Mountain and River Festival 273. Last Light

In the study of Prince Li's mansion, Mo Jingli's face was twisted and full of anger, so that even the most favored Princess Qixia dared not get close. When Mo Jingli finally vented his anger, the whole study was in a mess. The strategists and subordinates of Prince Li's mansion standing in the corner naturally did not dare to speak, so Princess Qixia had to pretend to be brave and said, "Prince, it is not convenient to discuss matters here. Why not move to the side hall?"

Mo Jingli snorted coldly, waved his sleeves and walked out of the study, and the others quickly followed him.

"Your Highness, what happened?" After sitting down in the side room outside the study, someone finally asked with courage.

Mo Jingli then asked in a cold voice, "After leaving the palace, the Grand Princess and Princess Zhaoyang went to see Mo Xiuyao." Everyone was shocked, "Your Majesty... what does this mean?" Mo Jingli sneered and said, "What else can it mean? Of course, he asked the Grand Princess to ask Mo Xiuyao for mercy. He had been competing with Mo Xiuyao for a lifetime, and now he has finally let it go."

Everyone immediately frowned and shook their heads, "Your Majesty, if this happens, it will be very disadvantageous to us." The emperor would rather give up the previous grudges and suspicion of Prince Ding's Mansion and ask for help from Prince Ding, which clearly means that he wants to kill Prince Li's Mansion. Mo Jingli snorted coldly and said disdainfully: "Mo Xiuyao will not agree to his request. Moreover... even if Mo Xiuyao agrees to take action. How can this prince be so easy to deal with now?" Everyone was stunned when they saw the stern-faced man in front of them, and it took them a long time to come back to their senses. Isn't it true? Prince Li is no longer the Prince Li of many years ago. He is the regent of Da Chu, and he holds the real power of the most prosperous southern half of Da Chu. Not to mention that Prince Ding's power is now far away in the northwest. Even if Prince Ding's Mansion wanted to deal with Prince Li during the heyday of Chujing, it would not be accomplished overnight.

"I wonder what the prince is planning? I'm afraid the emperor won't..." A strategist frowned. They had originally hoped that the queen mother could persuade the emperor to formally pass the throne to Prince Li. In fact, this idea itself was a bit unrealistic. Given the emperor's temper, he would never let the throne fall into the hands of the person who killed him, even if it meant a fight to the death.

Mo Jingli frowned, thought for a moment and said, "Spread the news, and make sure it reaches the Liu family. Just say that the emperor intends to pass the throne to the sixth prince... As for the rest, the Liu family will naturally know what to do."

"Your Majesty is wise."

The news that the Prince Li's Mansion could get, naturally, the Liu family would not be much slower than them. There was no need for the Prince Li's Mansion to spread the news, the Liu family and even the Concubine Liu in the palace had already received the news. In the palace, Concubine Liu heard the words of the palace maid who came to report the news, coldly waved the person away, and waved her hand to smash the exquisite white porcelain teacup in her hand, "Sixth Prince...Mo Ruiyun!"

Tan Jizhi sat in a chair not far away with a smile on his face, and said with a smile: "It seems that the emperor already knows what the queen is planning. I have said before that the queen is too impatient. You have to know... some things are almost certain, but there is still a slight exception, right?"

Concubine Liu gritted her teeth, remembering that she had just come back from the palace a few days ago and happened to run into Mo Jingli coming out of the emperor's bedroom. It seemed that since that day, many things were out of her control. "Mo Jingli! It must be him!" Tan Jizhi frowned and said, "Your Majesty, it doesn't matter who did it now. The important thing is... what should we do?"

Concubine Liu Gui was upset. She was not good at these things. She had been protected by others since she was a child. Except for her feelings for Mo Xiuyao, everything went smoothly for her. Even when she was smart and knowledgeable, Concubine Liu Gui could not figure out how to deal with the situation. She looked back at Tan Ji and asked, "What can you do?"

Tan Jizhi curled his lips and smiled slightly, saying calmly: "If you don't do it, then go all out. Kill!"

