The emperor slowly opened his eyes.
"Li Yuangui, where is Zhen?" he murmured after a moment.
"The imperial grandson has been keeping vigil by Your Majesty's sickbed and refuses to leave. The Grand Tutor arranged for Zhen to enter the palace these past few days to care for His Highness."
"Summon Zhen here," the emperor commanded.
...
Jiafu had been in the palace accompanying Ci'er for several days now.
That day, Ci'er had remained steadfast by his grandfather's sickbed, unwilling to leave even for a moment, until Jiafu finally brought him back at nightfall. Now he had fallen into a deep sleep, his small hand still clutching Jiafu's fingers even in slumber.
For three years, Jiafu had dreamed of being able to hold her son like this again as he slept. Now that this wish had finally been granted, she found herself unable to sleep despite the circumstances. Gazing at her son's peaceful sleeping face and holding his soft little hand that curled around her fingers, she remained awake until late into the night. In the hazy state between sleep and wakefulness, she suddenly heard Cui Yinshui's soft call outside the curtain and immediately awoke.
She rose quietly from the bed and went to the outer chamber, where she learned that the emperor had just awakened and was summoning her urgently. After changing clothes, she hurried to Cheng Guang Hall. Upon entering, she saw the emperor—who had been unconscious for days with only brief periods of wakefulness—now sitting up in bed, wrapped in robes. Though his illness had left him gaunt and haggard, his eyes were remarkably clear, and his spirits unusually high, as if he had miraculously recovered from his grave illness.
A foreboding premonition flashed through Jiafu's heart. She approached and knelt before the bed, paying respects as a subject's wife. After a moment, she heard a voice from above say, "Zhen, like You'an, do you still refuse to call me Father Emperor?"
Startled, Jiafu looked up to see the emperor gazing at her.
Her mind in turmoil, she hesitated when suddenly the emperor smiled—a smile that seemed tinged with self-mockery. "Rise. Never mind. I know this throne isn't something everyone desires. Because of me, you and Ci'er—mother and son by nature—could not meet as such. That you don't hate me for this is already a comfort..."
The emperor suddenly coughed, and Li Yuangui hurried forward to pat his back.
When the coughing subsided, the emperor's breathing remained labored. Jiafu rose and brought over a cup of warm medicine that had been kept nearby.
The emperor shook his head and pushed the medicine away. As his breathing gradually steadied, he stared into the distance, lost in thought.
"Zhen, I summoned you for no particular reason. Just now, I had a dream—of my youth... I merely wished to speak with someone..."
"Though I possess the world and all its riches, at life's end I find no one to talk to. Then I remembered the robe you presented for my fiftieth birthday. Though I never wore it, I was deeply grateful for your thoughtfulness..."
"Your Majesty, if you have words to say, please speak them," Jiafu said softly, suppressing the sorrow rising in her heart.
"Zhen, do you know why I was so determined to establish Ci'er as emperor?" the emperor suddenly asked after a moment.
Jiafu watched the ailing emperor intently.
"In my youth, through twists of fate, I lost my beloved forever, then committed an irreparable mistake. However You'an may view it, to me, this throne is the greatest compensation I could offer.""I was born into the imperial family. In this lifetime, I have witnessed brothers turning against each other, fathers and sons forcing each other's hands, and the disloyalty of royal kin. I know he is ashamed of his origins, but the blood of the royal family flows in his veins—this is beyond doubt, and it is also the root of all transgressions."
"Since fate has made him my son, Xiao Lie's son, then in this life, there is only one path for him—to ascend to the pinnacle."
"In my life, I have wronged many people. As for the arrangements I have made, whether they bring fortune or calamity in the future, I dare not say for certain."
"There are few things in this world that satisfy both sides. Since he was born into the imperial family, let all under heaven bow at his feet!"
"Wield the blade to slaughter, rather than lie upon the chopping block!"
"In my view, this is the only way to ensure a lasting future!"
The emperor spoke without pause, then gasped for breath again, as if all his energy had drained away. His shoulders slumped suddenly, and he fell backward, caught by Li Yuangui, who helped him lie down slowly.
"All I wished to say is here. You may leave now, and take good care of Ci'er—"
After a long silence, the emperor closed his eyes and spoke softly.
Jiafu slowly knelt, kowtowed, then rose and withdrew. Stepping past the threshold of the hall, she walked a few steps before turning to look back at the dark silhouette of the palace against the night sky, tears streaming down her face.
...
Though it was the night of the Lantern Festival, due to the emperor's illness, officials still kept watch in the Eastern Pavilion. That night, besides Pei You'an, Zhang Shiyong and Lu Xiang were also on duty. The two murmured about the emperor's condition.
"Your Majesty is blessed by heaven—he will surely overcome this crisis..."
"Lord Pei, you are also well-versed in medicine. Do you have any remedies? Lord Pei?"
Receiving no response from Pei You'an, they turned to see his figure stepping out of the Eastern Pavilion and disappearing beyond the door.
Pei You'an emerged from the Eastern Pavilion and paused in the night.
A towering palace wall separated the world outside from the world within. Beyond the wall, the Lantern Festival lights shimmered like silver blossoms, while inside the deep palace courtyards, shadows loomed thickly. A few palace lanterns swayed gently in the night breeze, casting flickering dim light on the ground, adding to the desolate silence.
