Shanhe Festival 269. Rejection, Mother-son Relationship Divorced

"What are you doing?" Queen Hua looked coldly at Concubine Liu who was standing outside the palace with an angry look on her face.

The guards at the door hurriedly reported: "Your Majesty, the Emperor has ordered that no one except the Empress will be seen. The Imperial Concubine is here and we have no choice but to hold her back." The Empress was also a little surprised. She knew how much Mo Jingqi loved Imperial Concubine Liu, and he had done a lot for Imperial Concubine Liu and the Empress Dowager. It's only been a few years since they last met, could it be that he has fallen out of favor?

However, the queen didn't care about these. She nodded and turned to the newly conferred concubines Xiande and said, "Wait outside for a while, I'll go in and take a look." The two concubines Xiande were originally daughters of upright families, but they were not liked by Mo Jingqi because they were dull and unromantic. Now that they were suddenly conferred concubines, they would not be arrogant because of their favor, and naturally obeyed the queen's orders.

"Your Majesty's orders shall be obeyed by your servants." The two concubines Xian and De said in unison.

Queen Hua nodded, ignored Concubine Liu, and slowly walked into the bedroom.

As soon as she entered the bedroom, she found it was deserted and there was no one to serve. The queen frowned slightly, knowing that the queen mother didn't care about things now, and she didn't care about things either. Mo Jingqi was so seriously ill that even the emperor would have a hard time. The queen was naturally clear about Concubine Liu's temper. She would never think of visiting Mo Jingqi if there was nothing wrong. But the queen was not angry. So many years had passed and so many things had happened. How much of the relationship between the couple, which was not deep to begin with, could be left? As long as she thought of her daughter who had not yet reached the age of marriage and was now alone and wandering outside, even though the queen had been educated to regard her husband as her God since she was a child, she would not be without resentment in her heart.

Hearing the footsteps, Mo Jingqi turned back with some difficulty. Seeing the elegant and graceful woman in the bright yellow phoenix robe in front of him, Mo Jingqi's eyes could not help but be a little dazed for a moment. The queen has always been beautiful, he knew that. Even though Concubine Liu was once known as the most beautiful woman in Chujing, Mo Jingqi loved her but never thought that Concubine Liu was necessarily more beautiful than the queen. It's just that in her eyes, the queen is his wife, and he only needs to give her enough respect. And more importantly, his wife is from the Hua family. She was his helper before he ascended the throne, but after he ascended the throne, the Hua family became the object he needed to be wary of. So he rarely paid attention to the appearance of the queen, he only needed to know that she was the queen.

"You're here... It seems you've been doing well these days." Mo Jingqi said, but a sense of sadness rose in his heart. He was lying on the bed and dying. His mother ignored him, his brothers, his ministers, and his beloved concubine were looking forward to his death, and even his wife looked indifferent, as if his death was an irrelevant matter. Mo Jingqi suddenly envied Mo Xiuyao. Even though he was so badly injured and disfigured, Ye Li could still stick to him. In order to prevent him from being kidnapped, Ye Li was forced to fall off a cliff and her life and death were unknown, and Mo Xiuyao could also turn his hair white overnight for his wife. Mo Jingqi knew that these were things he would never get in his lifetime.

"Is there anything the Emperor wants me to do?" Empress Hua asked calmly.

Mo Jingqi looked at her and smiled, "I'm about to die, shouldn't I see you?" The queen frowned and looked at Mo Jingqi strangely, "Your Majesty seems to be a little different, aren't you afraid of death?" Mo Jingqi was very afraid of death, and the queen knew this more clearly than anyone else. Mo Jingqi smiled helplessly, "Of course I'm afraid, who wants to die when they can live? But when you really feel that you are going to die, you won't be so afraid. Now every day when I fall asleep, I feel as if I won't wake up the next time. If I just fall asleep like this, what can I do?"

The queen remained silent. When she heard Mo Jingqi say that he was going to die, she didn't feel much in her heart. She looked at him calmly and said, "Your Majesty has released me at this time and appointed Sister Zhou and Sister Zheng as concubines. I'm afraid it's not that simple, right? Your Majesty, you might as well speak directly." Mo Jingqi smiled helplessly and said, "After all these years... you are the only one who speaks to me so directly."