Concubine Liu was startled, and lowered her head to seriously think about Tan Jizhi's proposal. She had been in the deep palace for decades, and even though she was favored by Mo Jingqi and her power was close to that of the queen, she had also killed people. Women like them, who were trained from childhood and destined to be sent to the palace, probably never had to take human lives seriously. After thinking for a moment, Concubine Liu raised her head, a trace of murderous intent flashed across her cold eyes, and she said lightly: "Okay. You do it."

With the support of the Liu family and Concubine Liu in the palace, Tan Jizhi was naturally able to do things neatly and efficiently. Before it got dark, the news came that the Sixth Prince had accidentally fallen down while playing on the rockery and was unconscious. When the news came, the twelve-year-old prince was sitting in front of Concubine Liu and talking to her. Concubine Liu waved her hand lightly to let the eunuch who came to report leave. The prince hesitated for a moment, looked at Concubine Liu and said, "Mother, your son...should I go see my sixth brother?"

Concubine Liu Gui showed a flash of disdain on her face. She lifted up the prince's childish face with one hand and took a closer look. She hid the disgust in her eyes and said calmly, "Why do you want to see him? He was born to the daughter of a lowly official. Do you really think he is your brother? You must remember that you are the prince and will be the emperor of the Great Chu in the future. Except for your mother... everyone else is your slave."

The prince moved his lips and wanted to say that he also had a younger brother and a sister. However, looking at his mother's beautiful face that looked like a half-snow sculpture, the prince shuddered slightly and didn't speak.

Concubine Liu nodded with satisfaction and said with a smile: "You are my good son. Don't worry, I will definitely make you the emperor."

"Yes, mother."

The sudden serious injury of the Sixth Prince made Mo Jingqi's already weak body even weaker. When the news reached Mo Jingqi's ears, Mo Jingqi couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood. The doctors in front of him seemed secretly surprised. The emperor's originally gray and gloomy face suddenly became more radiant and rosy, and he seemed to be much more energetic. However, these experienced doctors understood that this was clearly a last gasp of energy. They quickly made a face outside and asked someone to notify the masters in the palace to come.

The one who arrived the fastest this time was Consort Liu Guifei. The reason was that Consort Liu Guifei, the most favored one, originally lived in the place closest to the emperor's bedroom.

The guards at the door did not stop her. As soon as Concubine Liu entered the palace, she smelled a bloody smell and the rotten smell of a long-term illness, which made her frown in disgust. This was the second time Concubine Liu had entered this bedroom since Mo Jingqi fell ill, and they had not seen each other for several months.

"Your Majesty." Concubine Liu called indifferently.

Mo Jingqi stared at the cold-faced woman in white before him. After a while, he waved his hand and said, "I have something to say to Concubine Liu Gui. You all should leave."

Everyone left in response, leaving only Concubine Liu Guifei and Mo Jingqi in the empty chamber. One of them was lying down, while the other was standing. They looked at each other from a distance, as if they were meeting each other for the first time. Mo Jingqi stared at the woman in front of him, trying to see a trace of emotion and emotion in her cold eyes. Unfortunately, the result still disappointed him. Concubine Liu Guifei's cold eyes were as calm as if the person lying in front of her was not the king who was very kind to her, but a commoner she didn't know. No, there was still a trace of emotion in her eyes. That was disgust. The Mo Jingqi in front of her was so thin that he was almost unrecognizable, and there was blood on him that the palace maids had not had time to clean up. Each of these made Concubine Liu Gui extremely annoyed. She was so annoyed that she even threw away any trace of disguise she had in the past.

"You're finally here." Mo Jingqi finally spoke.

Concubine Liu frowned slightly and said, "Your Majesty, don't you want me to come?"

Mo Jingqi smiled bitterly and said, "I... really didn't want you to come... so soon. Did you send someone to hurt Ruiyun?"

Concubine Liu Gui raised her eyebrows slightly, raised her chin and looked down at Mo Jingqi, saying lightly: "This is not my fault."

"Why do you do this?" Mo Jingqi asked, "I originally thought you didn't care about anything. Now it seems... I was wrong."

