PDLP Chapter 149 Persuasion
Chapter 149 Persuasion
Emperor Shenwu entered the underground palace and did not come out. Qian Hui looked at Li Xiang, who was anxiously pacing at the entrance of the underground palace, and then looked into the depths of the underground palace. Finally, he made up his mind: "Come, go and invite His Royal Highness Prince Ding!"
Prince Ding stepped into the Miaoling Underground Palace with a heavy heart. Ten days had passed since Lan Qingwu fell into a coma, and Emperor Shenwu had been in the underground palace for three days.
Prince Ding walked deep into the underground palace and finally saw Emperor Shenwu. The emperor who was dazzling and omnipotent in his impression was now like an ignorant and helpless young animal, clinging to that person with reluctance.
Prince Ding walked forward and felt a chill. Lan Qingwu was lying unconscious on the ice jade coffin. Emperor Shenwu was kneeling beside the ice jade coffin, with his head bowed and lying on the ice jade coffin, one hand still tightly holding Lan Qingwu's hand.
Prince Ding felt his language deficit as never before. He opened his mouth and said, "Your Majesty..."
The Shenwu Emperor moved slightly. He raised his head, his eyes still unwilling to leave Lan Qingwu: "What are you doing here?"
Prince Ding calmed himself down and said, "Your Majesty, please return to the palace! Concubine Yi will not be at peace if you stay here like this."
Emperor Shenwu looked at Prince Ding fiercely. Prince Ding quickly lowered his eyes. Emperor Shenwu said coldly, "At peace? Concubine Yi is unconscious now, so how can she not be at peace? Prince Ding, please go back first! I know my limits."
Prince Ding continued to advise, "Your Majesty, all the civil and military officials are questioning you every day during court. The harem is also in a state of panic. The Empress Dowager summons me to the Cining Palace every day. Your Majesty... the entire Dasheng Dynasty is waiting for you!"
Emperor Shenwu lowered his phoenix eyes. He gently put down Lan Qingwu's hand, turned around, and leaned his back against the ice jade coffin. He looked at Prince Ding calmly: "Really? You are all waiting for me... In fact, I have been thinking these days, if I were not the emperor of this Dasheng Dynasty, would she be safe? I can protect everyone in the world, but I can't protect her!"
"His Majesty!"
Prince Ding looked up in shock. "What do you mean? If you want to wait a few days before returning to the palace, that's fine. I will guard the imperial city well..."
Emperor Shenwu suddenly interrupted Prince Ding: "Prince Ding - in fact, you can always guard the Dasheng Dynasty. My second prince is quite talented, you can assist him..."
Prince Ding suddenly felt a surge of anger. He looked up at the Shenwu Emperor and said, "What then? The princes are all relatively close in age, and their mothers are all of noble birth. Your Majesty, have you considered this? How many years will the struggle for the throne last? How many families and court officials will be drawn into this? Your Majesty! How many lives will be lost..."
"So what!" Emperor Shenwu suddenly exploded, "So what! Royal brother, she's gone! She'll never come back! What does the life of others have to do with me? From childhood to adulthood, I have regarded this world as my mission and the people as my subjects. I have never let my father down! I can be the sky of the Dasheng Dynasty! I can support this world! But why! Why! I just want to keep her by my side! That's all! Why did God take her away? Why!"
Prince Ding couldn't believe his ears. "Your Majesty! Zhou Xuheng! Why do you say that? You are the Emperor! The Son of Heaven! This is your fate! If you are so careless, how will the people of the world view Concubine Yi? How will the civil and military officials view Concubine Yi? A hundred years from now, how will the history books comment on Concubine Yi? Your Majesty! Open your eyes and look at her, look at this woman lying in the icy jade coffin. When she said goodbye to you, did she tell you to take care of yourself? Instead of leaving you like this? Even for her, for her, you can't be so unbridled!"
The strength of the Emperor Shenwu seemed to be drained from his body. "I only wish for your well-being! Your well-being? Your well-being?"
Emperor Shenwu laughed in agony, "Jun'an! Ruoruo, why are you so cruel? Why...you let me lose you, and then let me be at peace?"
Emperor Shenwu covered his heart, which was aching.
A trace of pity flashed in Prince Ding's eyes. Losing one's beloved must be truly excruciating. If it were him... Prince Ding couldn't help but shudder and didn't dare to think about it anymore.
Qian Hui, Li Xiang, and others were guarding the entrance to the Miaoling Underground Palace. Prince Ding walked out from the depths of the palace. Qian Hui hurried forward and saluted, "Your Highness Prince Ding?"
Prince Ding's eyes held a trace of compassion. "General Qian, please hold on for a few more days. His Majesty will figure it out."
Prince Ding returned to the imperial city and did his best to appease the civil and military officials. However, Empress Dowager Li was still worried because she had not seen Emperor Shenwu return to the palace.
Five days later, Empress Dowager Li finally could not sit still anymore.
On this day, Miaoling Palace welcomed Empress Dowager Li's carriage again. Empress Dowager Li ignored the palace road full of palace servants paying their respects and walked directly to the underground palace.
Empress Dowager Li walked into the underground palace and finally saw the haggard Emperor Shenwu in the depths of the palace.
Empress Dowager Li looked at Emperor Shenwu in shock: "Emperor..."
Emperor Shenwu looked at Empress Dowager Li expressionlessly and said, "Mother, are you here to persuade me too? No need to persuade me. I will return to the imperial city in two days."
Empress Dowager Li was at a loss for words. "Your Majesty, I know you're sad, and I love Concubine Yi very much, but...if you stay here to guard Concubine Yi, she won't come back. There are already many speculations within the imperial court and the harem, and this isn't good for either Your Majesty or Concubine Yi!"
"Emperor, please put away your grief! You are the emperor! Everyone in the world can be sad, but you cannot! Otherwise, the throne of the Dasheng Dynasty will fall!"
Emperor Shenwu slowly raised his eyes to look at Empress Dowager Li, his biological mother. His eyes were red and his expression was stubborn. He finally asked the words that had been buried in his heart for more than 20 years: "Mother, are you really my biological mother? In your heart, my maternal family, the Li family, Prince An, Yuhua, and even Prince Shen, all need to rely on me and depend on me at this moment. You are more worried about their future! Mother, they are all more important than me! In fact, now that Prince Shen wants to replace me, it is not impossible for you to rely on him and support him."
Empress Dowager Li was stunned for a moment and was speechless.
After a moment, Empress Dowager Li said, "That's not the case!"
Empress Dowager Li blurted out, "Emperor, ever since your father appointed you Crown Prince, I have understood that Huai'er is not fit to be the Emperor. Since your father has made his decision, I will obey. The only thing I cannot let go of is Huai'er not being able to return to the Imperial City and spend time with you. Emperor, right now, you are more important than anyone else! Do you understand?"
Emperor Shenwu remained silent, his tone indifferent: "Is that so? Mother, please return to the palace. I will stay here for the last two days."
Empress Dowager Li felt relieved after hearing this. She slowly turned around and left. After only a few steps, she couldn't help but look back. She saw Emperor Shenwu raising his sleeve and gently wiping Lan Qingwu's cheek. His eyes were like a pool of stagnant water, silent and sad.
Empress Dowager Li opened her lips slightly, but ultimately said nothing more. She could only leave again helplessly with a heavy heart.