Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 275 - 273. The Light Returns

273. Deathbed Rally

Inside the study of Prince Li’s Mansion, Mo Jingli’s face was contorted with a burgeoning rage so intense that even the most favored Princess Qixia dared not approach him by even a fraction. Once Mo Jingli had finally vented his fury, the entire study was left in complete disarray. The advisors and subordinates of Prince Li’s Mansion, standing in the corners, naturally dared not speak, so Princess Qixia had to gather her courage and say, "Prince, this study isn’t fit for discussion anymore. Perhaps we should move to the side hall?"

With a cold snort, Mo Jingli flung his sleeve and strode out of the study; everyone else hurried to follow him.

After they had settled in the side hall outside the study, someone finally plucked up the courage to ask, "Prince, has something happened?"

It was then that Mo Jingli coldly said, "The Eldest Princess and Princess Zhaoyang went to see Mo Xiuyao after leaving the palace." Everyone was shocked. "What does His Majesty... intend?" Mo Jingli sneered, "What else could it be? Naturally, he sent the Eldest Princess to plead with Mo Xiuyao on his behalf. He’s been contending with Mo Xiuyao his entire life; it seems at the end, he has finally had a change of heart."

Everyone immediately frowned or shook their heads. "Prince, if this is the case, this situation is greatly disadvantageous for us." The Emperor, willing to forsake past grudges and suspicions towards Prince Ding’s Mansion and even seek help from Prince Ding, clearly harbors murderous intent towards Prince Li’s Mansion. Mo Jingli snorted coldly, saying disdainfully, "Mo Xiuyao won’t agree to his request. What’s more... even if Mo Xiuyao decided to act, am I so easy to deal with now?" The crowd looked at the stern-faced man before them; it took them a moment to realize, wasn’t that so? Prince Li was no longer the Prince Li of years past. He was the Regent Prince of Great Chu, and more importantly, he held real power over the southern half of Great Chu’s most prosperous lands. Not to mention Prince Ding’s forces were now far in the Northwest. Even when Prince Ding’s Mansion was at its peak in the Capital of Great Chu, dealing with Prince Li would not have been an overnight affair.

"What does the Prince plan to do? I fear His Majesty will not..." one of the advisors frowned and said. They had initially hoped that the Empress Dowager could persuade His Majesty to officially pass the throne to Prince Li. However, given His Majesty’s character, it was likely he would rather fight to the bitter end than allow the throne to fall into the hands of the person responsible for his impending death.

Mo Jingli frowned, pondered for a moment, then said, "Spread the word, and make sure it reaches the Liu Family’s ears. Tell them His Majesty intends to pass the throne to the Sixth Prince... As for the rest, the Liu Family will know what to do."

"The Prince is wise."

The Liu Family would naturally not be much slower than Prince Li’s Mansion in obtaining news. Before Prince Li’s Mansion even needed to deliberately spread the news, the Liu Family, and even Noble Consort Liu in the palace, had already received it. In the palace, Noble Consort Liu listened to the reporting palace maid, coldly dismissed the maid, then with a wave of her hand, smashed the fine white porcelain teacup she held to pieces. "Sixth Prince... Mo Ruiyun!"

Tan Jizhi, wearing a cheerful smile, sat in a chair not far away and said with a smile, "It seems His Majesty is aware of Your Ladyship’s plan. As I’ve said before, Noble Consort, you have been too hasty. You must understand... even if something seems ninety percent certain, isn’t there always that slight chance of an exception?"

Noble Consort Liu gritted her teeth, recalling how, a few days ago, she had returned from outside the palace only to encounter Mo Jingli emerging from His Majesty’s bedchamber. It seemed that from that day on, many things had slipped out of her control. "Mo Jingli! It must be his doing!"

Tan Jizhi frowned. "Noble Consort, it doesn’t matter who is behind this now. The important thing is... what should we do?"

Noble Consort Liu was distraught; she was not adept at handling such matters. Pampered and protected since childhood, aside from her feelings for Mo Xiuyao, everything had always gone smoothly for her. Even as intelligent and erudite as Noble Consort Liu was, she couldn’t figure out how to handle the current situation at that moment. She turned to look at Tan Jizhi and asked, "Do you have a plan?"

Tan Jizhi’s lips curved into a faint smile as he said softly, "Since we’ve started, let’s see it through to the end. Kill!"

