Chapter 88 Last Wish.
Lingyi thought she would be taken away immediately and given a cup of poison or a white silk noose.
Unexpectedly, she was taken back to Chonghua Palace and imprisoned.
However, the prince's rebellion is such a serious case that it may require trial before a final verdict can be reached.
That's for the best. If they are executed together, she can see Huan'er and Lin'er again before she dies, and she won't have to worry about being alone on the road to the underworld.
So she ate her three meals a day as usual and rested at sunset, living a very peaceful and tranquil life.
Three days later, while she was sleeping soundly, she suddenly heard a bell ringing.
She had initially thought it was the Empress Dowager's passing, since only the Empress Dowager was still quite old. She was still wondering why she would suddenly pass away, having heard that the Empress Dowager was living a very comfortable life in the palace. But the bells continued to toll, clearly having already exceeded the twenty-seven tolls required for the Empress Dowager's funeral.
She sat on the bed, her face gradually losing color. The commotion outside grew louder and louder. A mournful cry came from the direction of the Qianqing Palace. A palace maid, pale-faced, came in to report the news, her body and voice trembling.
"Your Highness, the Emperor has passed away!"
When Qin Hong arrived with the imperial decree, Lingyi had already changed her clothes and was dressed neatly, sitting at the table waiting for a long time.
When she saw him, she was slightly surprised: "I thought it would be Qin Xiaoshan who came." She smiled and continued: "Actually, it's better that you came. The medicine left by Fifteenth Sister can make people sleep without pain. It is currently at the Xie residence. Could you please bring it to me? It won't take much time."
Qin Hong sat down opposite her. "You think I'm here to take your life?"
Lingyi asked, "Isn't that right?"
Qin Hong replied in a deep voice, "Third Brother risked taking forbidden drugs and rushed back to save you with great difficulty. How could I bear to kill you again?"
Lingyi stood there, stunned.
Qin Hong tossed the imperial edict to her. "Before her death, the Empress Dowager forced Third Brother to swear an oath: she would not allow you to be made Empress, nor would she allow Prince Rui to be made Crown Prince. She also left a secret edict: if the Crown Prince proved incompetent and Prince Rui was made Crown Prince, you would be executed immediately. For years, Third Brother has been searching for this edict, but how could he find the Empress Dowager, who is so wise? He faked his death and returned to the capital to see who had poisoned him. At that time, he never suspected you. He never expected that it would be you and Prince Rui who jumped out. You were indeed well-prepared; the Crown Prince was no match for you. But what you didn't know was that once the Crown Prince died, before Prince Rui ascended the throne, it would be your death day!"
He said with deep sorrow, "Third Brother was poisoned. If he had taken good care of himself, he would have been fine in a few years. But he was wounded by an arrow, and because of the poison, the wound could not heal for a long time. Moreover, he was on the front line in Yunzhou, surrounded by miasma, and the wound festered several times, covering half of his chest. He needed to rest and recuperate to fully recover. But he was worried about you and disregarded his own injuries. He used a secret medicine from the Miao region of Yunzhou, and he overdrafted his lifespan to come back in time to save the Crown Prince and you."
Lingyi's face was deathly pale, her eyes filled with confusion: "But he... he clearly said that he wanted me to go with him when he died..."
Qin Hong said, "He did indeed leave a secret edict, but he changed his mind later. People only know what they want when they are facing life and death. Just like how he always preferred Qin Shuo to be the crown prince, but in the end he changed his mind, deposed the crown prince, and established Prince Rui instead."
Lingyi was shocked. "What did you say?"
Qin Hong coldly said, "I suppose the princess is unaware that my third brother has accepted that edict and has officially issued a decree to depose the crown prince and install Prince Rui in his place."
Lingyi spoke after a moment, "That...that Crown Prince..."
No one understands Huan'er better than her; once he ascends the throne, the Crown Prince will surely not survive.
How could Qin Lie possibly issue such an order, sending him and Hui Niang's child to their doom?
Qin Hong said calmly, "The Crown Prince was adopted by Prince Zhong as his heir yesterday."
Lingyi paused for a moment before remembering that Prince Zhong was the title of Qin Lie's deceased elder brother. Prince Zhong died young without children, and the imperial clan had previously suggested that Prince Jing adopt a son under Prince Zhong's name to continue the family line. However, Prince Jing was reluctant to part with his child and pleaded with Qin Lie several times, so the matter was put on hold.
Lingyi never expected that Qin Lie would adopt Qin Shuo into the lineage of the Loyal Prince. After all, once adopted, even if Qin Shuo was Qin Lie's flesh and blood, he would only be listed as the lineage of the Loyal Prince in the imperial family genealogy, and unless he rebelled, he would have no chance of ascending the throne.
