Chapter 533: 533
A faint sound of sobbing came from a corner of Shufang Palace . Yi Guipin, with slightly red eyes, looked at the eunuch kneeling in front of her and managed to smile and let him leave the Palace . Her hand, which was drawn back into her sleeve, clutched her handkerchief tightly . In a raspy voice, she said, "I don't believe it . "
The Royal Palace was a mess . The empress dowager had sent out order after order . Whether it was the empress in the Eastern Palace or Lady Ning, they were all to immediately move to Hanguang Palace to live . Yi Guipin, who had raised the Qing Emperor's youngest prince, was no exception .
Yi Guipin had clearly heard this order . She he knew that the so-called move to Hanguang Palace was only to better keep an eye on the people in the Palace .
Her state of mind was somewhat lost . She didn't know what kind of situation she and her son were about to face . The Emperor was dead? The Emperor was dead! Her hair at her temples was somewhat messy . She shook her head with strength, as if she wanted to chase this shocking news out of her head .
"How could the Emperor die? How could he die?"
She bit her bottom lip tightly . A white mark was left on her smooth, red lips . The rain outside the palace had stopped, and the cicadas were resting . A chill filled the air . It seeped into her heart and enveloped her body, making her give an involuntary shiver .
Although the Emperor never had much particular interest in women, and there were only 20 or so concubines in the palace, Yi Guipin was the one most favored in recent years . If it was said that she had not a shred of affection of the Emperor, that was false . Her sorrow, fear, and unease right now were not just because of the news of the Emperor's death .
The military, Overwatch Council, and the province sent messages thousands of li to Jingdou and brought a very important message for the nobility in the capital: the Emperor had been assassinated .
The reports from the military and province said that the one who had assassinated the Emperor was Commissioner Fan Xian of the Overwatch Council .
Sir Fan junior had colluded with Dongyi's Sigu Jian . During the worship of heaven at Dong Mountain, his treasonous heart exploded out, and he killed the monarch .
The report from the Overwatch Council only confirmed the news of the death but was particularly unclear on the specifics . This, on the contrary, corroborated the truth of the two earlier messages .
Yi Guipin did not believe it!
It was not that she didn't believe the Emperor had already passed . She did not believe that this matter was done by Sir Fan junior . It made no sense . The Emperor went to worship heaven to depose of the Crown Prince . Fan Xian's position would only become gradually more stable after the heaven worship . How could he, at this juncture, suddenly choose such an absurd action?
Yi Guipin was truly scared . She felt that a net had already fallen on Fan Xian and was about to fall over Shufang Palace . She was born to the Liu family . Her honor was bound to the Fan manor . Furthermore, the Emperor had appointed Fan Xian as the Third Prince's teacher .
If Fan Xian truly became the main culprit of a rebellion, the Fan manor would be completely wiped out . The Liu family would be hard pressed to make a narrow escape . Yi Guipin might be pushed into a well, while the Third Prince…
"Mother! Mother!" The Third Prince, who had just heard the news, came running toward the Palace, crying as he ran . When he ran to Yi Guipin's side, he stopped his steps dazedly . Using his gaze, which was more mature than his peers, he glanced carefully at his mother .
Yi Guipin nodded her head a little absentmindedly .
The Third Prince pressed his lips together and forcefully resisted, but he couldn't manage it . With a sob, he cried and threw himself into Yi Guipin's embrace .
After a moment, Yi Guipin gritted her teeth and . Using all her strength, she pulled her son up from her embrace . Looking ruthlessly into his eyes, she said with force, "Don't cry . You're not allowed to cry . This is not yet the time to cry… Your father was an indomitable monarch . You can't cry . "
The Third Prince, Li Chengping sniffed, but stood staunchly in front of his mother and nodded heavily . Since he had lived for a long time within the Palace and followed Fan Xian in Jiangnan for a year, this sinister and ruthless prince, who dared to open a brothel at nine-years-old, had long received enough practice . He knew the words his mother was about to say were important .
"Right now, the rumors are all saying that it was your teacher, Sir Fan, who assassinated the Emperor . " Yi Guipin stared into her son's eyes .
