amaotonovel Chapter 1522: The End of Emperor Hongde
Chapter 1522: The End of Emperor Hongde
Chapter 1522: The End of Emperor Hongde
The emperor spoke, and Shen Yi and all the ministers left the bedroom one after another.
Shen Yi walked at the back, and the emperor said silently: "Shen Qing, don't go too far."
"Let Concubine Hui come in..."
Master Shen bowed his head and responded. After he walked out of the bedroom, he invited Concubine Hui in. Concubine Hui… or Gu Hengbo also staggered in and knelt directly in front of the emperor's bed, shedding tears: "Your Majesty…"
The emperor touched her head and said softly, "Lan Qing."
Gu Lanqing is Gu Hengbo’s real name.
However, no one has remembered this name for many, many years, and now in the world, almost only His Majesty the Emperor knows it.
Most people think her surname is Lu and she is Concubine Hui of Da Chen.
Some people who think they know the truth are probably just guessing that she is the Pipa Jue Gu Heng Bo who was famous in Qinhuai River back then, but they don't know anything deeper.
All these years, His Majesty the Emperor has always remembered her real name.
His Majesty the Emperor looked at Concubine Hui with a rare tenderness in his eyes: "I didn't make Wang'er the heir. Do you blame me in your heart?"
Concubine Hui's face was full of tears. She shook her head and said, "I know that Your Majesty has his own difficulties..."
"There's really no hardship."
The emperor sighed silently and said, "Establishing the eldest brother will only cause some trouble. I am mainly worried that when the eldest brother ascends the throne in the future, you, Lan Qing, will become the target of public criticism. When I am gone, if Shen Ziheng does not help, it will be difficult for you and your son to end up like this."
"And then there's..."
His Majesty the Emperor said silently: "Among all the princes, Wang'er's personality is the most like mine. I... have been the emperor for more than 30 years. Now looking back..."
"I don't really want to be the emperor."
His Majesty the Emperor said silently: "I think that if Wang'er were to sit in my position in the future, he would probably be troubled by it. It would be better to let him be a leisurely prince and live a carefree life in wealth and luxury."
At this point, Emperor Hongde glanced to the south and sighed silently: "Speaking of which, I really miss him a little, but unfortunately, I'm afraid it will be difficult for me to see him again."
When Li Wang was born, Emperor Hongde was overjoyed. He took Shen Yi's hand and said that he had become a father.
The joy I felt at that time was certainly not fake.
Later, during the reign of Emperor Hongde, there were many concubines in the harem, but the only one who was truly chosen by Emperor Hongde himself was Concubine Hui.
In a sense, their family of three was the "family" that Emperor Hong De originally recognized in his heart.
When Concubine Hui was young, she was very thoughtful and often engaged in intrigues with Empress Sun in the harem. The reason why she stopped later was that, firstly, there was always pressure from Empress Dowager Sun in the palace, and secondly...
Perhaps it was because she saw that Emperor Hongde was too tired and she didn't want to see him worrying about the harem anymore.
As a couple, they naturally have a very deep affection for each other.
Concubine Hui shed tears and said, "I will immediately send someone to rush six hundred miles to summon him back to Yanjing..."
"No…I can't."
The emperor shook his head and said, "Now that he's back, I'm afraid it will be difficult for him to get away."
He looked at Concubine Hui and said silently: "I...I mentioned the matter of you and your son to Shen Yi a few months ago. After I leave, Shen Yi will arrange for someone to send...send Lan Qing to Fuzhou."
"Shen Yi...Shen Yi is in Fuzhou, and he has considerable influence. He promised me that he would ensure the safety of you and your child..."
"Again…"
His Majesty the Emperor coughed and continued, "And then there is... Ming'er and Little Pipa..."
"They are all underage and have no grudges against the new emperor. The fourth brother... is not a vicious person. He will not embarrass the younger siblings, and they will be safe in the future."
Concubine Hui gave birth to two sons and one daughter for Emperor Hongde. The eldest son was naturally Li Wang, the youngest son was named Li Ming, and there was also a young daughter who was only eleven or twelve years old this year. Emperor Hongde loved her very much and gave the little princess the nickname "Xiao Pipa".
"so…"
His Majesty the Emperor breathed a sigh of relief: "As long as you and your son are safe, I can rest assured."
Concubine Hui shook her head, her face full of tears: "Your Majesty, I am ready..."
"If anything happens to you, I will take the medicine immediately and go with you..."
Emperor Hong De frowned and shook his head, saying, "You can't do that. You are still... still young and have a lot of good days to live. Go... to Fuzhou."
