Chapter 252 Father and Son
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After the beginning of spring, there was no more snow in Shuojing City. Instead, a fine rain continued to fall endlessly, like an endless mist.
Inside the imperial palace, there was no joyful vitality for the new year. Emperor Wenxuan’s illness worsened, and the palace attendants wore solemn expressions. Even the spring rain seemed to carry a layer of melancholy.
The door to the sleeping hall opened, and the fourth prince, Guangshuo, walked out.
These days, he had been visiting Emperor Wenxuan frequently. Emperor Wenxuan had always favored this son, and the eunuchs were used to his visits. Although they didn’t dare to openly discuss it, the palace attendants secretly speculated. Despite Guangyan being designated as the crown prince, the future ruler of the empire was uncertain.
Inside the sleeping hall, Emperor Wenxuan laid on the bed, gazing at the bright yellow curtains on the dragon bed in a trance.
In recent days, he had asked Noble Consort Lan not to come here daily. It was not for any other reason but to avoid spreading rumors to outsiders. People’s hearts were unpredictable. If it were in the past, it wouldn’t matter. However, now, when he found it difficult even to attend court, he feared he couldn’t protect Noble Consort Lan and her son as before.
Thinking of Guangshuo, Emperor Wenxuan sighed again.
Guangshuo was outstanding, both virtuous and talented, filial, and, setting aside other factors, if he had a bit more decisiveness and ruthlessness, he would be a rare wise emperor for Great Wei. Yet, it was precisely because of his kindness and soft heart that Emperor Wenxuan treated him differently—because this Guangshuo resembled his own son.
Unfortunately, even with that, Emperor Wenxuan couldn’t make Guangshuo the heir at this critical juncture. If he did so, it would inevitably lead to chaos in the court. Given Guangyan’s personality, he might immediately witness the spectacle of royal siblings fighting each other with weapons, staining the grand hall with blood.
If he were in his prime, he could still suppress all of this. However, he was already old. In recent years, court officials had followed either Guangshuo or Guangyan, each with their own thoughts. He couldn’t manage so much anymore and was utterly out of control.
However…. a resolution had to be made in the end.
There was a slight movement outside the door, and Emperor Wenxuan was startled, thinking it was a palace attendant. Shortly after, Guangyan’s voice echoed, “Royal Father… are you asleep?”
It turned out to be Guangyan.
He was holding a mahogany basket and, seeing Emperor Wenxuan seemingly preparing to get up, he quickly approached, helping Emperor Wenxuan sit up and calling out, “Royal Father.”
“…Why have you come?” Emperor Wenxuan asked, noticing his voice was unusually hoarse.
“I heard Royal Father was sick, and I felt uneasy,” Guangyan seemed a bit nervous. “After careful consideration, I dared to come to the palace to see Royal Father. Is Royal Father in good health?”
Guangyan was usually arrogant and domineering, but this was the first time he revealed such a fearful and helpless expression. Emperor Wenxuan looked at him and sighed.
Since Xu Jingfu’s incident, Guangyan rarely visited the palace. Emperor Wenxuan naturally understood that in the past, Guangyan had been close to Xu Jingfu, fearing that he would be implicated, deliberately kept a low profile. Emperor Wenxuan was also annoyed with Guangyan and indeed harbored extra aversion towards him because of Xu Jingfu’s relationship.
However, Guangyan was still his son, and he didn’t have many sons.
So, this was why Guangyan had remained unharmed until now. It was because the people of the Grand Court had received orders from Emperor Wenxuan, bypassing all cases related to Xu Jingfu, all to spare Crown Prince Guangyan.
Seeing Emperor Wenxuan staring at him all the while, not knowing what he was thinking, Guangyan felt uneasy and subconsciously lifted the red wooden basket, taking out a small bowl of soup from inside.
“Royal Father, this is the tonic soup I had someone prepare in the imperial kitchen,” Guangyan tentatively spoke, “Royal Father, please have some.”
Emperor Wenxuan looked at him. For some reason, he suddenly recalled Guangyan’s childhood when Guangshuo hadn’t been born yet. At that time, Guangyan was his only legitimate son, a child who was not as ruthless as he is now. He was just a small child, barely as tall as his knees.
Empress Zhang gave Guangyan a bowl of sweet soup. However, Guangyan didn’t want to eat it and carried the bowl all the way from Kunning Palace to the Imperial Study. The nanny chasing after him knelt down, begging for mercy. Emperor Wenxuan lifted Guangyan onto his lap and asked with a smile, “Why did you come to me with this bowl?”
