Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Dying

Two rows of leading eunuchs held lanterns, illuminating the road leading to Qixiang Palace. Only when people overlapped with each other, would there be more black patches. As soon as people walked, these black patches would appear shadowy. . Shen Yiguan and the others created black shadows, walked forward in the shadows, and walked towards Qixiang Palace where Emperor Wanli was located under the guidance of the eunuchs. The atmosphere is abnormal, and everyone's mood is also abnormal. Walking on the black shadow emitted by oneself is more like an extension of the black shadow in the heart——

Tian Yi went all the way to greet him, and after seeing the ceremony, he first said a few polite words: "It's so late at night, please excuse me, my lords—" Then, he straightened his already heavy expression and said: "It's really an emergency and we have to; all the adults are the pillars of the Ming Dynasty, and the heavy responsibilities are on your shoulders. Our family is here to thank the adults for their hard work." !" But because of such words, these people felt a little panic; Shen Yiguan had no choice but to bite the bullet and return a salute on behalf of all the officials who should be announced——He cupped his hands and said: "Tian Sili is good to say—— Long live Lord Xuanzhao, as a courtier, he should have entered the palace immediately; how dare he use the word 'hard work'?"

Unexpectedly, when Tian Yi heard this, his expression darkened, his brows squeezed into the word "Chuan" in an instant, and then he lowered his voice, and explained to these important court officials: "It is the urgent summoning of all the adults overnight. What the Empress Dowager means—" He explained in detail that Emperor Wanli had been seriously ill and fell into a coma for three days—the first day was the wedding day of Crown Prince Chang Luo. The emperor was just "sick", just like the previous days, there was no cause or illness, he just lay weak, and nothing serious happened, so he didn't want to alarm his courtiers; unexpectedly, the next day, Emperor Wanli's death The situation worsened, not only still unconscious, but also full of cold; he had no choice but to report all this to the old benevolent empress.

With trembling steps, she came to the hospital bed of Emperor Wanli. With the support of the court ladies, the Empress Dowager Compassionately sat down on the soft chair brought over by the eunuchs, and bowed her head to carefully look at her own son. Like everyone else, she didn't understand his illness at all; no matter how carefully she looked at him, she could only see his appearance clearly. Emperor Wanli's slightly fat and swollen face and body were calm and peaceful under the control of tranquilizers, his eyes were closed, his eyelashes covered in a half-moon arc, his breath was very weak, There was no snoring sound, and the skin color of his cheeks was so white that he could see through the blood vessels inside, but the blood vessels were blue.

She looked and looked, but Emperor Wanli did not move at all, and her eyes and heart were in a panic; but suddenly, she remembered his sleeping posture when she was young. When he was young, he was very obedient, he seldom cried when he slept, and after he fell asleep, his posture was quiet and peaceful, and he was often smiling—at that time, she liked to hug him to sleep the most, as long as Emperor Longqing didn't summon him to sleep. She hugged him with her own hands at all times, and tried not to let the nurse take over; although he was not light, she didn't feel hard at all; his cute appearance made her unable to put it down, and it was also the focus of all her attention. The rest of her life's hopes.

He became the emperor, and she was the emperor's biological mother, the mother with the highest status in the entire Ming Dynasty—— She couldn't help but burst into tears thinking about it. He raised his head and asked blankly: "How can this be good?" In fact, she didn't have any specific questioning target, and the people standing around her were eunuchs who asked her to "make an idea"—she was the only person in the whole country whose status was higher than that of Emperor Wanli. At the crucial point, besides her, who else can "make up her mind"?

Although her heart was even more flustered than these eunuchs, she had more grief that belonged to a mother; therefore, facing her son who was only breathing, she had to restrain her grief and panic one by one before talking. get other- Her whole body trembled slightly. However, at this moment, Emperor Wanli made a sound. The antiseptic medicine expired, and he began to return to a morbid cycle: first, he let out a slight "goo" in his throat, and even though the sound was very small, it still attracted all eyes, especially the Empress Dowager, Immediately, he couldn't help calling out: "Emperor—"

However, what Emperor Wanli said was not a sign of waking up or getting better, but a change—after the sound, he calmed down for a while, and then he repeated and murmured: "It's so cold—so cold— " Compared with the day before, his voice has been reduced by half, as if his voice is getting weaker with the exhaustion of his physical strength. The Empress Dowager Cisheng bent down, stretched out her hand to squeeze his hand under the quilt, but felt that his hand was warm, but it was weak and weak. However, Emperor Wanli still kept murmuring: "It's so cold—so cold—"

The Empress Dowager Mercifully let go of his hand, two streams of tears fell down, and she repeated herself: "How could this be?" Then, she subconsciously straightened her back, as if she was gritting her teeth and made up her mind—she shed tears and told the eunuchs who stood in front of her her decision: "You—call the ministers to come in." Palace; call the crown prince—" After uttering a few words, she broke down in sobs, and the maids who accompanied her quickly patted her chest, patted her back and pinched her, so as to relieve her panting breath and excited emotions, and of course she couldn't continue talking.