Qin Lie had good intentions; once Qin Huan ascended the throne, adoption was the best way to protect Qin Shuo.
After all, Qin Shuo had neither the ability nor the skill to rebel. Otherwise, how could he, as the Crown Prince Regent, have almost been shot and killed by Huan'er?
Even after experiencing so much over the years, Lingyi still found it hard to believe, her mind completely blank.
She sat there, utterly exhausted, and weakly asked Qin Hong, or perhaps inquiring of Qin Lie from afar, "How...how could this be?"
Qin Hong, his eyes red, asked her, "Why would Third Brother do this? Does the Princess truly not know?"
He recalled the scene at the Imperial Ancestral Temple yesterday.
The Crown Prince knelt before Qin Lie, pleading, "Father! You knew perfectly well that the edict was fake! It was Prince Rui who harbored treacherous intentions and plotted a rebellion! I have done nothing wrong, so why do you still want to depose me?!"
Supported by Qin Hong, Qin Lie comforted him, saying, "The world seems peaceful now, but the Japanese pirates in the southeast keep harassing us, and the Xiongnu in the north are restless. There are also the accumulated problems left over from the previous dynasty, and those prefectures and counties still need reform. All of this requires a ruler with strong hands and both literary and military prowess. Shuo'er, I have given you opportunities before, but your talents are too mediocre. At most, you can only be a ruler who maintains the status quo, not one who can usher in a prosperous and peaceful era. Once you arrive at the Prince Zhong's residence, you can be a carefree prince, which is actually more suitable for your temperament."
Qin Shuo laughed mockingly, "Since I am so incapable of shouldering great responsibilities, why didn't you depose me sooner? Why did you have to come and criticize me after Prince Rui besieged the Eastern Palace?! Wasn't it because you, Father, saw that the situation was out of control and worried that I would settle scores with your favored concubine and her young son in the future, and had no choice but to abandon me to save their lives?!" He then pleaded tearfully, "I swear on my life that I will treat the Imperial Noble Consort and her son well in the future, okay? Please, Father, don't depose me! Please, Father, don't depose me!"
Qin Lie sighed, "If you hadn't sent someone to kill Can'er, perhaps I could still believe you this time."
Qin Shuo hurriedly said, "The people who went to Jizhou were sent by the Grand Tutor and others. It has nothing to do with me, Father!"
His complete lack of responsibility disappointed not only Qin Lie, but even Qin Hong couldn't help but shake his head inwardly.
Seeing that all hope was lost, Qin Shuo began to speak recklessly: "Father, why bother pretending anymore? Didn't you also murder your brother to seize the throne back then?! You killed the Crown Prince, while I merely killed a criminal. How can I not be emperor?! Back then at Shenwu Gate, you could say it was my uncle who intercepted me first, but today Prince Rui besieged the Eastern Palace for no reason, trying to shoot me dead. Is he more compassionate than I am?! Everyone knows that Father dotes on the Imperial Concubine, and it's only natural that you want to make her child your heir. Why bother finding so many reasons?!"
In his utter despair and resentment, he grabbed the late Empress's memorial tablet and held it before Qin Lie, his words dripping with tears and blood: "Father, why don't you tell Mother that you are fickle and heartless, that you have long forgotten the love you shared with her! Tell her that you were willing to harm her flesh and blood to save the lives of other women and their children! Father himself said that my mother died for my aunt, and also for the Qin family and for Father! But if she knew that after her death, Father was so devoted to the Imperial Noble Consort, she would surely regret it in the afterlife!"
Qin Hong was furious and tried to snatch the memorial tablet from his hand, but Qin Lie stopped him.
His eyes fell on the memorial tablet made of golden nanmu wood, where Hui Niang's name was engraved, followed by his surname.
Years later, he could no longer remember what she looked like, but he still remembered her dignified and kind nature, her decisiveness in leading the thieves away alone for Qin Ying, and her chastity in jumping off a cliff for his reputation.
Qin Lie stared at the memorial tablet for a long time. Just when Qin Shuo thought things had taken a turn for the better, he heard Qin Lie slowly exhale and say, "You're right. I did do this to protect the life of the Imperial Noble Consort."
"Your mother, Huiniang, and I were husband and wife when we were young. I was away fighting all day, while she stayed at home to take care of my elders, bear my children, and later even died on a cliff for me. I used to think that I respected and loved her, until I met the princess and realized that this was not the case."
"Throughout my life, countless lives have been lost under my blade, but I have never betrayed those who have been truly kind to me."
"But I never imagined that the only person I would let down was my wife, who truly loved me."
