Chapter 127: Your Majesty, Propriety Must Not Be Abandoned!
“Hehe,” Chu Qingzhao coldly glanced at the Third Prince’s corpse lying on the ground with eyes wide open in death, mocking, “I thought you loved your son so much that you harmed so many people for him, even not sparing Father Emperor’s concubines, but now it seems nothing more than that. Look, now that he has no value left, you’ve just thrown him on the ground and ignored him, tsk tsk tsk!”
When it came to stabbing people with a knife, Chu Qingzhao was qualified. Imperial Consort Feng followed his gaze and saw her son lying on the ground, his pair of eyes staring blankly. For some reason, she suddenly felt very weak inside and didn’t dare to look toward him for a moment.
“Hahaha······” Seeing this, Chu Qingzhao felt immensely satisfied and burst into laughter toward the sky.
“You, you······”
“Besides ‘you you you,’ do you know how to say anything else? Do you still remember what you did to my Imperial Concubine and me when I was little?” He suddenly and without warning tucked the small porcelain bottle back into his sleeve pouch with the stopper secure, then bent down and asked.
Hearing him say this, Imperial Consort Feng suddenly had many past events flood into her mind, and her face involuntarily paled.
Chu Qingzhao nodded knowingly. “Looks like you remember. That makes it easy.”
“You, what are you going to do to me?” Seeing his face turn gloomy, even faintly carrying a trace of madness, Imperial Consort Feng felt timid. Her buttocks rubbed against the ground as she inched backward bit by bit.
“What? Afraid?” Chu Qingzhao maliciously stepped forward, completely closing the distance she had moved, getting even closer to her. His face was almost right in front of hers.
“You, what do you want?” Imperial Consort Feng looked left and right, seeing that all the surrounding guards were standing straight ahead without glancing her way. The fear in her heart grew even stronger, after all, she remembered all the things she had done and the methods she had used.
“Nothing, I just want Imperial Consort to experience what my Imperial Concubine and I went through back then.” Chu Qingzhao enjoyed seeing her panicked and uneasy expression. He carefully studied Imperial Consort Feng’s face, and after a long while, he straightened up, waved to summon two guards. “By His Majesty’s order, first throw Imperial Consort Feng into Heavenly Prison. We will decide after the Former Emperor is sent into the Imperial Mausoleum.”
“Yes!” The guards responded loudly, reached out to grab Imperial Consort Feng, and dragged her toward Heavenly Prison, one on each side.
“Let go of me, you let go of me! I am an Imperial Consort. How dare you touch my body? This is insubordination. Are you tired of living?” Imperial Consort Feng struggled frantically, kicking, stomping, biting, and cursing. However, how could she, who had long been pampered, match the strength of the muscular guards? In the end, she was unwillingly dragged away.
“Does Second Prince Highness feel that the hatred in your heart has lessened a bit?” A warm and gentle voice sounded beside him. Chu Qingzhao withdrew his gaze from the sky and turned to look at the newcomer. “Heir of Dingguo Duke!”
Mo Ziyuan nodded. “It is your humble subject.”
“Has my royal brother come to deal with me?”
Mo Ziyuan shook his head and took a set of mourning clothes from the hands of the guard behind him, handing it over. “His Majesty invites Second Prince Highness into the hall. There is an important matter to discuss. Please change into the mourning clothes and come with your humble subject!”
“Hehe,” Chu Qingzhao chuckled lightly and obediently followed Mo Ziyuan to the side hall. After changing into the mourning clothes, he arrived at the main hall.
Lu Quan Palace had been set up as a mourning hall, covered with yellow dragon curtains on the side, white silk hangings on both sides. The Old Emperor’s imperial coffin was placed in the center, with a rosewood cushioned couch laid out in front, padded with the finest yellow satin embroidered dragon mat. In front of the cushioned couch was a rosewood offering table, on which were placed a silver incense tripod, stove, and vase. In front of the offering table were also incense stands, incense burners, incense containers, spoons, trays, bottles, and such. On both sides in front of the spirit were early and late meal tables and fruit tables.