“Royal Father,” the child’s speech was unclear and somewhat vague. He struggled to bring the bowl to Emperor Wenxuan’s mouth and said, “This tastes good, Royal Father, have a little!”
Emperor Wenxuan, upon hearing this, laughed heartily. “It’s remarkable that you, at such a young age, think of everything for me. It’s not in vain that I’ve pampered you, my son!”
As for the taste of the sweet soup in that bowl, Emperor Wenxuan had already forgotten. The laughter seemed to echo from yesterday, but in the blink of an eye, Guangyan had grown so much, and the similarity to the child who used to hold the bowl and lean against his knees, indulging in childishness, was no longer there. He was also perplexed – what had he done wrong over the years to lead to the current situation?
Emperor Wenxuan took a deep breath and asked, “Guangyan, regarding the matter with Xu Jingfu, do you have anything to say?”
With just this bowl of ginseng soup, he had softened his heart. He still wanted to give Guangyan a chance.
Guangyan’s heart skipped a beat, unsure of the significance behind Emperor Wenxuan’s sudden question. He responded, “I never expected that Xu Jingfu, being the Minister, would actually collude with the enemy… Over these years, Royal Father trusted him greatly. It turns out he harbored treasonous intentions. He should be executed for such a crime!”
Emperor Wenxuan saw the avoidance in his gaze, let out an almost imperceptible sigh, and shook his head. “When I was young, I read that a ruler should treat his ministers like a falconer treats his hawk—capturing its loyalty, controlling it in hunger and satiety. The hawk shouldn’t be allowed to stay full for too long or too hungry. When it’s hungry, its strength is insufficient; when it’s full, it will fly away. Old ministers in the court, such as Xu Jingfu, are like hawks satiated with food. Shameless, sitting on their positions like corpses, and content with wealth and honor. I reward them, yet I’m not pleased; I punish them, yet they’re not afraid. They cannot be relied upon for Great Wei’s advancement.”
Guangyan listened absentmindedly, his gaze fixed on the bowl of ginseng soup. He said, “Your son respectfully follows Royal Father’s teachings. Xu Jingfu is truly despicable. I was also deceived by him. It’s my fault too. If I had discovered Xu Jingfu’s disloyalty earlier, those Wutuo people wouldn’t have succeeded.”
Emperor Wenxuan looked deeply at him. “Guangyan, acknowledging one’s faults is better than blaming others.”
The king’s originally cloudy eyes, at this moment, became exceptionally clear, as if he could see through the soul of the person before him. Guangyan suddenly lowered his head, lifted the bowl, and brought it to Emperor Wenxuan’s face, saying with a smile, “Royal Father has said so much; you must be tired. The ginseng soup will cool down if you don’t drink it soon. Let’s finish the soup first before talking.”
Emperor Wenxuan, seeing his eager expression and sensing that Guangyan was not as arrogant as before, thought that perhaps the incident with Xu Jingfu had brought some improvement to Guangyan. He nodded in agreement.
Guangyan sat next to Emperor Wenxuan, lifted the bowl, scooped a little with a silver spoon, and approached Emperor Wenxuan’s mouth.
Emperor Wenxuan was surprised, “Aren’t you going to taste the soup?”
“Taste it?” Guangyan looked at him.
“Perhaps you’ve forgotten. It’s been a long time since you’ve served me soup, and you don’t even know the rule of tasting it. The fourth prince brings soup every day and always tastes it first.”
Guangyan appeared momentarily panicked.
Indeed, he hadn’t served Emperor Wenxuan for a long time, so he didn’t know that Emperor Wenxuan still remembered the rule of testing for poison. Even with food brought by Guangshuo, Emperor Wenxuan didn’t fully trust him.
But this ginseng soup…
His fingers trembled slightly.
Emperor Wenxuan had originally made a joke. Although there were many rules in the palace, he didn’t always adhere to them. He had intended to say forget it, but when he looked up, he saw Guangyan’s face slightly pale and his fingers holding the bowl trembling with effort.
People sometimes had intuition at certain moments.
The ginseng soup was steaming hot, and after sitting for a while, it was just the right temperature. It emitted a faint fragrance. However, the way the person in front of him looked was too nervous.
The king’s gaze instantly became profound, and he slowly spoke, his tone suddenly unpredictable, “Guangyan, take a sip first.”
“Royal Father… there’s no other silver spoon here…”
“It’s alright. I can have someone fetch one. For now, taste the soup.”
