That night, the young prince suddenly woke up. His fever had subsided, and he was in much better spirits. He even smiled at Lady Nian.
Lady Nian thought Hongfu was recovering and excitedly ordered many of Hongfu's favorite snacks to be made. However, she did not expect that when the imperial physicians saw that Hongfu had woken up, they looked at each other in bewilderment and did not leave voluntarily, but remained at Yikun Palace on standby with great concern.
In the middle of the night, the young prince suddenly had another seizure. This time, the imperial physicians could not save him, and the young prince did not survive, dying in Lady Nian's arms.
Lady Nian couldn't believe her eyes. She held onto Hongfu's body tightly, crying uncontrollably.
"Fu'er... wake up... It's impossible, this is impossible... She was fine just now, how could she suddenly die?" Madam Nian stared wide-eyed, unwilling to face the truth.
The maid, worried that Lady Nian was too heartbroken, hugged her and cried, "Your Majesty, please accept my condolences. The young prince... he's gone... Your Majesty, please hold yourself tight and don't do anything rash..."
Lady Nian shoved the maid aside, shaking her head desperately and glaring at the imperial physician: "You said... the little prince's fever had subsided, he had eaten, and... he even smiled at me... why did he just leave like that?"
The imperial physician, prostrate on the ground, replied tremblingly, "Your Majesty, the young prince's condition was merely a final burst of energy before death. After so many days of high fever, his internal organs have been infected. We are truly powerless to save him... Please forgive us, Your Majesty..."
Mrs. Nian cried out to the heavens, "Why...why is God doing this to me...why did He take my child away?"
Upon learning of the young prince's untimely death, the Fourth Prince was so heartbroken that he could barely stand. Su Peisheng helped him back to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, where he spent the entire night in grief.
The successive blows pushed Fourth Master to the brink of mental collapse. Just as Lanqin was beginning to recover, Hongfu fell ill. Although he resented Nian for taking Hongfu to the Yuanmingyuan without his consent, he also knew in his heart that the cause of Lanqin's assassination attempt and Hongfu's fall was all his fault.
The Fourth Prince lamented, "Are emperors destined to die alone?" The people he loved most and was closest to thought he was in deep crisis. Hongfu was still young and hadn't had a chance to fully appreciate the empire that the Fourth Prince was protecting before he passed away. The Fourth Prince felt deeply guilty.
Su Peisheng stayed by the Hall of Mental Cultivation for a moment. Hearing the suppressed sobs coming from inside, he felt a little relieved. The Fourth Prince was suppressing his emotions too deeply; only by releasing them could he cheer up.
The next day, the Fourth Prince summoned the Ministry of Rites and instructed them: "The young prince's funeral must be handled properly. I posthumously confer upon Hongfu the title of Prince Si and bury him with the rites of a prince. This will be a way of giving due consideration to Consort Nian and the Nian family..."
When the Ministry of Rites went to Yikun Palace to move Hongfu's body, Lady Nian refused to allow anyone to approach. The Ministry of Rites had no choice but to report back to the Fourth Prince.
Fourth Master remained silent for a long time, sitting in a daze before slowly speaking: "Let her go, let her calm down, and then we can make a plan..."
Su Peisheng asked worriedly, "The weather is so hot. If the young prince's body is left for too long, I'm afraid..."
The Fourth Prince raised his hand and murmured, "She is Hongfu's mother, so it's understandable that she's heartbroken and reluctant to part with him. Consort Nian has already suffered the pain of losing her son once, and this blow is too deep for her. We can't force her..."
Su Peisheng shook his head silently, saying with regret, "The little prince is so pitiful. He had only just learned to speak when..."
The Fourth Prince closed his eyes, waved his hand, and the people from the Ministry of Rites withdrew one after another. The Fourth Prince got up alone and silently walked back to his inner room.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