Noble Consort Liu was stunned for a moment, then lowered her head to seriously consider Tan Jizhi’s proposal. She had been in the deep palace for decades; even though Mo Jingqi favored her and her power rivaled the Empress’s, it wasn’t as if her hands were clean of blood. Women like them, meticulously groomed from a young age and destined for the palace, had probably never been taught to value human life. After a moment of consideration, Noble Consort Liu lifted her head, a trace of killing intent flashed through her icy, beautiful eyes, and she said faintly, "Alright. Go and handle it."

With the help of the Liu Family and Noble Consort Liu’s influence in the palace, Tan Jizhi handled matters swiftly and cleanly. Before nightfall, news arrived that the Sixth Prince had accidentally fallen while playing on the rockery and was unconscious. When the news arrived, the twelve-year-old Crown Prince was sitting with Noble Consort Liu, keeping her company. Noble Consort Liu dismissively waved her hand, allowing the eunuch who brought the report to withdraw. The Crown Prince hesitated for a moment, then looked at Noble Consort Liu and said, "Mother Consort, should I... go see Sixth Brother?"

A trace of disdain flashed across Noble Consort Liu’s face. She lifted the Crown Prince’s still childish face and examined it carefully. Hiding the distaste in her eyes, she said faintly, "Why go see him? Born of the daughter of a lowly official, do you really consider him your brother? You must remember, you are the Crown Prince, the future Emperor of Great Chu. Apart from Mother Consort... everyone else is your servant."

The Crown Prince moved the corners of his lips, wanting to say he also had other younger brothers and sisters. But when he saw his mother consort’s beautiful face, as exquisite as a snow carving, for some reason, the Crown Prince shivered slightly and ultimately did not speak.

Noble Consort Liu nodded in satisfaction and smiled. "This is Mother Consort’s good son. Don’t worry, Mother Consort will definitely make you the Emperor."

"Yes, Mother Consort."

The sudden severe injury to the Sixth Prince caused Mo Jingqi’s already frail body to deteriorate even further. When the news reached Mo Jingqi’s ears, he couldn’t help but vomit a mouthful of blood. The imperial physicians attending him were secretly alarmed; His Majesty’s originally grayish and dull complexion had suddenly gained a touch of radiance and ruddiness, making him seem much more spirited. Yet, these experienced doctors discerned that this was clearly a final resurgence of energy before death. They quickly signaled to those outside to notify the masters and mistresses in the palace to come at once.

The quickest to arrive was Noble Consort Liu. The reason was none other than that the most favored Noble Consort Liu lived very close to the Emperor’s bedchamber.

The guards at the door no longer barred her way. The moment Noble Consort Liu stepped into the hall, the overwhelming smell of blood assailed her nostrils, along with the decaying scent of prolonged illness, causing her to frown in disgust. This was the second time Noble Consort Liu had stepped into this bedchamber since Mo Jingqi fell ill, during which they had surprisingly not seen each other for several months.

"Your Majesty," Noble Consort Liu called out faintly.

Mo Jingqi, without shifting his gaze, stared fixedly at the cold-faced woman in white before him. After a prolonged pause, he waved his hand. "I have things to say to Noble Consort Liu. The rest of you, withdraw."

With everyone gone, only Noble Consort Liu and Mo Jingqi remained in the vast, empty bedchamber. One lay while the other stood, not too close, not too far, looking at each other as if for the first time. Mo Jingqi gazed at the woman before him, wanting to see any trace of emotion or compassion in her cold eyes. Sadly, his efforts only led to immense disappointment. Noble Consort Liu’s cold eyes were as tranquil as if the one lying before her was not the monarch who had doted on her with a thousand kindnesses and favors, but a commoner she had never met. No, there was still a trace of emotion in her eyes: disgust. The sight of Mo Jingqi, so emaciated he hardly looked human, and the blood he had just spat on the floor, which the palace maids hadn’t had time to clean, made Noble Consort Liu feel utterly repulsed—so repulsed that she even discarded her usual pretense.

"You finally came," Mo Jingqi finally said.

Noble Consort Liu slightly furrowed her brows. "Does Your Majesty not wish for this consort to come?"

Mo Jingqi gave a bitter smile. "I... truly didn’t wish for you to come... so quickly. Did you send someone to injure Ruiyun?"

Noble Consort Liu slightly raised an eyebrow, tilted her chin up, and gazed down at Mo Jingqi, saying faintly, "This shouldn’t be blamed on me."

"Why did you do this?" Mo Jingqi asked. "I originally thought you cared about nothing. Now it seems... I misjudged you."

