eurekapd Chapter 441 His Majesty's Death
Chapter 441 His Majesty's Death
The youngest son of Prince Chen is only six years old. Princess Chen brought him to the palace before, and my younger sister met him.
I liked him very much at the time, saying he was smart and wise and would definitely amount to something in the future. Actually, what my younger sister was thinking at the time was that this child looked somewhat similar to my younger brother when he was young.
My younger brother started his education under the guidance of my eldest brother and was very intelligent. Unfortunately, my eldest brother passed away later, and my second brother was busy supporting the family and did not continue to educate my younger brother.
The youngest son of the Prince of Chen did not have such worries. He was of noble birth and received the best education from a young age, so he would naturally be outstanding in the future.
Little did she know that her earlier sighs would come true now; this child would be hers.
Seeing her lost in thought, the Emperor asked, "You don't like him?"
The younger sister shook her head: "No, Your Majesty, I like her very much. The first time I saw her, I felt that this child was very pleasing to my eye."
"If you like him, that's fine. He will be your son in the future, and the responsibility of raising him will fall on your shoulders."
The younger sister nodded: "Your Majesty, I will certainly do my best to raise him. Moreover, with the help of the ministers, Your Majesty need not worry."
The Emperor was exhausted, but he still had to continue making arrangements. The heir had been chosen, but could not be adopted immediately because the virtuous prince had not yet been eliminated, and the Emperor did not want to alert the enemy.
The Prince Xian has some powerful backers. If the heir is adopted now, the Prince Xian will surely know that the Emperor is unwell. If he were to force the Emperor to abdicate, the Emperor might not be able to hold on.
After pondering for a long time, the Emperor said to Feng Ziheng and the other man, "There is another secret order. It is almost the end of the year, and I do not know how much longer I can live. But the Prince Xian cannot be kept alive. I will adopt him to the late Prince Jing'an and give him a fiefdom. He shall not return to the capital without being summoned."
After Prince Jing'an attempted a rebellion, was executed and his family property confiscated, he had no descendants. Even if he did, they wouldn't dare to show their faces. Now, a century later, the Emperor actually wants to adopt his own son to him.
Moreover, since he is the descendant of the rebel king, the court will definitely be on guard and will never allow him to make any other moves.
However, upon hearing this, Feng Ziheng immediately knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, you mustn't! Although Prince Xian is not as powerful as before, he is still the former Crown Prince, and his influence should not be underestimated. Moreover, I fear that some people might take advantage of this opportunity to use Prince Xian's name to attack the young emperor. At that time, I'm afraid..."
The emperor looked at him: "Do you mean I should personally issue an edict to kill my own child?"
Feng Ziheng was speechless. He was extremely anxious, but he really couldn't persuade the emperor. He could only do it.
The Emperor was exhausted and waved his hand, saying, "Alright, I'm going back to the Zichen Palace. You may all go back first. We can discuss other matters another day."
After they went outside, Kuang Tiansong stepped forward and grabbed Feng Ziheng: "Ziheng, you really are... You're still so young, how come you're such a blockhead, always going against the Emperor?"
Feng Ziheng said coldly, "If Your Majesty has done anything wrong, I should have remonstrated with you to the death. The reason I did not remonstrate with you to the death is because I was persuaded by Your Majesty and the Empress, and there is no other reason."
“What can I say? I initially thought you forced the Empress to be buried alive with the Prince Xian. If so, I would only assume that you valued His Majesty's bloodline more. But why did you later insist that His Majesty order the Prince Xian's death? After all, the Prince Xian was His Majesty's own son!”
Feng Ziheng did not reply, but frowned and looked at Kuang Tiansong before speaking after a long while.
"Lord Kuang, we are both trusted ministers of His Majesty. It is because of our loyalty that His Majesty has entrusted the future of this empire to us. As ministers of the highest rank, we should always prioritize the well-being of the nation. We must not have any other thoughts. Lord Kuang, I hope you understand what you are meant to do!"
Kuang Tiansong's face paled slightly, then he laughed: "Of course I know, I just misunderstood you. I have been His Majesty's subject all my life, and I will never have any disloyal intentions."
"That would be for the best!" Feng Ziheng turned and left.
Kuang Tiansong followed behind him, his gaze heavy, his mind racing. His Majesty was dying, but with each new emperor came a new court; how long would his glory last?
Should the new emperor appoint a regent, or seek a meritorious service in supporting the new emperor?
Kuang Tiansong shook his head, discarding the chaotic thoughts in his mind, and left.
After the sealing day, the emperor grew weaker day by day. The imperial physicians stayed by his side in the Zichen Palace, but they all had furrowed brows and their faces became increasingly pale.
The younger sister felt something was wrong; she was so sad that she couldn't sleep at night, but she still had to consider what would happen next.
She went out and instructed Eunuch Wu: "Go and announce that Feng Ziheng and Kuang Tiansong will enter the palace."
Back in the inner palace, the Emperor beckoned her over and embraced her. His face was flushed, but he seemed to be in better spirits than he had been a couple of days ago.
"Where did you go?"
The younger sister replied, "I'll go out and see if the herbal medicine is ready."
"I don't want to drink that kind of bitter medicine anymore."
The younger sister didn't stop him; she let him lean on her shoulder and stroked his hand.
Seeing His Majesty every day, she only knew that he was getting weaker and weaker, but she didn't have any other particular feeling. Only now did she realize that he had become emaciated, and his wrists were almost as thin as hers.
The younger sister fought back her tears, saying, "Then I won't drink it. I'll drink it when I feel better."
The Emperor laughed: "Wan'er is joking with me. How could I possibly get better?"
The younger sister, her eyes red, said, "If Your Majesty continues to speak nonsense, I..."
She could do nothing. When the Emperor was healthy, she could be as coquettish as she wanted, but now she couldn't utter a single angry word.
The Emperor was still smiling and said in a low voice, "I have written a secret decree, appointing Xiao Youchuan as regent and five court officials as regents. They are all people I trust."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I understand."
"Feng Ziheng doesn't particularly like you or the Si family, but he is indeed loyal and trustworthy. From now on, while I'm away, don't act impulsively..."
"Your Majesty, rest assured, I understand."
The Emperor reached out and stroked his younger sister's face, then said, "Wan'er, hold me."
The younger sister hugged him tightly, resting her head on his shoulder, tears streaming down her face. She tried to wipe them away with her fingers, but the more she wiped, the more tears she shed.
The Emperor sensed something and embraced her even tighter, saying, "Wan'er, my life has been... cautious and painful. Wan'er, thankfully I have you, thankfully I met you, my life has not been in vain."
The younger sister couldn't hold back any longer, and a sob escaped her throat.
The Emperor heard this but did not move. He continued, "Wan'er, I'm sorry to leave such a huge mess for you to handle."
"No, I'm doing this voluntarily. I'm willing to do anything for you."
The Emperor's head rested on his younger sister's shoulder, growing heavier and heavier. He struggled to speak, "Wan'er, I can't go on... I thought I could hold on until after the New Year, until Xiao Jingxu was sent away... cough cough cough, but not now. Remember, keep the death a secret, bring the child back and make him Crown Prince, and then... then..."
The younger sister felt a weight on her shoulder, and the Emperor's hand slipped down.
She held the emperor tightly, letting her tears flow freely. This time, she had completely lost her love.