"I hope my son will be filial and take good care of you."
Gu Hengbo sat on the ground, tears streaming down her face. "Your Majesty, back then I was taken out of that place and locked up. At that time I just thought that Your Majesty treated me as a plaything..."
"Now, for more than 20 years, Your Majesty has treated me with sincerity, and I have no way to repay you..."
"I only hope to follow Your Majesty forever...never leaving him, no matter death or life!"
Emperor Hong De looked at her and remained silent for a long time without saying anything.
After a long while, Emperor Hong De finally sighed.
"Lan Qing."
"If there is an afterlife, let's be a common couple."
Gu Hengbo nodded with tears in his eyes: "Okay, okay..."
…………
Outside the bedroom, Shen Yi and the prince did not go far.
Li Jian stood beside Shen Yi and whispered, "Uncle, Father wants me to marry Sangsang in the next two days. The sooner the better."
This is not surprising.
Emperor Hongde's health is so bad that he may die at any time. If the wedding is held on the original date, it will probably be too late.
Once the emperor passes away, it will be unlikely for the new emperor to get married within a year. The matter will be delayed, and then... there will be more uncertainties.
Master Shen was silent for a while, and then said quietly: "Your Highness, if the imperial guards outside the city do not make any moves today, Your Highness should go to my house tomorrow and discuss this matter with my wife and my son. Once this matter is done, His Majesty can rest assured..."
"Yes."
Li Jian bowed his head and said, "Thank you for your understanding, uncle."
Shen Yi sighed and continued, "Your Highness has no foundation in the court, but during this period of time, you should not accept everyone who comes to serve you. You should recognize people clearly."
"Otherwise there will be trouble."
"Yes."
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince bowed and said, "Nephew understands."
At this point, the prince looked at the bedroom and whispered, "Uncle, why don't you go to sleep for a while, and your nephew will stay here to watch over you."
Shen Yi shook his head and said, "It's okay. I'll go to bed tomorrow morning after Prime Minister Song comes over."
Shen Yi stayed in the palace for the past two days and two nights, but there were many rooms in the palace, so he did not completely miss any sleep.
While the two were talking, Eunuch Gao walked over. He first bowed his head to the prince, then bowed to Shen Yi and said, "My Lord, His Majesty... His Majesty wants to speak to you."
Shen Yi nodded and turned to look at the prince.
"Your Highness can go back to the East Palace to rest for a while. If anything happens here, I will notify the East Palace immediately."
"Yes."
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince bowed his head in agreement.
Shen Yi followed Gao Ming into the bedroom.
At this time, Concubine Hui had just left.
There was no one beside the emperor's bed, so Shen Yi bowed to him and said, "Your Majesty."
"Sit down and talk."
Shen Yi found a chair and sat beside the bed. He looked at the emperor and forced a smile: "Your Majesty looks much better. If you continue like this, you may get better after a few days of rest."
Emperor Hongde shook his head and said, "Yes... the imperial physician used strong medicine."
At this moment, there were no outsiders around, and His Majesty the Emperor said silently: "Concubine Hui just said that she would go with me. When the time comes, Shen Qing will send someone... send someone to watch her and don't let her get upset. After ten days or half a month, her mind will fade."
"Concubine Hui had a hard life in the first half of her life. It's time for her to enjoy a few more years of happiness..."
Shen Yi sighed, lowered his head and said: "I understand."
The emperor paused and continued, "The fourth son... the fourth son's legs and feet are still a little inconvenient, this matter..."
He looked at Shen Yi and asked, "Does Shen Qing know?"
Mr. Shen was stunned.
He originally thought that the emperor didn't know about this.
But if you think about it carefully, Li Jian's leg was treated by the imperial physician, so it is impossible that the emperor didn't know about it.
So, Shen Yi lowered his head and said, "I... vaguely saw something."
"The fourth brother has a good character. I have nothing to worry about. The only thing I am worried about now is that he will suffer from his legs in the future..."
"My character has changed drastically."
Shen Yi frowned, then lowered his head and said, "Your Majesty, this matter can only be decided by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince himself. No one else can interfere, let alone ask."
"Yes, I know."
The emperor sighed: "Unfortunately, I don't have time anymore."
His Majesty the Emperor closed his eyes, his tone somewhat sad.
"It's hard to save the third child."
"His children..."
His Majesty the Emperor said silently: "If you can save Shen Qing, save him and leave him a successor."
Shen Yi stood up and bowed his head.
"I will do my best."
(End of this chapter)