The Red Mansions

Chapter 1498: The mountain and mausoleum collapsed, and the emperor passed away

Chapter 1498: The mountain and mausoleum collapsed, and the emperor passed away...

Palace Garden, Hanyuan Hall——

Just as the officials in the palace had been starving from early morning to noon, and were worried about the next development of the coup, a young guard officer with blood on his face stepped over the threshold, walked quickly into the palace, and said in a hurry:

"Your Highness Prince Wei, Prince Wei is here."

Upon hearing this, the King of Wei became even angrier, his face was as gloomy as iron, and two cold rays of light flashed in his eyes.

Under the sword-like brows, the eyes of the King of Liang were filled with anger, and he said angrily: "This Jia Ziyu is really going too far!"

Queen Song's graceful and beautiful face was covered with a layer of cold frost. She said tenderly, "I want to ask him if he still has justice and human nature."

Is he really such a ruthless person?

Does he still want his two children? Does he still want her?

It would be fine if they didn't help, but they actually wanted to support the Chu prince's vassal?

At this moment, Jia Heng and the elite soldiers of the Beijing Camp behind him were gradually approaching the Hanyuan Hall, while the guards from the Wei and Liang prefectures who had originally surrounded the Hanyuan Hall were gradually dispersing, retreating towards the hall with shining steel knives in their hands.

Jia Heng waved his hand, signaling the guards of the Beijing Camp behind him to stop. They stood still, and with his sword-like brows, he stared intently at the two vermilion palace doors that were slowly opening.

Then there was a graceful and quiet figure in front of him.

Soon, the graceful and beautiful Queen Song came quickly, like a gorgeous peony.

"Jia Ziyu, do you know me?" Queen Song raised her eyebrows, her beautiful eyes were filled with cold light, and her crystal-like face was full of anger.

This heartless man, it would have been fine if he didn't help her, but he actually served the King of Chu?

What had she done to let this little fox bully her? What benefits did the King of Chu give him to make him want to die like this?

The prince of Liang's eyes were filled with anger, and he shouted at the young man in the python robe, "Jia Ziyu, you led your troops into the palace, are you planning a rebellion?"

The King of Wei raised his eyebrows, and a hint of hostility flashed in his eyes. He said in a deep voice: "Jia Ziyu, this is a family affair of the royal family. What qualifications do you have to interfere?"

Jia Heng frowned, raised his head, and said in a deep voice, "Heng is the emperor's son-in-law, how can he not be in charge of the family affairs of the royal family?"

In addition to being the Prince of Wei of the Han Dynasty, he was also the son-in-law of Emperor Chongping, which qualified him to participate in the household affairs of the royal family.

Just when Jia Heng was speaking with confidence, he heard a charming voice. He clearly heard Queen Song speaking loudly, with a hint of scolding, and asked, "Jia Ziyu, do you really want to go against me?"

Jia Heng raised his eyes to look at Queen Song with sword-like brows, and at this moment he met her narrow and long phoenix eyes, which were full of anger and hostility.

I saw the beauty in a gorgeous scarlet dress, with her hair in a bun, her face was rosy, her lips were as pink as pearls, and her snow-white face seemed covered with a layer of frost.

I thought to myself, is this a sweet girl? Is she really walking towards me with an aura of 2.8 meters?

Unlike later TV dramas, which often use smoky makeup to indicate a "blackened" attitude, Queen Song reveals a fierce look that can captivate everyone with just a glance.

Jia Heng's sword-like brows were filled with deep eyes. He stared at Queen Song and said, "Your humble servant greets Her Majesty."

In fact, he didn't want to confront the sweet girl directly.

Queen Song's beautiful eyes were sharp, and she said in a bad tone: "Jia Ziyu, do you really want to go against me?"

Jia Heng bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the emperor's order is as high as heaven. I dare not disobey. I beg Your Majesty to forgive me."

Queen Song raised her eyebrows, and was furious. She cursed inwardly, "Damn it, couldn't you help her at this time?"

At this moment, all the civil and military officials in the hall came out in a large number, looking at the young man in the python robe who led the soldiers of the Beijing camp, with complicated expressions on their faces.

