Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 276 - 274. Death, Mo Jingqi’s Revenge
274. Death of the Emperor, Mo Jingqi’s Revenge
Because of Mo Jingqi’s words, everyone eventually left the bedchamber, leaving him alone. No one knew what the emperor, who seemed to have accomplished nothing despite his busy life, might want to write in his final moments.
Mo Xiuyao, carrying Mo Xiaobao and leading Ye Li by the hand, walked beside the Eldest Princess and State Duke Hua. These two were the last of the true elders of the nation. Everyone else followed at a distance, neither too far nor too close. Naturally, no one had the time or inclination to leave the palace. The emperor’s posthumous edict was still in the hands of the Empress, and with the Eldest Princess, State Duke Hua, and Prince Ding safeguarding it, no one could interfere. Yet they likewise lacked the boldness to leave abruptly.
The group settled in a pavilion in the imperial garden. The pavilion wasn’t large, so only the Eldest Princess, State Duke Hua, Mo Xiuyao, and Ye Li sat within it. State Duke Hua, with a smile, glanced at Mo Xiuyao and then at Mo Xiaobao, who was sitting on Mo Xiuyao’s lap and was clearly a clever little imp, and said, "Prince Ding seems to be in better spirits than he was in the Capital City."
Mo Xiuyao nodded with a smile. "It’s been years, but the Old State Duke looks as robust as ever."
State Duke Hua shook his head, sighing, "I’ve grown old..."
The pavilion was somewhat quiet. After a while, State Duke Hua asked, "What are your plans for the future, Prince Ding?"
Mo Xiuyao looked at him, slightly surprised, raised an eyebrow and said, "Is the Old State Duke not going to try and persuade me?"
State Duke Hua shook his head, somewhat helplessly, and said, "Since the current situation has been broken, there’s no need to repeat past mistakes. Even a mended broken mirror still shows its cracks. Besides... Great Chu has constrained Prince Ding’s Mansion for far too long. Now that the dragon soars into the heavens, success or failure is likely beyond anyone’s power to reverse. Wouldn’t you agree, Prince Ding?"
Mo Xiuyao gave a faint smile, neither confirming nor denying. Though State Duke Hua had spent his life on the battlefield, it didn’t mean he was ignorant of politics. While the return of Prince Ding’s Mansion to the fold of Great Chu was undoubtedly the desire of Great Chu’s common folk and even many court officials, for the soldiers of the Mo Family Army and the subordinates of Prince Ding’s Mansion, it would be a significant blow. Even Mo Xiuyao, as the head of Prince Ding’s Mansion, couldn’t make such a decision without any regard for the feelings of his subordinates.
State Duke Hua waved his hand and said, "I won’t live to see Your Highness Prince Ding’s future glories. But I am confident that with your wisdom, the support of the Princess Consort, and many competent advisors, you will fulfill the hopes of your Mo Family ancestors." What were the aspirations of the Mo Family ancestors? To unify the world, pacify all regions, and have all nations pay homage. Historically, Prince Ding’s Mansion had seen more than one exceptionally brilliant figure capable of such feats. Yet, for various reasons, they all met untimely ends, dying with their ambitions unfulfilled.
"Old State Duke..." the Eldest Princess said in surprise. She knew State Duke Hua wouldn’t try to persuade Mo Xiuyao, but his words expressed great confidence in the future of Prince Ding’s Mansion and the Mo Family Army. After all... considering the overall situation, Prince Ding’s Mansion wasn’t currently in an advantageous position.
State Duke Hua shook his head and laughed. "Eldest Princess, we are old. The future belongs to the young."
The Eldest Princess was startled. She looked at the Old State Duke’s white hair and wrinkled face, then at her own wrinkled hand. Isn’t it true... they were already old. How much longer could they keep struggling? Enough...
"Forget it. Since that’s the case, let’s not talk about these frustrating things," the Eldest Princess said.
