Chapter 96, Part 10...
There was no moonlight in the capital that night; the night was pitch black. The cold wind howled violently, as if trying to drag the world into this endless abyss, and every sound it made was chilling and terrifying.
The palace had gradually quieted down at night, and the Qianqing Palace, where the emperor resided, was also serene. In the emperor's bedroom in the West Warm Pavilion, a few gauze lanterns shone brightly and softly, and the emperor lay asleep behind the dragon bed curtains.
Lan Huaien quietly withdrew from the hall, and only after lifting the curtain did he see an unfamiliar eunuch standing bowing in the corridor.
He tucked his hands into his sleeves, slowly walked to the side, then raised his head to signal the eunuch to come over, and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?"
The eunuch, his face deathly pale, hissed in panic, "Eunuch Lan, the Prince of Chang Le of Zhaoyang Palace has passed away..."
Lan Huaien was startled and stood frozen in place for a moment before glancing into the hall. He sighed softly and said in a neutral tone, "His Majesty has finally fallen asleep and should not be disturbed. You should go back first, and we can discuss everything tomorrow morning."
"Father-in-law..."
Lan Huaien waved his hand to interrupt him, signaling him to step back, before turning to leave. After taking only a few steps, he suddenly remembered something, but when he turned back, the eunuch had vanished.
He instructed a eunuch on night duty: "His Majesty is still ill and may not be able to withstand such a blow. Go to Zhaoyang Palace and help look after him. Also, please ask Consort Sun to take care of herself."
"yes."
.
The Zhaoyang Palace was brightly lit, yet the atmosphere was unusually somber, almost suffocating. The palace servants, heads bowed, all wore expressions of grief.
Sun had just lashed out at the imperial physicians once, and then, in utter despair, dismissed them. Her desperate screams and baseless suspicions could not save her son; they only made the mother appear all the more helpless and pitiful.
She wouldn't allow anyone to touch Yan Fei in her arms, trying to warm her son back with her own body.
Ever since Yan Fei's body began to feel cold, her heart sank inch by inch, eventually falling into an unfathomable darkness. She felt suffocated and icy, as if her heart had been hollowed out, leaving only a lifeless shell.
She was awakened by her uncontrollable spasms and trembling. She stared straight at her son in her arms, a sob escaping her throat, her empty eyes unable to shed a tear.
In the blink of an eye, the world was spinning.
It seemed like many years ago, the same scene unfolded. She stood by the bedside, watching helplessly as her husband closed his eyes. She held him tightly in fear, just as she was today, utterly powerless.
She had gazed at her son's face countless times, resenting that Crown Prince Zhaohuai had left her with such a posthumous child, causing her to be trapped in her old feelings for the rest of her life; yet she was also grateful to have Fei'er, who gave her the courage to persevere.
But now they're all gone. Every time she struggles to regain her senses, she wishes she could have gone with them.
Years later, she thought she could move on. But now, the pain of losing her son has almost shattered all her defenses.
My mind suddenly went blank.
She didn't understand, since the imperial physician had clearly said that Yan Fei only had a common cold.
At first, it was just an occasional cough, but then he developed a high fever that lasted night after night. She stayed by her son's side without leaving for a moment, tasting each spoonful of his medicine before feeding it to him. She didn't sleep for several days in a row, taking such meticulous care of him, but she still couldn't keep him alive.
She watched helplessly as her condition worsened day by day, and watched helplessly as God took away her only bloodline with Crown Prince Zhaohuai.
She was already being careful enough.
Because of excessive grief during her pregnancy, which affected the fetus, Yan Fei was born weaker and more prone to illness than other children, and was also more delicate, requiring more meticulous care. She even learned some medical skills herself so that she could take care of her son's daily diet.
She had high expectations for her son.
At first, she only hoped that Fei'er could grow up healthy. Later, she was unwilling for Fei'er to be buried among the royal family members, so she chose a very talented eunuch to accompany her son. Later still, she gradually developed ambition.
Yan Fei was not only her and her husband's son, but also the son of the highly praised Crown Prince Zhaohuai of the Great Qi Dynasty. He was born into a noble family and was exceptionally intelligent, making him a worthy successor to his father's position.