At this moment, it was the Prince of Wei of the Han Dynasty who turned the tide. Thinking of the previous suspicions, many thin-skinned civil officials felt inexplicably guilty.

Jia Heng said in a clear voice: "Your Majesty, since His Majesty ascended the throne, he has been working diligently on state affairs, getting up early and sleeping late, and even becoming ill from worry and fatigue. He has done his duty to the Han Dynasty and the people. Since the emperor has appointed the King of Chu as the Crown Prince, I will obey your orders. Please don't make things difficult for me."

Queen Song stared at the young man and said sternly, "Jia Ziyu, do you really want to force me?"

Jia Heng raised his head, looked at Queen Song unwillingly, and said loudly: "Your Majesty, the whole court has the support of the people, what can I do to force you?"

At least this was the will of Emperor Chongping. As for whether the King of Chu acted immorally after he ascended the throne, that was a question on another level. At least as the emperor's son-in-law, he fully obeyed the will of Emperor Chongping.

This is impeccable in the eyes of outsiders.

Queen Song was so angry that her pretty face turned pale, her beautiful eyebrows stood up, and her beautiful, crystal clear eyes were filled with hostility.

Jia Heng did not continue to argue with Queen Song, but turned to look at Li Zan and asked, "Lord Li, where is the emperor now?"

Li Zan said: "The emperor has moved to the study in Hanyuan Palace."

At this moment, a young eunuch with a white face and no beard suddenly ran over from a distance and said, "Sir, His Majesty is dying, and I urgently summoned the cabinet and military officials to the study to talk."

When these words were spoken, everyone who was confronting each other in front of the hall was shocked.

Is His Majesty about to die?

In fact, after all this ordeal, Emperor Chongping was now exhausted. After moving to his inner study, he fell into a state of drowsiness, and soon he was on his deathbed.

Li Zan's face was solemn, his eyes paused, and he said, "Lord Gao, we will go to the inner study immediately."

At this moment, Emperor Chongping is about to pass away, and they, the cabinet ministers, need to kneel down and receive the imperial edict.

At this moment, Gao Zhongping, Lu Jiang and others also followed Li Zan to the study in the side hall, while other ministers stared at them.

At this moment, Jia Heng also stood up and walked towards the study in the side hall.

Well, he is also a military plane.

The anger that had been accumulating in Queen Song's heart was completely relaxed at this moment, and a hint of confusion appeared in her beautiful, crystal clear eyes.

After all, she had been married to Emperor Chongping for many years. The moment Emperor Chongping passed away, this beautiful woman felt sad.

In other words, the conscience and emotions in the beauty's heart are intertwined, and she is filled with mixed feelings.

Hanyuan Hall, in the inner study room——

As the cabinet ministers were talking, they lifted the cotton quilt curtain hanging on the door and quickly entered the inner study. Their eyes flickered as they stared at Emperor Chongping, who was lying on a soft couch covered with a blanket, with a confused mind.

Dai Quan approached Emperor Chongping, his fair, elegant face showing a look of sorrow, and whispered in his ear: "Your Majesty, several ministers from the cabinet are here."

"Where is Zi Yu?" At this moment, Emperor Chongping was lying on a bed covered with a soft mattress, covered with a quilt embroidered with the word "Fu" and peonies. He exuded an aura of defeat that represented death.

"Your Majesty, I am your humble servant." Jia Heng walked closer, paused slightly, and bowed.

Emperor Chongping's voice seemed to be full of energy, and he said, "Zi Yu...you are here?"

Jia Heng walked quickly forward, knelt down with a plop, and said, "Your Majesty, I am here."

Emperor Chongping seemed to take a breath, and after a moment's thought, his voice became extremely hoarse, and he called out, "Zi Yu, where is the crown prince?"

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is still in Ningguo Mansion." Jia Heng's face became serious, and he said, "After receiving the distress signal from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, I quickly went to Shenjing City to mobilize soldiers and go to the palace to defend the king."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Chongping said in a weak voice: "Zi Yu, after I pass away, you and the cabinet will assist the crown prince to ascend the throne with all your heart and soul."

