Chapter 344 Uncle, go downstairs and ask my mother to atone for your sins!
It was getting dark and the palace lanterns were just beginning to light up.
Inside the emperor's bedroom, the atmosphere was as heavy as iron. Several imperial physicians stood by with pale faces, at a loss as to what to do.
Lying on the bed, the emperor's face was pale and his breath was weak. He was completely different from a few days ago.
The third prince, Zhao Yunci, knelt in front of the bed, clasped his hands together, and chanted scriptures in a low voice.
The serving eunuchs and palace maids all stood with their heads bowed, not daring to make a sound.
The Third Prince stopped twirling his Buddhist beads and ordered, "Everyone, step back!"
The emperor suddenly opened his eyes, and a hint of clarity flashed in his cloudy eyes.
The emperor raised his withered hand and pointed at Gu Junze tremblingly, "You are finally... here..."
Gu Junze walked forward slowly and looked down at him lying on the sickbed.
"I am here, what are your commands, Your Majesty?"
The emperor's eyes suddenly became sharp, a look that saw through everything.
"You already knew about my condition, didn't you?"
The emperor laughed bitterly, his voice weak but clear.
"No wonder you were so sure of Gu Chengyan's identity... No wonder you were already prepared for my poison..."
Gu Junze remained silent, neither admitting nor denying.
"Uncle, go down there and find my mother to atone for your sins! Our ancestors are waiting for you."
The third prince, Zhao Yunci, put away his Buddhist beads, stood up and took two steps back. The pious look on his face gradually faded, replaced by calmness.
The emperor struggled to sit up, but was interrupted by a violent cough. Blood flowed from the corner of his mouth, staining the brocade quilt red.
"The poison is taking effect. It must be very painful, right?" Gu Junze sneered, "Just like the pain my mother felt before she died."
The emperor's body trembled violently, and a trace of fear and regret flashed in his eyes.
"You were the one who put the poison on me. When?"
Gu Junze's eyes flashed coldly, and his voice was low and dangerous: "After the death of the Royal Grandmother, your headache was caused by the poisonous insect."
A hint of surprise flashed across the emperor's eyes, and then he calmed down again.
He seemed to have anticipated this day, but he didn't expect it to be in this way.
"I thought you had truly let go of your hatred and that you only cared about the interests of your country and family. It turns out you were lying to me."
"Sister, sister, your son is much better than you. He won't die foolishly."
The emperor closed his eyes weakly, his tone revealing resignation.
"What happened to your mother was my fault, and I deserve the punishment...
Gu Junze looked at the emperor's old and haggard face, and just looked at him quietly, holding on to his last breath, unwilling to leave.
"You want my kingdom, don't you?"
The emperor opened his eyes with difficulty, his voice was weak but still carried the majesty of an emperor.
"You did all this just for revenge, to seize this world."
Gu Junze sneered and shook his head slowly: "The word treason, to me, means the destruction of lives, chaos in the world, and abandoning the country that my mother fought so hard to protect."
"This land is the peace my mother exchanged her life for. If I start a war out of my own personal grudge, that would be the true betrayal of her."
The emperor was stunned, obviously not expecting to hear such an answer.
His gaze fell on the Third Prince, and he finally understood something: "You have already planned..."
The Third Prince's expression did not change, as if he had been waiting for this day for a long time.
"Father, this country needs a wise ruler, a ruler who is not blinded by ambition and conspiracy."
The emperor's gaze gradually became blurred, as if he was looking into the distance.
"Sister?" His voice suddenly became gentle, as if he had returned to his youth, "You're here..."
Gu Junze and the third prince looked at each other, neither of them said a word to interrupt the emperor's illusion.
The emperor stretched out his hand tremblingly, his skinny hand pointing in a certain direction in the void, and a long-lost smile appeared on his face.
"Sister, are you here to pick me up?"
The emperor's voice was weak but filled with joy. "I know... I have done many things wrong... I have betrayed your trust..."
"I regret it so much... Sister... please forgive me and take me away..."
The emperor's voice grew softer and softer, his hand still stretched out, but beginning to droop weakly.
Finally, with an almost inaudible sigh, the hand fell completely onto the bed.
The emperor's eyes were still open, but they had lost their luster forever.
The third prince stood in front of the bed, leaned over gently, and closed the emperor's eyes.
After a moment's silence, he turned and walked towards the bedroom door.
"My father has passed away." The third prince pushed open the door, his voice calm but resounding.
When the palace servants waiting outside the door heard this, they were stunned at first, and then one of them fell to the ground and burst into tears.
"The Emperor has passed away—"
The mournful cry instantly spread throughout the Taiji Palace, then spread outward, and finally alarmed the entire imperial palace.
Gu Junze stood there, watching the third prince leave. Han'er was still waiting for him at home!
Then he turned and walked in another direction...
The third prince, Zhao Yunci, stood in front of a bronze mirror, with several eunuchs standing behind him, holding their breath in concentration.
They carefully took off the monk's robe he had worn for many years and changed him into white mourning clothes.
The monk's robes were neatly folded on the table beside him, where a string of Buddhist beads was placed, glowing quietly.
Zhao Yunci looked at herself in the mirror. This was the first time in many years that she had looked at her appearance so carefully.
The person in the mirror has a handsome face and picturesque features. How could he look even slightly otherworldly?
"Master," an old eunuch reported in a low voice, "the men who searched Prince Su's mansion have returned. They found a…"
The old eunuch's voice trembled slightly, and he was obviously uneasy about what he was about to say.
"Speak." Zhao Yunci's voice was calm.
"Find a man without a face and a tongue."
The old eunuch lowered his head and lowered his voice, "This man is covered in wounds, as if he has been tortured, but he is still breathing."
Zhao Yunci's eyes moved slightly, and after a moment of silence, he asked, "Do you know the identity of this person?"
"My Lord, judging by the fragments of clothing and the old wounds on his body, perhaps this is..." The old eunuch lowered his voice, "the real Prince Su."
Zhao Yunci turned his head to look at the monk's robe and Buddhist beads placed aside, and his eyes gradually became sharp.
"I am no longer a Buddhist disciple." He whispered to himself, with a hint of determination in his voice, "Now that I have taken off the shackles of Buddhism, I must pick up the butcher knife!"
He turned to the old eunuch and said, "Kill him. It will be a relief!"
The old eunuch responded respectfully, but did not dare to look up and look his master in the eye.
"Go, don't let him suffer any more."
Zhao Yunci turned to the bronze mirror and stared at the strange yet familiar face in the mirror. "In the most painful way."
The old eunuch took the order and left, leaving only a few personal servants to continue arranging mourning clothes for Zhao Yunci.
Outside the window, the sun sets.
The last ray of sunlight fell on the neatly folded monk's robe, as if bidding farewell to the end of an emperor...
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