The Queen Mother has been bedridden for many years and has lost her beauty.
She is definitely not beautiful now, and she is even a little scary.
The skinny cheeks can really scare a child to tears at first glance.
But the Queen didn't care at all.
She never avoided Emperor Yao's gaze, and she openly showed her ugliest side to him.
As for what Emperor Kaiyao felt when he saw her current appearance, the Queen never cared.
I'm almost dying, and I still care about your feelings, you damn bitch. Are you looking for trouble?
I'm not feeling well, and you, you damn bastard, don't even think about having an easy time.
Even if I die, I will make you, a stinky man, be torn into pieces and burned to a pulp.
The Queen made no secret of her malice.
She was truly filled with resentment towards Emperor Kaiyao. Sometimes, in front of Emperor Kaiyao, she did not hide her inner desire to kill him.
Emperor Kaiyao hated and feared the empress, and had some indescribable feelings towards her.
Back then, he was able to ascend the throne smoothly, and the Queen and her family made great contributions.
Moreover, the Queen's elder brother, the late Duke of Zhenguo, was truly a minister who knew when to advance and when to retreat.
Not only did he have outstanding military achievements, but he was also very capable as an official.
It can be said that when the Duke of Zhenguo was alive, no one could overshadow him. In the eyes of Emperor Kaiyao, he was a well-deserved loyal minister, a senior official, and a trusted confidant.
But even at that time, when the Duke of Zhenguo was still alive, Empress Cui tried to kill Emperor Kaiyao countless times.
Emperor Kaiyao also wanted to depose the queen countless times.
Later, the Duke of Zhenguo died of his injuries. Emperor Kaiyao and Empress Cui felt as if a piece of their hearts had been dug out, and there was someone missing in their hearts.
The emperor and empress realized that the Duke of Zhenguo was the most important person in their minds.
The same longing and the same regret made the relationship between the emperor and the empress barely maintain the face in front of others and the indifference behind their backs.
To put it bluntly, the deceased Duke Zhenguo was the cinnabar mole in Emperor Kaiyao's heart and would remain in his heart forever.
Therefore, even after so many years since the death of the Duke of Zhenguo, Emperor Kaiyao did not depose Empress Cui. The couple played tricks on each other, and as time went by, Empress Cui was the first to reach the end of her life.
Empress Cui said to Emperor Kaiyao: "Your Majesty, after I die..."
"Queen, don't talk nonsense." Emperor Kaiyao interrupted Queen Cui.
Empress Cui shook her head slightly. "Your Majesty, please let me finish. If I don't speak now, I'm afraid I won't have the chance later."
Emperor Kaiyao frowned and said, "Today is the first day of the new year, the Queen should be happy."
"I am happy, but I know my body is failing. I am exhausted and can't endure any longer."
Queen Cui openly admitted that she was about to die.
While speaking, she observed the reactions of the princes and grandchildren out of the corner of her eye.
They all want me dead, Queen Cui thought. Once I'm dead, they'll have nothing to fear and will be able to jump around as hard as they can, trying to dethrone the Crown Prince.
The prince knelt on the ground with a thud, "Mother..."
Before he could finish his sentence, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince burst into tears.
Empress Cui looked at the Crown Prince and said, "You are already a grown-up man, and you are about to become a grandfather. Why are you still so impatient? Compared to the empresses of past dynasties, I have lived to this age and am extremely blessed. You don't have to be like this."
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince sobbed quietly, heartbroken.
Empress Cui no longer paid attention to the Crown Prince. She continued to speak to Emperor Kaiyao, "Your Majesty, I have no other requests. I only hope that after I die, you can give the Crown Prince a chance and not rush to deny him."
The prince was confused.
Emperor Kaiyao looked at the Crown Prince with cold eyes, then said to Empress Cui: "He is our eldest son, I will give him a chance."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Queen Cui smiled, her expression gentle.
She then looked towards the other princes and grandchildren, "After I'm gone, I hope you can all be brothers and sincerely assist the Crown Prince. Although I didn't give birth to you, I watched you grow up. You are all good children, so don't let profit blind you and disregard your family ties. The royal family cannot withstand repeated slaughter."
