Chapter 77. A Suicide for Love.
Qin Xiaoshan waited outside the Prince's Mansion, his heart filled with worry.
Yesterday, after court, Qin Lie went to the Empress Dowager's residence and knelt outside for several hours, but she refused to see him. The Empress, on the other hand, upon receiving the news, forced her way into the main hall. If she hadn't been stopped by palace servants at the gate, she would have likely launched into a tirade against Qin Lie during the morning court session. Once Qin Lie arrived at the Empress's palace, she wanted nothing more than to hurl the most vile insults at him, demanding he pay for the Crown Prince's life. She then threatened to bang her head against a pillar, crying and insisting on going with the Crown Prince.
Before Qin Lie returned to the manor yesterday, he exuded a fierce aura that Qin Xiaoshan had never seen in many years, like an uncontrollable volcano, unsure whether he would destroy others or himself.
But when they met again today, Qin Lie had regained his usual cold and stern expression, with only a dignified air in his eyes, which immediately put Qin Xiaoshan at ease.
Now that he has married Qin Xiaohu, he understands that matters between men and women are the best way to relieve stress in the world.
Qin Lie insisted on returning to the palace yesterday. At first, he felt that things were still unsettled and that it was appropriate for Qin Lie to stay in the palace to oversee matters.
Today I feel that I should go back to the Prince's Mansion again so that I can get back to work without being swayed by my emotions.
In the imperial court, the Minister of Rites, trembling, asked Qin Lie how to arrange the funeral for the late Crown Prince.
Qin Lie ordered them to conduct the funeral with the highest standards, which could not be overstepped but not taken lightly. Officials of the fifth rank and above in the capital were required to attend the funeral, while officials of the third rank and above in other regions were required to write eulogies.
After the court session, he discussed some government affairs with several senior officials, and by the time he finished, he had missed lunch.
He had no appetite, so he went to the palace where Qin Xu's coffin was kept.
This was against etiquette, but since the Eastern Palace was now in ruins, Qin Lie made an exception and allowed the coffin to remain in the palace.
The coffin was made of Phoebe zhennan wood and was originally prepared for the Empress Dowager, but it can only be used by Qin Xu for the time being.
The Crown Princess, dressed in white mourning clothes, knelt in front, while several eunuchs and palace maids continuously burned paper money.
Upon seeing him approach, the eunuchs and palace maids hurriedly knelt down to pay their respects, but the Crown Princess alone neither avoided nor stood, and asked him sarcastically, "You became the Crown Prince by stepping on your brother's blood, and instead of becoming a monkey in a crown, why are you here getting in his way?"
The eunuchs and palace maids were so frightened that they didn't dare to lift their heads.
Qin Lie was not angry. He said calmly, "My second brother didn't want to be the crown prince back then. It was your greed that drove him to do it, and he only reluctantly agreed."
At first, he thought that if his chances of winning were better, Qin Xu might ask to step down or force him to step down voluntarily. But he quickly gave up hope, because once a person sits in that position, he will never want to step down. Even if he is willing to step down, countless hands will push him away, and he will not be able to step down even one step, until it is a fight to the death.
The Crown Princess said arrogantly, "I didn't expect you to know even this. It's true, if it weren't for me, he would have already told Father that he had no interest in the Crown Prince position. But I did this not out of greed, but because you are not as good as him! None of you are as good as him! No one can compare to him! If he doesn't become Crown Prince, who among you is worthy?!" She added disdainfully, "If he hadn't been injured, do you think you could have won? When the tiger is away, the monkey becomes king. What kind of invincible general are you?!"
Qin Lie smiled slightly, "Whether you are worthy or not, Second Sister-in-law, just keep your eyes wide open and watch carefully—I will not take your life, it is just his only last wish."
After saying that, he turned and left without looking back.
The eunuch Li Shaobao hurriedly followed, cautiously asking, "Your Highness, Your Highness, what about those palace servants just now...?"
Qin Lie didn't say a word, only gave him a cold, sidelong glance, and he immediately understood.
At night, several wronged souls appeared in the palace, along with the Crown Princess Zhen.
