Chapter 165 A Shocking Change (1)
Tomorrow is the auspicious day of Prince Xin, Li Chengyao's, marriage and the division of his residence. After nearly ten days of recuperation, Emperor Jian'an's headache has finally healed, and he has finally made an exception and lifted the ban on the Empress's house arrest the day before Li Chengyao's wedding.
The Empress looked much more haggard. The couple sat facing each other without saying a word for a long time.
Emperor Jian'an finally said, "I released you because Chengyao is getting married tomorrow, and we both have to attend. You are not only the Empress Dowager, but also Chengyao's mother. He is getting married, are you going to keep a long face and not say a word like this?"
The Empress said blankly, "I thought Your Majesty didn't intend to release me."
Emperor Jian'an frowned: "What nonsense are you talking about? Haven't you figured it out yet? Xinniang, you used to be the most understanding, how come you don't understand my predicament?"
The Empress took a deep breath, trying to suppress the tears in her eyes, and looked at Emperor Jian'an: "Your Majesty and I have been husband and wife since childhood, how could I not understand Your Majesty's thoughts? But both are my flesh and blood, and I do not want them to fight like this."
Emperor Jian'an said, "I am doing this only to maintain a balance. Neither of my two sons is in a position of power, which would be detrimental to the stability of the court. They need a strong opponent to remind them of their shortcomings. Rest assured, everything is under my control."
The Empress stared blankly out the window, as if there were endless beautiful views there: "After Chengyao gets married, what job does Your Majesty plan to arrange for him? Now that he is married and has a separate residence, although the Imperial Household Department provides him with a stipend, Your Majesty will not let him just be an idle prince, will he?"
Emperor Jian'an smiled slightly: "Minister of Personnel Wang Jimin is not young anymore, and there are many things he is not capable of handling. I plan to send Chengyao to the Ministry of Personnel to gain experience and learn how to use people."
The Ministry of Personnel is the most important and core department among the six ministries of the imperial court, second only to the Ministry of Revenue. It is related to the career advancement of all officials in the court. If Li Chengyao were to take up a post in the Ministry of Personnel, the Crown Prince would probably not be able to sleep at all.
Emperor Jian'an never allowed anyone from the Eastern Palace to interfere in the affairs of the Ministry of Personnel, fearing that if the Eastern Palace became involved in personnel appointments too early, they would inevitably cultivate their own power base. However, he appointed Li Chengyao to a position in the Ministry of Personnel...
The Empress lowered her head, unable to utter a single word. After a long while, she finally said with difficulty, "Your Majesty is wise. It is excellent that Chengyao can take up his post in the Ministry of Personnel."
Emperor Jian'an was very pleased with her tact.
After he left, the Empress sat by the window for a long time, tearing the peony petals off the windowsill one by one.
The head palace maid, Dongxue, immediately noticed that the Empress had torn apart her most beloved peony and couldn't help but exclaim softly, "Your Majesty!"
The Empress turned her head, and Dongxue could clearly see two lines of tears hanging on the Empress's cheeks.
Dongxue felt a pang of sadness and tears welled up in her eyes: "Your Majesty, His Majesty has finally lifted your confinement. You should be happy. Tomorrow is the Sixth Prince's wedding day. You mustn't cry."
The Empress said blankly, "I know, after I cry this time, I won't cry again."
After a long while, she finally calmed down, took out a handkerchief to wipe away her tears, and said, "Go and ask someone to call the Crown Prince over."
Dongxue replied "Yes," and went out to instruct the little eunuch to find the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince had to attend his younger brother's wedding, no matter how unwilling he was. Wan Quan presented him with the auspicious clothes to wear the next day. He was feeling annoyed when he suddenly heard the Empress's summons and was immediately stunned.
By the way, the Empress Dowager's house arrest should have been lifted by now. He hadn't seen the Empress for about ten days. Upon hearing this, he immediately stood up and said, "I understand. I will go see the Empress Dowager now."
The Crown Prince entered Jinghe Palace and immediately saw the Empress sitting motionless by the window; she had lost a lot of weight.
The crown prince felt a pang of sadness upon seeing this and stepped forward to bow, saying, "Your Majesty."
The Empress came to her senses and smiled slightly: "Chengming is here, please sit down."
