Chapter 474 The Emperor Passes Away
"If you dare to take another step forward, I will charge you with treason and kill all nine clans of your Yan family!"
Zhao Hua pointed his sword at Yan Hong's throat, but this move could only calm him down temporarily.
He was born a military general and was used to seeing the killing on the battlefield. The only reason he was surprised at the moment was that a girl from Zhaohua dared to point a sword at him.
After calming down, Yan Hong suddenly grabbed Zhao Hua's sword with his backhand.
A deep and long bloody wound was cut on the palm of his hand, and blood flowed down along the icy sword blade.
He seemed to be unaware of the pain and held it tighter.
"The Queen is determined to stop me from protecting you, but is there something wrong?"
During the dispute, the soldiers on both sides held the hilts of their swords and a chaotic battle was about to break out.
'Squeak'
Suddenly, the door to the inner bedroom was pushed open.
Hearing the noise, everyone looked over.
Seeing that Ning Wanshuang was alone, he walked out with his head held high.
Facing the surprised gazes of the crowd, she slowly walked forward, and after standing beside Zhao Hua, she said to the crowd in a cold voice,
"No need to protect you. Your Majesty, the dragon has passed away."
As soon as these words came out, there was an uproar. Yan Hong even pushed away the sword, rushed to Ning Wanshuang, and questioned her harshly,
"What did you say?"
Ning Wanshuang looked into his wide eyes calmly and said lightly:
"I said, the emperor is dead. I poisoned him."
She spoke so casually, not like the death of the emperor, but as if an insignificant cat or dog had died.
When Zhaohua heard her words, his heart was immediately in knots.
First, she had never thought that Ning Wanshuang would personally kill Xiao Jingheng when the overall situation was already decided;
Secondly, she said this in front of Yan Hong. If the coroner proves that Xiao Jingheng was really poisoned in the future, then Ning Wanshuang will definitely not be able to survive.
In order to protect Ning Wanshuang, Zhao Hua had to calm down first and shouted at her:
"Royal Concubine, please don't talk nonsense. The emperor is seriously ill and can't bear the torture. He once told me that he wanted me to give him a quick death. But the emperor just said the same thing to you, so you ended it for him?"
Ning Wanshuang smiled but did not answer, she pushed through the crowd and walked out.
How could Yan Hong let her go like this? He stepped forward and grabbed her arm, stopping her and saying:
"I'm afraid the Imperial Concubine can't leave now!"
Ning Wanshuang turned around and gave him a cold look, saying jokingly:
"You don't have to stop me. With this square palace wall surrounding me, where can I go? The coroner hasn't come yet. You are a general from the previous dynasty and have no right to decide matters in the harem. If you want to arrest me, wait until you have solid evidence and confirm that the emperor was poisoned to death by the red-crowned crane. It won't be too late to arrest me then."
She shook her hands vigorously, broke free from Yan Hong's restraints, and walked out of Chaoyang Palace without looking back.
At this moment, the concubines who were attending to the sick, the historians who were recording the records, and the countless palace maids and eunuchs who served before the emperor all rushed into the inner chamber.
Yan Hongzi did not dare to delay for a moment and hurried inside to check on Xiao Jingheng's condition.
At this time, Zhao Hua couldn't catch up with Ning Wanshuang to ask for clarification.
She had to stay and wait for Xiao Yinzi to bring out Xiao Jingheng's last will and then stabilize the political situation before discussing other matters.
Furthermore, if it is really discovered that Xiao Jingheng’s death was caused by Ning Wanshuang, Zhao Hua can also think of a countermeasure at the first time.
I heard her whisper to Xiao Fuzi:
"Go and inform my brother's subordinates, the dead soil, if Yan Hong insists on holding Sister Wan responsible, I will even mutiny to protect Sister Wan!"
Xiao Fuzi agreed and went to do it immediately.
Zhaohua, supported by Yunshan, slowly walked towards the inner bedroom.
While standing outside the door, Zhao Hua could already hear the cries of grief coming from the inner chamber.
After she pushed the door open and walked in, Xiao Yinzi, who was kneeling in front of Xiao Jingheng's bed, turned around and kowtowed to her repeatedly, crying and saying:
"Empress! The Emperor...has passed away!"
Hearing this, Zhao Hua lost his balance and stumbled.
Fortunately, the servants around him supported him and he did not fall to the ground.
She walked with lead-like steps, step by step, to Xiao Jingheng's bed.
Looking at the person sleeping quietly on the couch, Zhao Hua felt mixed emotions.
She recalled the youthful time she had spent with Xiao Jingheng when she first entered the palace.
At that time, she did have a moment when she thought Xiao Jingheng was a man worthy of entrusting her life to.
Now that her beloved has passed away and they were once husband and wife, she could only kneel on the ground in shock, holding Xiao Jingheng's cold and stiff hands, and weeping.
"Xiao Lang...Your Majesty!"
On the first day of March in the tenth year of the Qiyuan reign, Emperor Qilong Xiao Jingheng died at the age of thirty-one.
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