Chapter 83 A Mother's Heart is as Vast as the Sea, The Phoenix's Cry Ends Forever
The light in the inner room was dimmer than in the outer room. The smell of medicine mixed with a faint scent of agarwood created a special atmosphere that was almost frozen, belonging to the moment of death. Empress Zhangsun leaned against the soft pillows. The little bit of spirit she had forced when speaking with Li Shimin and Wang Yi just now vanished like the receding tide, leaving only an unusual clarity in her eyes, which were fixed on her eldest son kneeling before her bed.
"Godson..." she began, her voice weaker than before, yet carrying an undeniable penetrating power.
"Your Majesty, I am here." Li Chengqian hurriedly replied, holding his mother's withered hands tightly, as if trying to use his body heat to hold onto the rapidly fading life force.
"There is no one else here." Empress Zhangsun took a breath, her gaze fixed on the depths of Li Chengqian's eyes, a gaze that held both final tenderness and an unyielding sharpness. "Mother's time... is running out. There are some things... Mother must ask clearly."
Li Chengqian's heart sank suddenly, as if he had a premonition of something.
"Tell your mother," Empress Zhangsun asked, each word clear and slow, "what exactly do you think of Master Wang? Have you ever... ever felt, for even a moment, feelings that were not those of a master and disciple, not those of a ruler and his subject, but rather those of a man for a woman... love?"
The air seemed to freeze completely at that moment. Li Chengqian's whole body stiffened, his blood seemed to rush to his head, only to freeze instantly. He opened his mouth, his throat bobbing, but no sound came out.
If his father had asked, if anyone else had asked, even if he had been outside just moments before, he could have answered without hesitation and with absolute certainty, "No." He had to say "No," for the sake of the Crown Prince, for the sake of the Emperor, and for his own sake.
But… the person who asked that question was his mother. The one with whom he had shared ten months of blood, who had given him life, who had raised him to adulthood, and who was now lying on her sickbed, about to leave him forever. Her eyes were so clear, so sorrowful, and yet so… understanding.
In these final moments, in these final whispers, would he still use lies to face the person who loved him most in the world?
"I..." Li Chengqian's voice choked. A tremendous sense of shame, fear, guilt, and a trace of emotion he couldn't even explain, which he had forcibly suppressed, surged through him like a flood breaking through a dam, assaulting his rational defenses. He lowered his head, unable to look into his mother's eyes any longer, his shoulders trembling slightly.
He didn't say "yes," but his painful and conflicted silence, which he couldn't immediately deny, instantly revealed his inner struggle and was the best answer.
No one knows a son better than his mother. Looking at her son's bowed head and trembling shoulders, the last glimmer of hope in her heart vanished, replaced by a deep, bitter, and helpless understanding. She closed her eyes briefly, and when she opened them again, they were filled with an almost desolate calm.
As expected... that's how it is.
A bitter smile flickered across her pale, chapped lips. What could she do? Tell Shimin that his eldest son, the crown prince he had placed so much hope in, harbored inappropriate feelings for a woman he also relied on, a woman who might even harbor complicated emotions within him? What kind of upheaval would that unleash? Would the already strained relationship between father and son, strained by rumors, repeat the tragedy of Shimin and the retired emperor? How would the court be shaken? And what fate awaited Master Wang…?
Did she not care how useful Wang Zhenren was to the nation? Perhaps. Did she care more about Shimin's feelings? Yes, she loved him. But at this moment, she was first and foremost a mother, a dying mother. She could not plant such a devastating seed for her son.
Her son had already stepped into the trap of love, lust, and power struggles. Now, with her last strength, she would point him to a path that might be dark and twisted, but at least one that would preserve his life and prevent him from being immediately shattered to pieces.
"Godson... look up at your mother." Empress Zhangsun's voice suddenly became stern, carrying an unquestionable command.
Li Chengqian trembled, slowly raised his head, his face full of tears and confusion.
Empress Zhangsun looked deeply into his eyes, and with all her might, said clearly, "You must engrave every word I am about to say in your heart, remember it to the core! Can you do that?"
"Yes... Your Majesty, I can!" Li Chengqian replied through gritted teeth.