The Crown Prince sat down in the chair, looking at the Empress with a complicated expression: "Mother, you have lost a lot of weight, but you don't seem to enjoy your meals?"
The Empress felt a warmth in her heart and said softly, "Your Majesty is alright. It's just that the summer heat has made her lose her appetite. She'll feel better in a while."
The Crown Prince picked up the teacup, took a sip, and slowly put it down: "I was afraid of making things difficult for Mother, so I won't ask Father why he put Mother under house arrest. But now that you're out, and my sixth brother is getting married soon, Mother, please relax and take care of your health."
The Empress smiled: "I have no daughter, yet Chengming cares for my health as if it were one. In that case, why don't you stay and have dinner with me, Chengming?"
The crown prince was slightly taken aback, but he didn't think much of it and nodded in agreement.
The Empress was very pleased and ordered the kitchen to prepare many of the Crown Prince's favorite dishes. She ate very little herself, but kept serving the Crown Prince food during the meal, as if she cherished this hard-won dinner.
Since Li Chengyao's affair was exposed, the mother and son have not been able to sit down and have a meal together in a very long time. The Crown Prince has a knot in his heart, and the Empress feels guilty towards the Crown Prince. When they meet, it is as if there is a veil between them. They are both trying to maintain a peaceful appearance. In fact, under this veil are many wounds and a heart full of guilt. Neither of them knows how to relieve their pain.
After the meal, the Empress seemed to have a lot to say, but the Crown Prince was not necessarily interested in listening. He glanced at the sky outside and said, "It's getting late. Your Majesty, I should return to the palace. Mother, you should also rest early."
The Empress will be presiding over Li Chengyao's wedding tomorrow, so she will have to get up very early.
The Crown Prince turned to leave, but the Empress stood up and said, "Chengming, wait a moment."
The Crown Prince turned around, and the Empress walked over, took his hand, and pressed him down into a chair. She turned back and said, "All of you go out and stand guard outside the door. No one is allowed to come in."
The servants filed out of the room, and the Crown Prince looked at the Empress with a puzzled expression: "Does Your Majesty have something to say?"
The Empress's lips trembled, and tears welled in her eyes. Finally, she said with difficulty, "Chengming, promise me you won't kill your brother, okay? Your mother knows he has done something wrong and is unforgivable, but your mother still begs you, pleads with you, to spare his life, okay?"
The Crown Prince's face grew colder and colder, and his voice was devoid of any warmth: "Mother, you've got it backwards, haven't you? My sixth brother is firmly protected by Father and Mother. It should be me begging him not to kill me and to spare my life. Is Mother mocking my incompetence?"
The Empress suddenly rushed forward and hugged him like she had when he was a child. The Crown Prince was tall and strong, and the frail Empress could only barely hold onto his shoulders with all her might. The Crown Prince's body stiffened, not knowing what she meant.
The Empress wept, saying, "Chengming, I'm so sorry. I don't know how I can ever be worthy of you... But you must believe me, you are also my son. In my heart, you are just as important as Chengyao..."
The Empress was trembling all over as she whispered in his ear, "I dare not ask you to forgive Chengyao. I only beg you to spare his life after you ascend the throne. Give him a remote fiefdom so he can leave with his family. You can send troops to monitor him, and you can order him to never enter the capital again. But I beg you, spare his life, okay?"
The Crown Prince was filled with doubt, his brows furrowed tightly, unable to understand why the Empress would say such a thing.
But the Empress only pleaded for Li Chengyao, without mentioning his pain at all, which made him rebellious. He broke free from her embrace and couldn't help but shout, "Why do you only plead with me? What about Li Chengyao? Why don't you plead with him, Mother? He killed three of my children, and now only Ke'er and Yu'er are left in the Eastern Palace. Yu'er is sickly and I don't know if he can survive. The imperial physician even said that I may never be able to have children again. But does Li Chengyao know what he did wrong? Father even released him after imprisoning him for less than a year. Why don't you think about me, Mother? I am also your son. Is this fair to me?"
The prince's tears also streamed down his face.
If Emperor Jian'an and the Empress had simply moved Li Chengyao out of the palace and placed him under house arrest, perhaps after a few years, once his grief had subsided, they might have spared his life out of respect for the Empress, exiling him to a remote fiefdom where they would never see each other again. But less than a year had passed, a mere ten months, before Emperor Jian'an hastily released him. How could he possibly accept this?