"Old State Duke, how is Tianxiang?" Seeing a lull in the conversation, Ye Li deftly changed the subject, asking the question she most wanted to ask. Given the somewhat awkward relationship between Prince Ding’s Mansion and Great Chu at the moment, it was unseemly for Tianxiang, a young lady, to visit her. And it was even more inappropriate for Ye Li to visit Tianxiang herself. For several years, there had been no news of Hua Tianxiang marrying. Seeing as Hua Tianxiang was already in her twenties, Ye Li was silently worried for her friend. This era was not her previous life, where remaining unmarried at thirty was considered normal.
State Duke Hua’s expression clouded over as he quietly said, "Thank you for your concern, Princess Consort. Tianxiang is currently... praying for her grandmother at Ciyun Temple."
Ye Li was taken aback. From State Duke Hua’s demeanor, this prayer session must have been going on for more than just a day or two. She understood the predicament of State Duke Hua’s Mansion and likely surmised the reason. "I’m not in a position to visit her right now, but I was hoping to see her before we leave the Capital City. Would that be inconvenient?"
State Duke Hua thought for a moment and nodded. "Thank you for your concern, Princess Consort. I will arrange it."
"Thank you, State Duke."
In the end, Mo Jingqi was dead. His failures as a son, brother, father, and even as a ruler were undeniable. Therefore, in his final moments, he did not seek the comfort of his descendants or the mourning of his ministers. He sent everyone away and breathed his last alone in his empty bedchamber.
When people rushed back to the chamber upon receiving the eunuch’s report, they found Mo Jingqi, already devoid of breath, lying stiffly on the bed. The upper half of his bedding and clothes were almost completely stained dark red with blood. His eyes were still open, blankly staring at the ornate dragon-patterned canopy of the bed. The Eldest Princess sighed softly, stepped forward, raised her hand to close his eyes, and said, "Let’s go. We’ll listen to the posthumous edict outside."
The Capital City was filled with the tolling of heavy bells, announcing to all the passing of an emperor.
"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor proclaims: ...The Tenth Prince, Mo Suyun, is to be established as Emperor. The Crown Prince is to be stripped of his title and enfeoffed as Prince Qin. Prince Qin’s birth mother, Noble Consort Liu, is to be immolated." The Empress’s calm voice resonated outside the bedchamber. Amidst the stunned expressions of the crowd, the Empress glanced at the Empress Dowager seated to one side and frowned slightly. The Empress Dowager’s heart lurched with a bad premonition. She then heard the Empress calmly recite the final sentence, "The Empress Dowager... is to be immolated for the late Emperor. By Imperial Decree."
"Impossible!" the Empress Dowager shrieked, her face turning ashen. "It was you! You tampered with the Emperor’s posthumous edict, didn’t you?"
The Empress was not entirely unsurprised by the contents of the posthumous edict. It was just that she was long accustomed to a calm expression, so she appeared outwardly unchanged. She said calmly, "The posthumous edict was personally handed to me by His Majesty in front of everyone. Afterward, I was never out of anyone’s sight. I implore the Empress Dowager to investigate clearly."
Everyone fell silent. Indeed, wasn’t that the case? So many people, so many pairs of eyes watching. Let alone the Empress being an ordinary woman unskilled in martial arts, even if she possessed some clever trick, how could she have anticipated that the Emperor would hand her the posthumous edict, or have prepared a forged one in advance?
"No... This can’t be! My son would never do this! Absurd... Since when has a dying emperor ordered his own birth mother to be immolated for him?!" The Empress Dowager still refused to believe. While there was no such custom historically, the posthumous edict ordered the Empress Dowager to be immolated for the late Emperor. Thus, it was argued by some, it wasn’t entirely a breach of etiquette. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Liu of the Liu Family also collapsed to the ground. Not only had his grandson failed to become emperor, but his daughter was also to be immolated. This sudden shock was almost too much for the old man, a seasoned veteran of the court, to bear.
