eurekapd Chapter 319: Fall
Chapter 319: Fall
Because of Ruyi's relationship, the emperor was extremely cold towards his son Yongqi.
Even though Ruyi had passed away for a long time, he still never showed the slightest kindness towards Yongqi.
Yongqi struggled for ten years in this depressing environment.
The wheel of fate did not stop turning, and he was ultimately unable to escape his bad luck and was about to follow the same path as his brothers.
On the night of the 28th day of the first lunar month in the 41st year of the Qianlong reign, Yongqi lay on the couch, staring at the bed curtains with empty eyes, while the sobbing of the concubines beside him rose one after another.
At this moment, he is on his deathbed.
The candlelight in the room was dim, and the light shining on his face made him look even more desolate.
"Master... wuwuwu... you must hold on. I have sent someone to the palace to inform you. Please hold on a little longer..."
Fu Jin was extremely sad and sobbed, and the handkerchief in her hand was already soaked with tears.
Yongqi's life was like a candle in the wind, a spent bow.
He was only 25 years old, but after years of fear and panic, he finally fell ill and died. Who would have thought that he would follow in the footsteps of his brothers?
Big brother, third brother, and now with him...
The Emperor would probably be very relieved to see such an "unfilial son" like me pass away, right?
The emperor was so angry that he forced his three sons to death.
Yongqi thought to himself that he was about to die and didn't care whether these were treasonous or not.
"Don't go... The palace gates are already locked and keyed, they can't get in, and the Emperor won't come to see me... cough cough cough... Fu Jin, I'm a burden to you..."
Yongqi looked at his wife, who was in great pain because of him, with a hint of pity and guilt in his eyes.
Because of the emperor's indifferent treatment, his wife had the lowest status among her brothers' sisters-in-law.
Every time there was a palace banquet, she could hardly raise her head in front of everyone and was treated coldly.
Now, she was probably the only one in the world who would cry bitterly because of his departure...
"Master, please stop saying such discouraging words. After all, you are the Emperor's biological son..."
Fu Jin knew very well the suffering Yongqi had endured over the years. Seeing him so depressed, she felt sorry for him and offered comfort.
What Yongqi said was true. Once the palace gates were locked and keyed, they could not be opened without an emergency decree, not to mention that he was a person who was not favored by the emperor.
"Don't try to comfort me anymore. I know exactly what position I hold in the Emperor's heart... If I could choose, how much better it would be if I weren't the Empress Dowager's son..."
Yongqi stared at the ceiling of the tent. As he lay dying, his resentment towards his mother Ruyi still lingered in his heart and was difficult to dispel.
He was angry with his father and blamed his mother.
If you don't like him, why bring him into this world?
After the Empress Dowager passed away, although the Emperor Father restored her position as Empress, he had secretly hoped that the Emperor Father would feel some sympathy for him, but he did not expect that he would remain as indifferent to him as before and show no warmth at all.
He had really had enough of these years of worry and fear.
"Master, you must never say such words..."
Fu Jin's voice was hoarse and her words were full of caution.
Under the principle of filial piety in the Qing Dynasty, if such words were to reach the ears of the Emperor, something terrible might happen...
"Humph! The Emperor has never cared about his own son, so he certainly doesn't care what I say..."
The resentment in Yongqi's words became more and more intense, and he felt exhausted both physically and mentally.
"Master, this is not your fault at all..." The tears on Fu Jin's cheeks had not yet rolled down. Hearing Yongqi's words, she could only comfort him softly with some powerlessness.
"Forget it. My time is coming to an end. What's the point of thinking about these things? It's just hard for you. You will inevitably suffer from difficulties in the future... I hope that the emperor can be a little more tolerant and merciful to you because of my untimely death..." Yongqi murmured, his words full of guilt and worry for his wife.
The feeling of sleepiness came over me like a tide, and I finally fell into a deep sleep with a heart full of melancholy and resentment.
Fu Jin couldn't stop sobbing, and she stayed by Yongji's bedside, guarding him attentively. She would touch Yongji's hand from time to time and lean over to listen to his breathing, fearing that there was any mistake.
Yongqi passed away quietly in his sleep with a heart full of resentment and unwillingness.
It was not until noon that Fu Jin woke up from her drowsiness. She looked up and was shocked to find that the person in front of her was no longer breathing.
"Master..."
Fu Jin's grief was like a flood that could no longer be suppressed. Her shrill cries seemed to break through the confines of the house, piercing straight into the sky and echoing in the house for a long time.
"The prince is gone..."
The servants in the mansion also burst into tears. In an instant, the entire Beile Mansion was completely shrouded in deep sorrow.
Above the palace gate, attendants deftly hung the carefully prepared white cloth. The pale white fluttered in the morning breeze, immersing the entire Prince's Mansion in mourning.
At this point, the only flesh and blood of Ruyi left in the world passed away suddenly at the hour of Chou on the 28th day of the first lunar month in the 41st year of Qianlong's reign.
On the twenty-ninth day of the first lunar month, at the hour of Mao, in the Yangxin Palace, the dawn was just breaking, and the Emperor was having breakfast with Yanwan.
"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened. The Twelfth Prince has come forward to report that the Twelfth Prince has... passed away..."
Jinzhong looked hurried and walked quickly. He ran up to him without even bothering to pay his respects.
The emperor bestowed the title of Beile on Yongqi out of consideration for Yongqi's kindness, and did not propose a title for him, so everyone called him the 12th Beile.
The emperor's chopsticks suddenly stopped moving. After a moment, he slowly put down the bowl and chopsticks and came to his senses. Only a long sigh came out, echoing in the silent palace.
"What should we do? Yongji is still young and strong, how could he suddenly... Your Majesty?"
Yan Wan put down the bowl and chopsticks in her hands early in the morning, frowned slightly, and looked at the emperor with a probing look in her eyes.
However, the emperor looked calm, as if he had not heard anything. He just continued to pick up his chopsticks and calmly put the food on the plate into his mouth.
She said calmly, as if she had just heard something ordinary.
"Now that he's gone, arrange the funeral properly. Inform the Ministry of Internal Affairs... Imperial Concubine, I ask you to pay close attention to this matter."
There was a coldness in his words that was chilling to the ears.
"The minister and concubine follow the order."
Yanwan and Jinzhong looked at each other and nodded in agreement.
"Whoo."
After Jinzhong left, the emperor turned to Yanwan and spoke slowly.
"My son's only fault is having a mother as unreasonable as Ruyi."
His expression was calm and unperturbed, and his words seemed to show that he had no emotional attachment to his son.
However, before Yan Wan could respond, the emperor seemed to have suddenly lost his appetite and gently threw his chopsticks back on the table.
"I have lost my appetite. Tell them to withdraw."
The emperor was a little irritable and wanted to stand up for no reason.