Chapter 168 Shocking Change (4)
As soon as the Empress finished speaking, the crowd erupted in a deafening roar. Everyone stared at her in disbelief, and her maternal family members collapsed to the ground in terror. Poisoning the Emperor was a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family. How could the Empress utter such nonsense in public?!
Seeing that the situation was dire, the Crown Prince rushed towards the Empress without hesitation, shouting, "Mother is overwhelmed with grief and her words are nonsense! Imperial Physician, quickly help Mother into the palace to diagnose whether she has lost her mind!"
The Empress calmly pushed the Crown Prince away. She could already feel the discomfort in her body; the poison was taking effect. And she hadn't yet uttered her most important words; if she didn't, she would have no chance. Her voice trembled as she said, "Crown Prince, my fellow relatives, and the most trusted ministers of the court, you should all know that since His Majesty's fall, his energy has been greatly diminished. Furthermore, he has developed headaches, and his temper has become extremely volatile and unpredictable. He often flies into a rage over trivial matters, and many officials have been unjustly implicated because of this..."
That's true. Emperor Jian'an's temperament has changed since his injury, as the Grand Secretaries have all experienced. However, his bad temper is obviously not a reason for the Empress to harm the Emperor. Everyone listened patiently with furrowed brows as the Empress continued.
The Empress took a deep breath, her voice heavy: "His Majesty is aware of his own capricious nature. He often regrets his temper afterward, and he's taken my hand, telling me not to mind. He's repeatedly said that he's old, his energy is failing, and he has no interest in state affairs. He wants the Crown Prince to oversee the country, and he's ready to hand over the heavy responsibilities on his shoulders at any time..."
Upon hearing this, Grand Secretary Yang couldn't help but sigh. Emperor Jian'an had indeed been very willing to hand over the reins to the Crown Prince. Even someone as cautious as him had begun to curry favor with the Crown Prince. However, for some reason, their relationship suddenly became tense again. Emperor Jian'an preferred to let the cabinet members handle the matter rather than mention the Crown Prince overseeing the country again, and his attitude was fickle.
The Empress said, "More than ten days ago, he brought up the old matter again, and I couldn't help but retort a couple of times. He was putting the Crown Prince on the spot. Moreover, as the ruler of a country, his inconsistent attitude would not only discourage his ministers but also his own son. He was furious and immediately ordered me to be placed under house arrest, forbidden from leaving the palace and from seeing anyone. I was only released yesterday for Chengyao's wedding."
It was common knowledge in the palace that the Empress was under house arrest. No one expected that Emperor Jian'an would put the Empress under house arrest for this reason. The Empress was the mother of the country, and what she said was not unreasonable. Emperor Jian'an did not give her any face at all.
With both matters confirmed by the court officials, no one doubted the Queen's next words.
Tears streamed down the Empress's face: "After being placed under house arrest, I was heartbroken and felt increasingly uneasy. Everyone knows that the Crown Prince is wise and capable, and he is also constantly plagued by misfortunes. Even so, His Majesty does not forget to suppress him from time to time. Why is that?"
The Empress's expression gradually turned cold: "Eunuch Liang, you can say the rest."
Liang Qisheng stepped forward and said in a trembling voice, "His Majesty has always been concerned about the rumors that the Great Wu Emperor will not live past fifty. Several years ago, he secretly sought out a sorcerer outside the palace to predict his fate. The sorcerer predicted that His Majesty's imperial fortune was waning, while the Eastern Palace was flourishing like the rising sun, absorbing all the fortune. His Majesty believed this without a doubt and thus became wary of the Crown Prince."
The Crown Prince looked at Liang Qisheng with surprise and disbelief. When did this happen? How come he had never heard of it?
Everyone present was horrified. This was utterly absurd! Where did this heretical Taoist come from, daring to sow discord between the Emperor and his son? Could he be a spy sent by an enemy country to deliberately disrupt the court of the Great Wu?