Concubine Liu tilted her head and looked at Mo Jingqi, slowly revealing a hint of mockery in her smile, "Why do you do this? That's why I want to ask the emperor, since the emperor has made my son the crown prince, why do you want to pass the throne to the sixth prince? What do you want to do with me and the crown prince?" Mo Jingqi's eyes showed a hint of sadness and coldness, "It seems that I have spoiled you too much in these years. That's why you forgot a sentence."

"What?" Concubine Liu frowned.

"Thunderbolts, rain and dew are all grace from the emperor." Mo Jingqi said, "The throne is mine, and I can pass it on to whomever I wish. I can make whoever I am happy to be the crown prince. You can't refuse what I want to give you. If I don't want to give it to you, you can't take it either!" Concubine Liu was startled, and a trace of displeasure appeared on her cold face. As proud as she was, she was used to being superior to everyone except in front of Mo Xiuyao, including Mo Jingqi, the king of a country, "What does the emperor mean by this?"

Mo Jingqi smiled coldly, "What do you mean... What it means is... Even if you kill the Sixth Prince, I can still pass the throne to someone else. Even if you kill all the princes, I can still pass the throne to the royal family. As for your crown prince... you don't have to think about it."

"Why did you do this?" Concubine Liu stared at Mo Jingqi, her beautiful face full of confusion, as if Mo Jingqi had done something unreasonable.

Mo Jingqi burst into laughter, but his chest, which was faintly painful, made his laughter sound fragmented. "Why? Soon...soon you will know why. I have treated you well over the years, but how did you repay me? Do you really think that my patience with you is unlimited? Hehe...you want the prince to ascend the throne, is it really for the prince? You want Mo Xiuyao...you wish! Even if I die...you have to accompany me!"

"What do you mean?!" Concubine Liu was furious. In fact, she knew what Mo Jingqi meant. Although the system of burying concubines alive with the emperor was not popular in Da Chu, there were one or two examples of emperors temporarily decreeing that their favorite young concubines be buried alive with the emperor. She just couldn't believe that Mo Jingqi would have such an idea. Of course, it was because she was unwilling to accept such a fate no matter what. She still had a lot of things to do. She still wanted to get Mo Xiuyao's love and become the Princess of Ding. How could she be buried alive with Mo Jingqi?

Mo Jingqi chuckled, closed his eyes and stopped talking.

This further confirmed Concubine Liu's guess. Concubine Liu's face was pale, and her mind was indeed racing. After a while, she suddenly turned around and hurried out of the palace, but she bumped into the empress and others who had hurried in after receiving the news. The empress frowned and said, "Concubine Liu, what are you doing?" Concubine Liu had no time to talk to the empress. She glanced at her and left the palace without saying a word. The empress frowned and was too lazy to think about it, so she took her people into the bedroom.

The news that the emperor was about to die spread quickly. In less than half an hour, the high-ranking princes and princesses of the royal family arrived at the emperor's bedroom. The originally empty bedroom was now crowded with people kneeling on the ground. Even the elderly people like the Grand Princess and the Duke of Hua, as well as people like Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li, who now had awkward and strange identities, were invited. However, unlike the princes and nobles who were kneeling on the ground, Mo Xiuyao was dressed in a casual white robe and white hair, holding Ye Li and the Grand Princess together. Naturally, there was no sorrow on his face, which was not sure whether it was real or fake.

After struggling so hard these days, he was actually much calmer when he was about to die. Mo Jingqi opened his eyes amidst the sobbing and saw the most eye-catching Mo Xiuyao. He smiled faintly and said, "I knew you would come to see me off in the end." Mo Xiuyao raised his eyebrows and said nothing.

The Queen Mother, who was sitting at the head of the bed, cried out, stepped forward, held Mo Jingqi's hand and cried, "My son, do you have anything to say to me?"

Mo Jingqi showed a strange smile to the Queen Mother, and his eyes passed from the Queen Mother to Mo Jingqi and the Queen who were standing not far away. After Concubine Liu ran out, she had been missing. At this time, Mo Jingqi didn't care about her whereabouts. Finally, his eyes turned from Prime Minister Liu to the prince and princess kneeling on the ground.

"Changle..."