Jia Heng seemed to be shocked when he heard this, and said with a choked voice: "Your Majesty, please take care of yourself."

Usually in such situations, the ministers would burst into tears.

Emperor Chongping stretched out an old skeleton hand again and asked in an old and weak voice, "Where is Lord Li?"

"Your Majesty, I am here." Li Zan said in a hoarse voice, his expression paused slightly, and he came forward and knelt down.

Emperor Chongping was silent for a while, as if he was gathering his strength. He warned in a hoarse voice with a hint of weakness: "Lord Li, the Crown Prince is young and inexperienced. He has just ascended the throne, so he may not think carefully. You and the other ministers in the cabinet should assist him wholeheartedly and must not slack off in the slightest."

At this moment, Li Zan's resolute face was full of sorrow, and his voice was filled with tears as he choked and said, "Your Majesty."

Emperor Chongping nodded and said, "Lord Gao."

Gao Zhongping knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, I am your humble servant."

Emperor Chongping said: "The Crown Prince was born a concubine and has a shallow foundation. You should give him more advice and advice."

When Gao Zhongping was in the Qiandi Palace, he had a good relationship with Wei Wang Chen Ran. Emperor Chongping knew very well that Gao Zhongping was more sympathetic to Wei Wang's plight, so this could be regarded as helping the King of Chu to win over the hearts of the people.

Gao Zhongping said in a deep voice: "I have received the emperor's grace many times, and I only know how to serve the emperor faithfully, devote myself to the cause, and die."

Emperor Chongping was silent for a long time, and then he said with a hoarse voice, "Where is the King of Wei?"

At this moment, Cabinet Minister Lu Jiang was eager to try, because once he was summoned by Emperor Chongping, it meant that from then on, he would be an important minister entrusted with the care of the young emperor and a veteran of two dynasties. This kind of political capital was undoubtedly quite rich and could benefit three generations.

However, after half an hour had passed, there was still no sign that Emperor Chongping would summon the cabinet officials again, and he felt very disappointed.

Obviously, the cabinet's entrustment of the orphan was limited to the cabinet's chief minister and the cabinet's second-in-command, and was not extended to cabinet ministers.

Lin Ruhai looked at this scene and sighed secretly in his heart. This kind of intention of entrusting an orphan to someone else is usually reserved for ministers who are pillars of the country. How could everyone have such a desire?

Jia Heng's face became solemn, his eyes were deep, and he said, "Your Majesty, His Royal Highness the Prince of Wei is still in Hanyuan Palace, the palace has been reoccupied by the Jinyifu Guards, the overall situation in the palace is stable, and everything in the capital is going smoothly."

Emperor Chongping was silent for a moment, then a hoarse and weak voice sounded, saying: "The cabinet has drafted an order to strip the titles of the King of Wei and the King of Liang, demote them to commoners, and drive them back to their fiefdoms. Officials are also ordered to strictly supervise them and not allow them to leave their fiefdoms even a step!"

Li Zan's expression paused slightly, then he bowed and said "yes".

Jia Heng looked at Emperor Chongping quietly, his eyes flashed, and he sighed in his heart.

Before his death, the emperor did not order the death of the two vassal states of Wei and Liang, or it could be said that the emperor was moved with compassion after all.

After all, even a tiger will not eat its own cubs, and it is impossible to kill three of its own cubs in a row. However, this difficult problem was thrown to the successor king.

After Emperor Chongping finished speaking, he also spent a lot of vitality, and his voice became weaker and weaker. He said in a hoarse voice: "The cabinet military council and the Prince of Wei should assist the crown prince wholeheartedly and create a prosperous era for the revival of the Han Dynasty."

When he heard the word "prosperous times", it seemed as if the middle-aged emperor had exhausted all his life's strength, and his tone suddenly became a few decibels higher.

Having said this, Emperor Chongping stretched out a hand and seemed to have regained his sight. The eyes behind the white cloth opened wide, and then the kaleidoscope of life flashed before his eyes one by one.

There was the silence and reticence in the deep palace during his childhood, the keeping a low profile in the palace, the ambition to ascend the throne and receive congratulations from ministers, the worry and anxiety in managing state affairs... until he pacified Liaodong and was full of vigor and vitality when he offered sacrifices to his ancestors in the Taimiao.