The Empress said coldly, "Anything else? Eunuch Liang, tell me in detail what His Majesty has done in order to reclaim the fortune of the Eastern Palace?"
Liang Qisheng collapsed to the ground, choking back sobs, "Your Majesty, under the pretext of the Crown Prince's inspection tour, Your Majesty sent assassins several times, all of whom failed. After the Crown Prince returned to the capital, his defenses were very tight, and Your Majesty had no opportunity to strike, so you turned your attention to the children in the Eastern Palace... His Highness the Crown Prince lost three children in succession, all of whom were secretly poisoned one by one with slow-acting drugs. The rumors of the Crown Prince's ill omen were also secretly spread by this old servant at Your Majesty's behest..."
The Crown Prince was completely stunned. What on earth was going on? Wasn't it all Li Chengyao's doing to send people to hunt him down and poison his three children? Why were the Empress and Liang Qisheng blaming Emperor Jian'an for it all?
If he hadn't already discovered that it was Li Chengyao who did it, he would have truly believed the flawless act that the Empress and Liang Qisheng put on on the spot, or at least almost everyone present would have believed it.
Looking at the Empress's sorrowful face, the Crown Prince suddenly remembered how she had held him and wept yesterday, begging him to spare Li Chengyao's life. So, this was all the Empress's choice? To ensure his smooth ascension to the throne, and to save Li Chengyao's life, she had shifted all the blame onto Emperor Jian'an, thus protecting her two sons?
After figuring all this out, the Crown Prince burst into tears, looking at the Empress with a pained expression. Those who heard this shocking secret, seeing his reaction, assumed that his years of suffering and struggle were all due to Emperor Jian'an's belief in superstitious rumors, and they were filled with sympathy for him.
The Empress's eyes were bloodshot as she shouted, "Did you think he would stop there? No! After I discovered this, he showed no remorse whatsoever. He firmly believes that Chengming stole his fortune and he wants to kill him! Although I am his Empress, I am also Chengming's mother. Knowing that his father would harm him like this, I have no choice but to perish with him!"
Tears streamed down the Empress's face as she coughed and suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Mother!" Amidst the screams of the crowd, the Crown Prince rushed forward and caught the Empress's falling body, shouting frantically, "Imperial Physician! Where is the Imperial Physician?"
Physician Xiao squeezed in, and upon taking the Empress's pulse, his heart sank: "Your Highness, it's arsenic! Her Majesty the Empress has ingested an excessive amount of arsenic..."
The Crown Prince grabbed Physician Xiao by the collar: "Quickly prescribe medicine, quickly prescribe medicine to save my mother!"
With tears in his eyes, Doctor Xiao lowered his head regretfully amidst the earnest gazes of the crowd.
The Empress smiled slightly: "Chengming, don't make things difficult for the imperial physician. Your mother has no regrets. I have finally handed over the empire to you completely. But, do you know what your mother's last wish is? You know, don't you?"
The crown prince burst into tears, choking out, "I know, I know."
The Empress gasped, “You, you must promise me, take good care of your brother, and give him a fiefdom. How about Jiaodong? It’s near the sea and far from the capital. Send him to Jiaodong and let him live a good life instead of staying in the capital, okay?”
Seeing that the Crown Prince did not immediately agree, she coughed, spitting out more blood, her eyes filled with pleading: "Please? Can you grant my mother's last wish?"
The crown prince wept bitterly, saying, "Why does Mother only have him in her heart? Why did she give up her life for him? Why doesn't she care about me? I've already lost three children. If I lose you too, what am I supposed to do?"
The Empress also shed tears. Her hand trembled as she reached out and touched the Crown Prince's face, forcing a smile: "How could your mother not love Chengming? Our Chengming is the most sensible and filial son. He never worries your mother. It is because I trust you that I have entrusted you with this heavy responsibility. Please forgive your mother, okay? In the next life, your mother will only give birth to you and give you all my love, okay?"
The crown prince cried so hard he could hardly breathe.
The Empress sensed that her time was running out, and she said in a trembling voice, "Lord Yang, Lord Wu, Lord Zhou..."