Noble Consort Liu tilted her head to look at Mo Jingqi, a scornful smile slowly appearing on her face. "Why did I do this? I am the one who wants to ask Your Majesty: since you named my imperial son as the Crown Prince, why did you still want to pass the throne to the Sixth Prince? By doing this, where do you intend to place the Crown Prince and me?"

A trace of sorrow and coldness appeared in Mo Jingqi’s eyes. "It seems I have indulged you too much these years. That’s why you’ve forgotten a saying."

"What saying?" Noble Consort Liu frowned.

"The wrath of thunder and the dew of rain are all favors from the sovereign," Mo Jingqi said. "The throne is Mine. I will pass it to whomever I wish. I will make whomever I please the Crown Prince. What I want to give, you cannot refuse. What I do not want to give you, you cannot demand!"

Noble Consort Liu was taken aback, a touch of displeasure appearing on her cold face. Proud as she was, except when before Mo Xiuyao, she was accustomed to being superior to everyone else, including Mo Jingqi, the sovereign of a nation. "Your Majesty, what do you mean by that?"

Mo Jingqi smiled grimly. "What do I mean... I mean... even if you kill the Sixth Prince, I can still name another successor. Even if you kill all the princes, I can still pass the throne to a member of the imperial clan. As for your Crown Prince... you can forget about that."

"Why would you do this?" Noble Consort Liu stared at Mo Jingqi, her beautiful face full of incomprehension, as if Mo Jingqi had done something utterly unreasonable.

Mo Jingqi laughed heartily, but the faintly splitting pain in his chest made his laughter sound broken and fragmented. "Why? Soon... soon you will know why. I have not treated you poorly these years, but how have you repaid Me? Do you really think My tolerance for you is limitless? Heh... You want the Crown Prince to ascend the throne, is it truly for the Crown Prince’s sake? You want Mo Xiuyao... In your dreams! Even if I die... you will accompany Me!"

"What do you mean?!" Noble Consort Liu exclaimed in shock and anger. In truth, she knew exactly what Mo Jingqi meant. Although the practice of funerary sacrifice was not prevalent in Great Chu, there had been one or two emperors who, on their deathbeds, ordered their favorite young consorts to be buried with them. She just couldn’t believe Mo Jingqi would have such a thought. Of course, it was more because she was utterly unwilling to accept such a fate. She still had many things she hadn’t done; she still wanted to obtain Mo Xiuyao’s love, still wanted to become Princess Consort Ding. How could she possibly be buried with Mo Jingqi?

Mo Jingqi chuckled softly, closed his eyes, and spoke no more.

This further confirmed Noble Consort Liu’s suspicions. Her face turned pale, her mind racing. After a long moment, she suddenly turned and rushed out of the hall, only to collide head-on with the Empress and her retinue, who were rushing over after receiving the news. The Empress knitted her brows and asked, "Noble Consort Liu, what are you doing?" Noble Consort Liu had no time to exchange many words with the Empress; she glanced at her and continued out of the hall without a word. The Empress frowned but didn’t bother to pursue the matter, instead proceeding into the Emperor’s bedchamber with her attendants.

News of the Emperor’s impending death spread like wildfire. In less than an hour, members of the imperial family, and princes and princesses of high rank in the palace had all arrived at the Emperor’s bedchamber. The previously empty bedchamber was now bustling, with people kneeling everywhere. Even elders like the Eldest Princess and State Duke Hua, as well as Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li, whose current status was somewhat awkward and peculiar, had been invited over. However, unlike the princes and other royalty kneeling on the floor, Mo Xiuyao, dressed in casual white robes with white hair, stood with Ye Li and the Eldest Princess. Naturally, their faces did not show the sorrowful expressions, whether real or feigned, that adorned the faces of the others.

After all the struggles of the past days, now that death was truly imminent, Mo Jingqi had calmed down considerably. Amidst a chorus of whimpering cries, he opened his eyes and immediately spotted the most conspicuous person, Mo Xiuyao. He smiled faintly and said, "I knew you would eventually come to see Me off." Mo Xiuyao merely raised an eyebrow, remaining silent.

The Empress Dowager, sitting at the head of the bed, cried out mournfully, took Mo Jingqi’s hand, and said tearfully, "My son, do you have anything to say to Mother?"

Mo Jingqi gave the Empress Dowager a strange smile; his gaze swept past the Empress Dowager to Mo Jingli and the Empress, among others, standing not far away. Noble Consort Liu had run out and had not been seen since. At this moment, Mo Jingqi was not concerned about her whereabouts. Finally, his gaze shifted from Prime Minister Liu to the kneeling princes and princesses.

"Changle..."