But Fei'er was still so young, and she didn't want him to get involved in scheming and intrigue at such a young age. She took on all the conspiracies and risks herself, raising Fei'er to be innocent, naive, and well-mannered.
This father and son are the gentlest and most lovable people in the world, so why won't God let them go?
Her arms, which were holding the child, were so numb from the pressure that she was almost losing all feeling.
Shuying quietly entered, glancing at Madam Sun's sorrowful and desperate expression. With reddened eyes, she lowered her head and said, "Shuying knows Your Majesty is heartbroken, but you must also take care of yourself..."
She brought over a bowl of congee, intending to offer some advice, but then saw Mrs. Sun reach out to take a spoon.
Shu Ying was delighted. She saw Yan Fei scoop up a spoonful of porridge, blow on it to her dry lips, and then, as usual, bend down to feed it to Yan Fei.
"Be good, Fei'er. It's not medicine, so it's not bitter."
There was no response.
"Your mother knows you're tired. If you want to sleep, then sleep for a while. But remember to wake your mother when you wake up..."
Her Fei'er is so well-behaved.
When she was seriously ill, her throat became hoarse from coughing, and she was so weak that she couldn't even open her eyes. She would drink half of her medicine and vomit the other half, enduring the bitterness so as not to worry her mother. Her mother felt extremely distressed and couldn't help but shed tears. Fei'er would reach out her swollen little hand to wipe the tears from her cheeks, unable to even call out "Mother".
"Mother knows you don't want to compete with Yan Chao, so let's not compete. What crown prince, what throne, what Cao family, Mother doesn't care about any of it... As long as you wake up..."
In the stillness of the night, countless lights shone emptily inside and outside the hall, dazzling yet cold.
Eunuchs from the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs stood outside the palace gates, and preparations for the funeral had quietly begun. Yilan Huai'en's intention was to avoid any major disturbances tonight; everyone should simply keep an eye on Sun Shi to prevent her from going mad.
At this critical juncture, while everyone lamented the untimely death of Prince Chang Le, they were also worried that the Emperor's grief would be too great and that his health might not be able to withstand such a shock.
.
The following day, the emperor was shocked to hear the devastating news of the death of Prince Chang Le. He was overcome with grief and anger, and in his grief, he forced himself to remain calm and unleashed a furious rage.
Two imperial physicians responsible for treating Prince Chang Le were executed on the spot. Many palace servants serving in Zhaoyang Palace were punished for dereliction of duty and negligence in serving their master. Even the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs was reprimanded by the emperor. Further investigation may implicate even more people, creating a climate of fear throughout the palace.
The emperor was filled with grief and indignation, utterly exhausted, and even when news of victory arrived from the front lines, he remained indifferent. As for the crown prince's injury, he naturally had no time to attend to it.
Perhaps for the emperor, as long as the crown prince's life was not in danger, it was a minor matter. Or perhaps the emperor had always wanted to expel her from the capital and was still bothered by the words of the Imperial Observatory.
Before Lan Huaien could finish speaking, he was driven out by the emperor. His face was as cold as frost. He ordered someone to summon the imperial physician to guard him, and then headed straight for the cabinet.
He suggested to several senior officials that the Crown Prince be summoned back to the capital immediately.
This was a rare instance where the Cabinet and the Directorate of Ceremonial were completely in agreement, with everyone having no objections.
Furthermore, the Imperial Medical Academy has already revealed some information: the emperor was already seriously ill and difficult to cure, and the repeated shocks have depleted his vital energy, so he may not survive the winter.
.
Prince Changle was the son of Crown Prince Zhaohuai and the emperor's most beloved grandson. Although the emperor was seriously ill, he refused to compromise on his grandson's funeral arrangements for his own sake.
In addition to ordering the Ministry of Rites, the Imperial Clan Court, and the Directorate of Ceremonial to properly handle the funeral of Prince Chang Le, he also personally issued an edict to posthumously confer upon Prince Chang Le the title of Grandson of the Crown Prince, with the funeral rites to follow the regulations for Grandsons of the Crown Prince.
Naturally, some court officials objected. However, the first to stand up was Lady Sun, the mother of the Prince of Changle and the Crown Princess Zhaohuai.