Several high-ranking officials, with tears in their eyes, stepped forward in unison and said, "Your Majesty..."
The Empress extended her hand, and Grand Secretary Yang grasped it tightly. The Empress's eyes were already blurry: "Grand Secretary Yang, I entrust Chengming to you. Thank you for your hard work. He is a good boy, humble and soft-hearted. With your guidance, he will become a wise ruler. I entrust him to you..."
The senior officials nodded emphatically, and even a rough and uncultured man like Wu Xiuwen couldn't stop crying, his tears were much more sincere than when he cried for Emperor Jian'an.
The Empress coughed up another mouthful of blood, her breath already faint, but she couldn't close her eyes. Her gaze was unfocused, yet her mind was still preoccupied with the Crown Prince's unfulfilled promise. She weakly murmured, "Chengming..."
The crown prince wept bitterly: "Mother, I promise you, I promise you, I promise you..."
The Empress finally heard what she wanted to hear, a slight smile appeared on her lips, and she slowly closed her eyes.
"Mother!"
"Your Majesty the Empress!"
Hundreds of people immediately began to wail at the scene, the sound carrying far and wide.
Li Xiaoxiao rested her head on Meng Guanqi's shoulder, feeling the Empress's helplessness and sorrow from the bottom of her heart.
Even Meng Guanqi, who considered himself to have a perfect plan, never expected that the Empress would choose to perish together with Emperor Jian'an to help the Crown Prince open up the situation and at the same time protect Li Chengyao.
She attributed everything Li Chengyao had done to Emperor Jian'an. With so many people present, unless the Crown Prince ascended the throne and cleared Emperor Jian'an's name by revealing that Li Chengyao was behind it all, Emperor Jian'an's murder of his own son and grandson would be forever tainted in the history books of the Great Wu Dynasty.
She had done so much for her two sons, and her dying wish was only to save Li Chengyao's life. The Crown Prince was extremely filial and had no choice but to agree to the Empress's request to spare Li Chengyao's life.
A mother's love is like honey, yet also like poison.
But was it worth it for the Empress to do this? Li Xiaoxiao looked around, her heart growing cold. Li Chengyao hadn't shown up yet, and Li Xiaoxiao felt that given his vicious nature, he couldn't possibly do nothing.
The Crown Prince kept his promise. No matter how much pain he was in, he had to spare Li Chengyao's life for the sake of the Empress's last wish. But would Li Chengyao obediently walk the path that the Empress had paved for him with her life?
The Crown Prince held the Empress's body and wept uncontrollably, and the Crown Princess cried with him. Meng Guanqi whispered a few words to Li Xiaoxiao, and Li Xiaoxiao stepped forward and said to the Crown Princess, "Your Majesty, Meng Guanqi said that the Crown Prince is currently unable to handle affairs. It is time for you to step forward and make arrangements."
After all, from this day forward, the Crown Princess will be the most noble woman in the world.
The Crown Princess nodded, cried for a while longer, then finally wiped away her tears and stood up. She bowed to Zhou Huaijin, the Minister of Rites: "Minister Zhou, I know everyone is sad and upset, but it's not good for us to stay here all the time. Please help me make arrangements to go to the Fengxian Hall to prepare. I also ask the Chief Steward of the Imperial Household Department and the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices to assist us..."
Zhou Huaijin quickly avoided the Crown Princess's greeting and returned the greeting, saying, "It is only right."
Organizing the funerals of emperors and empresses according to proper etiquette has always been the responsibility of the Ministry of Rites, the Imperial Household Department, and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. They have their own procedures, and the three officials had already made their plans. Now that the Crown Princess has stepped forward to take charge, they conveniently took over their own duties and immediately arranged for their subordinates to get to work.
It was already broad daylight. Many of the people present had rushed to the palace from their homes in the middle of the night and had been crying for so long. Regardless of age, they all looked exhausted. The Crown Princess said, "Everyone has come to the palace in the middle of the night. You must all be tired. Please go back and rest for a day. The funeral arrangements for the Emperor and Empress will be announced to you once the Ministry of Rites, the Imperial Household Department, and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices have prepared them."
