Chapter 422 The Emperor's Death
The Qianqing Palace.
The Crown Prince, the Empress, and others waited outside the Emperor's bedchamber. All the imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Academy were treating the Emperor. Everyone was heavy-hearted when the Emperor fainted again.
The princes had been waiting in the palace for a month without receiving any rewards. They were all getting impatient and just wanted to say that if the emperor didn't die today, they would leave the palace and go about their own business.
The emperor had no affection for their mother, so he had no affection for them either. Apart from caring about their studies, they had no experience of fatherly or son affection.
In truth, Xie Shang had not experienced any fatherly affection from the emperor. He didn't know why, but when he saw his father's powerless state, he was filled with grief, so much so that even breathing was difficult. All he had ever wanted was the throne, but his father had given it to him so easily. He didn't know whether his father needed an heir or him, his son.
At this moment, Imperial Physician Mei came out, and everyone crowded around him, asking, "Imperial Physician Mei, how is the Emperor?"
"Imperial Physician Mei, how is Father Emperor?"
Everyone had tears in their eyes and rushed forward to offer their concern. Imperial Physician Mei looked at Jiang Fenghua with a worried expression and said, "Your Majesty, please invite the Crown Princess in."
Everyone saw Jiang Fenghua, their eyes filled with disbelief, "Father..."
Physician Mei continued, "His Majesty's instructions to everyone are all written in the imperial edict. The last person His Majesty wishes to see is the Crown Princess. Please wait patiently, Empress, Princes and Princesses."
Xie Shang stepped forward, but before he could speak, Chief Steward Cao's eyes were red. "His Majesty has ordered this old servant to come out and wait. Your Highness, please do not be hasty." This meant that neither the Crown Prince nor Chief Steward Cao could enter.
Jiang Fenghua lifted her skirt and slowly walked in. Chief Steward Cao personally closed the door for her and stood guard by the door, determined to stand guard for the Emperor until the very end.
Jiang Fenghua entered the bedchamber and looked at the frail and elderly emperor on the bed. The emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the emperor that everyone envied, who would believe that he would be so helpless and sickly on his deathbed, without any trace of majesty?
She bowed sincerely, saying, "Your daughter-in-law greets Your Majesty."
The emperor suddenly extended his hand to her, "Fenghua."
"Alas!" Jiang Fenghua's eyes were red, filled with sadness and grief. In her previous life, she had also fulfilled her filial duties to the emperor in front of her, but he was unaware of it.
"Father has something to entrust to you. Among all my children and grandchildren, I'm afraid only you can do it for me."
The Emperor took out an old tiger-head doll and handed it to Jiang Fenghua, saying, "If you have the chance, please give it to her for me."
Jiang Fenghua took it and said, "Good. If my daughter-in-law can see the Empress Dowager, I will definitely pass it on to her and tell her that my father has missed her and Uncle Kang all his life. I believe they will no longer be angry with my father."
The Emperor's lips suddenly curled into a smile. "I never imagined that among all my children, only Fenghua truly understands my heart."
In the Emperor's final days, Jiang Fenghua accompanied him like a daughter until his last breath. "Go and let the Crown Prince and the princes in!"
Xie Shang wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes and tried to calm himself before walking steadily to the Emperor. He thought he should show his father his composure and maturity, and that he was handing over the country to him so that his father could rest assured.
Arriving at the emperor's bedside and seeing him so weak, all his majesty and domineering presence vanished. Was he still the emperor who had been so at ease in the Golden Palace? He seemed like just an old man tormented by illness. Who would have thought that the person before them had once commanded the country and held sway over the wind and rain? In the end, even the emperor of his time was nothing more than this.
Xie Shang knelt heavily before the Emperor's bedside, his voice trembling, and took the Emperor's hand, saying, "Father, your son is here."
Jiang Fenghua knelt respectfully to one side, and the princes, princesses, and empress followed the crown prince into the bedchamber. Everyone knelt on the ground, weeping bitterly.
