The three of us were shocked. Wen Lang quickly asked,"What did he say? Who else did you summon?"
Chang Yuan bowed." The Imperial Noble Consort has summoned all the princes and princesses, princesses and county lords. She has also invited the old prince and a few first-rank officials. It seems…it seems that the Emperor is in trouble!"”
Wen Lang suddenly stood up and was about to walk out. I thought for a moment and quickly rushed over to pull him back."Brother Lang, the situation is urgent. Listen to Yu 'er. This is a time of choice. If you don't want to take over the throne, you just have to insist that the previous Crown Prince has an heir. You can disobey the will. Princess Weining has a noble status and has an absolutely pure royal bloodline. On the contrary, although the Great General might not be sincerely supporting you, he had no other choice. He had the support of the military, the Crown Prince's posthumous edict, the Imperial Consort, and the Old Prince. As long as you announced that you would follow the wishes of your deceased Imperial Brother, you would be the master of the world. Brother Lang had to make his own decision!”
Wen Lang stared at me with his eyes wide open. His eyes narrowed and his breathing became heavier. I cried and choked," In the past, Yu 'er always felt that the country was more important than everything else, and that love between children should be compromised. But now, freedom is still the country. Yu' er doesn't know, I really don't know…"
Wen Lang was stunned. Chang Yuan urged him twice before he woke up. He took one last look at Rui Rong and finally turned around and strode away.
I stood where I was and cried. I had never been so conflicted and at a loss. Huan Pei helped me sit down and helped Rui Rong. The two of us sat at the table and looked at each other wordlessly. We just waited. We knew that this night would be the moment to rewrite history.
When it was close to midnight, there was a violent knock on the door of the courtyard. I quickly sent Ring Bell out to check. After a while, Xiao Xi rushed in with tears all over her face and knelt on the ground.
I was shocked again and hurriedly asked what was going on. I never expected that Xiao Xi would bring the news of Zhao Ximo's suicide. Along with it was a handwritten letter that Zhao Ximo had left for me.
Sister Yu 'er, when you read this letter, I will already be gone. There is no need to feel sorry for me. This is the best place for me.
I'll go and serve His Highness, you can rest assured.
His Highness 'poison was very strange, and the antidote was also very suspicious. It must be harmful to him, so he could only rely on his sister and His Highness to investigate.
Zhifan has been entrusted to his mother and Jing Yun. If possible, please take care of him in the future. I don't want him to be successful, I just want him to be ordinary and happy.
Ever since he married into the Crown Prince's residence last year, His Highness has often mentioned you, saying that he would make you the Di concubine in the future and that I should not make things difficult for you. I think I'm jealous of you, but even more so, I'm envious.
His Highness has treated me very well. I don't want to say that I respect him as a guest because in my heart, His Highness is my everything. Especially after I'm pregnant, I believe that His Highness will treat me with some affection.
During those days, I watched as His Highness consumed his life bit by bit. My heart was broken. I didn't know how my child and I would survive after he passed away. Until I saw His Highness desperately waiting to see you, I knew that in his heart, I could never be compared to you.
Before His Highness left, he left behind a posthumous edict and last words for the Imperial Court, for you, and for His Highness. He asked me to remember them all. Finally, His Highness left some for the unborn child and for me.
"Ximo, no matter if the child is male or female, they are all called Zhifan.”Zhifan, I understand what His Highness means. He definitely doesn't want this child to fight for the throne. Now that I'm gone, Zhifan can escape from the storm.
Sister Yu 'er, if His Highness had only left me with these words, I would have led Zhifan through the rest of my life in a plain and unadorned manner. However, he had one last sentence, and it was this one sentence that made me decide to follow him.
"Ximo, thank you."
Sister Yu 'er, I can't catch up to you in this life. Don't fight with me in the next life, okay?
Cherish the ink and stop writing
After reading the letter, tears streamed down her face.