Many people at the scene breathed a sigh of relief, bowed to the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, and then left the scene one after another.
However, quite a few people remained: several princes, princesses and their husbands who were married and whose families were in the capital, concubines in the harem, two unmarried princesses, and people from the cabinet, the Imperial Household Department, the Ministry of Rites, and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.
Apart from the Ministry of Rites, which was to jointly oversee the funeral arrangements with the Imperial Household Department and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, the other Grand Secretaries all focused their attention on the Crown Prince.
The Qilin Army is currently stationed outside the city. They will only leave after seeing the new emperor and receiving his orders in person. At the same time, the crown prince will also personally take over the command of the Imperial Guards. Only with two large armies in his hands can his position be secure.
Grand Secretary Yang glanced at the brocade pouch at the Crown Prince's waist, where the tiger tally that the Empress had just given him was placed. He couldn't help but admire the Empress's thoughtfulness; before her death, she had cleared all obstacles for the Crown Prince. Now, the Crown Prince held two of the most elite armies in terms of both equipment and quality. Even if the local areas were dissatisfied, he could send troops to suppress them at any time.
Grand Secretary Yang stepped forward: "Your Highness, please accept my condolences. The Qilin Army is currently outside the city. To avoid causing panic among the people, please calm down and leave the palace to take over the Qilin Army."
The princes watched, their eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions—envy, resentment, and even a hint of respect that had somehow surfaced. The crown prince, who had always been their equal, was about to become the king of this country.
Finally, after being gently persuaded by his wife, the Crown Prince put down the Empress's body and allowed the palace maids of Jinghe Palace to carry her away and tidy her up.
He stood up, took a deep breath, closed his eyes briefly, and then opened them again, his eyes devoid of any emotion: "Wan Quan, Pang Shi."
Wan Quan and Pang Shi responded in unison, "Your humble servants are here."
The Crown Prince said, "Lead the way, I need to go out of the city to see the Qilin Army."
Wan Quan and Pang Shi responded in unison. Pang Shi turned around and gestured, and nearly thirty guards from the Eastern Palace immediately stepped forward and followed the Crown Prince, heading straight for the palace gate.
Liang Qisheng personally tidied Emperor Jian'an's appearance and changed him into imperial robes.
Seeing his master, whom he had served for over thirty years, now a corpse, and how the man had smeared him with such a huge smear just to save his own life, Emperor Jian'an cared most about his reputation. He didn't know how he would apologize to Emperor Jian'an in the underworld.
He couldn't help but cover his face and sob.
After he finished crying, he felt thirsty and poured himself a cup of tea. Only then did he realize that there was no one left in the bedchamber.
His heart skipped a beat for no reason, and his voice trembled: "Is anyone there? Someone come here!"
A white rope suddenly appeared in his line of sight. Liang Qisheng was shocked and was about to scream when someone tightly covered his mouth. Then he felt his body being turned around and carried on the back of that person. The white rope tightly strangled his neck. His legs kicked and struggled desperately in the air, but he only heard what sounded like bones breaking. Before he lost consciousness, he realized that it was the sound of his throat being broken...
His body was hung from the beam of Emperor Jian'an's bedroom like a broken rag doll.
It wasn't until officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices carried the coffin to prepare for Emperor Jian'an's burial that they saw Liang Qisheng hanging from a beam in the inner palace, with a kicked-over stool at his feet.
"Oh dear! Eunuch Liang has been buried alive with His Majesty!"
Officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices were so frightened that they fell to the ground and scrambled out to report.
The news quickly reached the ears of the Grand Secretaries. Grand Secretary Yang remained silent for a long time. Wang Jimin, seeing that the Grand Secretary was not speaking, also remained silent. Only Wu Xiuwen, unable to contain himself, hesitated and asked, "Should we go and call the imperial physician?"