In such a situation, Guangyan had no choice but to lift the soup bowl, scoop a spoonful, and slowly bring it to his mouth, hesitating to make contact.
Emperor Wenxuan watched him and saw his face turning slightly pale. The heart sank.
In the past, although Emperor Wenxuan knew that Guangyan was cruel and tyrannical, he never dared to do anything against him. As his close kin, Emperor Wenxuan turned a blind eye to Guangyan’s behavior outside, even when he was unruly. Even after the incident with Xu Jingfu, Emperor Wenxuan still wanted to protect him. Even just before handing over the bowl of soup, Emperor Wenxuan wanted to give Guangyan a chance. The matter of establishing a crown prince was not to be brought up lightly until the last moment.
However, he never expected that Guangyan would commit patricide.
“Why aren’t you drinking?” he spoke with a deep voice, looking at this unfamiliar son of his.
Guangyan gritted his teeth and was about to lower his head to drink the spoonful of ginseng soup when, at the last moment, he suddenly threw the bowl in his hand aside and stood up abruptly.
The bowl fell onto the soft blanket in front of the bed, silently spilling across the entire surface. Guangyan snapped back to reality, realizing how foolish his actions had been. Trembling, he looked at his Royal Father lying on the bed.
Emperor Wenxuan’s gaze, disappointed, pained, and with a hint of unprecedented coldness, was fixed on him.
“Zhen didn’t know,” the king spoke each word deliberately, “that your purpose in coming here today was to take my life.”
“No, I didn’t—” Guangyan instinctively denied, “I didn’t do that!”
“Zhen only needs the imperial physician to come and examine, and I’ll immediately know if it’s true or not.” Emperor Wenxuan’s expression was indifferent as he got up to leave the bed, shouting, “Servants—”
“Royal Father!” Guangyan rushed over, covering his mouth, nervously saying, “Your son didn’t do it!”
Emperor Wenxuan, weakened by illness in recent days, was toppled over by his pounce. Guangyan, seizing the opportunity, straddled him. In an instant, he saw a cotton pillow on the bed, and without thinking, he grabbed it and pressed it firmly over Emperor Wenxuan’s mouth and nose, with only one thought in his mind: he must not let Emperor Wenxuan speak out!
The person beneath him struggled desperately, but how could an elderly, ailing body compete with someone in their prime? The more intense the struggle, the more ferocious Guangyan’s expression became. He almost pressed his entire body weight onto Emperor Wenxuan, firmly holding down the cotton pillow, treating it like a dying fish. He muttered in a short breath, “Don’t shout. I told you not to shout!”
Like a fish thrown from a pond into the desert, desperately wriggling in hopes of a lifeline, scales were flung off until the scorching sun dried up its eyes, rendering it lifeless.
After an unknown amount of time, the struggles beneath him gradually ceased. Guangyan, sweating profusely, suddenly let go, uncovering the cotton pillow.
Emperor Wenxuan laid back, his face turning purple, pupils dilated. In the dim light of the sleeping chamber, he seemed like an evil spirit.
Guangyan was startled, and after falling back from the bed, he couldn’t help but take two steps back. After a good while, he regained his composure, understanding that Emperor Wenxuan had truly been smothered by him.
The eunuchs outside had been dismissed by him earlier. Guangyan had come today to assassinate the emperor. However, he didn’t expect that the bowl of ginseng soup, laced with poison, would be discovered by Emperor Wenxuan. In the end, he had killed him with his own hands.
The sleeping chamber was empty, and the wind sounded like the wailing of ghosts, sending shivers down one’s spine. Suppressing the fear in his heart, Guangyan stood up and walked to Emperor Wenxuan. He picked up the soup bowl from the floor, placed it back into the redwood basket, and then went to Emperor Wenxuan’s dragon couch. He gently helped Emperor Wenxuan lie down, smoothed out the emperor’s wide-open eyes, and covered him with a blanket.
Unable to see his Royal Father’s eyes that refused to close, Guangyan felt a bit bolder. He glanced at Emperor Wenxuan’s lifeless body, murmuring in a low and urgent voice, “Royal Father, don’t blame your son. If anyone is to blame, blame yourself for not passing the throne to me. If you hadn’t forced me, I wouldn’t have done this… The throne was originally mine, Royal Father… Just watch how your son ascends to this position… Just watch.”
He slowly clenched his fists, stood up suddenly, took the redwood basket, and turned to leave the sleeping chamber.
…
It rained again at night.