The princes looked at each other, not knowing how to respond.
But the princes didn't need to worry, as Emperor Kaiyao rescued them.
Emperor Kaiyao frowned, "Why are you saying this, Queen? Are you blaming me for not raising my son well?"
Empress Cui looked at Emperor Kaiyao with a half-smile, "I hope Your Majesty will teach the princes and grandchildren well. However, Your Majesty is busy all day, so the task of teaching the princes and grandchildren should be left to you gentlemen."
Emperor Kaiyao snorted coldly, "You just think too much. It was like this before, and it's still like this now that you're old."
"After marrying Your Majesty, I have been constantly worried and troubled. If Your Majesty wants to blame me, please don't blame me. I have worked hard all my life, and I only have a few days left to live. Your Majesty, please allow me to relax for a while."
"I leave you alone. What else do you want to do?"
Empress Cui looked at the imperial grandchildren standing behind the prince. "Logically, the imperial grandchildren are the richest and most powerful people in the world, so why are their marriages so difficult? Liu Zhao, I remember you are twenty years old, why haven't you married yet?"
His Royal Highness Prince Ning quickly stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, Zhao'er is weak, so it would be better for him to get married later."
Empress Cui snorted and laughed mockingly, "I didn't know Liu Zhao was weak."
Liu Zhao stood out from the crowd, his face unhealthily pale.
I don’t know if he was weak to begin with, or if some method was used to make him look so frail.
Liu Zhao bowed and said, "Grandson pays his respects to the Empress Dowager. It is a blessing for me to have the Empress Dowager personally inquire about my marriage. When I return, I will convey the Empress Dowager's wishes to Mother, asking her to find me a marriage as soon as possible."
Empress Cui said, "That would be too much trouble. It would be better to just let His Majesty arrange a marriage for you."
Emperor Kaiyao stroked his beard and asked, "Zhao'er, do you have a crush on any girl?"
Liu Zhao lowered his head, frowned slightly, and anger flashed in his eyes.
He knew very well that Queen Cui was deliberately targeting him.
It was only because the case he instigated harmed the interests of the Eastern Palace.
Queen Cui has always held a grudge against him, and now that she has the chance, she will not let him go easily.
Liu Zhao said slowly, "Grandfather, I have a request."
"Tell me! As long as it's reasonable, I'll agree to it."
Liu Zhao said in a loud voice: "Grandfather, please allow me to choose my own wife."
"Ridiculous!" Empress Cui shouted angrily, "How about I arrange a marriage for you? I think the girls in the Marquis of Lu's mansion are very beautiful, especially the eldest girl Pei Yun. Why not arrange Pei Yun's marriage to Zhao'er? It will be a closer relationship."
Emperor Kaiyao frowned slightly and looked at Prince Ning and Liu Zhao, father and son.
Prince Ning was embarrassed: "This, this is not appropriate."
Empress Cui smiled contemptuously and said, "What's inappropriate about that? Prince Ning, I remember your princess's surname is also Pei. If you can marry her, why can't Liu Zhao?"
This, this...
Prince Ning was speechless. He couldn't say that the Marquis of Lu's mansion was too big to attract attention. Looking at the looks around him, this was just a suggestion, but many people already had ill intentions.
If Liu Zhao really married Pei Yun, he would become a target and would not have a good ending.
"My grandson doesn't like it."
Just when Prince Ning was in trouble, Liu Zhao suddenly spoke.
"My grandson doesn't want to marry Pei Yun. She has a strong temper and has been noisy since she was a child. My grandson doesn't want to marry her and be disciplined every day."
Liu Zhao said confidently.
Phew!
Some people couldn't help laughing.
Emperor Kaiyao also laughed. "Since Zhao'er doesn't like it, then choose another one. But you should hurry up and get married. Tomorrow I'll have the Minister of the Imperial Household bring a list of the beautiful ladies in the capital to the palace, and you can choose one directly. Then I'll grant you a marriage."
Liu Zhao bowed and accepted the order, "Thank you, Grandfather. I will obey your command."