"Very well." Empress Zhangsun took a deep breath, suppressing the metallic taste in her throat, and spoke rapidly but with exceptional clarity, "First, from this day forward, you must never let anyone—including your father, your wives and concubines, or even your most trusted confidants—know your true thoughts! If anyone asks, you must insist that you have only respect for Master Wang and no other intentions whatsoever! Do you understand?!"
“…I’ve got it.” Li Chengqian nodded emphatically, his nails digging deep into his palms.
"Second," Empress Zhangsun continued, her gaze sharp as a knife, "if...if you really can't control your heart, then go find her! Find several...women who resemble her even a little bit in temperament and mannerisms, keep them by your side as comfort. But!" she emphasized, "you absolutely cannot find only one type! You must simultaneously take in several completely different types to distract everyone! Be especially careful not to let anyone find any evidence of 'substitutes'! Understand?"
This was practically teaching her son how to satisfy his inappropriate desires in a more covert and misleading way. Li Chengqian was horrified, but he also knew that his mother was planning the most realistic "escape route" for him. He could only nod and say, "Your subject understands."
"Third," Empress Zhangsun's voice suddenly became extremely low, carrying an almost ruthless resolve, "before your father... passes away, you absolutely, absolutely must not take any substantial action against Master Wang! Not even the slightest hint of it! You must be patient, you must act as if nothing is happening!"
She paused, her breath slightly unsteady, but she gripped Li Chengqian's hand tightly, and with her last strength, uttered the most astonishing words: "If... if in the future, you really do succeed to the throne... if by then, Master Wang is not yet old, and your heart... has not changed..."
She looked directly into her son's wide-eyed eyes and said, word by word, "Then... imprison her! Find a place where no one can find her, and only you and a very few trusted confidants who will never betray you will know about this! After that, do whatever you want... as long as it doesn't cost you your life or your kingdom, it's up to you!"
This shocking "arrangement" struck Li Chengqian like a thunderbolt, chilling him to the bone! Imprisonment? That was the Protector of the Nation! A minister trusted by his father! It was...it was Wang Yi! How could his mother...
"Mother! This...this is unacceptable!" he exclaimed.
"What's wrong with that?!" Empress Zhangsun interrupted him sharply, her eyes filled with an almost obsessive maternal protectiveness. "You are the future emperor! This world is yours! As long as you sit securely and act with integrity, what's wrong with that?! Do you really want to drag yourself, the Eastern Palace, and the entire Tang Dynasty into utter ruin for this illicit affair?!"
"Mother is teaching you how to protect yourself! Teaching you... how to get what you want without paying a price you can't afford when you have no other choice!" Her voice trembled with excitement, she coughed a few times, and a trace of blood spilled from the corner of her mouth.
Li Chengqian was terrified and tried to call for help, but Empress Zhangsun grabbed his wrist tightly: "Let your mother finish speaking!"
She gasped for breath, her eyes gradually fading, yet she still clung to life: "Remember... you are the Crown Prince, the Heir Apparent... in the future, the Emperor... emotions... are the most unforgivable weakness... but if you truly... cannot let go... then you must use the safest method... to bury it deepest within... and take it to your grave..."
Her voice grew softer and softer until it was almost a whisper, and her eyes began to glaze over, yet she still looked intently at Li Chengqian: "Promise me...do as you say...live on...live well..."
Li Chengqian wept uncontrollably as he looked at his mother's dying face and the unwavering plea and determination in her eyes. Finally, he kowtowed repeatedly, sobbing uncontrollably, "Your subject... I promise! Your subject promises everything! Mother! Mother!"
Empress Zhangsun looked at him, seemingly finally letting out a sigh of relief, the last vestiges of her strength about to dissipate. She laboriously raised her hand, pointing to the door: "Go...call your father...into...alone..."
Li Chengqian understood that this was his mother's final farewell to his father. He dared not delay, quickly wiped away his tears, staggered to his feet, and went to the outer room.
Outside, Li Shimin stood with his back to the inner chamber, his shoulders trembling slightly. Hearing footsteps, he whirled around and saw Li Chengqian's red eyes and the undried tear stains on his face. A pang of pain shot through him, yet a glimmer of hope rose within him: "Your mother…"
“Father,” Li Chengqian said in a hoarse voice, “Mother requests that you… come in alone.”