All eyes then turned to the other key figure, the future ruler of the realm, the Tenth Prince, Mo Suyun. He was only seven years old this year, the son of a palace maid whom Mo Jingqi had unexpectedly favored once. After giving birth to Mo Suyun, his mother received no further favor and was merely given the minor title of Guiren. For all these years, mother and son had lived like phantoms in the Imperial Palace, almost forgotten by everyone. But now... this bewildered-looking child had obtained what everyone else had yearned for but failed to grasp.
Mo Xiuyao looked at the timid-looking Tenth Prince, a meaningful smile playing on his lips. He said lightly, "Since the posthumous edict has been read, the remaining matters are of no concern to this Prince. I shall take my leave now." Once again, Prince Ding publicly demonstrated his lack of intention to interfere in the court politics of Great Chu.
Mo Jingli, his face ashen, inwardly breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. "Safe travels, Prince Ding."
Mo Xiuyao gave him an enigmatic glance, then, carrying Mo Xiaobao and holding Ye Li’s hand, he turned and left the palace. As for the events that would unfold within the palace walls, they had little to do with them anymore.
「Outside the Imperial Palace, the streets of the Capital City were now hung with white mourning cloth.」 The usual vibrant reds and greens, the splendor and brilliance, were all concealed beneath somber black and white. The Emperor had passed away, and the entire nation was in mourning. Even if this emperor had not won the hearts of the people, the populace still had to wear mourning attire, cease all singing and dancing, and suspend weddings to express their sorrow for the monarch.
Naturally, the rules within Prince Ding’s Mansion were not so strict. Only the most conspicuous reds and purples were taken down; the daily lives of the mansion’s inhabitants continued as usual. Although they were currently in the Capital City, they were no longer considered citizens of Great Chu. Instead, like visitors from Xiling, Beirong, or Nanzhao, they were merely guests. And for guests, such strict rules naturally did not apply.
Back in their courtyard, Mo Xiuyao was uncharacteristically lost in thought. Ye Li, sitting beside him, asked softly, "Xiuyao, what’s wrong? Are you tired?"
Mo Xiuyao shook his head, pulled her into a tight embrace, and took a deep breath. "I was thinking... perhaps Mo Jingqi died too easily..." According to Mo Xiuyao’s intentions from a few years ago, he would never have let Mo Jingqi die so readily. He wanted Mo Jingqi to live, to watch everything he cared about be lost, piece by piece, to see his empire shatter, and even to witness the destruction of Great Chu’s palace and the fall of the state. If not for this, he had a thousand ways to take Mo Jingqi’s life the moment he learned the truth about his father’s and elder brother’s deaths. Even this time, the thought of saving Mo Jingqi only to continue tormenting him had crossed his mind. But ultimately, he had abandoned that idea.
Ye Li sighed softly, raising her head to ask Mo Xiuyao, "Do you think Mo Jingqi’s death wasn’t miserable enough?"
Mo Xiuyao lowered his head, pondering. Before his death, Mo Jingqi had likely lost everything he could, short of witnessing the utter collapse of his nation and palace. Even regarding Great Chu, by arranging for the Tenth Prince to succeed him, Mo Jingqi himself probably held little hope for its future. That’s why he couldn’t even close his eyes when he died, could it? Calculated this way, Mo Jingqi’s death was indeed miserable enough. Perhaps... his current sense of dissatisfaction stemmed from the regret that he hadn’t personally orchestrated Mo Jingqi’s current miserable state, but had merely fanned the flames?
"We hate those we should hate and ensure they receive the punishment they deserve. But I don’t want you to let this hatred consume your heart. Debts are canceled when a person dies; there’s no meaning in hating a dead man. If you’re still not satisfied, I’ll accompany you to the palace. We can whip Mo Jingqi’s corpse and then dismember it. How about that?" Ye Li said softly.
Mo Xiuyao smiled, hugging Ye Li. "I understand. I won’t dwell on this anymore. Though it’s somewhat regrettable that I didn’t personally avenge Brother Wang... Mo Jingqi, a man like him, wasn’t worthy of dirtying my hands. What’s that saying? ’Wrongs done by Heaven can be forgiven, but wrongs done by oneself mean one cannot live.’"