Her elegant handwriting was neat and tidy, showing her despair and determination. She didn't expect Zhao Ximo to have such deep feelings for Wen Chuan. Wen Chuan named the child Zhi Fan and warned him not to covet the throne. He must have seen through wealth and power and only wanted the child to be ordinary and happy. Zhao Ximo understands this and can be considered his confidant. Zhao Ximo accompanied Wen Chuan through the last moments of his life, gave birth to his child, and left with him. I think I am also grateful to this woman.
I asked Xiao Xi,"Has the news been sent to the palace?"”
"I've already given it to you," he nodded while crying.
I sighed. Just as I was about to speak, I suddenly heard the death knell ring, knocking on everyone's hearts.
I slowly raised my head and looked at Rui Rong."Ruirong, I'm afraid that everything is already set in stone.”
Then, we all got up and kowtowed in the direction of the Forbidden City.
On the 23rd day of May, the 28th year of Deshun, Emperor Deshun died at the age of 53. His posthumous title was Gong and Guangqin Chunhui Deshun Emperor. After three months of national mourning, he fasted and stopped the ceremony, music and marriage.
The next day, the emperor's fifth son Wenlang ascended the throne, changed the year title to Hongyuan, and granted amnesty to the world.
The imperial concubine was honored as Empress Dowager Xiaoren, and the emperor's fourth son, Wenhui, was granted the title of King Heng 'an.
The former Crown Prince Wen Chuan was granted the title of King Jingcheng, and his son Zhi Fan was granted the title of Prince Zhaocheng. The former Crown Prince's side concubine, Weining Princess Zhao Ximo, was buried with him and was granted the title of Crown Princess Xiaoxi and Princess Jingcheng.
After Wen Lang ascended the throne, the first thing he did was to interrogate the two cult hostages in the capital in detail, but he did not find anything. They both answered that the antidote was true, but they did not know anything else. They could not kill them. Then, they sent troops to destroy the Bai Xi Cult that had been harming the area for many years.
I know that there must be a conspiracy behind this. It's just that the new emperor has ascended the throne, and the situation is not stable yet. Wenlang has not been able to leave the palace to come here, so the investigation has to be postponed.
More than a month had passed, and the commotion in the capital had gradually calmed down. Wen Lang had never left the palace. Although he occasionally sent people to deliver letters or messages, they were only a few words.
I can understand. It's hard to imagine how busy an emperor is when he first ascends to the throne, especially an unprepared emperor like Wen Lang. However, Rui Rong was silent day by day. I also saw it. Other than trying my best to accompany her to say a few words, there was nothing else I could do. After all, between the two of us, one was infatuated and the other was sad.
On this day, I accompanied my mother to offer incense. On the carriage back, I saw that my mother had a heavy heart and wanted to say something, but she hesitated. I smiled bitterly."Does mother have something to say to Yu 'er?”
"Yu 'er, it has been a month since the Emperor ascended the throne. Although it is a national funeral, it is unreasonable that there is not a single concubine in the harem. Mother heard from your father that the Empress Dowager plans to quickly select some daughters of officials to accompany the Emperor into the palace. This time is different from a selection. Because of the special time, the age limit is set at sixteen years old.”
I wasn't surprised to hear that. According to the usual practice, if a new emperor was already an adult when he ascended the throne and didn't have any concubines, at least 30 women would be selected to enter the palace within half a month. This selection was usually very large-scale, even more than the number of people waiting to be selected in the annual draft. However, the requirements for the selected women were stricter than the draft. Other than family background, there were often age restrictions. The Empress Dowager had delayed the selection until now, presumably because of the sudden change in the old and new.
I don't know mother's intentions, the selection is not strange, and I'm not even sixteen years old, so I'm not among the candidates.
Mother looked at me and said," Yu 'er, there's no harm this time, but it has also reminded us. Yu' er, you…have to have a measure in your heart. If you are unwilling to enter the palace, Father and Mother can also help you pay attention to people of equal status. You can ask the Emperor to bestow a marriage before next year's selection."”