"Concubine Liu is also very straightforward in her words," said the Queen.

When talking about Concubine Liu, Mo Jingqi's eyes darkened. He looked at the Queen and sighed, "I don't want to talk about this now. Queen... Once I die, if Jing Li succeeds to the throne, maybe he will treat you, the Queen's sister-in-law, well. But if the Crown Prince succeeds to the throne, Concubine Liu will become the Queen Mother. Queen, have you ever thought about how you and the Hua family will deal with each other? The grudge between the Liu family and the Hua family, the Queen and Concubine Liu... Well, you don't have a grudge, it's just that Concubine Liu doesn't like you unilaterally. What will you do then?"

"What does the emperor want to say?" asked Queen Hua in a deep voice.

After hearing so many words in one breath, Mo Jingqi was a little tired. He took a breath and continued: "The sixth prince born to Zheng Zhaoyuan is already nine years old this year. Zheng Zhaoyuan was born in a humble family, so I will register the sixth prince under your name. After I am gone, you can take my edict... and make the sixth prince the new emperor. By then, with the support of the Hua family, the eldest princess Fuxi, and Aunt Zhaoyang, even if the Jingli and Liu families are unwilling, they will not dare to act rashly. The Leng family and the Mu family are loyal to me, as long as they have my edict, they will support you. As for the future... it depends on you in the future." After saying this, Mo Jingqi closed his eyes and rested.

The queen frowned slightly and said calmly, "Your Majesty, I am sorry that I cannot obey your order."

Hearing this, Mo Jingqi suddenly opened his eyes and stared at the calm-looking queen in front of him. He gritted his teeth and asked, "Why?" Queen Hua lowered her eyes and said calmly: "The emperor only talked about what happened in the court, but forgot about it." Let's talk about things outside the court. Although I am a woman and a child in the palace, I still know something about the invasion of the north and the Beirong in Xiling. They are watching. Once the sixth prince takes the throne, King Li and the Liu family will definitely be dissatisfied, and the Hua family will also be involved in the struggle in the court. How will it end? Since I am a queen, I am also supporting the young master. Yes, but if the emperor wants to drag the Hua family into trouble, please forgive me for disobeying the order."

"The Hua family is also a minister of the Great Chu!" Mo Jingqi said in a sharp voice.

The Queen said, "Your Majesty is right. The ancestors of the Hua family fought for the Great Chu, and there were many battles. The Hua family dare not have any resentment, but what results did the Hua family get? In fact... in the current situation, whether the crown prince or the sixth prince succeeds to the throne, what difference will the final result make? The young master ascends the throne, and the power falls into the hands of others. With the intrigues in the court, who will care about the Great Chu? At that time... the matter of Dingwang Mansion, the emperor made a mistake."

"Then what do you say?" Mo Jingqi stared at her coldly. The queen didn't care, and said calmly: "Since it has come to this, since the emperor is unwilling to pass the throne to the prince, then pass the throne to Prince Li. The Sixth Prince is innocent, please let him go." Although she has been under house arrest for a long time in these years, she still heard about it. The Sixth Prince is smart and quite favored. But the so-called favor of someone like Mo Jingqi is usually not something that ordinary people can experience. With Concubine Liu and the Liu family fanning the flames, the Sixth Prince was taught only to have fun. He didn't learn the right way, and such a prince ascending the throne would harm him instead.

"How dare you!" Mo Jingqi was furious, and he coughed violently, his face red as if it was congested, "Why didn't I know when the Hua family stood on the side of Prince Li?"

The Queen said calmly, "The Hua family is not a member of any party. No matter which prince the Emperor passes the throne to, countless intrigues will follow. If the Emperor is really considering the country of Chu, he will naturally know what is the best way. Moreover... the Emperor has appointed Prince Li as the Regent Prince. Now Prince Li is powerful. Can the Hua family really defeat Prince Li? In the final analysis... the Emperor still wants the Hua family to be buried with you."

Mo Jingqi endured it for a while, calmed down a little, and then said, "You and Mo Xiuyao have had a deep friendship since childhood. As long as you become the empress dowager and ask Mo Xiuyao for help, he will definitely not stand idly by. He will naturally help you solve Mo Jingli's problem. You just need to teach the Sixth Prince well, and when he grows up, he will naturally be filial to you and treat the Hua family well."