However, the eunuchs understood what she meant—— As Tian Yi talked, he couldn't help the tears streaming down his face. He wiped his hands and then added: "At this moment, the Empress Dowager, Crown Prince, King Fu, King Rui, King Hui, and King Gui are all here—" Of course, Shen Yiguan was not easy to answer these words, he could only try his best to maintain a solemn expression, and walked dignifiedly step by step; Shen Li and the others who were following him were of course silent and lowered their heads , moving forward heavily, the black shadow under his feet trailing along the way.

In a blink of an eye, Tian Yi came to the Rende Gate, stopped, cupped his hands towards Shen Yiguan and the others, and said, "My lords, please stay here for a while, let's go in and have a look—" After speaking, he paused again before explaining to everyone as if he had made up his mind: "The Empress Dowager originally wanted the Crown Prince to summon all the adults at Rendemen instead of the Crown Prince—for some reason, the Crown Prince did not here!" He looked a little embarrassed, but he said bravely: "I wonder if a new accident happened in this short period of time!!" Shen Yiguan hurriedly cupped his hands to him and said, "It might as well, Tian Sili go in and have a look first!" Therefore, Tian Yi left in a hurry. As a result, the atmosphere was even more different. A dozen or so important ministers of the court stood together waiting for the news, and their hearts became more and more heavy; and more than a dozen people were all elderly, not strong enough physically, and also deeply sophisticated. Knowing that people are extraordinary in the palace, no one is willing to speak first, which makes the shadow in the heart deeper and the sense of oppression is greater; if these people have not experienced decades in the officialdom and seen the world, If you have gone through the storm, you will no longer be able to bear this invisible suffocation mentally. Fortunately, it didn't take long before there was a sound that broke the dullness and silence—it was the sound of running footsteps. After a while, a figure appeared. It wasn't that Tian Yi came back - it was another eunuch who came running quickly, panting all the way; when he came to the front, he didn't even bother to report his name and salute, let alone have time Adjusting his breath, he was panting, shouting repeatedly: "Old Shen Ge! Old Shen Ge——" Then he shouted: "Quick, quick, Mr. Xuan Shenge! Go!" In a hurry, he stretched out his hand to pull Shen Yiguan; Shen Yiguan was unaware of this and almost fell; however, since his wrist was held by him, his feet followed him involuntarily. But, after all, he was getting old and couldn't run fast—in the end, he stumbled into Qixiang Palace. The eunuch who pulled his wrist led him directly into Xinuang Pavilion. "It's a matter of urgency—" He clearly realized this in his heart, and his heart fluctuated even more violently - he has been an official in the Ming Dynasty for decades, this is the first time he has entered the inner courtyard of the palace, and it is in such a situation Next, his heart jumped out of his stomach several times. "Shen Ge is old-" Hearing the eunuch's registration, he walked in with his feet involuntarily. Unexpectedly, as soon as he entered the door and took a look, he almost fainted and fell to the ground limply; he clenched his teeth desperately to hold back. The Xinuang Pavilion has been shrouded in a mournful atmosphere—— The elderly, benevolent empress dowager stood south from the back, and the two maids beside her supported her tightly and straightened her body - she was actually not standing, but being held up. There was a row of people kneeling on the ground - he recognized these people; the one in the middle was the crown prince Chang Luo, and the four kings Fu, Rui, Hui, and Gui were kneeling on the left and right behind; Tears remained, and his expression was full of sadness and mourning. Emperor Wanli was supported by two eunuchs and sat upright on the dragon chair. He was wearing a dragon robe and a crown on his head. From a distance, he looked as usual, but only when he looked closely, he had no expression on his face, his limbs and body Nothing moves— He didn't dare to look at it at all. The best way to cover up your feelings is to salute—— He immediately knelt down on the ground with a "plop", and by kowtowing his head to escape his gaze, he said in a clear voice: "Chen, Shen Yiguan, I respectfully invite the Long Live Lord Shengan, may my emperor live long, long live——" However, Emperor Wanli seemed to still have a clear mind, and barely let out a weak cry: "Pingshen!" He got up from the ground, simply lowered his head, stood upright with his hands down, dodged respectfully and did not face Emperor Wanli. After a while, Emperor Wanli's weak voice came out again, and he said intermittently: "Mr. Shen—I, is seriously ill—state affairs—Prince—all, entrusted to you!" As he spoke, he exclaimed, and actually issued an order: "Prepare—a will—" When Shen Yiguan heard it, it was like five thunderbolts, his legs softened, and he fell to his knees again involuntarily, trembling all over, kowtowed, and forced out words: "Long live God, the life is boundless, you must not Overwhelming—Long live only a minor ailment, rest for a few mouthfuls, he will surely recover—" After speaking for a while, he couldn't help but fell on the ground and burst into tears; this cry immediately infected others, so the empress dowager, crown prince and four kings all cried together, and the room in a Xinuang Pavilion Immediately full of wailing. But