"I feel guilty towards your mother and only want to make amends to you. Moreover, my ascension to the throne was illegitimate, and I do not want my descendants to follow suit and cause chaos in the court. I also want to protect your position as the eldest son. Over the years, I have selected capable ministers for the Eastern Palace, suppressed your two brothers, and will not allow anyone to shake your position as Crown Prince. But Princess..." He sighed deeply, weak and helpless, "I really have no choice. I cannot watch her die. When I was dying in Yunzhou, I had only one wish: that she could live well. If I wanted her to live well, I could not harm the child she cherished as her life. So, even if you are completely innocent in this matter, I can only wrong you. As for your mother..." He gasped, "When I reach the afterlife and see your mother, I will personally apologize to her. I only hope that in her next life she can meet a man who truly loves her and never encounter a despicable and hypocritical person like me again."
Thinking of this, Qin Hong looked at the princess. His third brother felt so much reluctance and sorrow for her, and even lost his life for her.
Despite hearing so much from her, she remained seated quietly, without a single tear in her eyes.
He was naturally open-minded and carefree, and had never hated anyone so much.
But he had promised his third brother that he would protect her and the new crown prince.
Therefore, he even concealed the fact that he had been poisoned, because he couldn't let his brother's painstaking efforts go to waste.
Back then, my third brother broke his grandmother's dying wish that he marry a woman from the Cheng family. Since then, even though he always had his Buddhist prayer beads with him, he was always filled with guilt, fearing that his grandmother would not be able to rest in peace.
Qin Hong did not want to live a hard life like his third brother, and he would do his best to fulfill his third brother's wishes.
In this way, by a twist of fate, he fulfilled the Fifteenth Princess's request, and after his death, he was able to see her again.
.
Although Qin Lie's sudden death was unexpected, the court was politically efficient during his reign. He held absolute power and had no threatening relatives or powerful eunuchs. Moreover, he arranged his last three days very carefully, first replacing the key ministers of the Crown Prince's faction, then appointing Prince Jing, Qin Hong, to military power, and promoting Qin Xiaoshan to the position of Grand Secretary.
Not only did he have this civil and military official, but he also transferred Xie Yu, who had already been appointed as a regional governor, back to the capital and promoted the deputy general who had followed Huan'er in the uprising to the position of deputy commander of the Imperial Guard.
With all the arrangements made and the imperial edict in effect, Huan'er smoothly ascended the throne.
The only one who objected was Qin Yinrong. She wanted to rush into Chonghua Palace to question Lingyi, but she could not enter. In the end, she had no choice but to leave the capital with her husband, just like Princess Anguo after Qin Lie ascended the throne. She would never return unless summoned.
Although Huan'er was still young when she ascended the throne, and unlike Qin Lie, whose military achievements were so outstanding that no one dared to question her, she had been by the side of the Empress Dowager since childhood and had been influenced by her way of doing things. In addition, her background was complicated and full of twists and turns, so she was obviously more patient and good at scheming than Qin Lie.
In just a few years, he regained control of the country.
While Qin Lie may appear cold and aloof, he is actually a man of strong emotions with clear likes and dislikes.
Although Huan'er always wore a carefree smile and seemed gentle and kind, he actually maintained a constant balance in his heart, upholding a cold equilibrium between himself and his court officials, and among the officials themselves, a balance that was never broken by his own likes or dislikes. Even the concubines in the harem were treated equally, with clear rewards and punishments.
He was extremely filial to his daughter, Lingyi. Unless he was really unable to get away, he would always pay his respects to her every day and sit down and chat with her for a few minutes.
With such an attitude, both the imperial court and the harem naturally held Lingyi in the highest esteem.
However, after Huan'er ascended the throne, Lingyi only focused on recuperating in Chonghua Palace and no longer interfered in the affairs of the court and the harem.
Even so, the concubines in the harem wished they could trample the steps of Chonghua Palace to pieces.
Lingyi prefers quiet and now lives only according to her own wishes. Except for festivals, she doesn't want to see them and is too lazy to even accept the gifts they offer. Only occasionally will she have the palace servants bring the little princes and princesses over, prepare food for them, and play with them. In the evening, she will send the children back to their respective palaces and not keep them overnight.
Huan'er advised her more than once that since she liked one, she should choose one to raise.
Lingyi refused. Even if Huan'er became emperor, she did not want him to disregard human relations and separate other mothers and children in order to be filial to her.
Huan'er, however, said that some concubines were foolish and incapable of raising princes, and some even used their children as tools to curry favor, which was even more despicable.
That is precisely why Lingyi refused.