Empress Cui smiled. "I'm really curious. Which girl will Liu Zhao take a fancy to? He doesn't even like Pei Yun, so I wonder which girl could catch his eye. Your Majesty, we have nothing else to do right now. Why not have the Minister of the Imperial Household bring the list here now so Liu Zhao can choose a wife? The other grandchildren can follow suit. Once they're chosen, Your Majesty can directly issue an imperial decree to grant their marriage. How do you do that?"
Emperor Kaiyao hesitated.
Unexpectedly, the King of Zhao strongly agreed, "Your Majesty, this is a good idea. My sons are still single, so why not choose one for us all?"
Emperor Kaiyao looked at the princes and grandchildren and said, "Choosing a wife is important, but there is no rush now. The court officials are still waiting, so we can't delay too long. Why not wait until another day? Let's have a family banquet tomorrow and marry those who are suitable to marry."
Empress Cui stared at Emperor Kaiyao and said, "Your Majesty, I don't have much time left. I want to see the marriages of my grandchildren settled before I close my eyes. Please, Your Majesty, fulfill this small request of mine."
Emperor Kaiyao looked deeply at Empress Cui, and finally nodded in agreement, "I will satisfy you. In the next few days, I will personally preside over this matter."
Even if Emperor Kaiyao knew that Empress Cui was trying to interfere with the marriage of the emperor's grandson, he would still cooperate with her.
Empress Cui's time is running out, and young couples will grow old together. No matter how many times he wanted to depose the empress in the past, in the empress's last days, as long as it did not involve the throne, Emperor Kaiyao would try his best to meet her demands.
Queen Cui smiled contentedly, "Your Majesty, I thank you. Your Majesty, I... cough... cough..."
Queen Cui couldn't help coughing, and with a "pu" sound, she spat out several mouthfuls of blood.
Everyone was shocked, even Emperor Kaiyao's expression changed slightly.
The Crown Prince was extremely panicked, "Mother? Mother, are you okay? Where is the imperial physician? Where did he go?"
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was so panicked that he stretched out his hand to wipe the blood from Queen Cui, and his hands were covered in blood.
Emperor Kaiyao ordered the eunuchs around him, "Go and call all the people from the Imperial Hospital. Ask them if it's because His Royal Highness the Crown Prince can't summon them that they haven't come in such a long time."
The eunuch took the order and left.
Doctor Wang ran in from outside carrying a medicine box.
This is the second time Queen Cui vomited blood today. What should we do?
If this continues, even if he uses strong medicine, he won't live for more than half a month.
Queen Cui lay down weakly, no longer having the same vigor as before.
She was now an old lady who was dying of illness. She stared at Doctor Wang and said weakly, "Use the medicine boldly. I can hold on."
Doctor Wang understood that Empress Cui wanted him to start using the strong and powerful medicine right away.
Perhaps Empress Cui also felt that her life was slipping away, far exceeding her previous expectations. She was afraid of death, afraid that it would be meaningless. She was afraid that her work would not be completed before she died.
Doctor Wang nodded and said, "I will give Your Majesty the acupuncture first. It will be a little painful, please bear with it."
The Empress laughed. "I've endured all kinds of hardships in my life, and I'm not afraid of pain. Just go ahead and do it."
Doctor Wang looked towards Emperor Kaiyao.
Emperor Kaiyao nodded and said, "As long as the Empress can be saved, any method is acceptable."
This means agreeing with Doctor Wang's use of tiger and wolf medicine.
Doctor Wang felt more confident and began to give acupuncture.
The Queen was shaking with pain.
Emperor Kaiyao couldn't bear to watch, but he didn't leave. He drove all the princes and grandchildren out of the palace and said, "All of you, withdraw and guard the door. The Crown Prince will stay."
The princes and grandchildren obeyed the order and left the palace one by one.
They didn't dare to leave, so they stayed in the side hall, waiting for news.
Prince Ning found time to whisper to Liu Zhao, "Your marriage can't be delayed any longer. The Empress has set her sights on you. She'll definitely wait... before she sees you get married. Only then will she feel at ease. You've revealed your whereabouts and caught her eye. You should have considered the consequences."
Liu Zhao nodded, "Don't worry, father. I know what's going on."