She drank the medicine herself, lay on the coffin, and before taking her last breath, smiled as she recalled the scene when she first met the late Crown Prince.
Jizhou values military prowess over civil administration, and its generals have many families, so there are always young men riding horses through the streets.
That day, the horses in her carriage were startled and began to bolt wildly. The coachman couldn't stop them, and she swayed from side to side inside the carriage, while her maid screamed in terror. Just as they were about to crash into the stalls ahead, a man leaped onto the horse and, without any apparent movement, stopped its runaway momentum. Afterward, he turned and left without saying a word.
But when she saw him clearly, she found that he had a handsome face and a gentle, refined demeanor, like a scholar from a storybook, but with brighter eyes and a more spirited air than those scholars.
The next time I saw him was when he was secretly choosing a husband for his sister behind a screen.
It was only then that she learned that he was her cousin. She had met him during the New Year when they were children, but she had stayed at home while he went to the army and they hadn't seen each other for several years.
He had no idea how many marriage proposals she had turned down and how many years she had wasted for his uncertain dream.
She even shamelessly competed with her own sister for a marriage.
She was a peaceful and virtuous person, and she only argued twice: once when she wanted to marry him, and once when she threatened to kill herself to prevent her parents from breaking off the engagement.
Even when she insisted on marrying him, and he lay paralyzed in bed, bitterly scolding her for marrying a useless man like him for her vanity, she didn't tell him.
From the day they met, he has been the best man in her heart.
He was not only the best son, but also the best husband. He even told her that he could live without children, just the two of them.
But how could she accept him being ridiculed by the world, knowing that he had become somewhat insecure since his injury?
This is wrong. He deserves both the child and the position of crown prince.
He is the best person in the world, and all the best things should belong to him. No one else deserves them.
When the news of the Crown Princess's suicide arrived, Qin Lie was reviewing memorials.
After a moment of silence, he said, "Have the Ministry of Rites prepare another coffin so that she can be buried with the late Crown Prince."
Li Shaobao received the order but did not leave. After careful consideration, he said, "Sun Yuebin is in the imperial prison and keeps shouting that he wants to see Your Highness. Otherwise, he will not confess and sign the confession."
Qin Lie frowned: "With so many people in the Dali Temple, why are you bothering me with such a trivial matter?"
Li Shaobao thought to himself, "This Sun Yuebin was originally your man, but after arriving at the Crown Prince's place, he killed the Crown Prince. Whether it was a double agent or something else, if you don't speak up, who dares to judge? In fact, from yesterday until now, he has only been kept locked up, and not a single person from the Dali Temple dares to go forward, for fear of hearing something they shouldn't hear."
Qin Lie was initially impatient, but then, remembering that the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review was Shuo'er's future in-law, he said, "Fine, just tell Qin Xiaoshan about this."
Li Shaobao nodded and then withdrew.
That night, Hei Laozhuang went to the prison and brought Sun Yuebin a pot of good wine and several dishes of good food.
Sun Yuebin's eyes lit up as soon as she saw him. After enjoying a good meal and drinks, she decisively signed the confession.
Only then did he ask the burly man, "What kind of death did my master give me?"
Hei Laozhuang stammered for a long time, and finally, unable to hide it any longer, he said, "Lingchi (death by a thousand cuts)."
Sun Yuebin was taken aback, then suddenly burst into laughter.
Hei Laozhuang asked, "What are you laughing about now?" Then, with his eyes red like copper bells, he said, "Don't worry, your child is my son now, and I will definitely raise him well."
Sun Yuebin said, "Just raise the child well. The more tragic my death, the greater his future fortune. Although I betrayed the prince, I also killed the crown prince for him. The more he punishes me, the better he will treat my child in the future."
Hei Laozhuang was surprised: "You mean, the Prince... the Prince knows about this child?"
Sun Yuebin said, "I originally thought he didn't know either, but Xie Yu is his man. The Xie family's spies monitor all families. What secrets do they have in this world? It was only at that moment that I realized that the prince deliberately kept you and that child alive, perhaps to make me bear the blame for killing the crown prince."
Old Man Hei couldn't help but sigh, "The prince has connections everywhere. You're so smart, how could you... how could you..."
