Chapter 390: He Would Never Die
The crowd gradually dispersed.
Officials from the Office of the Crown Prince's Household, including the Junior Tutor and Junior Guardian, approached Yun Chu.
"Crown Princess," Lord Xiang's voice was hoarse, "The Crown Prince has passed away, we..."
"No, the Crown Prince isn't dead." Yun Chu raised her voice, "He wrote me a letter just days ago. He had discovered the weakness of the Eastern Tomb Kingdom and said he would conquer it within three months. His ambitions remain unfulfilled—he would never die. I believe in him."
The ministers exchanged glances.
They thought the Crown Princess was speaking deliriously.
How could someone who had been pierced by ten thousand arrows, even if not completely dead, survive being thrown into the sea?
"Crown Princess, please accept our condolences," Lord Nie spoke up. "During tomorrow's morning court session, we will all petition the Emperor to send reinforcements. We must avenge the Crown Prince!"
Lord Lu added, "The Emperor is gravely ill, and the nation cannot be without an heir for even a day. We implore you to accept this reality soon."
A smile appeared on Yun Chu's face. "So, are you planning to pledge allegiance to a new Crown Prince?"
Lord Lu replied, "I was appointed Junior Tutor by the Emperor himself, serving as the Crown Prince's teacher. Regardless of who becomes Crown Prince, my loyalty lies with the position."
"And if the Crown Prince were Chu Rui, would you still serve him, Lord Lu?" Yun Chu enunciated each word clearly.
"Impossible!" Lord Nie immediately refuted. "There are still the Seventh Prince, Ninth Prince, and Tenth Prince. Even if none are suitable, we could recall the Eighth Prince. How could it ever be Chu Rui's turn?"
Yun Chu chuckled lightly. "The poison insects haven't been eliminated. The Emperor remains Chu Rui's puppet, who will gradually eliminate all the other princes. In the end, only Chu Rui will remain as the legitimate heir to the throne. Would you still serve a monarch without any moral boundaries?"
Their expressions all changed dramatically.
Yun Chu pinched the bridge of her nose. "After tomorrow's morning court session, everyone report to the Office of the Crown Prince's Household. We'll discuss this further."
She turned and descended the steps, walking toward the Eastern Palace.
The full moon hung in the sky, its cool moonlight falling upon her. She didn't know how she managed to walk back to the Eastern Palace.
As she reached the entrance, she stumbled.
Ting Shuang quickly supported her. "Crown Princess..."
Thousands of words came to mind, yet she didn't know how to offer comfort.
"I'm fine."
Yun Chu waved her hand and entered her room.
But before she could settle in, the door was knocked upon.
"Mother, open the door!" Chu Hongyu cried out. "They all say Father is dead! Mother, tell me it's not true!"
"Father wouldn't die! He definitely wouldn't die!" Chu Changsheng sobbed along. "Father is incredibly strong! No one could harm him! Those people must have made a mistake!"
Yun Chu opened the door, crouched down, and embraced the children. Her voice was hoarse as she said, "Yes, I don't believe your father is dead either. He promised he would return alive, and he never breaks his promises. Those people outside don't understand your father, which is why they say such things. Yu Ge'er and Changsheng, don't argue with them, understand?"
"Mhmm!" Chu Hongyu nodded vigorously. "Don't debate fools—I'll ignore them."
Chu Changsheng wrapped her arms around Yun Chu's neck. "Mother, I want to sleep with you tonight."
Ever since Yun Chu gave birth to Jue Ge'er, Chu Changsheng had been living in her own courtyard and had adapted well. Yun Chu knew her daughter was frightened.
She forced a smile onto her face and said gently, "Alright, you can sleep with Mother tonight."Chu Hongyu wrinkled his little nose. Fine, he was already a big boy and wouldn't fuss about sleeping with his mother and younger sister.
Yun Chu held Changsheng in her arms, and the little girl quickly fell asleep.
She placed her daughter on the couch and sat in the outer chamber, taking out the letters from recent days.
Every day she would receive letters from Chu Yi, written three days prior, taking three days to travel before reaching her hands.
In the letters, he would describe the local customs along his journey, share his upcoming plans, and recount amusing incidents from the military camp... Reading his words, she felt as if she were there experiencing it all.
How could something have gone wrong so suddenly?
Yun Chu's tears fell in large drops.
At the doorway stood Ting Shuang, Ting Xue, Ting Feng, Luwei, and Qiutong—all five wore expressions of deep concern.
"Sister Ting Shuang, what should we do..." Luwei fidgeted helplessly. "We can't just let the Crown Princess sit here like this indefinitely."
"There's no need to do anything," Ting Shuang said softly. "Give the Crown Princess one night. She will pull through because there are still too many matters requiring her attention, too many people needing her protection."
If not for the three children, the Crown Princess might have gone to the front lines herself to search for the Crown Prince's remains.
But the children were still so young—the Crown Princess would never leave their side.
Remaining in the capital meant facing numerous challenges.
Dawn slowly broke.
Yun Chu had sat through the entire night.
Hearing movement from the inner chamber, she immediately rotated her stiff neck, carefully stored the letters, stood up, and walked inside. "Changsheng, you're awake."
Chu Changsheng spoke in her soft, sweet voice, "Mother, I had a dream. I dreamed our family traveled south again, and this time Jue Ge'er came along. The journey was even more joyful."
Yun Chu gently pinched her nose. "Don't worry, when your father returns, our family will find time to travel south again, to see those landscapes and enjoy those delicacies. Alright, the sun has already risen. Get dressed quickly and head to the Imperial College with your brother."
No matter what happened, the sun still rose as usual, and the Imperial College awaited as always.
The ministers also attended court as usual.
During last night's sacrificial ceremony, the Emperor had coughed up two mouthfuls of dark blood, causing great concern among many.
Upon entering the hall and seeing the Emperor seated on his throne, his face faintly tinged with darkness, everyone grew even more worried.
"Today, I shall address only one matter," the Emperor said, leaning crookedly on the dragon throne, his voice weak. "The Crown Prince is dead. Regarding the appointment of a new Crown Prince, what suggestions do my esteemed ministers have?"
The head of the Yin family, Lord Yin, stepped forward. "Your Majesty declared last night that you would dispatch a hundred thousand elite troops for reinforcements to avenge the Crown Prince. This matter requires Your Majesty's imperial decree."
Before even sending troops to the eastern campaign, discussions about appointing a new Crown Prince had begun, leaving the Yin family deeply disheartened.
If a new Crown Prince were confirmed, and the court and public rallied behind the new heir, who would still remember Yi'er's blood-soaked vendetta...
Thus, despite being merely a fourth-rank official, Lord Yin stepped forward to state his position, hoping others would join him in speaking out.
However.
Before anyone else could speak.
The Emperor picked up an inkstone from his desk and hurled it down.
But his strength was too feeble—the inkstone landed to the side, missing Lord Yin's head entirely.
"How dare you!" the Emperor gasped for breath. "Revenge must be taken, and a Crown Prince must be appointed. There is no conflict between the two. Once the new Crown Prince is established, I will have him oversee state affairs and confirm the eastern campaign!"
The entire court fell into silence.There are only a few princes, plus the Imperial Grandson, all of whom are very young. If one were made Crown Prince, how would they oversee state affairs? How could they govern? Isn't that treating it as child's play?
Unless...
Yun Ze looked at Chu Rui.
The earliest establishment of the Regent position was precisely because the young emperor was too small, hence this role was created.
Chu Rui used gu insects to make the emperor appoint him as Regent—could it be that this was all for this very dynasty?
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