Prince Ning frowned, "This is about your marriage, don't take it lightly. Pei Yun is actually not bad."
Liu Zhao lowered his head and sneered, "Why not let my third brother marry Pei Yun? What do you think, father?"
"this……"
Prince Ning shook his head slightly, "Forget it. Make up your mind about your own marriage as soon as possible. However, I suggest you consider someone from a noble family. Forget about the daughter of a civil servant."
"Son understands."
Liu Zhao did not comment.
Everyone was waiting in the side hall, and could faintly hear moans coming from the bedroom.
The princes exchanged glances.
Someone whispered, "The Queen is dying. She won't last much longer."
The other princes nodded repeatedly. The Queen was in much worse condition than the last time they met. Anyone with eyes could see that she didn't have much time left.
The imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Bureau all came running over, sweating profusely.
Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year. Except for the imperial physicians on duty, all other imperial physicians are on holiday at home.
That's why they came so late.
The imperial doctors filed into the bedroom to treat the empress.
The entire bedroom was suffocatingly quiet, with only the occasional voices of the imperial physicians and the empress's moans being heard.
After a long time, Emperor Kaiyao came out of the bedroom with a tired look on his face.
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince followed behind Emperor Kaiyao, his eyes red and swollen, obviously he had been crying.
Emperor Kaiyao left Weiyang Palace in silence, while the princes and grandchildren followed him quietly to the palace banquet.
In Chenghui Hall, the palace banquet began. It turned out that the person who hosted the banquet was not the Empress, but Concubine Xue, Concubine Shu, and Concubine Xian.
The ladies looked at each other, worried that the queen was in poor health and had an accident.
During the previous court ceremony at the Weiyang Palace, the Queen did not look well and she ended the court ceremony in a hurry and left.
As everyone took their seats, as expected, Noble Consort Xue said, "The Empress is ill. Today's palace banquet will be hosted by me, Consort Shu, and Consort Xian. Everyone, please be relaxed and be at your ease."
Concubine Xue is not young anymore, but she has taken good care of herself. She looks to be in her early thirties and has a bright and beautiful appearance.
Both Concubine Shu and Concubine Xian have shown signs of aging to some extent.
The other beauties in the palace are young, but their only advantage is their youth.
Compared to the emperor, who was in his early sixties, the young concubines were in an awkward position. Once the emperor passed away, the future of these people would be bleak for those who had children, but it would be really miserable for those who did not.
For the palace concubines who were accustomed to a life of wealth and splendor, making them spend the rest of their lives surrounded by green lamps and ancient Buddhas was no less than a death sentence.
The wife of the current Duke of Zhenguo was the niece-in-law of the Empress Dowager. When she heard that the Empress Dowager was ill, she hurriedly asked with concern, "Is the Empress Dowager in good health?"
Concubine Xue looked at the wife of the Duke of Zhenguo and sighed softly, "As for the queen's health, the imperial doctors from the Imperial Hospital have all gone there, and His Majesty has also visited her. Madam, don't worry. I believe the queen's health will improve sooner or later."
The wife of the Duke of Zhenguo frowned, wishing she could leave right away and go to the Weiyang Palace to visit the Empress.
Zhang quietly reminded Gu Jiu and the other two, "Behave yourself. I'm afraid things are going to change in the palace."
When Mrs. Xie heard this, her hands trembled and she almost dropped the teacup.
Xie lowered her voice and leaned close to Zhang's ear, "Sister-in-law, please don't scare me."
Zhang's expression was serious. "How dare I say such nonsense?"
The fact that the Queen did not attend the palace banquet has already sent out enough signals.
Those who understand will understand naturally, and those who don’t understand, like Xie, will understand sooner or later.
Look at everyone's expressions in the hall. They were very relaxed before, but as soon as they heard that the Queen was ill, everyone's expressions became serious.
Nowadays, even if people are starving, they have no appetite to eat or drink.
Besides, the food and wine at the palace banquet were not tasty at all and were all cold.
The palace servants were as indifferent to the palace banquet as ever.
Except for the hot food and wine for the concubines, the food and wine for the ladies were always ice cold, without any warmth at all.
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