She looked haggard, and forced herself to see the emperor while suppressing her grief: "...Fei'er has never liked extravagance, and he is sensible and reasonable. He would not touch anything that is not his. The posthumous honors are just empty titles. If they are imposed on Fei'er, they may not suit his wishes. Moreover, if this leads to future generations talking about him, Fei'er will not even be able to keep his posthumous reputation."
The emperor's eyes seemed to well up with tears, but he remained silent.
“The Crown Prince Zhaohuai was once the Crown Prince’s grandson,” Sun said, her voice choked with grief as she mentioned him. “Your Majesty, you clearly know how difficult his path was, so how could you bear to posthumously bestow this title upon Fei’er? Before His Highness passed away, he said that he hoped Fei’er would live a peaceful and carefree life. I must protect Fei’er until the very end, so I resolutely do not want him to be the Crown Prince’s grandson.”
What was she thinking back then?
She had meticulously plotted with the Cao family to eliminate Yan Chao and directly support Fei'er's ascension to the throne. The path to becoming the Crown Prince or the Grandson of the Crown Prince was far too treacherous, and she deeply resented the Eastern Palace.
The emperor did not reprimand her for her words and attitude, but merely opened his mouth and let it go. He no longer insisted on posthumously conferring titles, but issued an edict ordering that Prince Chang Le be buried to the east of the mausoleum of Crown Prince Zhao Huai.
The day after the minor encoffining, at the major encoffining, Madam Sun wept uncontrollably.
The plain white lanterns inside and outside Zhaoyang Palace trembled violently in the cold wind. The weather was so dry and cold that not even a snowfall occurred, much like the year when Crown Prince Zhaohuai passed away.
The emperor was too ill to get out of bed. He craned his neck to look outside, but could only vaguely hear some sounds.
He murmured intermittently, "...Don't be a fox, don't be a black crow. Be kind and good to me, let's ride hand in hand..."
The emperor was suddenly overcome with grief: "Fei'er, you won't recite 'The North Wind' for your grandfather anymore, will you?"
.
Lan Huaien shuttled between the imperial court and the cabinet every day, keeping a close eye on what was happening in the palace while hoping that Yan Chao could return to court as soon as possible.
Aside from the changing situation in the capital, he was more worried about Yan Chao's injury. The border region was inherently harsher than the capital, and no matter how well-trained and resolute she was, it would still be more difficult for her than for others.
Cheng Tai secretly observed the various court officials, and one day he came to report: "Your Excellency, Grand Secretary Cao has requested to see Consort Sun of Zhaoyang Palace several times, but has been refused each time. In the past two days, Grand Secretary Cao has begun to frequently visit the residences of the Earl of Xingji and Princess Yongjia."
Lan Huaien's eyes darkened slightly. He tapped the table with his fingertips and asked softly, "Have you found out why?"
Cao Ying had previously colluded with the Sun family in order to help Yan Fei ascend to the throne. Now that years of effort had suddenly been destroyed, his actions must be unusual.
Cheng Tai lowered his head: "Grand Secretary Cao's whereabouts have been difficult to track since he entered the mansion. Even his meetings must have been conducted in secret. I am still investigating."
Lan Huaien nodded and said nothing more.
.
Since the death of Prince Chang Le, palace servants have been passing by Zhaoyang Palace at night and have seen faint, eerie blue light flashing in the palace. Coincidentally, this coincided with the passing of the young master of Zhaoyang Palace, so some timid palace servants inevitably began to be suspicious and make wild guesses.
Suddenly a rumor arose in the palace that the strange star that the Imperial Observatory had mentioned would offend Ziwei might be the Prince of Changle.
Yan Fei was also the son of the Crown Prince. He was frail from childhood, yet he often accompanied the Emperor. How could the Emperor not have been infected by his illness? Moreover, the saying "If you can't avoid it, kill it" came true. After the death of the Prince of Changle, the Emperor seemed to be in better spirits than usual.
Upon hearing this, Lan Huaien immediately sent people to investigate, but the rumors eventually reached the emperor's ears.
He suppressed his anger: "Those who speak ill of others in private, not one shall be spared, they shall all be beaten to death!"
"Yes, Your Majesty, please calm down."
The emperor then appointed the Imperial Observatory.
The Imperial Observatory was terrified and drenched in cold sweat, not daring to utter a single word. The Prince of Changle was now the Emperor's most cherished person, and he dared not openly offend the Emperor. However, the Crown Prince, far away at the border, was about to return to the capital.
