She felt that everything that had happened recently was too coincidental and too sudden, without any warning.
It seems as if an invisible hand is secretly driving all of this.
With the Empress Dowager in a deep sleep and no one in the palace to give orders, the Empress was forced to step forward to take charge and stabilize the situation in both the court and the harem.
On the fifth day of the first month of the twelfth year of the Yuanhe era, Emperor Yuanhe passed away. The empress led the court and the inner palace to set up tables and chairs, burn incense, kneel and offer libations, and the whole country mourned.
During the emperor's funeral, court officials mourned for three days, and for three months, weddings and music were prohibited. All temples, monasteries, and shrines were ordered to ring bells for seven days without stopping, as a way of expressing grief for the late emperor.
On the eighth day of the first month of the twelfth year of the Yuanhe era, the Chang and Shun families, both ducal households, generously distributed medicine to cure the plague, much to the delight of the people.
On the tenth day of the first month of the twelfth year of the Yuanhe era, the epidemic in the capital subsided and the people's uprising was quelled.
From the first day of the Lunar New Year to the tenth, only ten days passed. From the epidemic to the death of Emperor Yuanhe, and then to the eradication of the epidemic, it felt as if a century had passed for all the people in the city.
The remedies for warding off the plague provided by the Chang and Shun families naturally circulated among the imperial palace and court officials.
The Empress Dowager, who had been in a coma, gradually regained consciousness after taking the prescribed treatment.
The moment he opened his eyes, he saw Consort Lin guarding his sickbed.
Consort Lin was dressed in mourning clothes, her hair tied in a simple bun, her makeup plain and unadorned. The Empress Dowager's old, deep eyes flickered slightly as she glanced around at the people in the room. They were all dressed in mourning clothes, their hair completely bare.
The Empress Dowager had spent half her life in the imperial harem and was a shrewd person.
If a concubine were to die, even if it were the Empress, there wouldn't be such a grand spectacle. At least, the aunts and maids in her palace wouldn't be on such high alert.
Seeing Consort Lin's dejected and hesitant expression, the Empress Dowager knew what was going on: "What happened to the Emperor?"
Perhaps because he had been unconscious for several days, his throat felt dry and sore when he opened it.
"Aunt..." Consort Lin called out, her face pale.
But I didn't know what to say next.
The Empress Dowager already understood. She glanced at the maids in the room, then looked at Consort Lin: "The Emperor... has passed away?"
Consort Lin felt a tightness in her chest, sadly lowered her eyes and remained silent, her attitude already tacitly agreeing.
Although she had already guessed it, when she finally confirmed it, a hint of melancholy still welled up in her eyes, and soon a tear appeared.
However, it only lasted for a short while.
She reached out slightly, and Consort Lin quickly stepped forward to help her sit up: "Aunt, please be careful. The imperial physician said that you have just recovered from the epidemic and need to rest and recuperate properly."
The Empress Dowager sat up, leaning against the cushion, and waved her hand slightly. The people who were guarding the palace bowed and withdrew, including the nanny who had served the Empress Dowager for many years.
Once only the Empress Dowager and Consort Lin remained in the hall, she spoke: "How...how did the Emperor die?"
When this was mentioned, Consort Lin recalled what she had seen in front of Qingxin Hall that day and told the Empress Dowager everything in detail.
After Emperor Yuanhe's body was moved from the ruins that day, the eunuchs found Eunuch Liu's body in the side hall. He had also been burned to death, but not as badly as Emperor Yuanhe. They could still recognize his clothes.
Afterwards, the palace sent people to investigate and said that the fire was caused by candlelight igniting the bed curtains, which then caused the fire.
Eunuch Liu had been taking care of the Emperor day and night, and was exhausted both physically and mentally. In addition, the epidemic was raging, so he carelessly fell asleep, which resulted in the Emperor not being able to be saved in time.
After hearing this, the Empress Dowager sat on the bed in silence for a long time.
The Empress Dowager's name was Xue Qinyun. She was not Emperor Yuanhe's biological mother. Emperor Yuanhe's biological mother fell ill after giving birth to Yu Tingyi and passed away early.
The late emperor, mindful that Yu Nanyi and Yu Tingyi had lost their mother at a young age, decided to raise them under her name.
Living in the imperial harem, she was rendered infertile due to her actions. Although she harbored resentment, she had no other recourse. However, unexpectedly, Heaven had mercy on her and granted her two children out of nowhere, which fueled her resentment and unwillingness to seek revenge.
However, Yu Nanyi and Yu Tingyi are both ungrateful wretches who can't be tamed.
Yu Nanyi was somewhat better; at least he still treated her as an elder. As for Yu Tingyi, she had been spoiled, arrogant, and disrespectful since childhood, and Yu Nanyi was completely out of her control.
The matter of seizing the throne was also secretly discussed by the two siblings, keeping her completely in the dark.
However, despite her dislike for it, it also bestowed upon her the highest honor. Apart from going to great lengths to place her niece with Yu Nanyi in order to seize a sliver of the throne, she had no real control over the two of them.
When Yu Tingyi died that day, she felt no sadness at all. On the contrary, she felt that one less person had taken control of her.
With Yu Tingyi dead, Yu Nanyi is now isolated and helpless. Sooner or later, he will have to ask her, the Empress Dowager, for help.
She never expected that instead of hearing Yu Nanyi's plea, she would receive news of his death.
The Empress Dowager was unsure of her feelings at that moment, but she did feel a slight pang of regret, considering they had spent so much time together even without any romantic feelings.
However, compared to this slight regret, she felt more that after all the hard work, the sun would shine through.
She finally got her chance, the chance to take power!
"What is the Empress doing now?" After a long while, the Empress Dowager finally asked.
Consort Lin answered truthfully: "With the Emperor's passing, there is no one in the palace to take charge of the affairs, so this matter has fallen on the Empress. Now, both the court and the harem are in an uproar over the succession."
Indeed, Empress Xia Yunshang is in a real bind because of this.
She originally thought that her son was the legitimate heir and that it was only natural and rightful for him to inherit the throne. More than half of the ministers in the court spoke out in support of him, and the Chang and Shun families also gave their full support. You should know that the status of the Chang and Shun families among the people is rising day by day.
Unexpectedly, there were a few old-fashioned people who argued that the eldest son was too young to inherit the throne.
In addition, some of the court officials who were on good terms with Prime Minister Liu made the audacious suggestion that it would be better to let the nine-year-old Third Prince ascend the throne than to support the five-year-old legitimate prince.
The Third Prince is the son of Consort Xian, and Prime Minister Liu is Consort Xian's father.
Some ministers said that the late emperor's body was not yet cold, yet they were fighting fiercely over the throne, which really chilled the late emperor's heart.
This statement was refuted by other ministers. They argued that the border was watching them closely and that the Great Jin Dynasty could not be without a ruler for even a day. Did they not understand such a simple principle?
Because Yu Nanyi did not leave any will before his death, the succession issue made no progress due to differing opinions among the ministers.
The Empress also lacked the courage to defy public opinion and place the legitimate prince on the throne.
After hearing Consort Lin's words, the Empress Dowager fell silent again.
After a long while, she suddenly let out a soft "humph" and chuckled.
Consort Lin asked, puzzled: "Aunt?"
The Empress Dowager looked at Consort Lin: "Do you have any objections?"
Consort Lin shook her head: "This niece dares not act rashly."
She sounds guilty; what connections or means would she have to compete?
However, the Empress Dowager did not like to hear these words.
"Very good." The Empress Dowager smiled and said, "As expected of someone I raised."
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