Seeing the person lying on the bed, pale-faced and listless, Huang Taiji felt a pang of worry and heartache.
But the way she spoke hurt Huang Taiji even more.
He couldn't help but wonder, if he had acted faster back then, and you had married me, would things have turned out differently?
Of course, Yunyi had no idea what Huang Taiji was thinking. If she did, she would definitely roll her eyes and loudly tell him that she would.
Even if Erdun marries you, she will still fall seriously ill and die at this time, because the emperor's love is too heavy. The only things that come with exclusive favor are the jealousy of the women in the harem and the opposition of others.
For several days afterward, Huang Taiji visited Erdun at his residence. Those who did not know the situation simply thought that His Majesty was concerned about Aguta's widow, since Aguta had died because he had saved him.
It's understandable that he's now showing concern for the widow of his savior.
Furthermore, this widow was none other than the niece of the Grand Consort, making her a junior relative of Huang Taiji.
No one thought much of it, not even Erdun. They just felt that Huang Taiji's enthusiasm was a bit too much. She was just a widow who had lost her husband, and it was not worth the emperor's attention.
On this day, Huang Taiji and Yunyi visited Erdun again.
Upon arrival, Yunyi was held up by some matters, and only Huang Taiji entered the room.
Erdun didn't care. She only regarded Huang Taiji as her uncle and an elder. The age gap between them was so large that she didn't know about his feelings for her.
"Your Majesty, could you tell me more about Aguta?" Erdun sat up, leaning back in his chair, and asked Huang Taiji.
Speechless at the question, Huang Taiji opened his mouth as if to say something, but could not utter a word.
After a moment's thought, he slowly spoke, "Aguta, he was a very good soldier, on the battlefield..."
As he listened, Erdun's smile grew softer and softer as he gazed lovingly at the crabapple tree outside the window. April was its flowering season, and the crabapple blossoms were in full bloom.
Following Erdun's gaze, Huang Taiji looked out the window and seemed to understand something.
He sighed almost inaudibly, thinking to himself that this crabapple tree must hold many beautiful memories.
Feeling a tightness in his chest, Huang Taiji was consumed by jealousy. He lowered his voice and asked in a seemingly calm tone.
"Aguta has been gone for so long, why can't you let him go? If he were still here, I would hope you would be doing better."
Many people have asked themselves this question, and Erdun was somewhat taken aback when Huang Taiji brought it up again.
After a long pause, she finally answered, “Your Majesty, you are the emperor, with three thousand beauties in your harem, and many wives and concubines. They love you, and you dote on them. Even my aunt is just one of your many concubines.”
After saying this, Erdun raised his head and looked at Huang Taiji seriously, saying, "As for Aguta and me, it's just the two of us. Our love is intense and will not be diminished by others. We have been together for more than ten years, and this feeling will not dissipate because of his passing."
Lowering his eyes, Erdun concealed the sadness in them and, somewhat disrespectfully, gave the order to leave.
"Your Majesty, I am still ill and need to rest. Please return!"
Stung by this cold demeanor, for some reason, Huang Taiji suddenly felt a surge of jealousy and resentment. He rushed over, grabbed Erdun's shoulder, looked into the other's eyes, and wanted to say something, but then calmed down.
He could only feign anger and threaten her with a hint of resentment, "If you continue to be half-dead and unwilling to receive treatment, I will marry you and take you into the palace as my concubine. After you die, you will be buried with me, so that you and Aguta will never be able to see each other even in death."
"You!" Erdun's originally worried eyes turned angry. He stared at Huang Taiji with wide eyes and a trembling hand, pointing at him, but he was too angry to speak.
Huang Taiji pried Erdun's hands off, his eyes flashing. He kissed her hard and whispered in her ear, "What do you mean 'you'? I always keep my word. If you do this again, I will definitely marry you and bring you into the palace."
Slap! Dragging his seriously ill and weak body, Erdun slapped him with all his might out of anger, and then frantically wiped his mouth as if it had been contaminated with something unclean.
His heart ached even more, but seeing Erdun's face flushed again, Huang Taiji felt somewhat relieved.
He uttered those harsh words again before suppressing his bitterness and turning to leave.
As he left, he was thinking, "This way, you can live a good life!"
Ever since Huang Taiji said those words that day, Erdun had been hesitant and started taking his medicine properly and cooperating with the doctor's advice. His health gradually improved.
Chang Shu is now seventeen years old, and with his mother Erdun's health improving, it's time to put his marriage on the agenda.
When Aguta passed away, Huang Taiji posthumously conferred upon him the title of Prince Zhong. In the first year of Chongde, when Huang Taiji became emperor, he further conferred upon him the title of Prince Zhong.
Chang Shu initially inherited the title of Beizi, but now that Aguta has become a Junwang, he has become Zhong Beile.
As a prince who held a title but was not a member of the royal family, Chang Shu was indeed a very good man, and his marriage was highly sought after.
In the end, it was Huang Taiji who made the final decision, choosing Yierha, the third daughter of Consort Kang, as Changshu's consort.
The third princess was granted the title of Princess Heshuo Shujing and married Prince Zhong.
Perhaps because he couldn't marry the girl he longed for back then, being able to marry his daughter to her son now can be considered as fulfilling Huang Taiji's wish.
Erdun initially wanted to refuse, but then she thought that if she became the Third Princess's mother-in-law, the Emperor probably wouldn't...
So in the end she agreed, and she had met the Third Princess before; she was a filial and quiet child.
After the marriage was arranged, Erdun found that her health was deteriorating again, but this time, she knew that her time was really coming and there was no way to save her.
So she didn't tell anyone and endured the pain alone.
With the wedding date approaching in October, Erdun got up early to wash and dress up, and picked up the rouge she hadn't touched in almost ten years to apply it to herself.
Dressed in a festive outfit, she doesn't look like a mother-in-law at all; she still looks young.
Three days later, the bride returned to her parents' home. Seeing the harmonious couple, Erdun thought of her husband again. If only Aguta were still here.
But it's alright, I'll be coming to see you soon. Our son is married and doing very well.
Looking at his daughter, Erdun also had a plan in mind.
The next day, she went to the palace to see the Grand Consort, who was Yunyi.
Chang'an was only twelve years old and still very young, so Erdun could only ask his aunt to help take care of his daughter.
Yunyi had a guess in her heart, but pretended not to know and agreed.
After Yunyi agreed, she went to her younger sister, Wuyoudai, and made the same request.
A month later, Princess Consort Erdun of the Zhongjun Prince, Borjigit clan, passed away at the Prince's residence at the age of thirty-three.
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