Having lived through three reigns, she witnessed almost every new emperor's ascension to the throne amidst bloodshed. She was unwilling to shoulder the responsibility of raising a prince; it was only natural to favor one's own child, and she didn't believe she could avoid it. As for the princess, she would be married off in her teens; rather than regretting it later, it was better not to be too close from the start.
These children are now only four or five years old, a time when they are innocent and adorable. She loves each and every one of them, so much so that she is reluctant to part with them and even afraid of them growing up.
Besides these princes and princesses, Lingyi also had a favorite concubine, a princess from the grasslands.
The year Huan'er ascended the throne, the grasslands intended to invade the south. The new emperor personally led the expedition and conquered the grasslands, as well as the beautiful princess of the grasslands. She came with the mission of marriage alliance, her eyes like stars of the grasslands, her face showing undisguised affection.
She was proud and straightforward, passionate and innocent. Lingyi liked her very much, as did Huan'er.
As a mother, how could Lingyi not see clearly? Whenever the grassland princess was mentioned, a faint smile would appear in Huan'er's eyes; and during festivals, no matter how bustling the banquet was, Huan'er's gaze would always linger on the princess for a moment.
Not to mention that after the princess entered the palace, the amount of grassland food in the imperial kitchen increased significantly without anyone noticing, and Huan'er went to the horse farm several times more often than usual, accompanied by a short eunuch. Even the emperor, who should have been reviewing memorials at his desk at night, would disappear without a trace and return to the palace the next morning with a worldly air about him.
As the emperor, Huan'er had already given the princess all his tenderness and favoritism.
Even with the emperor's favor, the number of stars was still so small, not enough to light up the free-spirited stars on the grasslands, nor to warm the many cold, sleepless nights in the palace.
The princess withered away like a flower, day after day.
Ironically, even such a faint favoritism was still traceable, and was discovered by someone with ulterior motives who then took action against the princess.
She was tricked into poisoning the Imperial Concubine's wine cup. The Imperial Concubine was from a military family, and Huan'er used this to counterbalance the Empress's maternal family.
The death of the imperial concubine shocked the court, and the princess was imprisoned.
When Lingyi learned of this, the Empress had already been deposed and the Princess had died in prison.
Lingyi asked, "You know she wouldn't do such a thing, so why don't you clear her name?"
Huan'er said, "After all, she administered the medicine herself. If I want to protect her, I cannot severely punish the Empress and the Imperial Uncle. If we do not nip it in the bud, it will surely become a future problem!"
Lingyi sighed, "I'm afraid you'll regret doing this later."
"The moment I heard the news, I had only one thought in my mind: to protect her at any cost. When I came to my senses, I was covered in a cold sweat..." Huan'er raised his reddened eyes, tears still wet on his face, and an unusually cold expression on his face. "Mother, I must never be like Father!"
Qin Huan had never been close to Qin Lie, but after he ascended the throne, he became increasingly fond of and admired Qin Lie.
Only after becoming emperor did he realize the difficulties of being an emperor. Moreover, although his father was not the founding monarch, he was the one who conquered most of the country. After ascending the throne, he handled state affairs, reformed laws and regulations, knew how to use people well, and was decisive in killing and punishing, leaving little room for criticism. In addition, during his lifetime, he eliminated two major threats to the court. Huan'er, benefiting from his father's legacy, now felt that he had failed to recognize his father's greatness back then. Since the year before last, he had ordered the Hanlin Academy to write a book and erect a monument for Qin Lie, recording the achievements of his late father, and to publicize them extensively.
However, when it comes to matters of personal love, Huan'er, even as the beneficiary, still looks down on Qin Lie's actions back then.
For the sake of a woman, he disregarded the fate of the nation, had the crown prince he had chosen and nurtured for years be adopted by someone else, and finally allowed a "traitorous minister" of the previous dynasty to ascend to the throne. Even Qin Huan himself, looking back, felt that the late emperor seemed to have lost his mind.
He would not and could not allow himself to be like the late emperor!
The midday sun outside was blazing, casting a white light on the ground, like chilled frost. Even through the gauze window, the light could still sting one's eyes.
Lingyi looked at Huan'er, remained silent for a long time, and finally said, "Give me her ashes. I was just planning to go to the border region to take a look, and I can bring her home with me."
Huan'er asked nervously, "Mother, why are you leaving so suddenly? Are you blaming me for being heartless?!"
Lingyi said, "You are an emperor. Your merits and demerits will be judged by future generations. How can I arbitrarily make comments?"
Seeing Huan'er's anxious face, she couldn't bear it in the end and sighed, "I just feel that after being with you for several years, I also want to go and see Lin'er. You know, I can't bear to part with either him or you."
Huan'er finally relaxed. He obeyed everything Lingyi said, only repeatedly reminding her to come back early.
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