NFBE Chapter 400 The Queen passed away
Chapter 400 The Queen passed away
Nanny Li wiped her tears. "Upon hearing the news of Concubine Yun's death, the Empress vomited blood and fainted. The imperial physician said grief is detrimental to the body. The blood drained all of the Empress's strength. I'm afraid... she's having a hard time today."
Nanny Li felt that the more she wiped away her tears, the more tears came, and the handkerchief in her hand became wet.
The emperor frowned, and the aura he exuded became particularly oppressive.
Emperor: "What about the Xia Dynasty spies?"
Jing Wu replied from behind, "Your Majesty, he has been sent to the Ministry of Punishment for interrogation."
"If I pry open his mouth, I'd like to know who sent him to murder my queen!"
"Yes!"
The emperor added, "Imperial Physician Jiang should be thrown into the Heavenly Prison. Then send for Imperial Physician Xie to come to the palace immediately. There should be no delay at all."
The emperor paused and said, "Check how the youngest son of Doctor Xie became ill. I don't believe there are so many coincidences in the world!"
At first glance, this matter seemed like a premeditated plot by the Xia Dynasty.
But neither the Emperor nor Li Ma and the others could understand. What was the Xia Dynasty's purpose in arranging such a drama and forcing the Queen to death?!
After sending his men away, the emperor sat beside the bed and looked deeply at the queen.
My throat was rolling for a long time, but I didn't know what to say.
They were married, but they never expressed true love to each other.
Being husband and wife for nearly ten years made them friends and relatives, but they never fell in love.
After ascending the throne, the two became increasingly distant, and the only things they could talk about were the matters in the harem.
At this point, the emperor didn't know what to say.
The queen slowly woke up, and after a while she regained enough strength to look at the emperor.
Her tone was very calm: "Your Majesty, will I not live long?"
The Emperor: "...Thank you, the Imperial Physician is coming soon. With her here, your health will improve."
The Queen curled her lips and smiled, "Doctor Xie is only an imperial physician. She can cure illnesses, but not lives. Your Majesty, please don't make things difficult for her."
"The Queen is still so smart."
The emperor praised this with a hint of bitterness, and suddenly thought of what Shi'an had just reported about what happened in Fengyi Palace.
When the Queen heard the news of Concubine Yun's death, she was filled with anger and grief.
But even though she felt unbearable heartache, she was the first to realize the other party's intention and decisively had the spy convicted of the crime of alienating the emperor and empress, and had him dragged out and beaten to death.
The Queen's action safeguarded the reputation of the Emperor and the Yu Dynasty, and also prevented those who tried to sow discord from succeeding.
With such courage and vision, there were few ministers in his previous dynasty, let alone in the harem.
The queen moved her lips slightly, and suddenly she heard a cry.
"Who's crying?"
The emperor also looked outside.
Eunuch Shi'an reported in a low voice, "Your Majesty, it's Concubine Wen crying outside."
"Empress Wen was shocked by the news and demanded to see the Empress."
The emperor's eyes fell on the queen.
The Queen said calmly, "Let her wait outside. I need to have the strength... to see her later."
"Yes."
The Queen said slowly, "Your Majesty, I know my end is near... I also know that Your Majesty is not allowing the Xia Dynasty envoys to enter the capital in order to protect me."
"Your Majesty, I am deeply grateful for your kindness."
The emperor moved his throat and said in a deep voice: "Shi'an, come and talk to the queen about her mother."
"I obey your command." Eunuch Shi'an stepped forward with his head lowered. "The Xia Dynasty was losing ground on the front lines. The Xia Emperor was incompetent, so he repeatedly humiliated the Empress's mother in the harem, disliking her for not being able to speak up for the Xia Dynasty. He then banished her to the cold palace, humiliating her so repeatedly that she became seriously ill."
"Ten days ago, news arrived from the Xia Dynasty that Concubine Yun had passed away and was about to come to the capital to announce the death. The Emperor, concerned for the Empress's health and fearing that the news would disturb her, deliberately stationed the Xia Dynasty's envoys outside the capital."
Eunuch Shi'an spoke angrily, "Who would have thought that the Xia Dynasty envoy had such ulterior motives? He deliberately arranged for someone to infiltrate the palace and cause trouble, harming the Empress's health. He even wanted to sow discord between the Empress and the Emperor. How despicable!"
After all, they have been married for so many years, so the emperor certainly knows what the queen wants to hear most now.
That's why Shi'an told the story of Concubine Yun of the Xia Dynasty.
After hearing this, the queen slowly closed her eyes, and a tear silently slid down the corner of her eyes.
"Your Majesty, although I was forced to marry into the Yu Dynasty by the Emperor of the Xia Dynasty, it was my own choice!"
