amaotonovel Chapter 260 The Ruthless and Disabled Crown Prince (160)
Chapter 260 The Ruthless and Disabled Crown Prince (160)
His cloudy eyes were so blurry that it was almost impossible to distinguish between the eyeballs and the whites of his eyes; they were a hazy gray that looked extremely terrifying. It was hard to tell if he could even see anymore. He stared fixedly at one spot, his eye sockets almost bursting open.
His body was hunched over, stiff and hunched, his hands, whose skin had turned black and stiff, had fingers that were like withered claws, curled up menacingly, and desperately stretched forward.
"Immortal! Immortal! Let me ascend the immortal mountain!" His voice was hoarse, but his tone became increasingly urgent, sounding like fingernails scratching on porcelain, hoarse and distorted.
But no one went inside to check on him. The bedroom was empty, as if he were the only one there, unusually deserted...
I don't know how long he struggled, or what he said at the end. The sounds in the room faded into silence as the last candle tear fell onto the candlestick.
Finally, the door was pushed open.
Carrying an oil lamp, Decheng, like a ghost in the night, silently entered with his back bent.
The moment De Cheng lifted the bed curtains and saw the scene on the bed, he swayed, his knees buckled, and he knelt down by the bedside, holding his breath. After a long while, he slowly got up, his hand trembling, and gently stroked down the eyelids of the Emperor's bloodshot, glaring eyes.
"The Emperor... has passed away!" he murmured, almost in a breath.
"The Emperor has passed away..."
His voice was audible only to himself. He stood by the bed for an unknown amount of time before De Cheng took two steps back, knelt down again, and kowtowed several times to the Emperor.
Despite his resentment, De Cheng had served the Emperor for almost his entire life, and he was still unable to calm down. It was as if all his energy and spirit had been drained from his bones and marrow.
An emperor's reign has come to an end.
He staggered out of the dormitory, where Bao Yi and several others were guarding the door.
Seeing her godfather come out, she quickly went forward and helped him up.
The night was pitch black, and the lingering smell of gunpowder could still be smelled. The faint, intermittent sounds of firecrackers could be heard from an unknown source, probably set off by the still-upon-drowsy residents of the capital. In this atmosphere that should have been celebratory, the complete lack of light and the somber mood made the darkness seem particularly oppressive and gloomy.
"Godfather—"
Under the barely perceptible glow, Bao Yi suddenly felt that his godfather had never looked so old and wrinkled. He wanted to say something, but his throat tightened. He glanced at the dark palace and knew in his heart what had happened inside.
"Guard this place well, or you'll lose your head!" De Cheng brushed Bao Yi's hand away, barely managed to stand up, left those words behind, and walked into the darkness.
They finally arrived at the Crown Prince's palace.
The windows were still brightly lit with candles.
De Cheng straightened his clothes, lowered his head, and went inside.
His Highness the Crown Prince was still wearing the same magnificent robes he had worn during the day, even his hair crown was still on. His face was ashen as he stood behind his desk, pen in hand. If it weren't for the fact that there wasn't a single word on the paper on his desk, he would truly appear as still as water.
"This servant greets Your Highness the First Prince..." De Cheng said in a low voice.
"Hmm." Ji Shuqin hesitated for a moment, put down his pen, and turned to look at him.
"Your Highness... Your Majesty, His Majesty has passed away," De Cheng said in a trembling voice.
……
Ji Shuqin stood there like a piece of wood, silent and motionless for a long time.
Decheng fell silent, and the room was so quiet that even the faint crackling of the candle flame was clearly jarring.
Ji Shuqin felt a sense of disorientation, as if everything around him was somewhat unreal. Instantly, scenes from his time with his father, the not-so-long days they spent together, flashed through his mind.
Loving, harmonious, false, exploitative...
Unable to distinguish what was what, Ji Shuqin already knew in his heart why he had returned to the palace, what he had gained in exchange for those days of filial piety and parental love, and what unspeakable secrets were buried beneath them.
But Ji Shuqin was still stunned, and even after hearing Decheng's words, he felt that his hands and feet would not move.
"Your Highness, the First Prince." De Cheng called out softly again, afraid that he might be having nightmares.
"Hmm, keep the news of her death a secret for now, and let Min'er enter the palace first thing tomorrow morning," he heard his own voice say.
For a fleeting moment, he even considered sending Ji Shumin to the palace right then and there. As the elder brother, he desperately wanted his younger brother by his side. His brother was surely more capable of handling everything than he was.
But he couldn't. He stood there stiffly until Decheng left, and the door creaked shut as the biting cold of the winter night rushed in, enveloping him.
