GBP Chapter 183 The Emperor is on His Deathbed!
Chapter 183 The Emperor is on His Deathbed!
"Good child, it's not easy to survive. Come here, let me pat you." The emperor patted Shangguan Qianqiu's head, as if he could see the Grand Tutor teaching earnestly under the peach tree, while Shangguan Qianqiu secretly passed him meat pies.
Zhao Jihua said, "Not only the case of the execution of the Grand Tutor's entire family, but also many other wrongful convictions caused by the Third Prince. Your humble servant has compiled and collected evidence and materials from these cases."
As she spoke, she handed the evidence to the emperor.
Before the assembled court officials, they revealed the Third Prince's crimes one by one.
The emperor was furious.
He immediately ordered that these truths be made public.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
He stepped back behind Xia Li and performed a deep bow, saying, "Thank you, Master, for redressing the grievances of my Shangguan family."
He knew that his master was usually a lazy bum, and that his participation in such a life-or-death palace coup was all to help him clear his name.
If Xia Li knew what he was thinking, she would definitely say:
Dude, don't be so narcissistic!
However, she was unaware of this at the moment, so she smiled and helped him up: "I promised you, and thankfully, the injustice has been redressed. Justice may be delayed, but it will surely come."
Shangguan Qianqiu stood there, muttering, "Is justice delayed truly justice?"
Xia Li suddenly choked up: ...
So he silently patted Shangguan Qianqiu on the shoulder.
"No, it's just the truth, you know? The funniest thing I've ever heard is that retribution is just a matter of time, but I just want to know that all the harm has already happened and caused all the consequences. The retribution that follows is for the person involved to pay for it with their whole life, while the other person doesn't suffer a hundred times more than me."
Shangguan Qianqiu seemed to have finally found an outlet for his anger. He slammed his fist into the ground and said resentfully:
"So what if the Third Prince was demoted? So what! My wife, my father, my mother, my clan... they can no longer be by my side. I sacrificed my entire clan, and all I got in return was the Third Prince being thrown into prison!"
Xia Li comforted him, "Don't be sad, at least the Third Prince is still alive."
Shangguan Qianqiu: "???"
Master, are you trying to persuade someone?
"Why don't we invite the Third Prince to our residence?" Xia Li chuckled, explaining, "Sometimes death isn't the most terrifying thing; a living hell is. Isn't the throne what he cares about most? Then you can invite him to the villa and take good care of him, telling him every day how our Emperor and the future Emperor have worked diligently to govern the country so well..."
Shangguan Qianqiu: !!!
Suddenly, I felt all my pent-up frustration vanish.
He should let the other person experience this feeling too.
The Emperor on the High Throne: ...
Ministers: ...
For a moment, everyone was unsure whether to cover their ears or Xia Li's mouth.
No, sis, you just blurted that out in front of someone's father like that?
(During the palace coup, the emperor and the third prince were in the imperial study, while the ministers were held back at the New Year's Eve meeting and did not hear the third prince's remarks.)
Xia Li, unaware of the thoughts on everyone's minds, looked at the emperor on the high throne: "Your Majesty, I have another request..."
The emperor interrupted her before she could finish speaking: "...Granted."
"You few come with me. The rest of you, go home and celebrate the New Year."
The emperor summoned Xia Li, Zhao Jihua, and the Ninth Prince, and then left his seat.
Xia Li wondered if it was just her imagination, but the emperor seemed to have aged ten years in an instant.
The three exchanged a glance and hurriedly followed.
The emperor, supported by his staff, returned to the imperial study with unsteady steps.
As soon as he stepped into the study, he could no longer hold on, vomited a mouthful of blood, and collapsed into the chair.
The crimson bloodstains spread across the ground, a horrifying sight.
"His Majesty!"
"His Majesty!"
"Father!"
Upon seeing this, Xia Li, Zhao Jihua, and the Ninth Prince couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, their faces filled with worry and concern.
Su Tiyu rushed forward, her eyes filled with heartache: "His Majesty was forcing himself to do all this. The poison the Third Prince administered earlier had actually taken effect today, but His Majesty had been forcibly enduring it. He even asked me this morning to find a way to administer some poisons that seemed to make one's voice strong, but those poisons are extremely draining on one's energy and spirit..."
After being cared for for so long, Su Tiyu truly felt that the emperor was a good person, and she took great care of him.
The emperor smiled weakly, waved his hand, and said in a low but magnanimous voice, "It's alright. I'm already this old. It's worth it to be able to quell this turmoil in my lifetime."
Everyone who heard this felt a pang of sadness in their hearts.
The emperor toiled his entire life, and even in his old age, he still had to face such a thrilling rebellion, which is both admirable and heartbreaking.
The emperor paused, sat up straight, and his expression became serious: "I have summoned you here because I have important matters to discuss. Now that the situation has been stabilized, the matter of establishing an heir cannot be delayed."
As he spoke, he trembled as he pulled an imperial edict from his robes.
Everyone held their breath as the emperor slowly unfurled the imperial edict, which clearly stated that the crown prince had been appointed as the new emperor.
Upon seeing these words, Xia Li and the others' expressions stiffened slightly, somewhat surprised.
They thought that the Ninth Prince was at least somewhat qualified.
Unexpectedly, the emperor's favorite candidate was still the eldest prince.
There wasn't even a candidate for the Ninth Prince.
Su Tiyu immediately wiped away her tears and said, "Old Emperor, you didn't mean to make our family..."
Xia Li: !!!
He rushed over and covered Su Tiyu's mouth.
Shut up!
Soon, the group felt relieved.
After all, apart from being somewhat lenient, the Crown Prince was very wise and benevolent, and was indeed a wise ruler.
"Your Majesty is wise, and His Highness the Crown Prince will surely lead our dynasty to prosperity," Xia Li said first, his voice firm.
Zhao Jihua and the Ninth Prince nodded in agreement: "Yes, it is a blessing for our dynasty to have His Highness the Crown Prince ascend the throne."
The emperor looked at them, his eyes filled with satisfaction: "With your support, I am at ease. After the new emperor ascends the throne, I hope you will continue to assist me and ensure the peace and prosperity of our dynasty."
The men quickly accepted the order: "Your Majesty, we will do our utmost to live up to your expectations."
Seeing this, the emperor nodded in satisfaction. He looked at Zhao Jihua.
"Your marriage to the second young lady of the Zhou family is no longer valid."
"Then I may marry her!" the Ninth Prince exclaimed with delight!
He looked at Zhao Jihua with deep affection.
Zhao Jihua's face quickly flushed red.
Xia Li laughed and teased them.
Everyone watched as the three of them burst into laughter.
Just then, Su Tiyu exclaimed in surprise, "Your Majesty!"
The emperor closed his eyes and slumped limply in his seat.
The Grand Steward of Dali immediately burst into tears, crying, "Your Majesty, please don't frighten this old servant!"
He tremblingly reached out his hand, wanting to check the emperor's breath, but dared not.