The Empress reached out to wipe his tears as she wept, murmuring, "He will be punished, and your father and I will be punished too. Just remember your mother's request today; it is my only wish."
The crown prince pushed the empress's hand away in frustration and left without looking back.
The empress slowly sat down on the ground, covering her face and weeping bitterly.
The dispute between the Crown Prince and the Empress was quickly reported to Emperor Jian'an.
Emperor Jian'an frowned: "Tomorrow is Chengyao's wedding day, why are the Crown Prince and Empress arguing?"
The eunuch who brought the news said, "Her Majesty the Empress has sent all the servants away. We can vaguely hear Her Majesty pleading with the Crown Prince, saying something about asking him to spare Prince Xin."
Emperor Jian'an snorted coldly: "The Crown Prince didn't agree, did he?"
The eunuch did not reply.
Emperor Jian'an closed his eyes: "I understand, you may leave."
After the eunuch left, Liang Qisheng came up to serve tea. Emperor Jian'an suddenly spoke up: "The Empress is actually still thinking of getting Chengming and Chengyao to reconcile. But her two sons are no longer children. Who will listen to her now?"
Liang Qisheng said in a low voice, "The Empress has a kind heart, which is understandable."
Emperor Jian'an snorted coldly: "So, you mean I, as a father, don't care about my son? Liang Qisheng, you and the Empress only know one side of the story. How easy is it to be the Crown Prince? The Crown Prince still needs to be trained. Only when he learns to hide his hatred on his face and keep his schemes hidden in his heart instead of on the surface, will he have the ability to stand on his own."
Liang Qisheng dared not reply, but stepped forward and gently lowered the curtain for Emperor Jian'an: "Your Majesty, it's getting late. Tomorrow you and the Empress will be going to the Prince Xin's residence for the wedding. You should rest early."
Emperor Jian'an had no intention of saying anything more and closed his eyes.
The wedding of the Emperor and Empress's youngest son, the young Prince Xin, caused a stir throughout Yongning Ward. Countless carriages of high-ranking officials lined up to enter the mansion. The Emperor and Empress personally presided over the entire wedding ceremony, and the Crown Prince and cabinet ministers were also present. The scale of the event was second only to the Crown Prince's wedding.
Aze whispered to Li Xiaoxiao, "My father and mother couldn't sleep last night. They seemed very unhappy."
But no matter how unhappy they were, the Crown Prince and Crown Princess had to attend the wedding in full makeup and with smiles on their faces. Aze felt sad when he saw this: "Sister Xiaoxiao, will I be like Father and Mother in the future? I'm clearly unhappy, but I have to pretend to be happy."
Li Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and said, "I hope you don't have to. You can laugh when you want to laugh, and you can throw a tantrum when you want to throw a tantrum. If you're unhappy, you should pretend to be happy. That's something someone else should do. Don't do that kind of thing."
Ah Ze is already the Crown Prince, why should he need to be mindful of others' opinions? Besides, he is still young and can be willful at this age, so he can do whatever he wants without having to act hypocritically like adults.
Emperor Jian'an and Empress attended the entire wedding ceremony and did not leave until the end of the day. The Crown Prince's carriage followed the imperial procession into the palace. The Emperor and Empress went to the Taiji Hall, while the Crown Prince went to the East Palace.
Emperor Jian'an was especially happy today and even drank a cup of wine. He wanted to drink more, but the Empress gently stopped him and served him a bowl of ginseng tea.
Even though he couldn't drink much, Emperor Jian'an was very happy. Sitting in the carriage, feeling the cool summer breeze, he even started humming a song.
When they reached the fork in the road, Liang Qisheng was about to ask if they should send the Empress back first when the Empress said, "Your Majesty has not drunk alcohol for a long time, but now he is in the mood again and is even singing. It is clear that he is a little drunk. Why don't you go to Jinghe Palace to rest? Your Majesty, I will make you a bowl of hangover soup."
Emperor Jian'an was in a very good mood and did not refuse. Liang Qisheng then had the carriage drive directly into Jinghe Palace.
