The emperor entered the inner hall alone and sat directly beside the queen mother's bed. He took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and gently wiped the tears from the face of his mother who was already unable to move.
"Mother..." the emperor called gently.
"I'm fine. I just thought that when I'm gone, there will be no one to protect Yue'er, so I couldn't help myself for a moment."
Although the Queen Mother spoke very naturally, she was indeed sad in her heart. She was about to die, but she still had to play tricks on her own son.
"Don't worry, mother, I have my son here! Who can bully my cousin? Besides, my cousin has been spoiled by you and my uncle over the years and has become a firecracker. Who in the whole Yuan'an dares to mess with her?"
The emperor felt from the bottom of his heart that his cousin was not someone who could tolerate any loss.
The Queen Mother rolled her eyes at her son who had no self-awareness, but she didn't say the words that were on the tip of her tongue.
The Queen Mother could only change the subject to another topic that concerned her, "After I am gone, let Chengyan and his family observe mourning for a year and then get married!
Most people of the same age as the eldest prince already have several children. It is not okay for you to keep suppressing the prince from getting married, opening a household and attending court.
People can't see the future. If the princes don't get involved in government affairs, what if the next generation knows nothing? How will you face your ancestors then? "
The Queen Mother knew that her son did not like others to interfere in these issues. If she had not been about to leave, she would not have wanted to ask about this issue.
The emperor was silent for a while. He actually knew that his mother was doing this for his own good. He pressed the quilt down for her and promised, "Your son will always listen to you."
"There's no need for the people to observe mourning for me. Many people died in the wars of the past few years, and Tianyuan Nation is in need of new population. Let's not engage in these empty talk.
And... Mother knows that you are very suspicious, and she won't try to persuade you. After all, people's hearts are fickle, and no one can guarantee anything.
The Queen Mother only hopes that you can take care of your health."
The Queen Mother actually wanted to tell her son that for the sake of his health, he should give up some power!
To the emperor's ears, these words were the love of his mother.
The Emperor's eyes could not help but turn red. "Mother, just think of it as a request for me, my fifth brother, and my cousin to hold on a little longer, okay? I have people post notices throughout the country, promising a generous reward for those who are capable.
Queen Mother..."
The Queen Mother shook her head with difficulty. "You three are indeed raised by me, and your opinions on staying are similar. But I know my own health.
I can't hold on for much longer. The only reason I've managed to hold on until now is because Mother couldn't bear to leave you three siblings."
"No, no." For the first time, the emperor felt a little panicked. For the first time, he realized that even though he was the emperor, he was not omnipotent.
The emperor anxiously held the empress dowager's hand, with the same posture as Zhou Qiongyue just now, trying to warm the empress dowager's cold hands.
The Queen Mother was already very upset at this time, but she hadn't explained to Yu'er yet! She was worried about him leaving like this, so she could only grit her teeth and insist, "Chen'er, go call your brother in. I want to talk to your brother alone."
Of course, the emperor would not disobey the empress dowager's small request at this time. The emperor went out quickly to call Prince Rong.
When Prince Rong heard his brother say that the Queen Mother wanted to see him, he immediately stood up and went inside. However, he did not stand firmly the moment he stood up, and it was the Emperor who was quick to help him.
When the emperor saw his fifth brother come in, he sat down in the same seat where his fifth brother had just sat.
Zhou Qiongyue was immersed in her own sad thoughts at the moment, and was in no mood to think about issues of hierarchy, so she just sat there without moving.
The emperor felt at ease sitting next to his cousin.
When the emperor saw his cousin's distraught look, he suddenly recalled the days when the three siblings grew up together and supported each other.
As soon as Prince Rong Li Jingyu entered, he cried like a wolf. Zhou Qiongyue and the emperor stood up and looked inside anxiously.
The Queen Mother looked at her 1.8-meter-tall son lying on the bed, crying like a child, and felt very sad.
"Yu'er, don't cry. I'm already very happy to see you get married and have children."
Prince Rong Li Jingyu hiccuped a few times before finally stopping crying. "Mother, how could you abandon your son!"
Prince Rong was visibly sad.
"Mother just wants to tell you that you should not act on your own in the future. If you have any problems, go to your brother and cousin. If your brother is not available, go to your cousin, understand?"
The Empress Dowager did not directly ask Li Jingyu to find Zhou Qiongyue, because she was worried that there were the Emperor's men in the hall and she was about to leave.
She didn't want the emperor to think that she only cared about Yu'er and Yue'er at the end of her life, which would bring disaster to Yu'er and Yue'er. She wanted to keep the situation even, even tilting it towards the emperor.
But she still emphasized the word "cousin".
Prince Rong was no fool, so of course he understood what his mother meant. "Don't worry, mother. I know what I mean. Don't worry about me. I will live a good life with the princess."
By saying this, Prince Rong was also promising his mother that he would not get involved in the messy affairs in the court, and even less so, he would not get involved in the affairs of the princes.
The Queen Mother was delighted to hear her youngest son say this. "Good, good, that puts my mind at ease. Go and ask your brother and cousin to come in."
The Queen Mother was thinking that there was one last thing to do, and once she explained it clearly, she wouldn't have to insist.
However, the Queen Mother saw that her youngest son, like Chen'er and Yue'er, was holding her hands with both hands, trying to warm them.
The Queen Mother's eyes became red again. They are all good children.
When Prince Rong heard what his mother said, he shouted outside and did not move an inch from the Queen Mother's bed.
Originally, the emperor and Zhou Qiongyue were keeping an eye on what was happening in the palace. When they heard Prince Rong's voice, they came straight in.
The two of them came in and knelt directly in front of the Queen Mother's bed, "Mother/Aunt."
Prince Rong, upon seeing this, knelt beside his cousin, but he held the Queen Mother's hand tightly.
The Queen Mother saw the three of them all here. She paused for a long time before speaking, "I'm leaving. Two-thirds of the things in my private storehouse will be given to Chen'er, and the remaining one-third will be given to Yu'er. All my jewelry will be left to Yue'er as a souvenir.
Yu'er and Yue'er, don't blame me for being partial. Chen'er's harem is expensive, so I'll subsidize it if I can!"
After the Queen Mother finished speaking, she looked at the three children kneeling in front of her bed, her eyes filled with reluctance and nostalgia.
The three of them responded with sobs, especially when they felt that they had received the unique love from their mother, their hearts were even more softened.
"The three of you must be well..." After the Queen Mother said this, she looked at Prince Rong and Zhou Qiongyue with nostalgia and then fainted.
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