"I entrust the Xie family's empire to the Crown Prince. I know my time is up. You must remember my instructions and create a prosperous era for the Xie family." What emperors should avoid most is emotion. Don't let emotions cloud your judgment. What emperors lack most is emotion. Being too sentimental will create too many entanglements. With entanglements come constraints. It is absolutely unacceptable for an emperor to be held back by emotions.
"Your subject will remember." Xie Shang finally couldn't hold back the tears in his eyes.
His father's words still echoed in his ears. He wondered if his father meant that only by not becoming emperor could he be completely free, free from the shackles of the world, and truly be free. Was his father free now?
He had asked him countless times if he loved his mother, but he never got a definite answer. Did his father think that as an emperor, he shouldn't love any woman?
The emperor slowly closed his eyes, and Imperial Physician Mei rushed over to take his pulse. He said in a sorrowful voice, "Your Highness, the emperor has passed away."
Immediately afterwards, all the princes and grandsons knelt and wept, and for a moment, there was a chorus of mournful cries.
Empress Cheng rushed to the Emperor's bedside, crying out, "Your Majesty, please open your eyes and look at me! I am your Lang'er!"
The Empress cried for a while, and then Granny Xi and the others quickly helped her up.
Soon, the palace servants who had been waiting arrived to help the emperor with the preparations for his body.
A group of officials also knelt outside the Qianqing Palace. When the news of the emperor's death came, the officials also wept with grief. They knew that the emperor had fallen ill again and had come to the Qianqing Palace to wait for him.
Chief Steward Cao produced the imperial edict of succession, saying, "Your Highness, please hear my decree."
Immediately afterwards, led by the Crown Prince, they all knelt down and said, "Your subject receives the decree."
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: I have received the favor of Heaven and the blessings of past sages... Crown Prince Xie Shang, my fifth son, is of noble character and closely resembles me. He is sure to be able to inherit the great lineage. Therefore, he is hereby appointed to succeed me and ascend the throne as Emperor. This is hereby proclaimed throughout the land so that all may know."
After the lengthy imperial edict was read, the Imperial Seal of the State fell into Xie Shang's hands, and from then on, Emperor Xuanzong, the new emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty, ascended the throne.
Once the edict of succession was read, Censor Zhu, Grand Commandant Qiao, and the ministers of the Six Ministries led the way in kowtowing to the new emperor, saying, "Your subjects pay their respects to the new emperor, long live the emperor!"
At this moment, Chief Steward Cao knelt before Xie Shang again and said, "Your Majesty, the late Emperor left behind a will."
Xie Shang took it, opened it, and glanced at it. His pupils changed color, and he looked in the direction of Jiang Fenghua. His father actually valued Jiang Fenghua so much that he issued an edict to confer the title of Empress upon the Crown Princess Jiang, and to never depose her. He also conferred the title of Empress Dowager upon Cheng.
Xie Shang had actually intended to make Jiang Fenghua his empress, so his father's move was unnecessary.
Xie Shang said in a deep voice, "In accordance with the late Emperor Huijing's edict, Empress Cheng of Emperor Huijing shall be honored as Empress Dowager, and the Crown Princess Jiang shall be made Empress of the new Emperor."
Upon hearing this, everyone looked in Jiang Fenghua's direction. Normally, after a new emperor ascends the throne, he will naturally appoint an empress, and this edict should be issued by the new emperor.
Before anyone could think, they hurriedly bowed, saying, "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, may Your Majesty live a thousand years! Your Majesty the Empress, may Your Majesty live a thousand years!"
For a moment, sounds rose and fell, echoing throughout the entire palace.
When the late emperor passed away, the whole country mourned, and all entertainment activities were prohibited during the period of national mourning.
According to the ancestral system of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the remains of the late emperor would be placed in the palace for a month. The late emperor also left a will that the imperial mausoleum be located in Hengyang Palace. Therefore, a month later, the new emperor would send the remains of the late emperor to Hengyang for burial.
Only after Emperor Huijing's funeral is completed will the new emperor hold a grand enthronement ceremony and an empress's investiture ceremony.
Jiang Fenghua was more than four months pregnant, and she dared not leave easily. She was only sent back to Chenxi Palace to rest when it got dark and she could no longer support herself.
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