The Empress personally went down to cook a hangover soup. Emperor Jian'an even said to Liang Qisheng, "I only drank one cup of wine, and the Empress was so afraid that I would get drunk that she personally went to cook a hangover soup. Couldn't she have just asked any palace servant for such a small matter?"
Liang Qisheng quickly chimed in, "Your Majesty is showing concern for His Majesty's health; no one else has this honor."
Emperor Jian'an chuckled a few times and instructed Liang Qisheng to help him change his clothes.
Jinghe Palace certainly had no shortage of Emperor Jian'an's clothes. Liang Qisheng had just helped Emperor Jian'an change into his pajamas and wiped his face, hands and feet with a hot towel when the Empress brought over a bowl of hangover soup.
Liang Qisheng hurriedly went to take it, but the Empress gently avoided him: "Eunuch Liang must be tired today. Why don't you go to the outer hall to rest first? Just leave a eunuch at the door to listen to his orders. I'll take care of His Majesty's affairs."
Emperor Jian'an waved to him, and Liang Qisheng bowed and left.
The Empress held a fan and gently cooled the hangover soup. She then spoke of today's wedding and sighed, "We have witnessed Chengyao's marriage with our own eyes. In the blink of an eye, the children have grown up, been granted fiefdoms and titles, and are all far away from us."
Emperor Jian'an said with his eyes half-closed, "What do you mean 'far away'? With a single order from me, they'll have to obediently come back even if they run to the ends of the earth. If you miss your son, you can call him back to be by your side and fulfill your filial duties at any time."
The Empress smiled slightly: "I wonder if this Lady Wang can take good care of Cheng Yao. I heard she has a terrible temper in her boudoir."
Emperor Jian'an said, "She has five older brothers, isn't it normal for her to have a bit of a temper?"
The Empress said softly, "Yes, it's understandable that the daughter of the Vice Minister of War is a bit spoiled. Cheng Yao is also spoiled, and his clothes are more flamboyant than those of young girls. I hope he can wear colorful clothes as he pleases in the future."
Emperor Jian'an snorted, "Now that you're married and about to enter the palace to serve, it's best to wear official robes. Those flashy ones make you look unreliable."
The Empress said softly, "Whether it's steady or not, I'm afraid we won't be able to see it..."
Emperor Jian'an didn't hear clearly and opened his eyes slightly: "What did you just say?" He wondered if it was his imagination, but he thought he saw tears on the Empress's face. When he opened his eyes wide in surprise, the Empress lowered her head and fanned the bowl of calming medicine. It seemed to be his imagination.
Women love to cry and whine. They can even cry a few times when their son gets married. It's a good thing they don't have a daughter. If they had a daughter, she would cry herself blind after she got married.
The Empress fanned the hangover medicine to cool it down and then sat it down in front of Emperor Jian'an: "Your Majesty, you can drink the hangover soup now. Please drink it before you go to sleep."
Emperor Jian'an was a little drowsy: "I'm sleepy now. I only drank one cup of wine, so I don't need to drink any hangover soup. I'll just take a nap."
The Empress said, "Your Majesty, please drink. What if you have a headache again when you sober up tomorrow?"
Upon hearing that he might get a headache, Emperor Jian'an became frightened and quickly propped himself up, taking the empress's hand to drink the hangover soup.
He'd only taken a sip when his expression turned strange: "What did you put in this hangover soup? It tastes weird."
The Empress said, "I also added some calming tea. Your Majesty will be able to sleep well after drinking it."
There must have been too much of this calming tea. Emperor Jian'an found it extremely bitter and put it down after drinking only half of it, saying, "This tea is very bitter. I'll be fine after drinking half a bowl."
The Empress's eyes were gentle, and she did not force him: "Your Majesty, please take a nap. I will drink the rest of the tea."
Emperor Jian'an nodded, closed his eyes, and went to sleep.
But not long after he closed his eyes, he suddenly felt a burning pain shoot up from his stomach and rush up to his chest, lungs, and throat. The pain came so suddenly that he opened his eyes wide and clutched his throat tightly, trying to call for Liang Qisheng to come in, but he found that he could not make a sound.
His voice seemed hoarse, as if one hand had torn his vocal cords, or as if another hand was desperately squeezing the air in his chest, making him exhale more than he inhale.
He reached out a hand to grab the queen's clothes, as if to ask her for help. The queen stepped forward and took his hand.
