Chapter 275 Death
When a person is in a state of extreme inner peace, his five senses will be particularly sharp and he can perceive things that ordinary people cannot perceive.
At the highest level, one can sense the time of one's own death and prepare calmly, such as choosing a cemetery and arranging funeral affairs. When the time comes, one can sit quietly and pass away peacefully.
Emperor Jiajing practiced Taoism for many years, so his five senses were naturally more acute than those of ordinary people.
After Huang Jin finished his report, he waited for Emperor Jiajing's instructions.
But where did Emperor Jiajing stay?
"Your Majesty, the imperial physician has already arrived!"
Huang Jin couldn't help but remind him.
"Prince..." Emperor Jiajing's cheeks were trembling and he was busy putting on his clothes. Huang Jin cursed himself for being stupid and hurried over to help.
"Enough is enough!"
Emperor Jiajing was only wearing an outer robe. He tidied his hair hastily and hurried out of the hall.
He walked faster and faster, and Huang Jin almost had to jog to keep up with him.
“They don’t dare…”
"How dare they?"
Huang Jin listened to Emperor Jiajing's mumblings and felt panic-stricken.
At this moment in the prince's bedroom, several imperial doctors had grim expressions on their faces and were discussing in low voices.
"Medicine is ineffective, acupuncture is necessary."
"But that's a vital point. Once the needle is inserted... there will be endless troubles."
"But now the prince's pulse is not right, extremely not right..."
Crown Prince Zhu Zaizhen sat on the bed, looking pale. He suddenly coughed a few times, holding his chest and asked, "Where is my father? Have you... have you sent someone to report to my father?"
The eunuch said, "He has already gone."
The prince smiled and said, "Father may seem cold and stern, but he is actually very soft-hearted. One time I angered him and thought I would be punished, so I knelt down and apologized. But... cough cough!
But I stole a glance at my father, and he…he was…he was blowing his beard, haha…cough cough cough!”
The prince's expression suddenly changed drastically.
He ordered, "Help me out of bed."
The imperial physician advised: "Your Highness should lie down."
But the prince stared at the door of the bedroom, "Quick!"
Two eunuchs helped the prince out of bed.
The prince knelt down, trembling all over.
"My son!" Emperor Jiajing just arrived outside the door.
The prince smiled and said softly, "Father, my son... my son is gone!"
……
"Xia Yan is still alive. Although there are many disadvantages, it is also our luck."
In the duty room, Yan Song said slowly: "Xia Yan was once the prince's teacher. If he dies, the prince will definitely regard us father and son as mortal enemies. The first thing he will do after ascending the throne is to kill us and avenge Xia Yan."
Yan Shifan put down his brush and stretched lazily. "As the saying goes, everything is a blessing and a curse. It all depends on how you look at it. By the way, Dad, your Majesty's actions have left those people helpless. So, we should also put some effort into the Crown Prince."
"Father has made preparations." Yan Song patted his shoulder. "When the prince gets married, His Majesty will definitely teach him personally. Father can show his goodwill by being by his side. If it doesn't work once, twice... sooner or later, the prince will change his mind about my father and me."
"The emperor is good at using people. As long as father and son are good for the prince, he will naturally change his mind." Yan Shifan said with a smile: "And your majesty's move has made the prince a thorn in the eyes of those people. Even if he ascends the throne, he will only use us."
"Donglou, take a rest!" Yan Song said.
"Dad, you sit down and take a rest too. By the way, I found a kneader yesterday and have asked someone to bring him home. If he is good, I will let him stay at home for a long time."
"it is good."
The father and son smiled at each other.
There were hurried footsteps.
Then, a desolate voice shouted:
"The prince has passed away!"
……
"The prince is actually a pitiful man."
Xia Yan has been staying in the Bo's house these days. Li Tian has ordered the kitchen to prepare meals carefully, and each meal is different. The old man is so happy with the food that he doesn't even want to go home.
As he got older, he naturally became less reserved. Accompanied by the maid and Fu Cheng, Li Tian was able to remove the screen and talk to him.
"The death of the eldest prince earlier made His Majesty and the Queen Mother extremely sad, but the great Ming needed a crown prince to calm people's hearts. The birth of the crown prince at this time not only comforted His Majesty and the Queen Mother, but also stabilized the court."
Xia Yan said slowly: "Your Majesty personally prayed for the prince, only wishing that he would be healthy. Later, he made him the prince early on and made me his teacher... The father's heart is evident to all."
Li Tian sat upright and asked curiously, "Mr. Xia, why do you say he is pitiful?"
"In the eighteenth year of Jiajing, His Majesty went on a tour to the south and ordered the crown prince to govern the country. At that time, the crown prince was only four years old. What country was he governing? It was just a show. But His Majesty's tour to the south was full of accidents..."
Xia Yan smiled, very coldly, "If something happens to your majesty, who should the four-year-old prince listen to after he succeeds to the throne?"
Li Tian felt her heart tighten, "How dare they?"
"Why wouldn't they dare?" Xia Yan sneered, "After the palace coup, His Majesty retreated to the Western Garden and promoted the Prime Minister to control the government. From then on, the prince became a hot commodity in the eyes of those people. On one side is the emperor, on the other side are the ministers and the literati behind them, and the little prince is caught in the middle..."
Xia Yan sighed.
Li Tian felt pity, "No wonder my husband once said that the children of the royal family are either stupid and muddle-headed, so they can be happier. Or they are unbridled and not bound by rules... Even if they die, it is better for them to die happily."
