Chapter 288: Sharing the Grief
"Fourth Brother, I'm so tired."
A relieved smile appeared on Li Yanxiu's stunning face.
"From childhood to adulthood, I have always tried my best to do everything to the best of my ability. I want to earn my mother's respect and regain our legitimate status.
I studied literature and martial arts very hard, and I surpassed the eldest and second-in-command, but I was really tired.
The only time I indulged myself was when I fell in love with that timid little girl who hid in the flowers, feeling wronged and only knowing how to shed tears.
But I was wrong. She had been lying to me from the beginning. How could she be timid? She was clearly utterly audacious! For the sake of power, she actually dared to poison the Emperor and Empress. Hahaha, our first encounter was all fake…"
After spitting out another mouthful of black blood, Li Yanxiu hunched over in pain in his brother's arms.
"Stop it, stop it!"
Li Chengxiu didn't want to listen to him anymore. If this was the truth, he knew he would hate his brother. So he could only stop him and roll up his sleeves to wipe the blood for him.
"Imperial Physician, Uncle Yunyue! Come here quickly!"
He turned his head and roared outside the hall. His eyes were red as he suppressed the storm, and the veins on his neck were bulging.
The civil and military officials standing guard, even though they felt they were about to lose their souls due to fear, still tried their best to stay in place and keep their heads down. Even if they heard such royal secrets, they had to pretend not to hear them!
"Don't, don't shout, it's no use."
Li Yanxiu's eyes were calm and composed.
"I always thought I was filial, but in the end, I became the one who killed my father and mother. When I found out, I wanted to die to atone for my sin.
But I dare not.
I'm already a complete loser, and I can't let my parents endure the pain of losing their child.
"Fourth Brother, through all this time of teaching, I know you have what it takes to be an emperor. You're not stupid, you're just being so out of touch to avoid competing with me, right?"
He patted his brother's hand gently, his eyes full of mockery towards himself.
"Look, I'm sorry even to you. My life has been a joke. So, Cheng Xiu, I don't want to continue suffering like this.
The human world is nice, but I don't want to come back. So before I came in, I took some Gelsemium elegans. Well, it was the half bottle left over from the one I gave to that guy Lao Liu. I fed it to myself.
"elder brother!"
Li Chengxiu's tears fell on his brother. He was so sad that day and night that he felt like his chest was about to explode. The pain was unbearable.
"Why are you doing this? Since Mom and Dad haven't said anything, it means they don't blame you! Why are you saying it yourself?"
"They don't blame me, but I blame myself! I haven't done anything well. I haven't done anything well as a son, a brother, a husband, or a father.
After you ascend the throne, please remove me from the Li royal family. Although Song Ziying was buried as the Crown Princess, without me as the Crown Prince, there is naturally no so-called Crown Princess.
As for my children, I have already arranged a place for them, so you don't have to worry about them anymore."
Li Yanxiu's voice gradually became lower.
"Cheng Xiu, Jiang Wan was the one who chose to stay. I don't want you to hate me even more. From now on... from now on, Dayu will be handed over to you..."
"Here they come, the doctors are here!"
Prince Shun grabbed the imperial physician's order and rushed into the palace. Without even having time to salute, Qiao Yunyue immediately led his men to rescue the prince.
After a hurried examination, all the imperial doctors knelt down on the ground with grim expressions and kowtowed to apologize.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince is dead!"
As soon as the imperial physician finished speaking, Qiao Yunhai fell to the ground with a thud and threw himself beside his eldest nephew, crying loudly.
"Prince, why are you so stubborn? How should your uncle explain this to your mother? My eldest nephew..."
Prime Minister Ji's face turned pale as he shook himself and fell to his knees. It was over! He had invested so much effort in the prince, and now it was all over!
The civil and military officials in the hall knelt down along with the heads of all officials. After crying for the emperor and empress, they began to cry for the crown prince.
The sixth year of Zhaowu, July 24th.
After the death of the Emperor and Empress, they also sent off His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.
The sky is falling!
People in the capital were in panic.
Although the Crown Prince had clearly stated before his death that he would give up his throne to the Prince of Qi, His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi was different from his biological brother, the Crown Prince, and his status was not so legitimate.
The emperor has passed away, and the crown prince is also dead, so every one of the remaining princes should have the possibility of succeeding to the throne. Why should it be given to the unreliable Prince Qi?
Every court official had their own thoughts, and every noble family was watching cautiously. In fact, if Duke Ling hadn't directly ordered soldiers from the suburban camp to surround the gates of the capital, there would have been many people who wanted to make trouble.
The court was divided into two camps. One group was willing to follow the Crown Prince's words and allow His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi to ascend the throne. The other group believed that it was not legitimate and that His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi was not the successor designated by the late emperor.
If someone as unreliable as His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi could ascend to the throne, then why couldn't the former deposed Crown Prince, now His Royal Highness the Prince of An, become the emperor? Even if we take a step back, there are still His Royal Highness the Prince of Jing and His Royal Highness the Prince of Shun. Why not let all the princes compete for the throne based on their own abilities?
It’s good to be messy, the messier the better!
This is the truest thought in the minds of many aristocratic families. Only when the Li family is in chaos can they have an opportunity to take advantage of it.
But the new rich generally don't think so.
In the past, they had to endure hardships and hardships with the late emperor, and walked on the edge of a knife for many years. They finally conquered the world and achieved their current status. No matter what they say, they cannot allow the royal family to be destroyed like this!
So the two sides fought each other with clear division. Fortunately, two days later, things took a turn for the better.
The eldest prince, His Royal Highness Prince An, dragged his sick body and traveled day and night from Guangping Prefecture to the capital, and he pulled out a will from the late emperor from somewhere.
It was clearly written on it that if Crown Prince Li Yanxiu was unfit to take the throne, the fourth prince Li Chengxiu, who was also a legitimate son, would be the successor!
The imperial edict was clearly stamped with the late emperor's imperial seal after being verified one by one by a dozen important officials in the court.
Everything is finally settled.
In the palace, Zhao Yu'e, who was exhausted, lay in front of the tablet and cried bitterly.
"Husband, Yunniang! Why did you just leave me? Yanxiu, why did you leave so cruelly? You are such a cruel child..."
"Mother, I'm so sorry."
Jiang Wan supported Concubine Rong, who was crying heart-wrenchingly, and didn't know how to comfort her.
"You are already in poor health. You cannot continue to grieve like this, for fear it will break your heart. Father, the Emperor, and Mother, the Empress, will certainly not want to see you so sad..."
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