Sun Yuebin said, "There's no point in saying more now. Life is like a game of chess. I made a mistake, but this time, I will not lose!"
When Hei Laozhuang left the cell, he was sad but also relieved.
He couldn't control Sun Yuebin's affairs even if he wanted to, but the child made him uneasy for a long time.
Now that he knows the prince won't blame him and that the child will have great fortune in the future, he naturally feels much more at ease.
Since the child came to live with him, he has hardly had a good night's sleep, and the slightest disturbance fills him with fear and anxiety.
He could finally sleep peacefully today, so he went back to bed and soon began snoring loudly.
The next day, the neighbors, noticing that the family hadn't opened their door for a long time, came over out of curiosity and knocked, only to find the door unlocked.
He was shocked by what he saw when he pushed open the door. The servant on night watch was lying in a pool of blood, his body already stiff.
The neighbor didn't even bother to close the door before running to report it to the authorities. It wasn't until the officials arrived that they discovered the situation.
The entire family of twenty-four was murdered in their sleep, their throats slit. This was right under the emperor's nose; although Hei Laozhuang's official rank wasn't high, he was still a military officer, and it happened just before the new emperor ascended the throne. When the authorities saw that many valuables were missing from the house, they hastily labeled it a robbery and murder by notorious bandits, issued an arrest warrant, and then forgot about it.
.
Because the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, and the Empress are still alive, the late Crown Prince's body can only be laid to rest for five days.
The Crown Princess committed suicide for love, and the late Crown Prince had no surviving children. Qin Lie ordered Qin Shuo and Qin Can to keep vigil for their imperial uncle.
As the emperor's younger brother, he participated in the entire funeral process, from the palace to the Eastern Mausoleum, and personally witnessed Qin Xu's burial. Even after the mausoleum was sealed, he stood there for a while before returning home.
He did not return to the palace, but went back to the Prince's residence.
He hadn't returned for several days since he left that day. After the Crown Prince's burial, the enthronement ceremony would be held in ten days, after which they would move to the palace. Although the palace lacked nothing, there were still some cherished possessions they wanted to take with them, and the children were all packing. Only Lingyi's place was cold and deserted, showing no sign of leaving.
Qin Lie knew he had angered her that day, so he came up to apologize, but she ignored him completely.
He had to confess: "I did it on purpose that day, but Princess, even if I can endure it, there will come a day when I can't endure it anymore."
Lingyi said, "You don't have to endure it; just kill me."
He sat down opposite her. "Before I left the capital that day, I left a secret order for Qin Xiaoshan. Do you know what it was?"
Lingyi said calmly, "There's no need to guess; he must be trying to take my life."
Qin Lie said, "That's right. I told him that if I fail, the first thing he'll do is go to the Prince's mansion and kill you. Does the princess know why?"
Lingyi said, “You defied the world to marry me, and you show such unbridled affection that you want to announce it to the whole world. The more you do this, the less the ministers and relatives will tolerate me. Even when I had amnesia, you wouldn’t let me go out, wouldn’t let me be filial to my elders, and wouldn’t even let the children get close to me. Apart from you, I have no relatives, no friends, and no family. It’s clear that you have never made any long-term plans for me. I suppose you decided long ago that no matter when you die, you will not leave me alone in this world.”
Qin Lie laughed and said, "Princess, you are truly intelligent. I have told you before that husband and wife should be born together and die together. As long as I live, I will naturally protect you and let you enjoy the best of honor. If I die, it would be better for you to come with me than to leave you to suffer at the hands of others."
Lingyi stared at him and asked, "What if I die first? Would you be willing to go with me?"
Qin Lie said, "Princess, why ask a question you already know the answer to? If you die, whether you like it or not, I will not be able to live. I have already ordered the Ministry of Works to start designing our mausoleum. If you have any preferences, just tell me and I will have them make further modifications."
Ling Yi gritted her teeth: "Qin Lie, you really are a madman!"