" Father and Mother both know what you're thinking, but now... Sigh, fate is playing tricks on us." Mother saw that I didn't say anything and continued," The scholar of the Imperial Academy is quite familiar with your father. He has a student who is young and talented. He is very talented and will probably be able to pass the autumn examination this year. His character and family background are also compatible with our family.”
I lowered my head, and the suppressed sadness in my heart gradually rose again. I forced myself to endure it and was silent for a while. Then, I said to Mother,"Let's discuss this matter in the future."
Mother didn't force me, she just nodded and looked at me with heartache.
" Mother, how about we go to the courtyard later?" Seeing Mother's questioning gaze, I gave her a comforting smile." Mother, you don't have to worry about my matters. Yu 'er will think it through. Mother, go and see Ruirong. She's facing a change and her family isn't around. I'm powerless." Yu 'er thought about it and decided that it was best for her mother to step in. It could also be considered as helping the emperor share his worries.”
Mother knew Rui Rong's identity and naturally nodded in agreement,"Ruirong that child also has a bitter life. The only person she can rely on has become the emperor. Her family has been convicted and she has lost her family. Even if the emperor makes an exception and calls her into the palace, she can only start as a palace maid or change clothes. Sigh, with that child's personality, how could he survive in the harem?”
Speaking of this matter, my mother and I sighed endlessly.
Mother had said a lot to Rui Rong today. She had analyzed and consoled her, but more importantly, she had told her the helplessness of being a woman, the tolerance and sacrifice that a woman must make, especially when she had decided to become the daughter-in-law of the Imperial Family. In the end, when I saw my mother lovingly holding Rui Rong in her arms and crying with her, I sincerely felt the happiness and beauty of being with my loved ones. If it wasn't for Rui Rong still waiting for Wenlang's news, I really wanted to move back home immediately.
Three days later, it would be the late Emperor and Wen Chuan's funeral. I knelt at the door and watched the grand funeral procession. I couldn't help but feel heartbroken again. It wasn't until the procession disappeared at the end of the street that I was forcefully pulled back by the ring pendant and bell. I cried for a while before gradually stopping.
The next afternoon, Xiao Xi suddenly came over and said that the Emperor was going to the Crown Prince's residence, which is now King Jing Cheng's residence, to visit the Little Junwang after the sacrifice. He asked Rui Rong and I to go over and wait for him. Rui Rong was pleasantly surprised. I knew that this was probably a deliberate arrangement by Wen Lang to leave the palace. He must have something important to discuss with me, so Rui Rong and I quickly packed up and followed Xiao Xi into the King Jing Cheng's mansion, waiting in the west hall of the main hall.
When I returned to the old place, I looked at every blade of grass, every tree, every house and tile. I was quite sad and forced myself to suppress it. Fortunately, there wasn't much time for me to be sad. Very soon, it became noisy outside. Listening to the kowtowing sounds rise and fall, the closer we walked into the main hall, the more nervous the two of us could not help but become. The last time they parted, it was the Fifth Prince. Now that he was the Emperor, although he was mentally prepared, he still couldn't help but feel uneasy.
Soon, Wen Lang's voice could be heard. He was summoning Qiao Jingyun and the young commandery prince, and he said some words of comfort and encouragement. The voice that called himself "Zhen" sounded a little tired. He was shouldering a burden that he had never thought of. I turned to look at Rui Rong, and concern appeared on her face.
The summons in the main hall quickly ended with the baby's cries. Following the sound of footsteps, the main hall quieted down. After a short while, the two internal supervisors pushed open the door to the west side of the hall. Chang Yuan walked in first and looked around before standing respectfully at the side with the two people from before.
At this moment, I was still imagining how that person would look like. I didn't know how much she looked like Wen Chuan, but Rui Rong was still thinking about her own matters. For a moment, neither of us realized the etiquette that should be prepared to meet the emperor.# Daguan Review Passed: Daguan Time:111420183: 47PM #Cancel Review All: wdd201302 Time:111420185: 56PM #
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