Eventually, the emperor's aura grew weaker and weaker, and his consciousness was completely swallowed and surrounded by darkness.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..." At this moment, Dai Quan was calling in Emperor Chongping's ear, and then he stretched out his hand to sniff the breath under Emperor Chongping's nose, and a voice with a hint of tears rang out: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty has passed away."

At this moment, all the ministers from the cabinet and the military affairs council who were kneeling in the inner study took off their crowns upon hearing the words. In an instant, cries arose and spread outside the warm room.

For a moment, the eunuchs and palace maids outside the palace knelt down one after another, crying loudly, making the whole winter afternoon seem particularly bleak and sad.

In the 19th year of Chongping, the fourth emperor of the Han Dynasty, Emperor Chongping, passed away after nearly 20 years on the throne. He was 47 years old.

It took five years from the Chongping New Deal to the pacification of Liaodong. During these five years, Emperor Chongping also established his historical position among the emperors of the Chen and Han dynasties, or in other words, among the emperors of all dynasties.

No matter what, it will have a significant place in the history books of later generations.

The Chongping New Deal and the pacification of Liaodong were both commendable in terms of both civil and military achievements.

However, most later historians would regard the Emperor Chongping who had a romantic relationship with Prince Wei Jia Heng and the Emperor Chongping in the early period as two historical periods.

At this moment, Jia Heng knelt down and cried along with the ministers in the cabinet and military affairs. In this environment of general sorrow and crying, he was also caught up in the sorrow.

Since the emperor ascended the throne, he can indeed be called a wise monarch who is diligent in government and loves his people. In the early stage, he followed the template of Chongzhen, and later, after meeting him in times of great difficulties, he followed the template of Yongzheng.

The group of ministers in the direction of Hanyuan Hall naturally realized something when they heard the crying sounds coming from the study in the side hall.

The mountain tomb collapsed and the emperor passed away.

The King of Wei, the King of Liang, and all the civil and military officials on the corridors took off their official hats, knelt down in a mass, and the palace was filled with wailing sounds.

Queen Song stood where she was, turned her head and looked towards the inner study. She felt as if struck by lightning, and felt a piercing pain coming over her. A huge wave of sadness flooded over her in an instant.

He hasn't made Ran'er the Crown Princess yet, and he hasn't given her an explanation yet, so how can he leave?

How can he leave?

Queen Song was filled with grief and suddenly her vision went dark. The female officials around her were quick to step forward and hurriedly supported the beautiful woman who was about to fall.

"Miss."

At this moment, the King of Wei and the King of Liang knelt down, their sinister faces as pale as paper, their eyes dim, and they stared towards the direction of the study in the side hall.

I felt confused and at a loss, and an indescribable fear surged up in my heart.

My father passed away so suddenly...

It can be said that today's palace coup has become the fuse that led to the death of Emperor Chongping, at least in the eyes of outsiders.

Both of them have a reputation for being unfilial, which is known both at home and abroad.

On the other side, outside the inner study, Empress Dowager Feng, supported by the old maids and concubines in the palace, came to the study in Hanyuan Hall. Tears were visible on her wrinkled face.

In the past few years, Empress Dowager Feng has experienced the pain of losing her husband and son, and has become increasingly old and frail. At this moment, she is trembling and in great grief.

As she was speaking, Empress Dowager Feng, accompanied by her maid and female officials, entered the inner study and looked at the middle-aged emperor lying on the couch.

Empress Dowager Feng was even more grief-stricken at this moment, sobbing and saying, "My son, my son..."

As he spoke, he came close to the middle-aged emperor and immediately grabbed the middle-aged emperor's hand, which was as old as a dry branch, and said, "My son, my son..."

Jia Heng was crying for Emperor Chongping in front of the bed. Then he looked at Li Zan and said, "Lord Li, the emperor has passed away. You should take care of the affairs of the late emperor and decide on his posthumous title."

All these funeral affairs need to be taken care of.

Of course, there is also the need to support a new monarch.

(End of this chapter)