Ye Li replied with a delicate smile, "It’s good that you understand."
「In the following days, the Capital City was naturally bustling with extraordinary activity.」
Mo Jingqi’s coffin was still in the Imperial Palace, not yet taken for burial, but the members of the imperial clan and court officials were already in an uproar. The disputes centered on two main issues: first, the succession of the Tenth Prince, and second, the immolation of the Empress Dowager and Noble Consort Liu. The Empress Dowager was Prince Li’s birth mother, and Noble Consort Liu was the Crown Prince’s birth mother. Mo Jingqi’s final move had struck at the most vulnerable points of both Prince Li’s Mansion and the Liu Family. However, Prince Li’s Mansion was in a much better situation than the Liu Family.
This was because Mo Jingli was already the Regent Prince. Even though he wasn’t the emperor, the young emperor would have to listen to him before being able to govern in his own right. He still had plenty of time to scheme and plan. The Liu Family, however, was in a different predicament. The Crown Prince had been demoted to Prince Qin, and Noble Consort Liu was to be immolated. Consequently, the Liu Family could be said to have lost all support and backing within the palace. When the time came, Mo Jingli would undoubtedly seize this prime opportunity to strike at the Liu Family. Even if the Empress Dowager was to be immolated alongside Noble Consort Liu, the blow to Mo Jingli was far less severe than that to the Liu Family. This was because Mo Jingli was already a completely independent prince wielding real power; whether he had the Empress Dowager’s support or not was no longer of great importance to him.
「At this time, Zhangde Palace was filled with an atmosphere of sorrow.」
The once bustling, now empty, palace halls no longer teemed with maids and eunuchs. The Empress Dowager sat despondently on her phoenix chair. A few strands of white had appeared amidst her once well-maintained hair at her temples, and her entire being looked haggard, her expression dazed.
Mo Jingli sat to one side, silently sipping tea, his expression calm and unreadable. Even the Empress Dowager, his own birth mother, could no longer discern any of his emotions.
"Li’er... what should your mother do? Qi’er... he was so heartless! I am his own mother!" the Empress Dowager murmured. She had never imagined Mo Jingqi would leave behind such a decree. She hadn’t managed to leverage her youngest son’s ascension to the throne to continue as the Empress Dowager, the mother of the nation. The decree didn’t even allow for her to become Grand Empress Dowager after her grandson ascended the throne. She had become the first, and perhaps the only, Empress Dowager in history to be ordered by her own son to be immolated. Her former honor and riches seemed to have vanished like smoke in the wind; she couldn’t even be sure of preserving her own life.
Never since becoming Empress Dowager had she been this panicked. Even when Mo Jingli had rebelled in the south, she hadn’t been this flustered. Why... why had everything turned out so differently from what she had imagined?
Mo Jingli put down his teacup and looked up calmly at the Empress Dowager. "Mother, this is the Imperial Brother’s posthumous edict."
The Empress Dowager was stunned. Only after a long moment did she understand Mo Jingli’s meaning. In some respects, a posthumous edict could be even more binding than an imperial decree issued during an emperor’s lifetime. Although it was said that ’a monarch does not jest with his words,’ as long as Mo Jingqi had been alive, she might have found a way to make him retract the order. But now, Mo Jingqi was dead. His final decree, now a posthumous edict, could not be easily overturned even by a new emperor, out of respect for the deceased. Mo Jingli was telling her that he, too, was powerless.
"No... It can’t be! I don’t believe it!" The Empress Dowager stumbled towards him, desperately grabbing Mo Jingli’s hand. "I am your birth mother, Li’er! Please, save your mother! I don’t want to die! I know... I know you have a way!"
Mo Jingli shook his head faintly. "Forgive me, Mother. Your son is powerless."
