Chapter 121 Last Will and Testament.
The emperor was stunned; he could hardly believe his ears: "What did you say?"
Even the fourth prince, who was kneeling in front of the bed, was so shocked that he tried to raise his head, but was slapped down by the eunuch beside him.
The fourth prince whimpered twice in anger and resentment. The emperor glanced down at him, then looked up and asked Chu Heng again, "What did you say?"
As Chu Heng watched the people clean up the ground, a young eunuch presented him with a new writing brush and inkstone, along with a blank imperial edict. He raised his hand and said, "Let me finish speaking, otherwise His Majesty will have to throw it away again, which is quite troublesome."
Upon hearing this, the emperor snorted coldly: "You really do have ill intentions!"
Chu Heng smiled leisurely and said, "Your Majesty, I went to such great lengths and took such great risks just to scare you and ensure your son's smooth ascension to the throne. Do you take me for a saint?"
The emperor suddenly realized: "You...you don't want to be emperor, you want your son to be emperor!"
Chu Heng shook his finger: "You're wrong, Your Majesty. It's my son who wants to be emperor. This child has been pampered since childhood and has never suffered any hardship. I can't bear to see him unable to fulfill his wish, so naturally I must do my best to help him achieve it."
The emperor sneered, "You are so shameless and cowardly, blaming all these rebellious thoughts on a child. I am truly impressed!" He glanced at the fourth prince kneeling on the ground and finally remembered the past. "Prince Duan, you are quite the father. You torture the fourth prince like this to avenge your son and even want to hand the throne to him. Are you really not afraid that your son will be talked about behind his back by future generations?"
"Dynastic changes are not uncommon, especially since my son and Your Majesty's son are both grandsons of the late Emperor, descendants of the founding emperor. Naturally, both are entitled to sit on the dragon throne," Chu Heng said with a half-smile. "As for gossip, no matter how you try to embellish it, didn't the founding emperor also usurp the throne? With such a worthy example before us, it's not my son's turn to be gossiped about. Besides, since ancient times, the virtuous have ruled the world. Your Majesty, rest assured, Yang'er will bring peace and tranquility to the land. At that time, who will care how he obtained the throne?"
The emperor trembled with rage: "You're dreaming! Chu Heng! You're delusional! This empire can only belong to me, and to my descendants!"
Chu Heng got up and walked to the emperor's bedside. Looking at the clock placed in front of the window, he said, "Your Majesty, I have already said that I am very impatient. I will give you another quarter of an hour to consider. If you do not write it down, he will die."
The emperor followed Chu Heng's finger and looked at the fourth prince. He gritted his teeth and said, "I will never allow myself to be manipulated by traitors!"
"Alright." Chu Heng smiled. "Your Majesty has four sons, enough to keep you occupied for half an hour. In addition, there are princesses and concubines. I will wait for an hour. If Your Majesty does not issue an edict by then, I will have no choice but to grant you a family reunion."
"You..." The emperor pointed at him, hissing as he lay on the pillow, "You dare!"
Chu Heng smiled and said, "Your Majesty may wait for a quarter of an hour."
The emperor can wait, but the fourth prince cannot. Even Prince Duan dared to threaten the emperor. Killing him would be a piece of cake, and he doesn't want to die!
The fourth prince struggled to escape, but was restrained. He was terrified and could only kowtow to the emperor repeatedly, begging him to save his life.
Chu Heng said, "Your Majesty, your son is begging you."
The emperor glared fiercely at Chu Heng: "Don't even think about... don't even think about making me obey."
Chu Heng shrugged: "Alright, there's no turning back now. I can only wait an hour to send His Majesty to his death."
The emperor remained silent, but his murky eyes fixed on Chu Heng as if they were about to shoot poisoned arrows.
Upon hearing their words, the fourth prince turned and kowtowed to Chu Heng, seemingly realizing that he could no longer rely on the emperor as his father.
Chu Heng chuckled and looked at the emperor, genuinely puzzled, "Your Majesty, people say that a tiger father begets no dog son. You weren't like this when you were young, so how come your sons are all so useless?"
The emperor glared at him angrily: "You...you are being insolent!" He tried to reach out and pull the fourth prince up, but he ended up lying on the edge of the bed, panting weakly.
Chu Heng asked in surprise, "You had so much to say just now, how come you only have these few words left?"
The emperor took a few labored breaths, his eyes peering through the screen as if trying to see outside.
“Not a sound can be heard from Haiyan Palace,” Chu Heng said. “Although I can only control it for two or three hours, the effects of the medicine in His Majesty’s body have already taken hold, and I’m afraid we won’t be able to wait for anyone to come to his rescue.”
The emperor clutched his throat: "How dare you... how dare you murder the emperor!"
Chu Heng sighed, "Your Majesty, I dared to force the emperor to abdicate, so why wouldn't I dare to assassinate him?" He rubbed his temples, genuinely finding dealing with a dying emperor tedious. "If Your Majesty is unwilling to issue an edict, please refrain from speaking further. I wish to have some peace and quiet."
The emperor was panting heavily. The feeling of waiting to die was unbearable. He felt that nothing was right in his body, and it was as if a fire was burning inside him.
Chu Heng suddenly added, "By the way, Your Majesty, please don't worry, you will definitely pass away after your children and concubines."
Before he could finish speaking, a fishy, pungent smell assaulted his nostrils. Chu Heng covered his nose, looked down at the Fourth Prince, and said in a muffled voice, "Disgusting."