Emperor Wanli couldn't hear anything. He seems to have taken the refreshing medicine, and he reluctantly cheered up to carry out the matter of "summoning the minister". As soon as he finished speaking, he closed his eyes dejectedly, and slowly entered a semi-comatose state, and then, Let the eunuchs carry him back to the dragon bed, and let the cries all over the room overlap into a vortex-like sound wave again and again, turning the entire Qixiang Palace into a place of mourning. When Shen Yiguan left Qixiang Palace, his whole body was wet; half was tears, half was sweat, his expression was flustered, exhausted; when he reached the Rende Gate to join the others, he had almost collapsed and fell to the ground. But, it's not over yet— Tian Yi, who came out with him, said to everyone almost in a begging tone: "My lords, let's stay in the morning shift tonight-there are several important matters that have to be rushed out overnight!" The most important one is of course the pre-drafted will—— "Should the crown prince be invited to discuss together?" An idea flashed through Shen Yiguan's mind, and he proposed it to Tian Yi; however, Tian Yi shook his head in return, and the suggestion was rejected. Tian Yi is not unreasonable: "The Crown Prince was not favored by the Long Live Lord since he was a child. He came out of the court to give lectures late, did not read enough books, and has not experienced any major events. Let alone encountering such a major event, he can't take it out of his heart." No matter what idea comes, you will still panic and be afraid, and it will be a bad thing instead!" Shen Yiguan still muttered: "But, after all, the will—" He wanted to say that the "new monarch" is the most related to the will after all. The content of the will is often a preview of the "new monarch"'s enthronement and governance, and it is often an important tool used to punish the powerful officials of the previous dynasty. If it works well, Both the new king and the dignitaries of the new dynasty will have a great harvest; however, he stopped when the words came to his tongue. That's because I realized it - I shouldn't argue with Tian Yi. After all, the closest person to the emperor is the eunuch! Therefore, he just smiled and asked Tian Yi very politely: "There is no need to invite the crown prince to discuss, so who should we invite to discuss?" Tian Yi is still a decent person, he doesn't do anything in private, but he answered him very straightforwardly: "As far as our family is concerned, it's just a few adults in the cabinet—among them, you, the elder of the cabinet, are naturally going to be in charge—in any case , always draw according to the meaning of Long Live God!" Shen Yiguan had no choice but to ask with a wry smile: "Did the Long Live Lord give any hint?" Tian Yi nodded and said, "Yes." So, he explained to Shen Tongyi in detail: Before Shen Yiguan and others entered the palace, Emperor Wanli woke up, and when Empress Cisheng and Crown Prince Chang Luo were in front of him, Emperor Wanli clearly stated what should be in the will: "The mining tax matter, because the three halls and two palaces are not finished, it is appropriate to take it. Now it is advisable to stop the weaving and burning of all places. The town governor and the criminals in the Ministry of Punishment are all released and returned to their posts. Suggestions offend all officials. , all returned to their original posts, and all the courses and courses are allowed to make up for it." When Shen Yiguan heard this, he exclaimed first, "Long Live Lord, is he willing to stop the mining tax?" Tian Yi nodded and said, "Yes—" As he said, he took out a seal from his bosom, handed it to Shen Yiguan, and then explained: "At that time, the eunuch Bingbi had already written it down, and this could be used as the "shangyu"; the elder Ge followed the "shangyu" Let's do it!" Shen Yiguan opened it, and found that the content was indeed what Tian Yi said; however, his reaction was no longer surprised, but uncertain—his eyes flickered several times, and then he said to Tian Yi: "It's really unexpected!" Ah! The mine tax has caused complaints from all over the world. After many years of quarrel, how many people went to ask for it, but Long Live Lord ignored it. This time, he is willing to let it go. Really, really—————————————— He didn't say anything, but he actually wanted to say: "When a person is about to die, his words are good!" However, this was another "disrespectful" remark, so he saved it and held it back; and what followed was a feeling that he couldn't say or express—he was really a little happy. With this "edict" in hand, it is indeed much easier to draft a will; what's more, the first item in the content is to abolish mining tax-once such a will is announced, all people will be grateful! His heart was pounding: "This day's great deeds have fallen on my head again!" Of course, in terms of appearance, he still showed sorrow, heaviness, and even wished he could die for Emperor Wanli—he said to Tian Yi sincerely: "This is the blessing of all people! Long live God really has such a heart, really He is the Holy Master Mingjun, I wish I could use my body to replace the illness of the Long Live Lord—” Then, he also seriously invited Shen Li and Zhu Geng to draft the will together. At the same time as he was writing, he pretended to repeat and said again and again: "I hope Long Live Lord Long Tai has a good morning, whether it is extremely happy, this edict will never come in handy—" He is actually a hypocrisy, not a contradiction.

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