He couldn't answer, nor could he not answer.
The emperor stared intently at him: "Tell me, what exactly do the celestial signs indicate?"
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..." He trembled as he knelt on the ground, his eyes tightly shut, his mind racing. After a long while, he finally gritted his teeth and replied, "Your Majesty, I only said that a dark blue-black alien star from the east had invaded Ziwei. I didn't say anything else..."
The emperor's forehead was covered in cold sweat, and he gave a cold laugh: "So, you're blaming me for being wrong?"
"Your Majesty, Your ... dares not!"
"Back then, you told me firmly, 'If you can't avoid it, kill it,' but now you're making excuses? I think you have ulterior motives... Lan Huai'en!" the emperor called out to the outside.
The Imperial Astronomical Bureau official kneeling on the ground was trembling like a leaf.
"Your subject is present."
"Go and interrogate him thoroughly. Make sure you find out exactly what happened behind the scenes!"
"yes."
.
When Madam Sun heard the rumors, she was also furious. Even though the gossip had been executed, she could not bear the thought of her young son's body being slandered and talked about like this, which was barely cold.
Moreover, this matter does not seem to be accidental, but rather deliberately orchestrated by someone; otherwise, why would the rumor have spread so quickly?
Sun's first thought was of Yan Chao. She enjoyed considerable prestige at court, and many members of the Crown Prince's faction served her, and these people had indeed harbored hostility towards Yan Fei in the past. But now that Yan Fei had passed away, they were still pressing him relentlessly.
This is outrageous! How malicious their intentions are!
She angrily went to see the emperor, but he refused to see her. The people in the palace told her that the matter was already under investigation.
But she was really unwilling to give up, so she secretly contacted the Cao family again.
The response was that Cao Ying refused to intervene or offer any assistance. Sun felt a chill in her heart; had the Cao family also sided with the Crown Prince?
Cao Ying received a mysterious anonymous letter. The letter subtly implied that the Cao family was secretly colluding with wealthy merchants in the south and engaging in some shady dealings. Clearly, someone had already seized on this incriminating evidence, and Cao Ying immediately fell silent, naturally daring not to make any further moves.
The Cao family's close relationship with Crown Prince Zhaohuai is a thing of the past; now, he must consider the honor and disgrace of the entire Cao family.
Before the funeral rites for Prince Chang Le were even finished, Lady Sun, having emerged from her unbearable grief, finally felt a deep and intense hatred welling up within her. This hatred, following the loss of her beloved child, sustained a mother's final resolve.
.
Lan Huaien was not present before the Emperor that day.
The Emperor was unusually lucid, with Consort Ning, Princess Yongjia, the Fifth Princess, and Princess Miaohua by his side. The women carefully comforted the Emperor, who, looking at the bright and beautiful young women, felt a pang of nostalgia and a slight sense of relief.
Suddenly, a commotion arose outside the palace. Palace servants were shouting, their footsteps were disorderly, and a woman's voice was hoarse, desperate, and irritable. It even sounded like a basin of water had been overturned in the midst of the noise.
The emperor looked somewhat displeased. Princess Yongjia frowned first, and got up to go out and see what was happening. Just as she lifted the curtain, she saw Madam Sun stumbling in.
"Sister-in-law, you..."
When Lady Sun looked up and saw Consort Ning, she suddenly let out a strange chuckle. She then knelt before the Emperor with a thud, and before he could ask a question, she spoke on her own.
"Your Majesty, Crown Prince Yan Chao is a woman! She has favored Your Majesty and deceived the people of the world!"
The entire hall was astonished.
The Fifth Princess and Princess Miaohua were both frightened by her shrill tone and involuntarily shrank back, instinctively moving closer to Consort Ning.
Princess Yongjia, stunned, stepped forward to help her: "Sister-in-law, I know you're worried about Fei'er..."
Sun pushed her away and pointed to Consort Ning, whose face was deathly pale: "She definitely knows! If His Majesty doesn't believe us, then interrogate them one by one! There's also Liang Lu of the Eastern Palace, the Cui family of Jinling, and perhaps the officials under the Eastern Palace are all in cahoots with Yan Chao to deceive you!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