Pei You'an tilted his head slightly, gazing absently at the dazzling night sky beyond the distant palace walls. After a moment, he walked forward, finally stopping before the closed gates of Cheng Guang Hall.
He stood outside the gates for a long time before finally turning and slowly walking away.
When Jiafu returned, Ci'er was still deep in slumber. She lay down beside the bed in her clothes, thinking over the emperor's summons.
She knew in her heart—this was the final act.
Those words—perhaps the emperor had originally intended them for Pei You'an. Or perhaps, as he himself had said, he simply wanted someone to talk to.
She closed her eyes, lost in thought for a moment, then finally rose and stepped out. Just as she opened the door to call for Cui Yinshui and send him to fetch Pei You'an from the Eastern Pavilion, she saw a figure standing at the foot of the steps.
The bright moon of the Lantern Festival hung high in the clear sky, casting its glow upon the man's faint silhouette, his face as serene as moonlight.
Pei You'an had come.
Jiafu hurried forward, took his slightly cold hand, and led him inside.
Pei You'an sat by the bed, watching Ci'er in deep sleep. After a while, he rose quietly and stepped out. Jiafu followed him to the door, where he embraced her and smiled softly. "I suddenly missed you both, so I came. I should return to the Eastern Pavilion now. Go back to sleep."
Jiafu wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up at him. "Elder Cousin, earlier, His Majesty summoned me and spoke a few words..."Jiafu repeated the account and finally said, "Your Majesty did not instruct me to relay this to you, but I thought... he likely still wished for you to know."
Pei You'an remained silent for a moment before kissing her gently and murmuring, "I must go now. You should rest again."
...
"A Jing... In this lifetime, I have been nothing but a scoundrel..."
"I've made our grandson emperor—I wonder if this pleases you. If not, when we meet again, you may curse me as you will..."
"A Jing, had time remained as before, I would have sought my father's permission early to marry you..."
Xiao Lie muttered these words to himself, his grip on the jade pendant tightening until his knuckles whitened. His gaze drifted upward to the dim, candlelit shadows of the hall's ceiling, as if piercing through to some distant, boundless void.
"Whoosh—"
A blazing firework shot up from the direction of the lantern market, bursting midair into a magnificent display that illuminated half the eastern night sky of the imperial city.
The firework gradually faded, dissolving into the darkness.
"Physicians—summon the physicians—save His Majesty—"
A sharp cry shattered the palace's deathly silence.
Imperial Physician Hu and his attendants, stationed outside Cheng Guang Hall, rushed in at the summons.
When Zhang Shiyong and Lu Xiang were urgently summoned from the Eastern Pavilion to Cheng Guang Hall, they saw a lone figure already standing motionless outside the hall.
The straight, gaunt silhouette belonged to none other than Pei You'an, Grand Tutor to the Imperial Grandson.
Soon, He Gongpu, Liu Jiushao, and other high-ranking officials received the news and arrived in succession.
"Summon Pei You'an, Zhang Shiyong, and Liu Jiushao for an audience..." A eunuch hurried out, drawing out his words to announce the imperial decree.
Zhang and Liu followed Pei You'an inside. Deep within the inner chamber, the emperor lay supine upon the Dragon Bed, seemingly unable to speak, his eyes half-lidded in a state between wakefulness and sleep. A row of physicians knelt on the floor nearby, while Li Yuangui stood solemnly at the foot of the bed, holding an edict with grief etched upon his face.
"Pei You'an, Zhang Shiyong, Liu Jiushao, hear the decree—"
Li Yuangui stepped forward and proclaimed.
Zhang and Liu immediately knelt behind Pei You'an, pressing their foreheads to the ground.
Knowing his time was near, the emperor decreed that after his passing, the Imperial Grandson would ascend the throne. All funeral rites were to be simplified, with mourning periods shortened—twenty-seven days for officials and commoners alike, after which marriages and celebrations could resume. The imperial concubines were to be spared from burial sacrifices and provided for properly. Until the young emperor came of age, Pei You'an would serve as Regent, overseeing all state affairs, while Zhang and Liu would be honored as Pillars of the State to assist in governance.
Tears streaming down their faces, Zhang and Liu kowtowed in acceptance behind Pei You'an.
Upon the Dragon Bed, the emperor remained still, eyes closed as before.
"Honorable Ministers, the imperial will has been conveyed. You may withdraw now!"
Zhang and Liu received the edict with both hands, weeping as they bowed and retreated backward.
Pei You'an also rose, his steps heavy as he slowly withdrew to the hall's entrance. There, he paused and turned his head slightly.
Xiao Lie on the Dragon Bed had opened his eyes at some point and was now looking outward.
In the flickering candlelight, the emperor's gaze rested upon Pei You'an's retreating figure—stiff and unblinking.
Pei You'an stood frozen for a moment before suddenly turning back. He strode swiftly to the Dragon Bed.
Under the watchful eyes of Zhang and Liu, he knelt once more before Xiao Lie and performed a full kowtow—forehead pressed to the ground in the deepest ceremonial bow.
He remained thus, motionless, for a long time.At that moment, a long-absent look of serene relief surfaced in the emperor's eyes.
He fixed his gaze steadily upon the figure kneeling motionless before his bed, a faint, almost imperceptible smile touching his lips. With a deep exhale, he slowly closed his eyes.
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