GBP Chapter 402 Death
Chapter 402 Death
Concubine Yang spoke word by word with difficulty, "Your Majesty, you have poured all your tender affection into the Empress, and even now, you still protect her so well! Are you afraid that I might say something to her?"
Emperor Shenwu was certain of Concubine Yang's ill intentions and ulterior motives. His expression turned cold, and he turned and walked away, "Call me if you need anything! Take good care of Concubine Yang!"
"Your Majesty!" Concubine Yang cried miserably, "I am running out of time. I only ask Your Majesty for this one favor! I promise I will not say anything treasonous to the Empress!"
The Third Prince heard Concubine Yang's exclamation from outside and rushed in in a panic, only to see his father with a sullen face. He said, "Apart from this matter, you may ask for anything. I just hope that Concubine Yang, remember—you are not alone. You still have the Third Prince and your family to look after!"
Emperor Shenwu glanced at Concubine Yang coldly, then turned around and strode away.
Leaving Concubine Yang in a new round of difficult breathing.
The third prince could not persuade his mother, nor could he influence his father. He was caught in a dilemma and pain.
The Sixth Prince's journey back to the imperial city was not peaceful. In Jianfeng City, he and the Second Prince were assassinated by assassins.
In Fengqi Palace, Lan Qingwu leaned against the headboard with a pale face. Ruping replied beside her, "I'm afraid Concubine Yang's illness is not getting better. I don't know why, but she has been clamoring to see you these past few days. The Third Prince has no choice but to ask someone to intercede on my behalf. His Majesty also disagrees with you going. Your Majesty, you should take care of yourself first!"
Lan Qingwu gently rubbed his brows: "I'm afraid that what Concubine Yang said to me is not good! Well, I'd better listen to His Majesty!"
She recalled what the Emperor Shenwu had said at the Hot Springs Royal Manor, "No! Ruo Ruo must not leave before me! I want you to stay by my side. There is a ferocious beast in my heart, and if you're not here, it will come out!"
Late at night, Lan Qingwu asked about Concubine Yang's condition. Emperor Shenwu did not mention Concubine Yang at all, but only comforted her, "It's okay. I asked the imperial doctors to take turns to see her, and they all reported back to me that she's fine."
Lan Qingwu felt relieved after hearing what Emperor Shenwu said. After all, she was not happy to see a familiar person seriously ill, not to mention the third prince.
"Isn't Chu Ming going back to the palace? Why hasn't he arrived yet?"
The two were whispering to each other when Ruping walked in with a pale face: "Your Majesty, Queen, someone has come to Yuyang Palace again, saying that Concubine Yang...is dying!"
Lan Qingwu's face turned pale. She wanted to stand up, but Emperor Shenwu held her back: "I'll go!"
Lan Qingwu said anxiously, "Your Majesty, how could this be! If Concubine Yang insists on seeing me, then I'd better go weakly!"
Emperor Shenwu said in a deep voice, "I will go! She wants to see me! Ruping, please keep an eye on your queen and don't let her go to Yuyang Palace!"
Ruping accepted the order and Emperor Shenwu patted the back of Lan Qingwu's hand soothingly, then put on his clothes and left.
In Yuyang Palace, Concubine Yang was at the point of being forced to stay. She kept babbling incoherently: "Luo'er... Jiuzhi Flower Dew... Are you coming? Your Majesty... Is Your Majesty coming?"
After the Emperor Shenwu arrived, Concubine Yang gradually regained consciousness, her complexion gradually becoming rosy. The Third Prince's heart skipped a beat when he saw her. Concubine Yang watched for a moment before speaking, "Your Majesty, Luo'er, I want to see the Empress... Your Majesty, didn't you say you could grant any of my requests? I want the Nine-Ginger Flower Dew, which represents the Emperor's favor! I want Your Majesty to call me by my name once! Your Majesty, can you please call me by my name once?"
The third prince was kneeling on the ground, tears streaming down his face. He raised his head slightly and looked at Emperor Shenwu as if begging.
Emperor Shenwu was silent for a moment before he said, "Don't worry, I will treat the Third Prince and the Yang family well."
Concubine Yang shook her head slowly, tears dripping from the corners of her eyes. "Your Majesty, you don't know my name, do you? My name is Yushuang. Can you please call me that once? I still remember when I first entered the palace, Your Majesty spoke very little, and you were always so cold. When I occasionally saw me, I wanted to say a lot to you, but you never listened once..."
"Only at this moment will you listen to what I have to say?"
Concubine Yang sighed, "I know Your Majesty is in a difficult situation, but when I think of the countless people in the harem who, like me, curse and resent that person, I feel at ease!"
The Emperor's expression grew increasingly gloomy. He interrupted Concubine Yang: "Who can stop me from favoring whomever I choose? This is all my decision, my will! If you have any grievances or resentments, just come at me! If I find out you've done something sinister—"
In the outer hall, Imperial Concubine Jiang had been leading a group of concubines standing quietly outside. Everyone's face was silent, but the depths of everyone's eyes revealed different meanings. Some were indifferent, some were worried and anxious, and some were grieving.