Emperor Jian'an's face flushed crimson, his eyes bloodshot and filled with terror. He gasped, "Save me! Call...call the imperial physician..."
The Empress gently shook her head, her eyes gradually turning cold: "Your Majesty, no imperial physicians will come tonight."
Her voice was extremely low, almost a whisper, which, to Emperor Jian'an, made him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave. He looked at the Empress in disbelief, then at the bowl of hangover soup he had only drunk half of: "You, you poisoned me?"
The Empress nodded expressionlessly.
Emperor Jian'an trembled all over: "Why, why?"
Tears welled up in the Empress's eyes and she said, word by word, "I cannot stand by and watch you, because of your attachment to power, manipulate your own son and create an irreconcilable feud. I cannot do that."
She reached out and wiped away her tears: "Over the past year, every time I woke up from a nightmare, I felt guilty towards Chengming. I don't regret saving Chengyao's life. After all, he is my son. I couldn't just watch him die in front of me, die at Chengming's hands. That's why I stood with you at the East Palace that day and saved him."
She stood up, her eyes icy as she looked at Emperor Jian'an: "But what are you doing? You saved his life not out of pity or a desire to reform him, but to use him to suppress Chengming. You refuse to acknowledge your old age and weakness, refuse to face the fact that you are no longer capable of governing, and want your two sons to kill each other to satisfy your own selfish desires and greed. You are not fit to be a father at all! You are enjoying Chengming's suffering, you are encouraging Chengyao to turn bad, and you even want to place him in the Ministry of Personnel? What are you up to?"
Her eyes blazed with fury: "Do you think you can control everything? Don't be naive. If Chengming weren't so filial, if Chengyao had more power, they would both rebel against you, and the two brothers would eventually become mortal enemies! How am I, as their mother, supposed to face this situation? No matter which one of them dies, I will be devastated. I can't just watch my sons kill each other, so I have no choice but to stop this farce."
Blood was beginning to trickle from the corner of Emperor Jian'an's mouth: "You, you poisonous woman! Even if you poison me to death, Li Chengming will not let Chengyao go."
The Empress, however, seemed confident: "I know, so I will make Chengming agree to my request. I will put him on the throne, and my only request is to give Chengyao a fiefdom so that he can leave the capital forever."
In this way, both of her sons were saved.
Emperor Jian'an endured wave after wave of pain in his chest, blood bubbling from his lips. He struggled incessantly, fear, regret, and resentment intertwined, making it impossible for him to discern his own emotions. He stammered, "Then, what am I in your eyes? We've been husband and wife for over thirty years, and you're willing to harm me like this..."
A hint of sadness flashed in the Empress's eyes, but she quickly made up her mind: "Your Majesty, you don't need to be afraid. After I have settled everything, I will come to you soon. I want to hear Chengming promise to let Chengyao go and to personally remove the obstacles to his ascension to the throne. Then I can come to you."
Emperor Jian'an was in despair. He felt like he couldn't breathe. In the intense pain, his legs kicked and thrashed involuntarily, trying to make a noise to alert the eunuchs outside. However, Liang Qisheng had been sent away by the Empress, and the eunuchs on duty outside were the Empress's men. Even if he heard the noise, they wouldn't make a sound.
Finally, Emperor Jian'an's struggles slowed down. He vomited several mouthfuls of blood, his neck tilted to the side, his eyes widened, and he exhaled his last breath from his chest, finally dying.
The Queen remained motionless for a long time until the candle flame began to die out. Finally, she stood up, picked up a pair of scissors, and trimmed the wick, and the candle flame was rekindled.
She took a deep breath, walked to the bedside, gently reached out and checked Emperor Jian'an's nose, then felt for the pulse in his neck. Confirming he was completely lifeless, she walked to the palace gate and said expressionlessly to the eunuch guarding it, "Go."
The young eunuch bowed and quickly disappeared into the night.
It was late at night, and everyone in the palace except for the maids, eunuchs, and guards on duty was asleep.
"Dong, dong, dong," the dull chimes rang out, carrying far and wide in the quiet night, ringing nine times before stopping.
The prince jumped out of bed the moment he heard the first bell, his face changed drastically, and he listened intently, counting the number of bell tolls.
Nine strikes! This is the sound of the bell tolling as the emperor passes away!
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