Chapter 124: Your Highness, Do You Have Any Certainty?
After the Crown Prince left, Eunuch An came to the Old Emperor’s bedside.
“Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has already taken the Third Prince and Consort Zhao away. The Imperial Consort was also with them. Before that, the Imperial Consort seemed to want to kill Consort Zhao but was stopped by the Crown Prince before she could act.”
“Mm, we don’t need to worry about this matter. Let him handle it properly. And have him seriously think about what I said to him!”
“The Crown Prince is benevolent. He will probably need more time to figure it out.”
“Yes, the Crown Prince is different from me after all. I also hope to have more time to see how far he can go, but I no longer have time!” The Old Emperor sighed softly.
“Your Majesty!” Eunuch An called out in a choked voice.
“Enough, you old thing have been whimpering for half your life—how come you still can’t change!”
“Isn’t that because Your Majesty spoils this old slave?”
“And you have the nerve to say that! You’ve been crying ever since you started following me when we were young, and even now you haven’t cried all your tears dry! But from now on, no one will watch you cry anymore!”
“Your Majesty~” This time, Eunuch An really couldn’t hold back and began sobbing.
“Alright, alright, stop crying. If you keep crying, you’ll delay my serious matters.” The Old Emperor felt a pang in his heart too. Over these years, he had given up too much. Looking back now, the only one who had stayed by his side unchanged seemed to be this old eunuch.
“Please give your orders, Your Majesty. This old slave—hic— this old slave will achieve it even if it costs his life.” Eunuch An wiped his tears with his sleeve and promised solemnly.
“You, help me up first.” The Old Emperor reached out his hand to him.
Eunuch An went over, half-supporting and half-holding him to help the Old Emperor sit up against the head of the bed.
“Go get it!” The Old Emperor truly had no strength left. Just this simple motion from lying down to sitting up left him panting for a long time. Only after catching his breath did he say to Eunuch An.
“······Yes!” Eunuch An went out for a moment and returned holding a long, bright yellow box.
Without needing the Old Emperor’s instruction, he took the initiative to open the box, took out a already-written Imperial Decree, spread it flat on the Old Emperor’s lap, then went out again and brought back a square box while carrying the ink paste in his hand.
He opened the box and took out the Imperial Seal to hand it to the Old Emperor.
The Old Emperor stared at his own handwriting on the Imperial Decree for a long time before taking the Imperial Seal and carefully stamping it. He examined it closely for another long while and only smiled in satisfaction once he saw no issues.
Eunuch An packed up the things, held the box containing the Imperial Decree, and looked at the Old Emperor. Only after he nodded did Eunuch An leap up lightly and place the box precisely on the beam, leaving no trace visible from below.
“Alright, I’m truly tired this time. I need to sleep for a while.”
“Your Majesty, sleep with peace of mind. This old slave will stay here with you.” Eunuch An helped the Old Emperor lie down on the bed, sat on the footstool himself, and watched unwaveringly as the Old Emperor slowly fell asleep.
In the two days that followed, the Old Emperor’s condition worsened; he slept much more than he was awake.
When he woke from unconsciousness once more, he suddenly seemed full of energy, with a ruddy complexion and his voice two tones louder.
“An He, go summon Prime Minister Gu, King Ying, King Duan, Dingguo Duke, Lu Guo Duke, the Ministers of the Six Ministries, and all the princes!” After having Eunuch An help him wash up and change into clean clothes, the Old Emperor sat upright on the Emperor’s Bed and gave the order.
“……Yes!” Eunuch An wiped his face and turned to carry out the task.
These days, the entire Capital City had been in a state of tension. When the eunuchs responsible for transmitting the decree entered the mansions of the various ministers, everyone finally felt a sense of relief as if the dust had settled.
“Your Highness, do you… have a sure grasp of this?” Mo Ziyuan stood in the Crown Prince’s study room, looking at the Crown Prince whose face was clouded with worry, and asked.
“Eunuch An is my man.” The Crown Prince pressed his shoulder, his gaze toward him carrying something he couldn’t comprehend.
“Your Highness!” Seeing the hand on his shoulder, Mo Ziyuan’s heart stirred slightly.
“Zi Yuan, I will absolutely not become a person like Father Emperor. Absolutely not!” The Crown Prince seemed to be speaking to Mo Ziyuan, yet also to himself, his fingers on Mo Ziyuan’s shoulder curling slightly.
“Your humble subject believes in Your Highness and is willing to follow Your Highness to the death!” Mo Ziyuan solemnly pledged his lifelong commitment.
“Good!” A rare genuine smile appeared on the Crown Prince’s face after many days.
“Four of the Six Gates are already under our control. Gao Yong and Chu Yu are leading 25,000 troops stationed in the outskirts of the Capital. Another 5,000 men entered the Imperial City in small groups over the past two days and are now positioned around the Imperial Palace this morning, led by Zhou Qi. Your humble subject has already given him Your Highness’s token. As soon as your humble subject sends the signal from here, they can enter the palace immediately.” After the emotional moment, Mo Ziyuan reported the results of their recent efforts.
“Good. Success or failure hinges on this day. Zi Yuan, everything is in your hands.”
“Your Highness, rest assured. Your humble subject will not fail your trust.”
“Let’s go. Accompany me into the palace.”
Dingguo Duke’s Mansion.
“Master, the Emperor summoning you into the palace at this time… I wonder…”
“It’s too early to say anything now. We’ll talk after the dust settles.” Mo Qilan stood with arms outstretched as the Duke’s Wife tied his court robe’s sash. When he looked down, he saw the eager anticipation in her eyes. Though his heart softened, he still said words that would disappoint her.
As expected, the Duke’s Wife’s expression stiffened, though she quickly masked it. Mo Qilan still noticed and sighed inwardly, somewhat regretting his impulsive promise in a moment of passion back then. Changing the heir was no easy matter; if it failed, how would he explain it to her.
“Master, this concubine understands.” The Duke’s Wife forced a bitter smile onto her face.
Mo Qilan said nothing, just lightly embraced her shoulders before hurriedly heading into the palace.
“Mother, what did Father say?” Once his footsteps faded into the distance, Mo Zichen rushed in anxiously and asked.
“What else could he say? Today wasn’t the time to bring it up anyway.” The Duke’s Wife instantly dropped her bitter expression and looked lovingly at her son as she answered.
“But after today, there won’t be any more chances!” Mo Zichen slumped into a chair dejectedly.
“No, once the Emperor passes and the New Emperor ascends, the Border Region will surely go to war again. To show loyalty to his new master then, Mo Ziyuan will definitely head to the battlefield. This time, Mother will make sure he goes and never returns.” The Duke’s Wife gripped her handkerchief tightly, her gaze revealing utter ruthlessness. No one could block her son’s path to glory; the future Dingguo Duke must be her son.
“Really? Mother, do you have a way?” Mo Zichen instantly perked up and jumped to his feet joyfully.
“Don’t ask about this matter. The more you know, the worse it is for you. Just know that no matter what you want, Mother will get it for you. If she can’t find it, she’ll grab it for you even if she has to rob.”
“Mm, thank you, Mother. Son knew Mother was the best to him.” Mo Zichen skillfully flattered the Duke’s Wife, coaxing her into a beaming smile.
Thanks to Luoye Zhiqiu-Ad, Goat’s Song and Eyes’ Story, Mmy Dang, Peace-aD, and Shu Zhi Yun for their votes; thanks to caroletu for the reward; thanks to Reader20240905225809 for pointing out my error; thank you all for your support, thank you!