Li Shimin took a deep breath, patted Li Chengqian on the shoulder, said nothing, turned around, lifted the curtain, and went into the inner room.
Inside the room, Empress Zhangsun seemed to have fallen into a semi-comatose state again, her breathing so weak it was almost imperceptible. Li Shimin quickly walked to the bedside, gently took her hand, and whispered, "Guanyinbi, I'm here."
As if she had heard his voice, Empress Zhangsun slowly opened her eyes. When she saw Li Shimin, a final glimmer of light appeared in her eyes, a complex gaze that mixed with boundless longing, reluctance, worry, and... a sense of entrustment.
“Your Majesty…” her lips moved.
"I am here, I am here." Li Shimin brought his ear close.
"The children... are still young... and don't understand... especially Chengqian and Qingque..." Empress Zhangsun said haltingly, each word seemingly uttered with all her might, "They... are the apple of my eye... Your Majesty... for my sake... please be more tolerant of them... in the future... no matter which of them... does something wrong... I beg Your Majesty... to give them... a way out... don't let them... become like..."
She didn't finish her sentence, but Li Shimin understood what she meant—don't let them end up like he did with Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji.
"Alright, I promise you." Li Shimin choked up and nodded forcefully. "I promise you, no matter what, they are my sons, and I... will give them some leeway."
"And... Lizhi... Sizi..." Empress Zhangsun murmured her daughters' names, her eyes filled with tears, "They...when they marry...they must choose men who truly treat them well...not...only those based on social status..."
"I know, I will personally choose them, I will choose the best." Li Shimin's heart was breaking.
"Your Majesty...please take care of yourself..." Empress Zhangsun raised her other hand and gently stroked Li Shimin's cheek, her fingertips icy cold. "Your Majesty...I can no longer...stay with you..."
“Guanyinbi…” Li Shimin could no longer hold back, and tears streamed down his face, dripping onto the back of her hand.
"Your Majesty...the happiest thing in my life...is marrying you..." Empress Zhangsun looked at him, a faint yet incredibly gentle and content smile on her face, as if she had returned to her girlhood. "If there is an afterlife...I...want to..."
Before she could finish speaking, the hand that had been stroking his cheek slipped limply to the ground. The last glimmer of light in her eyes, like a candle flame slowly dying out, faded away. The gentle smile on her lips was forever frozen on her pale face.
"Guanyinbi—!" Li Shimin let out a suppressed yet heart-wrenching roar, tightly embracing his wife's still-warm body, his whole body trembling violently.
Outside, the princes and princesses, who had been suppressing their grief and listening intently, instantly understood what had happened upon hearing this mournful cry, and their suppressed sobs erupted into a chorus. Li Chengqian knelt on the ground, his forehead pressed against the cold floor tiles, tears streaming down his face, his heart filled with the coldness, heaviness, and endless confusion brought on by his mother's terrifying dying words.
Wang Yi stood in the shadows of the corner, listening to the mournful cry from the inner chamber and the sudden sobs outside, and slowly closed her eyes. This virtuous empress, ultimately, amidst the entanglements of intrigue and her own anguish, passed away with endless worries and unfinished wishes.
Empress Zhangsun Linglong, who accompanied Li Shimin through the hardships of establishing the Tang Dynasty, shared the prosperous Zhenguan era, and served as a virtuous and exemplary mother to the nation, passed away peacefully. In her final moments of lucidity, she planned a distorted yet realistic path for her son, left her husband with endless sorrow and promises to her children, and left the empire with an unhealable wound and an increasingly complex future.
A mother's heart is like the sea, unfathomable. The phoenix's cry has faded, but its ripples have not yet subsided.
The Zhenguan era, belonging to Li Shimin, was about to turn a new page full of uncertainties and challenges after losing his most important and virtuous wife. The weight of the dying entrustment on Wang Yi's shoulders truly became heavy. Looking at the grief-stricken emperor, and then at the crown prince weeping on the ground, a chilling clarity settled in her heart.
Li Yuan's treacherous scheme ultimately achieved part of its purpose in a more tragic and far-reaching way. And what unpredictable seeds did Empress Zhangsun's final whispers sow for the future?
Night deepened. The death knell tolled once more in Chang'an, this time for the Empress.
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