Noble Son-in-Law - Chapter 52.2
You can find out chapter updates in discord server.
- Chapter update schedule:- every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday
Chapter 52.2
Meanwhile, in Yichun Palace, Noble Concubine Chun was tending to her two daughters during dinner.
“Mom, is Father still sick? I want to see him,” the seven-year-old second princess asked with a frown.
“I want to see Father too,” chimed in the three-year-old third princess.
Concubine Chun smiled warmly and replied, “Your father needs to rest to get better. I’ll call for you when he is well.”
“Is that true?” the third princess looked at her older sister for confirmation. If her sister nodded, it would mean their mother was being sincere and not just trying to comfort them.
The second princess decided to trust her mother, but after thinking for a while, she asked, “Where’s my uncle? I haven’t seen him in ages.” She used to see him every couple of days.
“Your father is unwell, and your uncle is staying with him to take care of him, so he can’t visit right now.” Noble concubine Chun said in a casual tone.
Hearing this, the second princess suddenly lost her appetite.
The third princess blinked and continued munching on her food.
Noble Concubine Chun smiled at them.
When the wet nurse came to take the two little princesses after the dinner, Noble Concubine Chun stopped her. “They’ve been sleeping with me these past few nights, so let them sleep with me tonight.”
The wet nurses looked surprised but bowed and left without saying a word.
Noble Concubine Chun gently coaxed her daughters to sleep.
The palace was dead silent.
As the two princesses slept soundly, Noble Concubine Chen sat on the bed and kept looking at her daughters’ faces.
Tears fell down nonstop.
Since Emperor Qingde had dismissed her brother from his position and refused to see her, she understood his feelings.
Noble concubine Chun didn’t hold any resentment; she had always been a dutiful concubine to Emperor Qingde and had no unrealistic hopes. She felt a deep sadness. If things went as she feared, Emperor Qingde wouldn’t have much time left, and she wouldn’t have many days to be with her daughters. They were still so young, and the thought of leaving them was heartbreaking.
Her brother and sister-in-law were leaving Beijing tomorrow. If she were to be buried with the emperor, who would take care of her daughters?
Noble Concubine Chun covered her mouth and quietly cried.
After shedding enough tears, Noble Concubine Chun gently settled down on the edge of the bed with her gaze still fixed on her daughters’ sweet little faces.
Before she knew it, dawn was creeping in.
In a daze, Noble Concubine Chun suddenly caught the sound of a commotion.
‘Is this just a dream?’
She slowly opened her eyes and listened closely and realised that the noise was coming from Empress Shen’s palace.
In the main palace, Empress Shen stared in shock as a man in armour burst into her room. In the dim candlelight, she instantly recognised him as Gu Jichang, the cavalry instructor.
The imperial guards were split into cavalry, infantry, and archery units, each led by their own instructor, all under the command of the head of the imperial guards.
Li Zhi had overseen the imperial guards for many years, deliberately keeping his distance from the three instructors.
However, Empress Shen was aware that at least one of Li Zhi’s trusted allies was among them. She had already resolved that once her son became emperor, she would convince him to gradually dismiss these instructors.
But Empress Shen never anticipated that Gu Jichang, the cavalry coach, would dare to rebel!
“Did Li Zhi send you here?” she asked, struggling to uphold her queenly composure.
“You and the prince set up the commander-in-chief, and now he just wants to go to his hometown to escape all this. And you dare to slander him? Honestly, the emperor is sharp and has already figured out that you and the prince poisoned him and forged an imperial decree to eliminate loyal subjects. He has ordered us to eliminate the traitors and safeguard the throne!” Gu Jichang spat the words without any respect.
Empress Shen’s eyes widened in shock. ‘What is he saying?’
Without giving her a chance to respond, Gu Jichang chopped off the empress’s head. In an instant, Empress Shen’s head separated from her body.
Then he picked up her head and marched toward Qianyuan Palace.
In the outer hall of Qianyuan Palace, the infantry instructor Lu Wei had already executed the crown prince.
The two then joined forces and entered the inner hall together.
Inside, the atmosphere was tense and quiet, with Eunuch Shi and three imperial doctors kneeling on the ground. They seemed to be shaking with fear.
On the dragon bed, Emperor Qingde’s eyes were bloodshot. Though he was too ill to move, he could hear the commotion outside.
When he saw the bloody remains of Empress Shen and the crown prince in the hands of the two commanders, his anger rose up. He sat up abruptly, pointing a trembling finger at Gu Jichang. “You, you…”
Gu Jichang immediately knelt down, declaring loudly, “I have honoured the emperor’s trust. I have brought you the heads of the treacherous Empress Shen and the rebellious Prince Zhao Ji, and I’ve also recovered the original imperial edict that Empress Shen stole from the central palace. Please take a look, Your Majesty.”
After saying that, Gu Jichang pulled out a bright yellow imperial edict from his sleeve and knelt down in front of the dragon bed. Knowing that Emperor Qingde lacked the strength to open the edict himself, Gu Jichang kindly did it for him.
Emperor Qingde lowered his head to read the forged edict that bore his handwriting but was not authored by him. The fake document accused Empress Shen and the Crown Prince and declared their removal from power. It also praised Li Zhi, the Marquis of Pingxi, as a wise ruler and announced the emperor’s decision to abdicate in his favour.
‘Li Zhi, Li Zhi!’
He had given Li Zhi wealth and status, only for him to conspire to take the throne! And then there was Eunuch Shi, who had been bribed by Li Zhi, the one he had trusted for years!
Suddenly, Emperor Qingde turned to Eunuch Shi, who was kneeling behind the imperial doctors.
Eunuch Shi seemed to sense something was wrong and looked up. Upon seeing the emperor’s bloodshot eyes, he broke down in tears, exclaiming, “Your Majesty, you have finally escaped the clutches of the queen and the crown prince!”
The old eunuch wept genuinely as if he truly believed in the scenario. Furiously, Emperor Qingde coughed up blood and collapsed to the ground.
Gu Jichang quickly supported the emperor and laid him back on the bed, only to find the emperor’s face twisted in agony, lifeless with his eyes wide open.
Looking at the emperor’s lifeless body, Gu Jichang let out a breath of relief. The old emperor had passed away in a fit of rage, so he wouldn’t have to go through the heavy work.
After removing all the obstacles, only one final step remained.
At dawn, Li Zhi gathered his whole family and headed to the city gate. As they stood in line to leave, they were halted by three instructors from the imperial guards along with several ministers.
A line of civil and military officials knelt neatly in front of the procession, with Eunuch Shi holding a scroll containing the imperial edict from Emperor Qingde, declaring Li Zhi as the new emperor.
Inside the carriage, after hearing Eunuch Shi’s final announcement, Shen Qingqing gazed at the man next to her as if she were seeing a ghost.
“You’re so naive. The Third and Fourth Princes are still alive. Why would the late emperor pass the throne to me?” the man asked as if nothing had just happened.
Shen Qingqing: “…”
After being charmed by his sweet talk for over a year, she had completely forgotten that Li Zhi was the most deceitful and cunning minister around!
End of chapter 52
Have a nice day!
ko0kie
Damn!