Chapter 346 Regret for the Past
"Your Majesty's health is critical, and the eldest prince is not only young but has also been wandering among the common people for several years, making it difficult for him to assume the great responsibility."
This is the time for the Prince to accomplish great things, so as to prevent the empire left by the founding emperor and the previous emperor from becoming unstable.
The Minister of Rites, kneeling beside Shen Cong, spoke with great excitement.
Shen Cong lowered his eyes, his expression indifferent.
"Oh? I wonder what you mean by 'great achievement'...?"
The Minister of Rites looked around, then stepped forward and said in a low voice, "Has Your Highness not heard?"
"What did you hear?"
"The late emperor's will! I heard that when the late emperor passed away, he left a will to pass the throne to you, Your Highness."
Shen Cong suddenly stood up, his face cold and glaring at the Minister of Rites.
"Nonsense! Where did you hear these rumors and gossips? How dare you spout such nonsense in front of me?"
"Considering this is your first time, I will spare you for now. But if I hear such treasonous words again, I will execute you without mercy!"
"Your Highness, what I said is true!"
The Minister of Rites knelt down and hurriedly defended himself.
Shen Cong sneered, "Really? I ask you, where is this so-called imperial edict of the late emperor?"
"Show it to me!"
The Minister of Rites opened his mouth, stammering, "I...your subject..."
Shen Cong snorted coldly, "When Father Emperor was alive, he always liked my elder brother very much. My elder brother was Father Emperor's eldest son and the rightful crown prince."
My elder brother has never committed any wrongdoing, and Father would never abandon him and establish another crown prince!
Lord Li, I'm only giving you this one chance. If you leave now, I might spare your life.
If you dare to spout nonsense again, I will have you beaten to death on the spot!
Chen Cong's voice and expression were both stern.
The Minister of Rites pursed his lips, shrank his neck, and retreated.
The room fell silent as Erfeng quietly entered from outside.
"Your Highness."
Shen Cong snapped out of his daze and glanced at him.
"You found it?"
Erfeng nodded, "This Minister of Rites appears to be at odds with the Left Chancellor, but in reality, he often meets with the Left Chancellor in secret."
His subordinates suspected that he deliberately brought this up before the prince, that the Left Chancellor had instructed him to test whether the prince knew about the will.
A bitter smile appeared on Shen Cong's lips.
"The Left Prime Minister was merely following orders. If I'm not mistaken, it was the Emperor who sent him."
The emperor could no longer contain himself and wanted to test whether he had a will.
Erfeng said, "Your Highness, what should we do now? His Majesty has asked you to preside over the New Year's Eve banquet."
Historically, only His Majesty or the Crown Prince could preside over the New Year's Eve palace banquet. His Majesty's actions clearly put Your Highness in a very difficult position.
Shen Cong remained silent.
Erfeng's eyes widened.
"Is Your Highness really planning to preside over the New Year's Eve palace banquet?"
Shen Cong twitched the corner of his mouth. "Isn't there still a few days until New Year's Eve? Let's get the New Year's Eve palace banquet organized first."
"But Your Highness..."
"Do as I say."
Luoyang Imperial Palace.
The emperor pushed away the medicine bowl from Empress Xue's hand, took a heavy breath, and spoke intermittently.
"No, I won't drink it. It's useless anyway, it's too bitter."
Empress Xue gently comforted her, "How could it be useless? Good medicine tastes bitter; you have to drink it to get better."
"I specifically asked the imperial physician to add honey to the medicine, so it's not as bitter today."
As he spoke, he moved the medicine bowl forward a little further.
The emperor kept his eyes closed and refused to drink. His sunken cheeks twitched slightly, and his chest rumbled with heavy breathing, like a bellows.
Empress Xue was terrified upon hearing this.
Half a month has passed since the emperor arrived at the Luoyang Imperial Palace, and his health is deteriorating day by day. He spends seven or eight hours a day in a deep sleep.
If things continue like this, she really doesn't know how long the emperor can hold out.
Empress Xue felt her nerves were on edge. On the one hand, she was surprised that the emperor's health had suddenly deteriorated so much, and on the other hand, she was worried that the emperor would suddenly die and the capital would be in chaos.
At this moment, Ding Wang came in from outside and whispered in the emperor's ear, "Your Majesty, the Minister of Rites has arrived."
The emperor opened his eyes with difficulty and raised his hand.
Ding Wang understood and looked at Empress Xue.
Empress Xue put down the medicine bowl, stood up and bowed.
"Your Majesty, I shall take my leave now."
The Minister of Rites followed Ding Wang in and relayed Shen Cong's words to the Emperor without missing a single one.
The emperor, panting heavily, struggled to sit up.
"He...he really said that?"
The Minister of Rites nodded.
"Your subject dares not lie."
The emperor frowned. "Could it be that the Empress Dowager really didn't give him the imperial edict back then? If the edict wasn't in his hands, where would the Empress Dowager have hidden it?"
The Minister of Rites and Ding Wang hung their heads, not daring to respond.
The emperor was in poor spirits; after sitting for a while, he became sleepy again and had to lie down.
He instructed the Minister of Rites to "keep an eye on his movements, especially during the New Year's Eve palace banquet."
The Minister of Rites was startled. "Does His Majesty really intend to have Prince Xuan preside over the New Year's Eve palace banquet?"
A sinister glint flashed in the emperor's eyes. "Otherwise what? Am I supposed to drag this body back to Bianjing?"
The Minister of Rites' expression changed, and he touched his head to the ground, saying, "Long live Your Majesty!"
"May you live a thousand years?"
The emperor let out a soft hum, tinged with mockery, as if he had heard a joke.
The Minister of Rites was so frightened that his whole body stiffened.
Ding Wang secretly gave him a wink, signaling the Minister of Rites to step back, and then stepped forward to tuck the blanket around the emperor.
"Your Majesty is tired, why don't you take a nap?"
The emperor's face suddenly turned extremely ugly.
"What else can I do besides sleep all day? What's the difference between me and someone waiting to die?"
He glared fiercely at Ding Wang, his face flushed and his breathing heavy as he lost his temper.
Ding Wang immediately knelt down and slapped himself across the face.
"This servant deserves to die. This servant misspoke."
The emperor lay slumped on the bed, closed his eyes, and looked utterly hopeless and remorseful.
"Why am I getting angry with you? If anyone is to blame, it's that damned Prince Chen. I shouldn't have made that deal with him back then!"
Otherwise, things wouldn't have come to this. But I was really scared at the time, scared that my mother would suddenly change her mind, scared that she would suddenly produce that edict..."
The emperor covered his eyes with his hands, suddenly finding himself unable to continue speaking.
Ding Wang knelt on the ground, not daring to say another word.
The atmosphere inside the room was somewhat tense.
Just then, a voice rang out from outside.
"Your subject Qin Wei requests an audience with Your Majesty."
The emperor suddenly lowered his hand, a bright light flashing in his eyes.
"Quick, come in quickly."
Qin Wei strode in, but before he could kneel, the emperor reached out his hand, with bulging veins, to pull him up.
"How...how is it?"
Qin Wei rushed forward, knelt down in front of the bed, and grasped the emperor's hand.
"Your Majesty, good news."
The emperor pulled Qin Wei with all his might, struggling to sit up.
"The medicine...the medicine has been prepared?"
Qin Wei said, "That person said the child meets the requirements, and he can make the antidote in half a month."
"Half a month? Really...really?"
Qin Wei nodded.
"His life is in Your Majesty's hands. Rest assured, Your Majesty, he would not dare to lie."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
