Return to Heaven, the end of a generation
That day, Chen Ying was coughing and weak, so Nanny Ming placed a pile of memorials on the table. After Chen Ying read through them, he leaned back in his chair, stroking his chest.
"Madam Ming, Zixin's wedding is done. Ziyin's wedding is done. Now it's time to look forward to having a grandson."
At this time, Crown Princess Su Rui arrived.
"Your son greets your mother."
"Princess Su, I am growing weaker, and I cannot manage both Ziyin's affairs in the Eastern Palace and the affairs of the imperial court. It's time to share the burden. The Queen Mother will teach you the art of ruling the palace and the art of ruling your husband. I will also give you the Queen Mother's book. The book will be shared by Ziyin and Zixin, but not by the others."
"What unlucky words are spoken by the Queen Mother? The Queen Mother will surely live a long and long life."
Chen Yun smiled bitterly. "Who am I? How could I not know that my own end is approaching? And your world is about to come. I, too..."
Chen Yun started coughing violently again, and Su Rui patted Chen Yun's back gently with heartache.
"Rui'er, I'll be frank with you. My master has calculated the future. The throne will be inherited by my ninth prince, while the princes above him will either rebel or die of illness."
Su Rui was surprised and skeptical after hearing Chen Yun's words. Half-believing and half-doubting, she asked, "Mother, the calculations are about... the prince, right?"
"No, and you too. It was calculated that after my death, Ziyin would become a lover of Longyang and follow foreign nations. Later, due to excessive suppression and the emperor's over-balancing of power, Ziyin rebelled. Of course, it ended in failure. Ziyin and you were exiled, and you died of illness during exile. Six months later, Ziyin also died of illness."
Su Rui's eyelashes trembled for a moment, then she said firmly, "I never believe in this."
"Your father didn't believe it either. But when I got this disease and even the ancestor who was good at treating diseases was helpless, he started praying to the gods for the first time. Rui'er, I'm not talking about praying to the gods, but worrying about the future. I know that power struggles are inevitable in the palace. But I still don't want my children to lose their lives in the fight for power. You have to take it seriously for now and be prepared. I was born in poverty once. Although the poor are suffering, they can still live happily. If necessary, I can lower my status at most, but saving my life is the first priority. Ziyin is arrogant and doesn't listen to teachings. He never listens to my techniques. So I rely on you, Rui'er. The next disciple of Yuan Tianpai, in addition to the eldest princess Li Xin, there is also you, Su Rui."
Su Rui knelt down like a tiger descending from a mountain, thanking her. "Thank you, Queen Mother, for your appreciation. Your son, Li Su Rui, will definitely live up to your expectations."
Li Lin never believed in gods or Buddhas, and he and Li Ziyin prayed to Buddhism for peace.
Today, Chen Yun's children and Li Lin went to the temple to pray for blessings. Afterwards, Li Ziyin and Li Lin walked together.
Li Lin: "Ziyin, tell me honestly, father, do you have a preference for a man with a male partner? Why did your mother predict that you would one day perform foreign rituals and engage in sexual relations with a man because of your lover?"
Li Ziyin: "Father, first of all, I have been at odds with my fourth brother since childhood, as you know. But Father, you always scold me for not doing well. Doesn't it mean that even if I do well, I won't be scolded by the ministers?"
"So you just won't listen to the monks chanting, right? How can you be a king with such a personality? Do you think the entire Qiankun Kingdom is smarter? Even your mother wouldn't dare to think so."
"Your Majesty, please don't stray from the point!" Li Ziyin paused, his brow furrowed, ready to unleash years of resentment. "I know Your Majesty is trying to balance our power. But I am the Crown Prince, and he is merely a prince. Why does he live in the palace next to the Wude Hall? That would implicitly acknowledge him as the Crown Prince!"
Li Lin turned around and pointed at Li Ziyin. When he was extremely angry, he held it back and continued to move forward.
"Ah, that's why I said that the calculation was correct. The one who will succeed to the throne in the future is the Ninth Prince, not any of the princes before him."
"What?"
"Ziyin, your mother calculated that you, the fourth child—no, I should say, except for the ninth child—all the children born to your father, mother, and the other two children will die young. Especially you, because you will be exiled due to a mutiny in the future, and the Crown Princess will die of illness midway through. And you will also die of illness about half a year later. So, please don't mutiny! The throne of Crown Prince is already yours, there's no need to make further trouble."
Li Ziyin clenched his fists. He knew that his mother's calculations were always accurate, and this time, perhaps she was right. He really wanted to mutiny.
"Father, let me answer your first question. I can do whatever it takes to achieve my goal, whether it's Longyang or colluding with foreigners. But I don't want to repeat what you did back then at Haimen."