Princess Changle was, of course, not among the princes and princesses present. From her childhood, Mo Jingqi had been very fond of this daughter, not only because she was the legitimate daughter of the Empress but also because she was intelligent, lively, and considerate. Even though Mo Jingqi favored Noble Consort Liu, Noble Consort Liu’s daughter, Princess Zhenning, ranked after Princess Changle. But, similarly, he was also the cruelest to this daughter, solely because she was the Empress’s legitimate daughter, the granddaughter of the Hua Family he was wary of; thus, he could not keep her in the Capital City.

Hearing Mo Jingqi call his daughter’s name, the Empress turned her grief-stricken face away. A vein throbbed twice on State Duke Hua’s aged face, but in the end, he said nothing. Mo Xiaobao stood by his father and mother; although he didn’t quite understand what was happening, he could sense the sorrow and solemnity of the situation. He looked at Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li but didn’t say anything about how Princess Changle was doing in Licheng.

Finally, the Empress Dowager sighed, patted Mo Jingqi’s hand, and said, "Has Your Majesty forgotten? That girl Changle had an ill fate; she went missing in Nanzhao."

Mo Jingqi closed his eyes, as if he hadn’t heard the Empress Dowager’s words. Among those in the room, aside from the three from Prince Ding’s Mansion who were uninvolved, and the still young and ignorant little princes and princesses, everyone else was staring worriedly at the man on the imperial deathbed, who seemed to be at his last breath. Even though he was so weak that he couldn’t lift a hand, he still had the power to determine the fate of most people present.

"Empress..." After a long pause, Mo Jingqi finally called out.

Upon hearing him, the Empress then came forward and said, "Your Majesty, do you have any instructions?"

Mo Jingqi had no strength left to speak loudly; he barely lifted his eyes to glance at the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager, somewhat displeased, rose and gave her place to the Empress, then stood aside awkwardly.

Sitting by the bed, the Empress calmly watched Mo Jingqi and asked, "What does Your Majesty wish to say to your servant?"

Mo Jingqi struggled to raise his hand, pulling out a bright-yellow silk cloth from under the pillow. With difficulty, he placed it in the Empress’s hand, saying, "...Posthumous... edict." Hearing this, everyone present’s gaze contracted, fixing tightly onto the bright yellow silk in the Empress’s hands. No one knew when Mo Jingqi had written the posthumous edict, or when he had placed it under his pillow.

"Eldest Princess... State Duke Hua... Prince Ding... bear witness. Empress... announce the posthumous edict..." Mo Jingqi spoke intermittently.

Hearing this, Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow with interest and said with a smile, "Alright, I guarantee the Empress will smoothly proclaim the posthumous edict."

The Eldest Princess also nodded, saying, "Rest assured, Your Majesty."

"This old subject obeys."

As if a great matter had been accomplished, Mo Jingqi let out a sigh of relief, his face looking even worse. He said faintly to the crowd, "You may all leave... I wish to be alone and quiet..."

Everyone was in a dilemma, not knowing if they should withdraw at this point.

Mo Jingli stared at Mo Jingqi with a grim face, finally stepping forward and asking, "Where is the child?"

Mo Jingqi looked at him with a smile, chuckling softly.

Mo Jingli said sharply, "I ask you, where is the child?!"

Mo Jingqi just smiled and said nothing, as blood slowly and continuously trickled from his mouth.

"Mo Jingqi..." Mo Jingli couldn’t help but step forward, wanting to grab his lapel, but the Empress Dowager quickly stopped him. "Li’er, what are you doing?" At this time, the Emperor clearly had only one breath left. If Mo Jingli pulled him like this and he died, then regardless of the Emperor’s actual cause of death, Mo Jingli would not escape the crime of treason and regicide.

Mo Jingli knew he had been impulsive. However, concerning the whereabouts of his only son, he had exhausted all efforts these past days yet still had no clue. If Mo Jingqi truly died, it was feared this only clue would also be severed.

"Can’t you see, Prince Li? The Emperor of Great Chu clearly can’t speak anymore," Mo Xiuyao said with a beaming smile. Although smiling unchangingly while the sovereign of a nation was on his deathbed was somewhat impolite, due to Mo Xiuyao’s status, no one dared to say he was being disrespectful.

Mo Jingqi lay quietly on the bed, the blood from his mouth having already stained the bedding and clothes by his neck a dark red. His gaze, however, remained fixed on Mo Jingli, while a strange smile played on Mo Jingqi’s own lips. For some reason, seeing that smile made Mo Jingli feel a chill creep into his heart.