Zhou Huaijin glanced at him: "Why call the imperial physician? He's hanged himself; he's completely dead. Can the imperial physician bring him back to life?"
Wu Xiuwen hesitated for a moment, he didn't believe that the shrewd people present couldn't see that something was amiss.
Liang Qisheng was one of only two people who testified that Emperor Jian'an murdered the crown prince. The empress was dead, and he was dead too, so there was no way to corroborate his testimony.
However, these Grand Secretaries spent every day with Emperor Jian'an, seeing the emperor more often than their own sons. They knew more or less what kind of person Emperor Jian'an was. Moreover, when the Crown Prince was assassinated and the children in the Eastern Palace died one after another, Emperor Jian'an was furious and ordered a thorough investigation. However, his will was not so firm. He felt that the Crown Prince had recovered and no longer insisted on the result, so he was somewhat perfunctory.
The Grand Secretaries believed that he neglected and suppressed the Crown Prince, but they did not believe that he actively murdered the Crown Prince and his own grandchildren.
Moreover, Liang Qisheng died soon after, which makes it even more suspicious, doesn't it?
Furthermore, although the Empress's murder of Emperor Jian'an was justified, it was still a serious crime. Should we just let it go so easily?
All eyes turned to Yang Shimin.
Yang Shimin stood up: "Go back, everyone. You're all getting on in years. Get some rest today. Tomorrow we'll be going to the palace to mourn. The Crown Prince has already taken over the Qilin Army and the Imperial Guards. After the funeral, there will be a coronation ceremony. There's still a lot to do. I'm an old man and can't handle so much trouble. I'll go back now."
After saying that, he left without even looking at the others.
The others then understood what he meant.
The Crown Prince has already taken over the army, so the matter is settled. If the Crown Prince doesn't open an investigation, this matter will remain a mystery forever.
Wu Xiuwen patted Zhou Huaijin on the shoulder and said sympathetically, "You've worked hard, Lord Zhou!"
Zhou Huaijin smiled wryly: "It's my duty."
There was no other way; both funerals and enthronement ceremonies required the Ministry of Rites to oversee them, so he, as the head of the Ministry of Rites, would probably have to work overtime day and night.
After the other Grand Secretaries returned, Zhou Huaijin stared at the setup of the mourning hall. He glanced at the princes and grandsons who were keeping vigil and suddenly realized, "Where is Prince Xin, Li Chengyao?" Why wasn't he there?
Even all the relatives are here, so why isn't his own son here?
Zhou Huaijin summoned someone from the Imperial Household Department: "Send someone to Prince Xin's residence to see why he hasn't arrived."
The first person to discover that Prince Xin was missing was Vice Minister Wang. As soon as he left the palace, he rushed to Prince Xin's residence. After knocking on the door, he grabbed the eunuch guarding the gate and asked, "Where is Prince Xin?"
How could he not be present when the emperor passed away? Does he have a death wish? The crown prince is about to ascend the throne, why is he hiding and playing the fool?
Minister Wang was extremely anxious, but the eunuch at the gate said, "The prince is not at home."
He didn't know anything more. In a great hurry, Vice Minister Wang pushed him aside and rushed into the palace.
He walked straight to the backyard and noticed that the huge Prince Xin's mansion was now only inhabited by maids and servants, without even a single guard.
He didn't have time to think much before he finally found Wang Liuniang in the main house in the backyard. She was sitting in the main house, leisurely eating breakfast.
Wang, the Vice Minister, blurted out: "What time is it? You're still eating breakfast here? Didn't you hear the bells announcing the Emperor's passing? Why aren't you in the palace observing mourning? And where is Prince Xin?"
Wang Liuniang put down her chopsticks, a barely perceptible hint of sarcasm flashing in her eyes: "Him? He ran away."
Vice Minister Wang was taken aback: "What do you mean? Where did you run off to?"
Wang Liuniang sneered, "Father should know better than I do. I only met him for the first time yesterday."
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