Li Lin turned around and slapped Ziyin, and the servants behind him quickly retreated.
"Your Majesty is right. This is retribution, this is reincarnation." Li Lin placed his hands behind his back, looked up to the heavens and sighed, "I have fought for many years without a single defeat. My territory is half as large as it was before I ascended the throne. Ten thousand dynasties within the great nation come to pay homage, and I have even been honored as the Heavenly Khan by foreign nations. It is true that I have failed to fulfill my fatherly duties for my children. Alas! Failure!"
Li Ziyin was unconvinced: "Whatever. I only want the present. Shouldn't the Crown Prince be treated the same as the Emperor?"
Li Lin: "Are you willing to accept criticism from professors? Father is willing, which is why he often gets so angry that his old illness relapses and he's almost in a coma. Fortunately, your mother persuaded him. But the Crown Princess is incompetent. Even your temper can't be soothed like the Empress. It would be better to abolish her."
At this time, Su Rui, who was not far away, heard this and felt secretly inferior.
Li Ziyin: "How many people in the world are as talented as our mother? I'd like to find one, but on reflection, that's unrealistic. No one is perfect, no gold is pure. Rui'er may not be as virtuous as our mother, but her abilities and character are first-rate. I'm very satisfied. Please don't separate us, father. As for the officials' criticism, father, just resolve the conflict between the Fourth Prince and me, and everything will be resolved."
"You...Okay, Father won't separate you. The fourth brother will be relocated, but you can't deny his talent. He should be reused. But remember, don't learn from your uncle. He knew his position was secure, but he still wanted to stir up trouble."
However, Chen Yun's health was getting worse day by day. Li Lin also promoted Chen Feng to the position of Prime Minister of the Left. That night, before going to bed, Chen Yun found Li Lin alone.
"Second brother, can you please remove my elder brother from his original sinecure? I don't want him to have too much power."
"He's a great hero! How much effort has he put in for me, and how much infamy has he endured?"
"I don't agree." Chen Yan responded coldly and firmly.
Li Lin was so angry that he stood up and paced back and forth, then said, "Don't always think about your relatives taking power! He is my good brother! I trust him! And the help of relatives can't be ignored either."
Chen Yun knew that the left and right ministers around Li Lin were all Li Lie'ao's men. If he wanted to manage the court well, he had to make use of the people around him.
"The previous dynasty's foreign relatives' meddling in politics had too many negative consequences. Plus, I don't trust his desires. Human desires are endless, so never test human nature. Once desires take root, they'll surely burst forth. Harming yourself and this nation will only bring harm."
Li Lin was so angry when he heard what Chen Yan said that he turned around, but then he remembered that the person in front of him was seriously ill and he didn't want to make the other person uncomfortable in front of him, so he turned around and left the bedroom.
After Li Lin left, Chen Yin started coughing again, and then asked Nanny Ming to ask Chen Feng to come.
The next day, Chen Yun woke up and learned from Nanny Ming that Li Lin had slept with the emperor in Zhen Yin Palace last night. He was so angry that he vomited blood.
Similarly, Li Lin was surprised when Chen Feng knelt down in the court and begged to retire and return home. After asking Chen Feng, he learned that Chen Yun had personally approached Chen Feng the previous night and asked him to either refuse the high-ranking official title or retire and return home.
In one sentence, Li Lin was so angry that he vomited blood.
"Forget it, forget it. Under the torture of the Queen, my old headache has come back." Looking at the many ministers, he said helplessly: "Then grant me the title of Shizhong, but not the title of Pushe. Changsun Feng, this is an official position with no power, not a high position, so you should accept it."
Chen Feng was delighted and quickly responded, "Thank you for your grace!"
Chen Yun sat quietly in the back garden, gazing at Cuicui and Yingying, the red flowers and green grass, his hands still moving.
Su Rui came to the scene and took out the lunch box.
"Greetings, Mother. Mother, I have researched several medicinal herbs from the scrolls, hoping they can cure your qi ailment."
Chen Yun waved his hand and refused, "No need. Your father is urging us to get to the other side as soon as possible. What's the point?"
Su Rui gently stroked Chen Yun's shoulders. "Isn't it that the Queen Mother is angry with the gods because of the canonization of Zhen Yin and my uncle? I heard that my uncle was canonized, but not as the original Pushe, but as Shizhong."
Chen Yun nodded. "Really? He listened to me. But what about Zhen Yin? She went back on her word. I know she already has His Majesty in her heart. She has always been reluctant to cross the line because of Crown Prince Yin. Once she has an excuse, she can act recklessly."