Qin Lie laughed and said, "Xie Yu said that once your heart is frozen, it can never be warmed up, but this time you chose me, and you have no idea how happy I am. You once considered Song Pingkou as your final destination, but he was truly useless. Your destiny is to be with me, to share the same bed in life and the same grave in death. In the imperial mausoleum, I will bind you with the fate of the nation. In this life and the next, you will never escape. Princess, please love me, so that your future days will be easier."
Lingyi was truly puzzled: "What exactly do you like about me? In terms of talent, I am mediocre; in terms of temperament, I am bland and uninteresting; in terms of beauty, you are about to have the world at your fingertips, while I am destined to grow old. If you were somewhat unwilling to accept that you didn't get me before, why are you still so persistent now?"
Qin Lie only knew to take what he wanted, never thinking about why he wanted it, nor did he need to. "Perhaps I was born to enjoy tormenting the princess, otherwise, how boring would life be?"
This shameless reply left Yi silent for a long time before she said, "I have two things I want to tell you."
Qin Lie could guess what she was going to say, and he pursed his thin lips.
Lingyi knew he didn't want to listen, but she didn't stop talking. "First, I want to bury Song Pingkou in the Song family ancestral cemetery in Zhuozhou, and move him there along with General Song. Second, I want Xie Yu to raise Lin'er, and in the future, every year during festivals, I want my sixteenth sister to bring him to the palace to see me."
Qin Lie said, "Princess, you shouldn't force me to do something I don't want to do."
Lingyi looked at him defiantly: "What if I insist on forcing you to do something you don't want to do?"
Qin Lie countered, "What if I simply refuse?"
Lingyi's face turned cold. She stood up and walked to the side. "Then I will respectfully see His Highness the Crown Prince back to the palace. I am quite comfortable here, so I will not go over."
He sighed helplessly, "Don't be so angry with me. It was fine when we were in the princess's residence and in Huangzhou. Do you expect me to have to travel back and forth between the palace and the outside world now that I'm the emperor?"
Looking at the withered branches outside that had not yet sprouted new buds, Lingyi said softly, "You are always indignant because of Xie Yu and Song Pingkou, but what about me? Even if I enter the palace, can I still become the empress? You said you wanted me to go with you, but will you be the only one in your tomb? From beginning to end, whether in life or in death, the only one who can openly accompany you is Shen Hui."
Her expression was calm, revealing no resentment or complaint. However, Qin Lie suddenly recalled how she cried and told him how sad she was when she lost her memory in the palace.
This was the first time she had mentioned Hui Niang to him while she was sober. It turned out that she really cared. He was suddenly overjoyed, thinking that she still had some feelings for him. It took him a while to calm down and he promised, "I will make you an Imperial Noble Consort. Although you cannot be the Empress, you will be the only one in the harem, and there will be no one else."
He was not a weakling like Song Pingkou. With military power in his hands, he could naturally forcefully make her empress. However, his ascension to the throne was illegitimate. The crown prince had cultivated power for many years, and the court was rife with powerful figures who needed to be dealt with one by one. Furthermore, the civil and military officials would never allow a princess from a previous dynasty to become empress, as it would inevitably create many complications. Moreover, he was not only Qin Lie, but also the emperor. The position of empress was merely a nominal title for a princess. The Han dynasty had existed for nearly a century, and the Liu family's rule was deeply entrenched, while the Da Xian dynasty had only unified the country in a few short years. If a princess from a previous dynasty were made empress, not only would the ministers of the previous dynasty be thrown into turmoil, but it would also affect the matter of choosing an heir.
Since Shuo'er is both the eldest son and the legitimate heir, there is no doubt that he should be made crown prince.
But if the princess becomes empress, Huan'er will be the legitimate son, and he will have such a favored birth mother. The tree may wish to be still, but the wind will not cease; who knows how many more storms will be stirred up, perhaps even leading to fratricide and instability in the court. Qin Lie could kill his brother at the Shenwu Gate, but he would never allow his sons to kill each other; he must nip this possibility in the bud from the very beginning.
He understood these things, and so did the princess.
Otherwise, along with his appointment as crown prince, there should have been a separate decree appointing a crown princess.
Despite his best efforts to make amends, he always felt indebted to her.
He held her cold hand. "I've wronged you. Come back to the palace with me. As for everything you asked for, I'll agree to it all."
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