Princess Changle is naturally not among the princes and princesses. Mo Jingqi loves this daughter very much since she was a child. Not only because she is the legitimate daughter of the Central Palace, but also because she is smart, lively and considerate. Even though Mo Jingqi dotes on Concubine Liu, Princess Zhenning, the daughter born by Concubine Liu, ranks behind Princess Changle. But at the same time, he is also the most cruel to this daughter, just because she is the legitimate daughter of the Queen, and she is the granddaughter of the Hua family that he hates, so he can't keep her in the capital.

Hearing Mo Jingqi calling her daughter's name, the queen turned away sadly. The veins on the old face of Duke Hua jumped twice, but he didn't say anything in the end. Mo Xiaobao stood beside his father and mother. Although he didn't quite understand what was happening, he felt the sadness and loneliness. He looked up at Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li, but they didn't say anything about how Princess Changle was in Licheng.

In the end, the Queen Mother sighed, patted Mo Jingqi's hand and said, "Your Majesty, have you forgotten? Changle, that girl, had a bad fate and disappeared in Nanzhao."

Mo Jingqi closed his eyes, as if he had not heard the Queen Mother's words. Everyone present, except for the three people from Prince Ding's Mansion who had nothing to do with the matter, and the young and ignorant little prince and princess, stared at the dying man on the dragon couch in front of them with some worry. Even though he was so weak that he couldn't even lift his hands, he could still decide the fate of most people present.

"Empress..." After a long time, Mo Jingqi finally called out.

The Queen heard this and stepped forward and asked, "Your Majesty, what do you want me to do?"

Mo Jingqi no longer had the energy to speak loudly, and he glanced up at the Queen Mother. The Queen Mother stood up somewhat unhappily, gave up her seat to the Queen, and stood aside awkwardly.

The Queen sat beside the bed and looked at Mo Jingqi calmly, and asked, "Your Majesty, do you have anything to say to me?"

Mo Jingqi raised his hand with difficulty and pulled out a bright yellow cloth from under the pillow. He put it in the Queen's hand with difficulty and said, "The will... the edict." Hearing this, everyone's eyes shrank and fixed on the bright yellow cloth in the Queen's hand. No one knew when Mo Jingqi wrote the will and when he placed it on the pillow.

"The Grand Princess... Duke of Hua... Prince Ding... serve as witnesses, and the Queen... reads the will..." Mo Jingqi said intermittently.

Hearing this, Mo Xiuyao raised his eyebrows with interest and said with a smile: "Okay, I promise to let the Queen read the edict smoothly."

The eldest princess also nodded and said, "Your Majesty, please rest assured."

"I obey your command."

As if he had accomplished something great, Mo Jingqi breathed a sigh of relief, and his expression became even uglier. He said to everyone calmly, "You guys go... I want to be alone for a while..."

Everyone was in a dilemma and didn't know whether they should retreat.

Mo Jingli stared at Mo Jingqi with a gloomy face, and finally stepped forward and asked, "Where is the child?"

Mo Jingqi looked at him with a smile and laughed out loud.

Mo Jingli said in a stern voice: "I am asking you where your child is?!"

Mo Jingqi just smiled without saying anything, blood slowly flowing out of his mouth.

"Mo Jingqi..." Mo Jingli couldn't help but stepped forward and wanted to pull his collar, but the empress dowager quickly stopped him, "Li'er, what are you doing?" At this moment, the emperor was on his last breath. If he died with just a pull from Mo Jingli, no matter what the cause of the emperor's death was, Mo Jingli would not be able to escape the crime of regicide.

Mo Jingli knew that he was impulsive, but he had been trying hard to find the whereabouts of his only son for these days, but he still had no clues. If Mo Jingqi was really dead, I'm afraid this only clue would be gone.

"King Li, can't you see? The King of Chu is clearly speechless." Mo Xiuyao said with a smile. Although it was a bit rude for a king to smile when he was about to die, no one dared to say he was rude due to Mo Xiuyao's status.

Mo Jingqi lay quietly on the bed, the blood from his mouth had dyed the bed and clothes around his neck dark red. His eyes were fixed on the strange smile on Mo Jingli's face. For some reason, seeing that smile, Mo Jingli felt a chill in his heart.