In her drowsy state, He Yan vaguely heard the sound of rain outside, which awakened her. Unable to fall back asleep, she turned over and hugged the person beside her.
It wasn’t that she wanted to take advantage of Xiao Jue; it was just cold, and having someone by her side kept her warm. Xiao Jue slept quietly, with a good sleeping posture that was entirely different from her sprawled one.
Her movements awakened Xiao Jue. Lowering his head to look at the person snuggling into his embrace, he asked softly, “Why aren’t you sleeping?”
“I was awakened by the noise.” He Yan muttered, “Can’t sleep a bit.”
This was somewhat unusual. Although she had spent many years in military life, maintaining vigilance even in her sleep, since arriving at the Xiao family, she had been sleeping soundly at night. Now, experiencing insomnia like this was rare. For some reason, He Yan always felt a bit uneasy, as if something was about to happen.
Xiao Jue sensed her unease. After a pause, he pressed his chin against her head and asked, “Do you want to go to the roof and sit for a while?”
He YanL “…”
“It’s raining outside.”
“Joking.”
He Yan wanted to say something but stopped.
She always felt that after the death of Xu Jingfu, things were far from over; the struggle between Guangyan and the Fourth Prince had just begun. Whether it was Xiao Jue or the Xiao family, their positions were delicate, and it was likely not easily resolved. However, discussing these troublesome matters late at night seemed a bit disheartening.
While He Yan was pondering, a sudden knocking on the door interrupted her thoughts. Fei Nu’s voice came from outside, “Young Master, urgent news to report.”
She was taken aback. At this late hour, Fei Nu was in such a hurry. What could have happened?
Now, any trace of sleepiness was gone. Xiao Jue got up from the bed, lighting the oil lamp in the room. He Yan, too, got up, wrapping herself in clothes. As the door opened, the wind and rain swept in, making the room considerably colder.
Fei Nu entered, soaked through his clothes, looking somewhat solemn.
Xiao Jue asked, “What happened?”
“There’s news from the palace; the emperor has passed away.”
These words shocked both He Yan and Xiao Jue. Xiao Jue frowned, “When did it happen?”
“Just now, according to the latest information,” Fei Nu said, “Young Master, consider whether you should go to the palace.”
Xiao Jue contemplated for a moment and said, “I understand. Go prepare the carriage; I’ll go to the palace immediately.”
Fei Nu acknowledged and left.
Holding the oil lamp, He Yan took a few steps forward, her expression filled with surprise. “The emperor…”
She didn’t expect Emperor Wenxuan to pass away suddenly. Although rumors had been circulating outside that the emperor’s health was deteriorating, the news still seemed too sudden. She felt a complex mix of emotions. Despite the various criticisms against Emperor Wenxuan, He Yan did not see him as a tyrant, certainly not a foolish ruler.
While Xiao Jue was getting dressed, He Yan asked, “Do you want me to accompany you to the palace?”
Fei Nu’s words were brief, and no one knew the current situation inside the palace.
“No need. You stay at home.” Xiao Jue said, “I’ll go to the palace first to check.”
He Yan nodded. Although she was anxious, she also knew that what Xiao Jue said was right. Her official position didn’t warrant an immediate visit to the palace in such circumstances, and as the wife of the Xiao family’s young master, there was no reason for her to go. However…
Seeing her worried expression, Xiao Jue turned around and patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ll return to the mansion right after checking.”
“Xiao Jue, be careful in everything,” she advised.
Xiao Jue finished dressing, picked up his sword, and left. He Yan had no mood to continue sleeping. She walked to the window, opened it, and the fine rain floated into the room diagonally with the wind outside. The table was instantly covered with a thin layer of water droplets. The wind made He Yan’s face slightly cool, dispelling the vague drowsiness, and her mind became exceptionally clear.
Although it wasn’t the time to think about such things, once one incident occurred, many others would follow. Emperor Wenxuan had not mentioned changing the crown prince before his death. Even though there were various discussions in the court, according to the current situation, the crown prince should be the eldest son.
However, what kind of person was Crown Prince Guangyan? Everyone knew. Although Guangyan wasn’t implicated in the case involving Xu Jingfu, He Yan had asked Xiao Jue, and the Dali Temple protected the Crown Prince Guangyan secretly with Emperor Wenxuan’s approval. Emperor Wenxuan couldn’t bear to harm the crown prince because he was his direct bloodline. However, as the future ruler of Great Wei, a schemer who would bring trouble in pursuit of power and gain was not worthy to be an emperor.
The rain seemed endless, and the night too.
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