The Empress Dowager stumbled back two steps, nearly tripping over the chair behind her. She collapsed weakly into it, her eyes, fixed on Mo Jingli, filled with disbelief. "Li’er... do you truly intend to abandon your mother? Don’t forget, if I hadn’t been trying to persuade the Emperor for your sake, why would he have issued an edict ordering my immolation?!"
She finally understood. This was entirely her son’s revenge. Revenge for her favoring Mo Jingli when he (Mo Jingqi) was poisoned, for urging him to pass the throne to Mo Jingli even when he was critically ill and on the verge of death. All of this was because of Mo Jingli...
"And did Mother succeed?" Mo Jingli retorted coldly.
"What?" The Empress Dowager asked, stunned.
"The throne... Mother also heard the Imperial Brother’s posthumous edict. It passed the throne to the Tenth Prince! A mere brat whom this Prince has never even met, who understands nothing! Is this the result of Mother’s persuasion of the Imperial Brother?" Mo Jingli stood up, his voice rising with his mounting anger. "It’s not just the matter of the throne! Regarding my son, you did nothing either! Now that Mo Jingqi is dead, Mother, you tell this Prince, where am I to find my son?"
The Empress Dowager frowned. "Even if Qi’er deceived you, can’t you take a few more Secondary Consorts in the future? How many sons could you not have then?"
Mo Jingli’s face turned livid. Of course, he couldn’t tell the Empress Dowager that he could no longer have children. In the past few months, he had secretly consulted numerous famous physicians. Mo Jingqi hadn’t lied to him on this matter; years ago, he had been poisoned with a secret palace medicine that caused sterility, for which there was no cure. Therefore, no one knew how important that child was to him.
"In any case, your son is powerless in this matter. Mother, you must fend for yourself," Mo Jingli said. He flicked his slightly creased sleeves and was about to turn and leave.
"No..." The Empress Dowager lunged forward, grabbing the hem of Mo Jingli’s robe, pleading tearfully, "Li’er, save your mother, please! Mother doesn’t want to die... Li’er... I am your mother, Li’er..."
Mo Jingli looked down from his superior height at the disheveled Empress Dowager before him. He impassively pried her fingers from his robe and said in a low voice, "Mother, surely even you, living in the imperial family, no longer believe in familial affection, do you? Otherwise... what was all that you did to the Imperial Brother back then?"
The Empress Dowager knelt on the ground, watching in despair as Mo Jingli’s figure retreated without a shred of lingering attachment, resolute and final. She finally couldn’t hold back and burst into loud sobs, screaming curses, "Unfilial son! Mo Jingli, you unfilial son! I am your own mother... I will not let you go even on the road to hell! No... I don’t want to die... I am the Empress Dowager of Great Chu..." Crying and cursing, she eventually exhausted herself and collapsed on the floor, whimpering. She finally remembered. That day, a few days prior, when she had gone to see her eldest son, when she had urged him to pass the throne to Mo Jingli, the look he had given her... she finally understood what that look had meant. Regrettably, it was too late...
"I am the Empress Dowager... I will not die..."
「Outside Zhangde Palace, the Empress Dowager’s cries and shouts were now shut behind the multiple, heavy palace gates.」
Mo Jingli turned back to look at the tightly closed gates, his face somber. A myriad of emotions flickered in his eyes, ultimately fading into emptiness.
"Prince," a strategist by his side began in a low voice, "Regarding the Empress Dowager..." Indeed, given Prince Li’s and the Empress Dowager’s statuses, it wouldn’t be impossible to save her if he truly wished to.
Mo Jingli said indifferently, "Unnecessary. Keep a close watch on the Liu Family. Don’t let the Liu Family or Noble Consort Liu stir up any trouble. The Crown Prince’s... no, Prince Qin’s birth mother must die."
The strategist’s heart trembled. So that was the reason. If they were to save the Empress Dowager, the Liu Family would inevitably use it as leverage to demand Noble Consort Liu also be spared from immolation. And Prince Li clearly had no intention of letting Noble Consort Liu live on. To strike down the Liu Family, Prince Li would even...
"This servant understands and obeys."