The queen suddenly opened her eyes, her pupils were dark and calm, and she smiled brightly.
Like a nightshade blooming slowly, "I have no regrets."
These few words, spoken so casually, were like a heavy hammer hitting the emperor's heart.
After a long while, the emperor finally said, "I have no regrets marrying you."
For Queen Yu, if she stayed in the Xia Dynasty for her whole life, it would only mean enduring many years of hardship and then marrying a husband chosen by chance.
Even if she became a prince consort, all she had to do was take care of the backyard, have children, and be filial to her parents-in-law.
Being a daughter-in-law of a royal family is harder than being a daughter-in-law of an ordinary family.
But the power and glory she has enjoyed in her life are what many ordinary people dream of.
This is all the Queen has ever wanted in her life.
For the emperor, the queen may not have been able to give birth to a legitimate son for him.
But looking back over the years, the queen has done an impeccable job in managing his backyard, being filial to his elders, and raising his children.
They also treated each other with respect and equality.
The emperor was very satisfied with the queen because he was used to the backyards of the retired emperor and his brothers.
For people like them, it is too boring to say whether they love or not.
On the contrary, the years they have spent together have proved that their choices were not wrong.
After a moment's silence, the Emperor sighed softly, "I intend to let Concubine Wen raise the Second Princess. What do you think, Empress?"
The Queen said weakly, "This is what I have been asking for. Now that the Emperor has spoken, I am naturally overjoyed."
The queen never uttered a soft word or bent her waist many times in her life.
Before he died, he suddenly became kind, probably because he wanted something.
The emperor knew that the queen was a person who cared a lot about her reputation, and asking her to ask for help would mean bowing down to her.
After all, they had been married for many years, so the emperor softened his heart and took the initiative to ask.
The Queen's breathing became increasingly rapid, as if she was in great pain, yet she tried to remain calm. "I have never begged Your Majesty for anything in my life. Before I die, I only wish to ask Your Majesty for two things."
Emperor: "...Speak."
"First, I beg the Emperor to treat Concubine Wen kindly. She is my only relative."
The emperor actually wanted to say, doesn’t the queen have a younger brother?
But when I think of the queen's cold temper, I remember that the queen had never seen that younger brother, nor had they ever gotten along, so she did not recognize this younger brother.
Queen: "Secondly, please, Your Majesty... don't let Xia Chao go!"
The emperor raised his eyes slightly, with a heavy look and a hint of subtle surprise in his eyes.
The Queen's tone was filled with complex emotions, and she finally said, "The Emperor of the Xia Dynasty treated my sisters and me like abandoned children, and he bullied my mother in every possible way. He is unfit to be a father or a husband. He has no sense of an emperor, and he is unworthy of the throne. He is a disgrace to all!"
"I now wish His Majesty... a unified country!"
When the emperor heard this, he felt a slight shock in his heart.
It was like a shallow wave on the sea surface, quietly shaking the entire sea surface.
Emperor: "I have received the Empress's congratulations and look forward to the day when the country will be unified."
A satisfied smile suddenly appeared on the queen's face.
Losing her obsession and holding on for a breath, her tone became increasingly calm, "After I die, has the emperor thought about who to make his empress?"
The emperor lowered his eyes and looked at the queen: "What do you think, Queen?"
"Noble Concubine Zhao is intelligent and generous. Although she lacks some tactics, she is also decisive."
"We are no longer in the palace, and the emperor is no longer the prince he once was. This harem needs a kind and compassionate person."
The Queen's voice gradually became softer. "Consort Jingshu is deeply selfish, Consort Wen is overwhelmed, and Consort Hua and Consort Hui are unable to handle the heavy responsibility... If a new Queen is appointed, chaos will inevitably break out in the harem."
"The Emperor has promised Xie Jiang a place in the Imperial Hospital and is supporting Xie Jing in the Ministry of Personnel...wouldn't it have been accomplished earlier?"
After the queen finished speaking, there was a dead silence in the bedroom.
The emperor looked at the queen's pale face and sighed deeply.
"I'm afraid there's no one in this world who can understand me as well as the Queen."
The queen smiled, but could no longer utter a sound.
After an unknown amount of time, the emperor sighed deeply and said, "Someone come!"
Nanny Li and Eunuch Shi'an, who were serving by his side, stepped forward at the same time.
The emperor stood up, his face expressionless. "Proclaim my order: the empress has passed away. The whole nation mourns!"
Nanny Li stared with wide eyes at the queen lying on the bed, already breathless, and took a long time to catch her breath.
"Queen!"
This extremely sorrowful cry seemed to be squeezed out from the throat, and like a bloody knife, it pierced the dark clouds covering Fengyi Palace, staining it with blood.