Ji Shuqin blankly took out a box from the drawer, opened it, and inside was a string of old Buddhist prayer beads. It was sent by the Empress to him when Ji Shuqin had not visited the Empress's palace for a long time.
Ji Shuqin immediately put the box away. Now, holding the prayer beads, he recited the Buddhist scriptures he had copied countless times in his heart.
As dawn was breaking, he put the Buddhist prayer beads on his wrist and solemnly kowtowed three times towards the direction of the Emperor's palace.
Lu Liruan didn't sleep well last night. The sound of firecrackers outside was constant, sometimes loud and sometimes soft. Sometimes she would be awakened just as she was getting sleepy.
In previous years, due to Ji Shu's poor health, the household did not have the custom of staying up all night on New Year's Eve, and the whole household was quiet after midnight.
But Lu Liruan couldn't sleep this year, so she decided to sit up and wait to see when the firecrackers would stop.
"What's wrong..." Ji Shumin was woken up from his light sleep by Lu Liruan.
"It's too noisy, I can't sleep." Seeing the grogginess in his expression, Lu Liruan felt a little embarrassed and said softly, "Did I disturb you? Then I'll go outside..."
"Don't move, the cold air is getting into the blanket." Ji Shumin pressed her shoulder down, pressed his face against Lu Liruan's back, and raised his hand to cover Lu Liruan's ears.
Lu Liruan, who had been feeling inexplicably irritated, gradually calmed down as she felt Ji Shumin's body temperature and steady heartbeat through his clothes.
After finally coaxing Lu Liruan to sleep, Ji Shumin's expression was no longer sleepy at all. As if he had a premonition, he looked in the direction of the palace.
On the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, whether Lu Liruan liked it or not, she was awakened again by the sound of firecrackers from near and far. In the past, Lu Liruan's city had banned fireworks during the Spring Festival, so she didn't feel anything special. But in recent years, Lu Liruan has deeply felt people's anticipation and love for the New Year. The capital city is also more prosperous than other places, and almost every household is constantly celebrating.
When Lu Liruan opened her eyes, she subconsciously turned her head, only to find that she was all alone.
"Where is the Third Prince?" Lu Liruan asked Qinghe, who was carrying water, her head spinning.
"His Highness left the manor half an hour ago." Qinghe tidied Lu Liruan's hair and wrung out a warm handkerchief for her.
"Do we have to go to the palace so early on the first day of the lunar new year?" Lu Liruan asked, puzzled. She remembered that Ji Shumin had only entered the palace on the second day of the lunar new year last year.
"This servant does not know, perhaps it is His Highness the Crown Prince's rule this year?" Qinghe said softly, her head lowered, so Lu Liruan could not see the seriousness in her expression.
Lu Liruan didn't ask any further questions. After breakfast, Zhuang Yuxun swaggered back into the mansion and took the snacks that Lu Liruan had placed on the table: "Why do you look like you haven't woken up yet?"
"I was just not fully awake. I didn't sleep well last night, probably because of the firecrackers." Lu Liruan rested her chin on her hand. She was wearing a moon-white jacket and a light blue velvet skirt, looking elegant and simple.
When Zhuang Yu came looking for her, she was also wearing a dark blue skirt and trousers, and she acted as usual with everyone in the mansion, so Lu Liruan did not feel anything different. However, if she went out, she might have noticed that most of the people outside were wearing bright colors during the New Year, and the streets were decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, creating a strong festive atmosphere.
Lu Liruan's clothes were always taken care of by Qinghe; she never really had any particular rules about them.
"You came yesterday, and you're still coming today. Are you coming tomorrow too?" Lu Liruan asked casually. Unexpectedly, Zhuang Yuxun actually nodded seriously: "Yes, otherwise, where would I find a place to stay in such a big capital city? I can't possibly spend the New Year on someone's wall with my people, can I?" She sighed.
Lu Liruan couldn't help but burst out laughing: "Are you really spending the New Year on someone else's wall? There aren't any walls like that in this mansion, are there?"
She knew she was referring to the soldiers who were secretly protecting her. The capital city had its own garrison, but the soldiers under Zhuang Yuxun's command were those who had returned from the border with her.
"Why not?" Zhuang Yuxun raised an eyebrow.
"Why don't we let them all come in and have a cup of tea? It's so cold outside..." Lu Liruan couldn't bear to do that.
Zhuang Yuxun noticed this but shook her head dismissively, "It's nothing, it's nothing. Last year during the Spring Festival, I was lying in the trenches we dug in the morning, and He Pingyan was squatting there in the afternoon. The soldiers below are used to it. The capital is much warmer than the border!" she said casually.
"Then let's send some hot tea over later," Lu Liruan said, not insisting.