Crown Prince Highness, as the successor Emperor, had already changed into mourning clothes and was kneeling in front of the spirit.
Seeing this, Chu Qingzhao knelt diagonally behind Chu Qingye.
“I know what you crave in your heart and what you want. Now is not the time. Let’s first send off Father Emperor!” The Crown Prince’s clear and refined voice came from ahead. Chu Qingzhao opened his mouth as if to say something but ultimately swallowed it down and sullenly let out an “mm.”
According to ancestral rites, the imperial coffin of the late Emperor must remain in the palace for twenty-seven days. During this period, all kings, dukes, ministers must enter the palace to pay respects to the late Emperor’s remains. The successor Emperor and the princes must perform the great encoffining rites.
Ministry of Rites officials had already issued the decree to the realm, announcing national mourning. Within a hundred days, officials and commoners were forbidden from entertainment. Within forty-nine days, slaughtering was prohibited. Within one month, weddings were forbidden.
Although all processes of the late Emperor’s funeral were handled by the Ministry of Rites, the Crown Prince could only sleep less than two hours a day these days. After the late Emperor’s imperial coffin was sent into the Imperial Mausoleum, he had lost a full circle of weight and fell ill that very night.
This illness came fiercely and lasted nearly a month before slowly starting to improve.
Crown Prince Highness’s body had just shown signs of recovery and he could barely attend court. The ministers all began urgently asking when he planned to hold the enthronement ceremony. After all, the country cannot go a day without a ruler, and this was not a big deal.
Chu Qingye also knew this matter could not be delayed, but there was always a knot in his heart he couldn’t untie. Before his death, Father Emperor told him that in the imperial family, sovereign to vassal, father to son—there could be no true feelings. The throne was supreme but also lonely and desolate. It held absolute power but not absolute freedom in life. This was the helplessness of being an emperor, and also the sorrow of being an emperor.
But he didn’t want to do it that way, and he felt his younger brothers didn’t really want to fight for that position either. But they knew in their minds that if they didn’t fight, once the new Emperor ascended, what awaited them would absolutely not be a good end.
If it were just themselves, it would be fine, but they all had families. The life and death of an entire household depended on one person, so they had to fight even if they didn’t want to.
He wanted to change this state of affairs but didn’t know if doing so was right or wrong.
“Your Majesty, Heir of Dingguo Duke requests an audience.” Eunuch Liang walked in and said to Chu Qingye.
“Summon him in.” Chu Qingye rallied his spirits and said.
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
In a moment, Mo Ziyuan walked in.
“I have seen Your Majesty!”
“Now it’s just the two of us. No need for so much ceremony.”
“Your Majesty, rites cannot be neglected.”
To this, Chu Qingye felt very helpless and powerless. Clearly, the person who was joking with him the day before had drawn an insurmountable gulf the next day. This made it hard for him to accept. Could Father Emperor really have been right—that once one sat in this position, one was destined to be lonely and widowed for life?
“Enough. What matter do you have coming to see me?” Tired of wasting words on this, he simply asked Mo Ziyuan’s purpose.
“Your Majesty, now that everything has settled, when does Your Majesty plan to bring the Imperial Grandson back to the Capital City?” Mo Ziyuan hadn’t seen Lin Xin for over half a year and missed her greatly. After much thought, he couldn’t help using the Imperial Grandson as an excuse.
“Yes, indeed it’s time to bring him back. I wonder if he still remembers me, his father.”
“Your Majesty, rest assured. Miss Lin had Yi Chen paint Your Majesty’s portrait. Every few days, she takes it out to show the Imperial Grandson, telling him this is his father, saying his father is doing something great for the country and the people. Once it’s done, he will come to pick him up.” Mo Ziyuan said.