The emperor made a few wheezing sounds in his throat before stammering, "Chu Heng, what exactly did you feed me?"
Chu Heng smiled and said, "Your Majesty, you now have only two choices: you die, but your children and concubines can live; or your family can go to the underworld for a reunion."
The emperor gripped the tassels of the bed curtains hanging by the bedside: "You...you dare to do this? Do you think you, your son, and your family of three will survive?"
Chu Heng laughed and said, "That's why, Your Majesty, I need to drag more people down with me so I don't suffer a loss."
Chu Heng remained unhurried, occasionally letting out a light laugh. The emperor listened to every word he uttered and found them all unbelievable.
He must have a backup plan.
The emperor thought that he must have a backup plan. Since he was already plotting to rebel and kill the emperor, he would never allow himself to perish with the emperor.
But the emperor was powerless; he was about to die, and the only thing he could do before he died was to protect his children.
This wasn't because the emperor suddenly had a fatherly heart; rather, he had always feared that there would be no one to carry on his legacy, and he couldn't bear to watch his sons be slaughtered by Chu Heng.
But even if he grants Chu Heng's wish, wouldn't they eliminate him completely if Chu Heng and his son were to usurp the throne in the future?
But he did not comply with Chu Heng's wishes, and as a result, none of his children and concubines could be saved.
Is Chu Heng all bark and no bite? One cannot gamble with the emperor.
His heart was burning with anxiety. The emperor racked his brains, but then he suddenly thought, "So this is how torturous death is. No wonder everyone is afraid of death. Or is it Chu Heng's medicine that is tormenting him?"
If I agree to Chu Heng's request, will he give me a quick death?
Because of this pain, the emperor's mind became a little clearer. Chu Heng wanted his will, which was to make it legitimate. So, if he got his wish, the emperor wouldn't have to worry about his centennial ancestral rites.
Although the emperor was very unwilling, this seemed to be the best solution at the moment.
His children are alive, and Chu Heng's descendants offer sacrifices to him.
As for the emperor, having been ill for so long, he had been suffering in this world, so he might as well look forward to enjoying happiness in the next life.
He was the emperor, and was worshipped in the Imperial Ancestral Temple. For the sake of his status, Chu Heng and his descendants dared not neglect the sacrifices. What did he have to worry about?
The emperor looked at Chu Heng with his cloudy eyes: "I can issue a decree, but I need you to agree to three things."
Chu Heng said, "Your Majesty, please speak."
The emperor said, “First, after my death, my memorial tablet must be placed in the Imperial Ancestral Temple; second, I want to see the Crown Prince and my ministers, and I want to issue an edict in their presence; third, you must give me the antidote, I cannot die in such agony.”
Chu Heng chuckled at the first point, raised an eyebrow at the second, and only understood the emperor's meaning at the third.
Sure enough, from beginning to end, the only thing that could move the emperor was himself; he didn't care about his children or concubines.
Chu Heng nodded: "Okay." He turned and ordered, "Go and summon the Crown Prince, the Left Censor-in-Chief, the Minister of Personnel, the Minister of the Imperial Clan Court... to meet the Emperor."
The eunuch bowed, accepted the order, and left.
The emperor scoffed, still refusing to admit defeat: "Aren't you afraid I'll change my mind at the last minute and have you, this traitor, arrested?"
Chu Heng smiled faintly and said, "Before I am captured, I will definitely set a fire and burn you alive, Your Majesty."
He glanced at the curtains and brocade quilts on the emperor's bed, and asked with a smile, "Your Majesty, do you think I made arrangements in advance?"
The emperor immediately opened his eyes wide and tried in a panic to get out of bed, but he no longer had the strength.
Chu Heng turned around and instructed the eunuchs of Haiyan Palace to tidy up the room, and also to tidy up the Fourth Prince's room.
Afterwards, Chu Heng told the emperor his request. The emperor had never been sure how much ability Chu Heng had now, not to mention that Chu Heng was someone who would risk his life. The emperor did not agree, and he was still thinking about the sacrifices made for him after his death.
Soon, the Crown Prince, important officials of the court, the Minister of the Imperial Clan Court, and the Hanlin Academicians arrived at Haiyan Palace to pay their respects to the Emperor. At that time, two imperial physicians were kneeling in front of the Emperor's sickbed. One of them was holding a small brocade box in his hand, on which lay a pill. The Emperor was looking at the pill with longing eyes.
"Your Majesty, everyone has arrived." Li Zhong bowed respectfully, not daring to raise his head.
The emperor then looked away, glanced at Chu Heng, gritted his teeth, and repeated what he had been told, instructing a Hanlin scholar to write it down so that it could be written into an edict and promulgated throughout the land.
"The Crown Prince shall ascend the throne, with Prince Duan serving as regent." The Emperor beckoned the Crown Prince to come closer. "After the Crown Prince ascends the throne, he shall issue an edict to establish Prince Duan's heir, Chu Yang, as the Crown Prince. I see that he is of excellent quality and is also the grandson of Emperor Taizong, so he is suitable to inherit the throne."
The officials were all shocked, and the Crown Prince also looked up in astonishment, but the Emperor continued, “I have two more imperial edicts: I grant the fourth prince permission to divorce his principal wife and return home with his dowry; and I grant the sixth prince permission to be enfeoffed at the age of ten and never to return to the capital again.”
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