"I'll sleep here tonight!" Zhuang Yuxun said casually as he flopped onto the bed in the side room and patted the bed board.
"Get up quickly, no one has lived here for so long, be careful not to get covered in dust!" Lu Liruan thought she was joking and tried to help her up.
Unexpectedly, Zhuang Yuxun was serious. When she brought it up again in the afternoon, Lu Liruan raised an eyebrow: "Hmm? You're really staying here tonight?"
The Third Prince's residence rarely hosts overnight guests. Given Ji Shumin's personality, he also dislikes having others stay overnight; this is his and Li Ruan's home.
Zhuang Yu sought out a woman who, despite being on good terms with Lu Liruan and whose family was no longer in the capital, offered to stay overnight at someone else's house... which seemed rather odd.
Lu Liruan's smile vanished: "What is it that you haven't told me?"
Zhuang Yuxun sat cross-legged on the bed, patted the spot next to him, and gestured for Lu Liruan to sit down.
“His Highness will be staying in the palace tonight, so I’ll stay here with Li Ruan,” she said truthfully.
"Why..." Lu Liruan's brows suddenly furrowed halfway through her sentence.
She asked uncertainly, "Is it...the Emperor's side..."
Zhuang Yuxun glanced at her subtly: "I only found out this morning, but I don't know what the situation is in the palace right now. However, the task that the Third Prince gave me is to protect Li Ruan's safety, so from now on, until I hear from the Third Prince, I will stay by Li Ruan's side every step of the way!" Her expression was firm.
Lu Liruan had no idea that the Emperor had already passed away. After all, it had been dragged on for too long and it was all too sudden.
But seeing Zhuang Yuxun's serious expression, Lu Liruan had no objections.
The incident happened suddenly, and Ji Shumin would never harm me. Before the situation is clear, all I can do is not cause trouble and let him have no worries.
"Don't worry, Li Ruan. You know I've always been prepared."
Lu Liruan exchanged a glance with her, knowing what she was talking about, and nodded heavily: Yes, Ji Shumin has been planning this for who knows how long.
I wonder if this time, my wish will be fulfilled, and whose wish will be fulfilled...
Sure enough, by evening, there was still no news from the palace, and the capital city remained bustling with activity.
On the morning of the second day of the Lunar New Year, which was originally the day when court officials would enter the palace to pay their respects to the Emperor and offer their blessings, news spread from the palace that the Emperor was unwell and therefore the court officials were not allowed to enter the palace...
Originally, this matter was initiated by the Second Prince's faction, but now it's unclear... The faction led by the Second Prince, like a beast that has smelled something unusual, is not willing to let it go. So the Second Prince went to the palace gate to request an audience with his father, but was not allowed to.
"The imperial physician's diagnosis is that Father Emperor cannot afford any mishaps and must not be exposed to wind. Second Brother, you should wait until Father Emperor is feeling a little better..." Ji Shumin said slowly and deliberately when he saw Ji Shuling.
His expression remained as calm as ever, but in Ji Shuling's view, he was merely trying to cover up his true feelings and put on a brave face, since his excuse was simply too clumsy!
"How can you, Ji Shumin, decide how Father is doing! You've been audacious since childhood, what have you done to Father?!" Ji Shuling had lost all patience. She pointed at Ji Shumin angrily and loudly questioned, "Have you controlled Father? I advise you to let me see Father honestly, or you'll make another mistake!"
"Oh? The imperial physicians who treated the Emperor are all here. What are your intentions in deliberately putting the Emperor in danger?" Ji Shumin was not affected by him at all. He straightened his sleeves and asked softly.
Ji Shuling did not come alone, but brought a group of officials with him, just like last time.
The two princes were locked in a tense standoff in front, while those behind them each had their own plans, yet dared not speak out.
Ji Shumin single-handedly held off Ji Shuling and eventually drove her away in a huff.
After Ji Shuling and the other officials left, Ji Shuqin came out from the inner room, stood behind Ji Shumin, and put his hand on his shoulder.
He had been there the whole time, but Ji Shumin did not answer when Ji Shuling asked him where he was.
"Will he act as you want?" Ji Shuqin asked softly.
"Probably, why would he give up such an opportunity?" Ji Shumin said calmly.
Once outside the palace gates, Ji Shuling's furious expression vanished instantly. His face remained cold, his hands clenched into fists inside his sleeves, trembling slightly with emotion. His agitation in the palace was deliberate, a calculated act to conceal his true feelings from Ji Shumin, hoping to conceal his true intentions...
"Father... should have already passed away." The veins on his forehead bulged and squeezed out from between his teeth, but there was not a trace of sorrow in his expression.
"It's time. I want Ji Shuqin and Ji Shumin to know that until the very last moment, the outcome is never certain!"