Imperial Concubine Jiang was at the front, her brows slightly furrowed. At this moment, Lan Qingwu, the Empress, hadn't arrived. What did His Majesty mean? Was the Empress really that ill?
Concubine Yang's slightly agitated voice echoed from the bedroom: "How dare I! As Your Majesty said, I still have the Third Prince to look after. Besides, with my abilities, I can't even reach the edge of Fengqi Palace! Who's outside? Luo'er, go see if there's anyone outside?"
The third prince hesitated, but finally listened to Concubine Yang and left the bedroom. For a moment, only Emperor Shenwu was left in the bedroom.
After a while, Emperor Shenwu heard the Third Prince calling out, "Mother! Greetings, Mother!"
Emperor Shenwu frowned and walked into my heart.
Lan Qingwu walked in holding Ruping's hand. No one dared to stop the current queen, so Lan Qingwu walked into Yuyang Palace. Emperor Shenwu came out of the bedroom, saw Lan Qingwu at a glance, and stretched out his hand to pull her out.
The Emperor Shenwu's expression was sullen and cold. He waved his sleeves, and several eunuchs entered the outer hall. The Emperor Shenwu said word by word, "Stop the Empress. If the Empress enters the inner chamber, you will all be carried off to the Nun Court!"
The Third Prince stared blankly, a strong feeling of resentment and hatred welling up in his heart for the first time! Why! Why was it so different! The Empress was noble and graceful, but was his mother supposed to be ignored and trampled upon in obscurity like this?
Yes, at this moment, when Concubine Yang was on her deathbed, the Emperor Shenwu was so cautious and protective of her. To the Third Prince, this was like trampling on Concubine Yang! His own mother was about to pass away, and yet the Emperor Shenwu was still worried that the Empress would feel uncomfortable seeing his mother, leaving her with a grudge in the future! How could the Third Prince accept this?
The Third Prince did not linger and entered his bedroom again. Within a moment, the people in the outer hall heard the Third Prince's sorrowful cries! Concubine Yang had passed away!
Lan Qingwu tightly grasped Ruping's hand, his face already pale. Ruping saw that Lan Qingwu looked uneasy and hurriedly advised, "Your Majesty! Are you okay? Please accept my condolences and take care of yourself!"
Concubine Jiang's face was filled with a hint of sadness. She hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, you look very bad! You haven't recovered yet, have you?"
In the bedroom, Emperor Shenwu gently closed his eyes, then opened them again in a moment. He said in a deep voice to the grief-stricken Third Prince, "I will posthumously confer the title of Imperial Concubine on your mother! Let her enjoy the honors of an Imperial Concubine! All funeral ceremonies will be conducted according to the rites for an Imperial Concubine!"
The third prince's crying gradually subsided. Just now, his mother was still asking Emperor Shenwu to see the Empress, but Emperor Shenwu never responded.
The Third Prince raised his red eyes and looked at the Shenwu Emperor: "Father, what did you say to my mother just now?"
Emperor Shenwu narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "What? Are you questioning me? Your mother is confused because of her illness, are you confused too? The Queen Mother's phoenix body is not in good condition, and it involves the foundation of the country. Your mother keeps asking the Queen Mother to come to see her, a concubine, when she is seriously ill. You think it is reasonable! I have trained you princes for many years. Zhou Chengluo, you are a prince, and you are led by the nose by the female relatives! If the Queen Mother has any problems because of your mother, who can bear the responsibility or you, a prince!"
The Third Prince's head drooped lower and lower, his words coming out through gritted teeth: "But—Mother will be gone soon..."
"So? Ever since your mother fell ill, we've had access to the imperial physician, medicinal herbs, and everything else. First, no one has been plotting against your mother, and second, no one has deliberately delayed her condition. I want to ask you, in what ways have the Empress and I failed to fulfill our responsibilities? Why would anyone cooperate with your mother's unreasonable behavior?"
The Third Prince raised his red eyes and said, "Father, you treat my mother like a stranger. You are so reasonable and well-reasoned that I have nothing to say!"
But in the end, his mother just asked for a favor, she didn't want to talk about reason!
Lan Qingwu outside the palace seemed not to have heard what Concubine Jiang and Ruping said. Her face was pale, her body was shaky, and tears were sliding down her cheeks. She murmured, "I don't want anyone to die because of me! Why is this happening? I don't want... this! I don't want her resentment..."
Jealousy and resentment! Was it his fault? No, Lan Qingwu never thought it was his fault from the beginning to the end. Was it Concubine Yang's fault? No! What was Concubine Yang's fault? She was just born in this dynasty, and he just happened to come to this dynasty and happened to fall in love with someone!