"I will not let her become a concubine."
"The Zhen family is one of the four great families. She doesn't dare to do anything that goes against common moral principles. She's just worried that if she and His Majesty give birth to an imperial heir, it's very likely that he will usurp Ziyin's position."
"She can't do it. The throne can only be held by the legitimate son of the Queen Mother."
Chen Yun marveled at how smart and virtuous his daughter-in-law was. Looking at her, he finally understood what the former Queen Xue Lian, Li Lin's mother, had been thinking.
Xue Lian's conversation with him before his death was just like his conversation with Su Rui now. This time, Chen Yin handed Su Rui the heirloom bracelet Xue Lian had given her, and then drank the medicine she had brought.
"Mother, this is..."
"This is a family heirloom from the Li family's mistress. Keep it well and leave it to the next mistress."
Su Rui smiled and hugged Chen Yan: "Mother, you think too highly of me!"
However, things are not as rosy as expected.
Chen Yun was already bedridden. The imperial physician passed the bad news to Li Lin. Li Lin dropped his work and called all his legitimate children to the outside of the palace.
In the bedroom, Chen Yun, who was weak and pale as paper, saw Li Lin coming and held his hand tightly.
"I've finally got you here, Li Lin."
Li Ziyin hurried in from outside. On both sides were Zhen Yin, Yang Ya, Yin Banluo, Yan Ruoxi, Wei Ningshuang, and a group of children.
"My dear Queen. You will be fine. I have this world, why not capable people?"
Li Ziyin ran to Chen Yun and knelt down, holding each other's hands tightly. Li Ziyin said, "Father, please grant amnesty to the world! Pray for blessings and merits for our mother!"
Li Lin helped Chen Yin up, and the whole person leaned in Li Lin's arms.
"I would rather die than accept a general amnesty. Life and death are determined by fate. If spiritual practice were useful, Your Majesty would have already moved Heaven after years of governing the country. To interfere with the laws of a country based on personal grudges is like playing a joke."
"Yes, yes, the Queen is right. I owe my rule to the Queen's advice."
"Your Majesty, please do not grieve excessively after I am gone. The people of the world need your care even more. No gold, silver, or jewels, no extravagant mausoleum. Simply build one near the mountains or rivers, using ordinary tiles and wood."
At this point, Chen Yun's cough worsened and she began to spit out blood. She quickly took out a pill and swallowed it.
"This is the last pill. I've already used eight pills waiting for you. Haha!"
Li Lin hugged Chen Yun tightly, tears streaming down his face, "I'm sorry, Yun'er, I'm late."
At this time, Li Xin walked in, ran over with tears in her eyes, knelt down and hugged her mother.
"Mother, don't!"
Chen Ying stroked Li Ziyin's head and also stroked Li Xin's head.
"You two are the firstborn children of our mother. Unfortunately... Ziyin has a leg disease, and Xin'er has the same respiratory disease as me. But no matter what, just do your best until you can do nothing more. Life is full of disappointments, but you must not violate the rules and common sense."
"And you, Li Lin, you must be close to virtuous officials and stay away from villains. Accept more direct criticism, reduce forced labor, prohibit hunting, prohibit the use of relatives of the Changsun and Chen families, and abolish the system of enfeoffment. If Ziyin is not able to fulfill the position of crown prince, it is better to make a decision immediately than to let both sides suffer losses."
"I promise you."
"Ziyin...Xin'er..."
In the end, Chen Ying lowered her hands. The virtuous queen Chen Ying was only 38 years old, and her era finally came to an end.
The room was dark and gloomy, just like the sound of crying. Outside, Nanny Ming cried out, "The Queen has passed away!"
All of Chen Yun's children, the four concubines, and Zhen Yin knelt together.
The news of the Queen's death spread through the eunuchs like thunder throughout the palace.
In the days that followed, Li Ziyin suffered repeated psychological trauma over Chen Yun's death, and kept complaining to Su Rui that he was always scolded by officials and that his brother was eyeing the position of crown prince.
However, Su Rui was compared to Chen Yin, which caused her to have premature gray hair.
Fortunately, several of Chen Yun's children were there to restrain Li Lin. Li Lin also suggested that Li Ziyin's position as crown prince would be secure unless he engaged in an affair with a foreign country, committed treason, or committed treason.
Li Ziyin was also very capable and finally ascended the throne successfully after Li Lin passed away at the age of 42.
Thus, Emperor Li Lin and Empress Chen Yun were buried together. Li Lin was posthumously named Emperor Wenwu, and Chen Yun was posthumously named Empress Wenxiandesheng.
Famous through the ages, and well-known for centuries.
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