The Queen couldn't help but smile bitterly, shaking her head and sighing, "I've been talking about this for a long time, but this is the key. Your Majesty, you said this... I'm afraid you have never understood Prince Ding, right? I once told you that Prince Ding's Mansion would not plot against his will, but you didn't believe it. Now I tell you that Prince Ding's Mansion will not give up revenge, but I'm sure you don't believe it either? Your Majesty, do you think that Prince Ding has not made any move in the past few years, which means that he is not obsessed with hatred? The hatred for killing his father... is irreconcilable. I'm afraid that even if the previous Prince Regent was reborn, no one could persuade Prince Ding. He has not made any move in these years, which only means that he can endure it. The more he can endure, the more he hates you."

Finally, she looked back at Mo Jingqi and said, "If Your Majesty has nothing to say, I will take my leave. By the way, Concubine Liu is still waiting outside to see you." After that, regardless of what Mo Jingqi wanted to say, the queen turned around and left. There was no trace of sadness in her calm eyes, only a hint of regret. Regret that after being married for more than ten years, he still only wanted to use her in the end.

Behind him, Mo Jingqi saw the bright yellow figure leaving without any reluctance, and his eyes were filled with a complicated expression. After a long while, he finally couldn't help but vomit blood because of the pain in his chest.

Outside the door, seeing the Queen coming out, everyone rushed forward. The Queen said calmly: "The Emperor is not feeling well. Concubine De and Concubine Xian, you can thank him at the door and then go back."

Concubine De and Concubine Xian only saw the emperor once or twice a year, and they had gotten used to it over the years, so they were not disappointed. They followed the empress's instructions, kowtowed a few times at the door, and thanked the emperor for his grace, and then went back with the empress. Concubine Liu, on the other hand, stared at the closed palace door for a long time before leaving.

The news from the palace spread quickly outside the palace. When Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li were discussing whether to go to pay a visit to the Grand Princess, Zhuo Jing came in.

"What happened?" Ye Li asked with a raised eyebrow.

Zhuo Jing said respectfully: "I just received news that Mo Jingqi released the empress who had been under house arrest, and then conferred the title of Defei on Concubine Zhou and the title of Xianfei on Concubine Zheng."

Hearing this, Mo Xiuyao raised his eyebrows, leaned back in his chair and said leisurely: "It seems that Mo Jingqi is dying." Ye Li and Zhuo Jing couldn't help but look at him. Ye Li asked: "What do you mean?" Mo Xiuyao smiled and said: "Mo Jingqi wants to arrange his own funeral, so of course he is dying." Zhuo Jing was puzzled, "But didn't Mo Jingqi already canonize Concubine Liu's son as the crown prince? What does arranging his funeral have to do with the empress and the two concubines Zhou and Zheng?"

Mo Xiuyao clapped his hands and laughed, "Mo Jingqi is extremely suspicious and vindictive. How could he not notice the fight between Mo Jingli and the Liu family these days? In addition, after what Concubine Liu did today... Mo Jingqi will definitely not pass the throne to the crown prince. Since he doesn't want to pass it to the crown prince or Mo Jingli, he will naturally find another successor."

Zhuo Jing suddenly realized, and said, "The sixth prince born to Zheng Zhaoyuan."

Mo Xiuyao nodded and smiled, "There is another reason. Mo Jingqi should have known that I am in the capital now. He also knows that I am in close contact with the Queen and Duke Hua. For the sake of Duke Hua and the Queen, I might let go of the past and even help him solve the current problem." Ye Li asked, "Will you?"

"He thinks too well. Or does he really think that I am a kind-hearted bodhisattva who does not care about worldly matters?"

Standing up, Mo Xiuyao said with a smile: "It's time for me to go out of the palace to meet him. If it's too late, I won't be able to catch up."

Ye Li also stood up and said, "Let's go together."

The Prince Li's Mansion also received the news. Hearing the news reported by his subordinates, Mo Jingli sneered, "This prince's brother is really troublesome. He can cause me so many troubles in such a short time." Princess Qixia leaned beside Mo Jingli and asked, "What are your plans, Prince?" Mo Jingli narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "Enter the palace. I want to see my mother."

Outside the bedroom, the empress dowager walked over with a solemn expression. The guards at the door naturally did not dare to stop her and quickly stepped aside to respectfully invite the empress dowager in.