After a glimmer of panic flashed through the Third Prince's eyes, he immediately calmed down and said in a hard voice, "I don't believe it! Teacher is not that kind of person . He has no reason . "
Yi Guipin managed to smile and patted her son's head . "Yes . Although there are reports from the military and the province, not many people will believe that your teacher would harm the Emperor . You have to know, he is the official that your father had the highest regard for . "
"It is not just us who don't believe it," Yi Guipin gritted her teeth and said, "The empress dowager also doesn't believe it . Otherwise, Fan manor would have been razed already and that crazy woman wouldn't have been buried by the empress dowager . "
The Third Prince nodded .
Yi Guipin lowered her voice and said, "But the empress dowager won't completely disbelieve it . For some reason, your uncle is about to enter the palace . Elder sister Chen and that girl Sisi are also coming into the Palace . If the empress dowager truly believed that your teacher was responsible for what happened on Dong Mountain, then the Fan and Liu families would sink into desperate straits . "
"What can I do?" The Third Prince tightened his fists . He knew that his future wholly betted on his teacher, Fan Xian . If his teacher was truly cast as a hoodlum who killed the monarch, then he would never have a chance to turn his fortunes around .
"Don't do anything . You just need to cry, be sad, and keep the empress dowager company…" Yi Guipin suddenly sighed . A pitiful expression flashed through her eyes . Pulling the Third Prince back into her arms, she said, "While the Dong Mountain matter is unclear, and for each day that your teacher does not return to Jingdou, the empress dowager will not immediately take action against the Fan family . We need this time to influence the Crown Princess and to wait for teacher to return .
The Third Prince was silent for a moment and then nodded . He was the same as his mother . They always had great confidence in Fa Xian . In their hearts, as long as teacher returned to Jingdou, he would be able to resolve the entire matter .
The eunuchs began to prompt people outside .
Completely distracted, Yi Guipin began to prepare for her move to Hanguang Palace .
A ruthless light flashed through the Third Prince's eyes . He took out the poisonous dagger, which Fan Xian had gifted him, from under the table and carefully hid it in his cute shoes .
He did not agree with what his mother said earlier . Hanguang Palace might not be any safer . For the chair that father had left behind, what crazy things were beyond his two brothers?
…
…
The Crown Prince, Li Chengqian, slowly organized his clothes . There was not a trace of maniacal joy on his face . When the news of the Emperor's death had traveled into the Palace, the Crown Prince reacted like all the princes and officials . He fell to the ground sobbing and found it difficult to cover up his sorrow .
Other than sorrow, his face was also deathly pale . Walking to the door of the Eastern Palace, he faced the dusk in the distant east and bowed deeply . Two strings of tears fell from his eyes .
It was a long time before he straightened his body and stood pin-straight . In his heart, he thought sorrowfully, Father, it is not that I am not filial, it is just that you have already forced me past the point of no return .
Hong Zhu stood with guards outside the door to the Eastern Palace, waiting to invite the empress and Crown Prince to move to Hanguang Palace .
The Crown Prince glanced toward the Palace doors and then turned to glance at the empress . He furrowed his brows slightly and forcefully hid the impatience in his eyes . Holding his mother's hand, he said quietly beside her ear, "Mother, please restrain your grief . "
The always well-dressed and well-adorned empress had been, for this half year, been trapped in the Eastern Palace and had long lost her previous magnificence . She had suddenly heard the news of the Emperor being assassinated at Dong Mountain . This woman, who had been childhood sweethearts with the Emperor, finally broke . Her entire person was like a zombie as she listened to the messages coming in from various palaces . She had only sat on the low couch and cried .
"Your father is dead…" The empress gazed at her son with vacant eyes .
The Crown Prince slowly lowered his head and said, "I know, but every person will die . "
His face was still filled with sorrow, but these words were said with extreme indifference .
The empress seemed to suddenly recover her wits . Understanding these words, she gazed at her son with disbelief . She opened her mouth wide but couldn't say anything for a moment .
"The worship of heaven was not completed," the Crown Prince said in a low voice . "I will openly and lawfully become the next Emperor of the Qing Kingdom . You are about to become the empress dowager . "
Countless complicated emotions surged into the empress' heart . Her lips trembled . It was not until after a long time that she finally said haltingly, "Yes, yes, yes… Fan Xian that damned… I… I said it long ago, he was a bad omen . Our Li family would eventually be destroyed by the mother and son . When we go to Hanguang Palace, immediately ask the empress dowager to give an order to wipe out the entire Fan family . No, behead both the Fan and Liu families, and also kill Chen Pingping, that old dog!"
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