jdhmnovel Chapter 320 The Emperor’s Death
Chapter 320 The Emperor’s Death
"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty." The Crown Prince and Canglan Jingcheng entered the hall together, bowing respectfully to the Empress in perfect unison, displaying impeccable manners.
The Empress sat upright in her chair, nodding slightly to signal the two to rise. After the Crown Prince and Canglan Jingcheng straightened up, they turned to face Su Nuannuan and bowed again, saying, "Your subjects pay their respects to Mother Consort (Consort Zhuang)."
Su Nuannuan smiled and nodded, then said softly, "Get up, everyone!"
After getting up, Crown Prince Canglan Jingyun quickly walked to the bedside, gazed at the unconscious Emperor on the bed, and asked with a worried expression, "Mother, what is Father's condition now?"
The Queen's expression grew increasingly grave. She slowly shook her head and sighed, "The situation is not optimistic."
Canglan Jingcheng also walked to the bedside. Looking at the Emperor's tightly closed eyes and pale face, he felt a pang of pain in his heart. He turned to the head of the Imperial Medical Academy and asked urgently, "Your Excellency, is there any hope for Father?"
The chief physician stood aside, answering tremblingly, "Your Highness, my medical skills are insufficient, and I am powerless to reverse the situation." His voice trembled slightly, clearly indicating his helplessness in the face of the emperor's illness.
Upon hearing this, Cang Lan Jingcheng frowned deeply, glared at the headmaster, and coldly snorted, "Useless." This cold snort was filled with disappointment and anger, causing the entire palace to tremble.
Although he did not know the reason why his father had fallen into a coma, it did not affect his desire for the crown prince to ascend the throne as soon as possible.
Just then, he paused briefly, then turned to face the Empress and said respectfully, "Mother, as the saying goes, a country cannot be without a ruler for a day. Now that Father is seriously ill and unable to handle state affairs, in my opinion, it would be better to let my elder brother..."
However, before Cang Lan Jingcheng could finish speaking, he was interrupted by the Empress.
"This matter is of utmost importance and must not be decided lightly." The Empress looked at Cang Lan Jingcheng with a serious expression and said slowly, "I will discuss this matter with all the court officials at the morning court session tomorrow."
"It was my oversight that led me to fail to consider things properly. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me." Upon seeing this, Canglan Jingcheng quickly bowed and apologized to the Empress.
"You are also thinking of the Azure Kingdom, which is commendable. I will naturally not blame you." Seeing this, the Empress's expression softened and she comforted her.
Immediately afterwards, the Empress turned her gaze to Crown Prince Canglan Jingyun and said softly, "Your Highness, Consort Qi dared to poison the Emperor. Such a treasonous act is truly heinous. I have executed her on the spot to uphold the foundation of the nation. As for her maternal family, I need you to issue an edict to handle them properly."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I understand." Upon hearing this, Canglan Jingyun quickly bowed and replied, indicating that he would certainly do as the Empress commanded.
Finally, the Empress's gaze slowly shifted from the Emperor to the Imperial Hospital Chief Physician, who stood to the side with his hands at his sides. Her eyes were filled with worry and expectation as she softly instructed, "Chief Physician, the Emperor's condition depends entirely on your Imperial Hospital. I hope you will spare no effort in using your medical skills to cure the Emperor's illness."
Upon hearing the Empress's words, the Imperial Physician trembled slightly. He quickly bowed and replied in a slightly trembling voice, "Yes, Your Majesty. Your humble servant will do his utmost to live up to Your Majesty's expectations."
The Empress nodded, then turned to Li Desheng and said, "Chief Eunuch Li, I'll leave the Emperor's affairs to you."
Li Desheng quickly replied, "Yes, Your Majesty, rest assured, this servant will do his best to take good care of His Majesty."
The Empress seemed somewhat tired. She waved her hand and said, "I am also a little tired, so I will return to the palace to rest first. Consort Zhuang, it is getting late, you should also go back soon."
Upon seeing this, Consort Zhuang, Su Nuannuan, quickly bowed and said, "Yes, Your Majesty. This concubine takes her leave."
After the Empress and Su Nuannuan left, the room fell silent. Li Desheng stood by the bed, gazing at the unconscious Emperor lying on the bed. His face was gloomy, making it difficult to fathom his thoughts.
In reality, Li Desheng is no longer the Emperor's man; to be precise, he is now Su Nuannuan's man. This is why Yu Wei was able to succeed so easily, while the Empress's people didn't even get close; everything was handled smoothly by Su Nuannuan.
In the early morning, sunlight streamed through the window and fell on Su Nuannuan's face. She slowly opened her eyes, stretched, and was about to get up when she suddenly heard a deep and long chime coming from the palace.
The sound of the bell was like a thunderclap, making Su Nuannuan tremble all over.
At the same time, the entire capital was awakened by the sudden sound of the death knell. Those with a strong sense of curiosity even began to count the tolls, each one like a heavy blow to their hearts.
When the last bell rang, the count was finished—a full forty-five tolls! This number represented the supreme status of the emperor, signifying his passing.
The news spread like wildfire throughout the capital, shocking the people who sprang into action. They hurriedly packed away festive items from their homes and changed into plain clothes to express their grief for the emperor.
The court officials dared not delay for a moment, rushing to the palace with great anxiety.
Su Nuannuan was equally anxious. She quickly changed into mourning clothes, took Jinse with her, and hurried towards the Hall of Diligent Governance. This time, she didn't even have time to ride in a sedan chair; she had only one thought in her mind—to get to the Emperor's side as soon as possible.
Just then, the chief minister knelt on the ground with a solemn expression, tears streaming down his face, and reported to the Empress: "Your Majesty, the Emperor has passed away."
"He has passed away?" The Empress stared in astonishment, her eyes wide with disbelief, as if she had heard news of the end of the world. Her body trembled violently, and she almost dropped the teacup in her hand.
"Your Majesty, it is absolutely true!" The chief physician knelt on both knees, his head almost touching the ground, and said in a trembling voice, tears welling up in his eyes, as if they were about to burst forth at any moment.
The Empress's lips trembled slightly, but no sound came out. Her mind was blank; she couldn't accept this fact at all. "The Emperor has passed away..." she murmured to herself, her voice as soft as a candle flame in the wind, as if it might be extinguished at any moment.
However, in an instant, the Empress seemed to suddenly come to her senses. Her face turned ashen, her eyes widened, and she abruptly stood up, gripping the corner of the table tightly with both hands. With all her might, she shouted, "Your Majesty has passed away!"
The desperate cries echoed through the empty palace, lingering for a long time, as if the whole world had been shaken at that moment.