"That kid!" Xia Yan smiled, "That's his nature. He doesn't like to be constrained. But the prince can't do that."
Li Tian smiled and said, "Now the storm has passed and the sky is clear. When my husband comes back, I will let him thank Lord Xia."
"Let him cook some delicious dishes and have a few drinks with me." Thinking of Jiang Qingzhi's cooking skills, Xia Yan couldn't help but salivate.
He saw Li Tian looking up at the door, so he followed her to look.
A servant stood outside the door and said, "Duke Chengguo's men sent news that the crown prince... has passed away."
The smile on Xia Yan's face froze.
Li Tian loosened his grip, and the teacup fell heavily onto the table...
……
The prince passed away.
The entire imperial city and Western Garden fell into a dead silence.
Concubine Lu Jing rushed over after hearing the news.
She led her people to the outside of the prince's bedroom in a hurry. Seeing several imperial doctors kneeling outside in dejection, she asked in a low voice, "Why is this happening?"
The imperial doctors knew that she wanted to ask why the prince died suddenly. Several imperial doctors shook their heads, and no one dared to answer this question.
Concubine Lu walked out the door.
Inside the bedroom, Emperor Jiajing sat on the ground with his back to the door, and the prince lay in front of him with his head on his lap.
Concubine Lu suddenly felt as if her heart was being pinched by something. She gasped for breath and her lips moved...
Emperor Jiajing gently patted the prince's shoulder and hummed an unknown song...
"Your Majesty." Concubine Lu opened her mouth and suddenly found a strand of white hair on Emperor Jiajing's temples.
"His Majesty!"
Concubine Lu had burst into tears without knowing when.
……
"Meet Long Wilbur!"
"Prepare dry food!"
"Yes."
At the post station, Jiang Qingzhi took the dry food and ate it with warm water.
Sun Bu Tong, who was on the outpost, is back.
"Master, there is nothing unusual."
Jiang Qingzhi swallowed the pancake, felt relieved, and slowed down his eating speed.
This is the last post station to the capital.
If nothing unexpected happens, he will be able to arrive in the capital today.
It seems that the prince is fine!
Jiang Qingzhi felt that his butterfly was very powerful and couldn't help but laugh.
After hurriedly eating some dry food, Jiang Qingzhi and others set out again.
Not long after he left, several men entered the post station.
"You didn't poison me?"
"The people around Jiang Qingzhi are very alert, how dare I?"
"idiot!"
"Those people have been watching us. If you have the guts, get the delayed-acting poison. Otherwise, once Jiang Qingzhi's poison takes effect, the first thing those people will do is kill me."
The leading man was a scholar, and he said coldly, "Die for the Tao, and die without regrets!"
The postman looked at him steadily.
"Then why don't you just die?"
……
There were a lot more pedestrians on the official road in late spring. Jiang Qingzhi and others crossed a section of flat road and saw some potholes ahead.
"careful!"
The guard in front shouted.
We have to slow down here.
After turning here, there is a pavilion on the roadside ahead where some travelers are resting and eating.
Sun Bu Tong rode his horse to the front. Suddenly, something flashed in the corner of his eyes. He shouted without hesitation: "Be alert!"
The travelers in the pavilion suddenly rushed out, some holding bows and arrows, some holding long swords, and rushed madly towards Jiang Qingzhi and others.
Jiang Qingzhi felt an inexplicable tightness in his heart. Sun Chonglou on the left had already rushed over on his horse, and Mo Zhan followed closely behind.
"Protect uncle!"
The two guards picked up their shields and blocked the incoming arrows.
When the assassins saw Sun Chonglou and Mo Zhan rushing towards them, they couldn't help but be overjoyed.
When two knives came in, all the joy turned into a nightmare.
"go!"
Jiang Qingzhi rode away without waiting for the result.
Who is so crazy that he dares to kill me outside the capital?
What happened in the capital?
Jiang Qingzhi's mind was full of these thoughts.
The two long swords behind him created a bloody storm in the crowd.
Amid the howlings, Xu Wei and Hu Zongxian, who arrived later, both had solemn expressions on their faces.
"These people dared to ambush Lord Bo here. There must be changes in the capital."
"Your Majesty, maybe..."
"be quick!"
Hu Zongxian chased after Jiang Qing all the way, and after catching up with him, he said, "My Lord, there must be a change in the capital. His Majesty..."
"I know." Jiang Qingzhi ordered: "You stay and wait for the follow-up cavalry to arrive, then take them into the city as soon as possible. Let Xu Wei follow me into the capital."
Hu Zongxian slowed down his horse and waited for Xu Wei to catch up before telling him what Jiang Qingzhi had said.
"You have to be careful too." Xu Wei's eyes were cold, "Those people might take risks. In fact, according to my opinion, you should wait outside the capital... just to be on the safe side."
"Then just sit back and watch." Hu Zongxian said, "If the uncle is that kind of person, will you still follow him?"
Xu Wei sighed, "Probably not."
When we arrived outside the capital, it was already afternoon.
sunny.
But Jiang Qingzhi always felt something was wrong.
He entered the city and headed towards Xiyuan.
When he saw that touch of white, Jiang Qingzhi also saw the haggard Zhu Xizhong.
Zhu Xizhong stopped.
Jiang Qing was dismissed.
The two were silent for a moment.
"Who?" Jiang Qingzhi asked.
"The prince... passed away."
(End of this chapter)
