to come out of it.
The Empress Dowager, wiping away her tears, said, "Xuan'er, since you are unwilling, then let Qingnian stay with you a little longer..."
She felt incredibly sorry for the child that had crawled out of her own belly.
Song Xuan's dull eyes finally regained some luster, and he bowed slightly: "Your subject thanks Father and Mother."
The retired emperor and empress left. The ice palace was too cold and damp, and the retired emperor's body could not withstand it.
Song Xuan went directly to the Imperial Study.
Outside the Imperial Study, court officials knelt on the ground, with Shen Zheng at the head. His expression was resolute, and his eyes held a sense of certainty.
Tonight, he and all the ministers in the court will surely persuade the emperor to hold a funeral for the empress!
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