When the Queen Mother walked in, she saw Mo Jingqi sleeping on the bed, with a pool of blood on the quilt in front of his chest. She hurried forward and shouted, "My son...My son, what happened to you?" After a moment, Mo Jingqi slowly opened his eyes, looked at the Queen Mother and smiled faintly, "Mother, you are finally here." For some reason, the Queen Mother suddenly felt a little guilty and turned away, not daring to look him in the eye. Mo Jingqi didn't care and smiled faintly, which was unexpectedly gentle and peaceful. The Queen Mother was secretly shocked when she saw it. Looking at the bloodstains in front of Mo Jingqi, the Queen Mother stood up and said angrily, "Where have all these serving dogs gone?! Why didn't you change the quilt on the emperor?!"

"Forget it, mother. I let them go because I wanted to be quiet for a while." Mo Jingqi calmly interrupted the queen mother.

The Queen Mother felt a little embarrassed for a moment, then sat down again and looked at Mo Jingqi distressedly and said, "My son, are you feeling uncomfortable somewhere? Tell me now..." Mo Jingqi said, "It's nothing. I have been waiting for you to come. I have something to ask you. Please fulfill my last wish at this moment."

After all, they were mother and son. Hearing such words, the Queen Mother could no longer hold back her tears. She held Mo Jingqi's hand and said repeatedly: "My son, if you have anything to tell me, just tell me. I will definitely do it for you. My poor son..." Mo Jingqi said: "After I passed away, it is inevitable that the young master will not be able to handle the government smoothly. Jingli is now in a high position and power, and he will not listen to my words. Even if he listens to me, it will be useless after I die. I only ask that the new emperor be taken care of for the sake of your grandson..."

Before he finished speaking, the Queen Mother stopped crying and interrupted Mo Jingqi, saying, "Nonsense?! Are you really going to pass the throne to the son of that bastard surnamed Liu? Do you know what she has done? Mo Xiuyao just returned to the capital, and she ran to worship the ancestors of Prince Ding's mansion. Is it her right as a concubine in the harem to decide on such matters? Whose ancestors is she worshipping? She even invited Prince Ding to drink tea and reminisce on the street, which is simply a disgrace to my royal family. If the emperor really passes the throne to such a woman, such a woman, have you ever thought about what she will do in the future? How can she assist the new emperor well? I'm afraid she would have followed Mo Xiuyao to show her diligence. Your Majesty...you are confused..."

"Mother..." Mo Jingqi laughed at himself, took a breath, and then interrupted the Queen Mother and asked, "What does Mother mean?"

The Queen Mother hesitated for a moment before saying, "My son, this is fate... Jingli is also a good boy. He is now the Regent Prince, and you also know the situation in Xiling. If it really turns out like that, wouldn't it ruin the relationship between them as uncle and nephew? One day, it will cause trouble. In this case, it is better... it is better to pass the throne to Jingli. He will definitely treat his nephews well in the future. I will protect my grandchildren even if I die."

"Mother!" Mo Jingqi shouted fiercely, his eyes widened fiercely and he said, "Mother! Do you know that I am like this because of Mo Jingli?!"

"My son..." The Queen Mother frowned and looked at Mo Jingqi. She knew that she hated her son for being cruel and merciless. But things had come to this. She was about to lose one son. Was she going to lose another? This choice was for the good of everyone. If Jing Li was forced to start a rebellion, how could the newly appointed young master resist?

"Hehe..." Looking at the Queen Mother who was looking at him with a frown, Mo Jingqi suddenly burst into laughter. However, the laughter was more like the pain of sobbing. After laughing enough, Mo Jingqi raised his head and pointed at the Queen Mother and said: "Mother... You are really my good mother... Hehe..."

Seeing her son like this, the Queen Mother also wiped away her tears, "My son, don't blame me. I had no choice."

"What benefits did he give you?" Mo Jingqi suddenly asked.

The Queen Mother was stunned, and her face suddenly became a little ugly. Facing Mo Jingqi's eyes that were like a candle, everything that just happened seemed more like an ugly show. Mo Jingqi nodded and said, "I understand, hehe... If I can't get it, none of you can get it! Get out!"

"My prince, you..."

"Get lost!"