sjar Chapter 344 Uncle, go down to the underworld and atone for my sins with my mother!
Chapter 344 Uncle, go down to the underworld and atone for my sins with my mother!
The sky had darkened, and the palace lanterns were just being lit.
Inside the emperor's bedchamber, the atmosphere was heavy and oppressive. Several imperial physicians stood by, their faces pale and their hands trembling with fear.
On the bed, the emperor's face was ashen, and his breath was weak, a stark contrast to how he looked a few days ago.
The Third Prince, Zhao Yunci, knelt before the bed, clasped his hands together, and chanted scriptures in a low voice.
The eunuchs and palace maids serving them all stood with their heads bowed, not daring to make a sound.
The Third Prince stopped turning his prayer beads and ordered, "All of you, step back!"
The emperor suddenly opened his eyes, and a glimmer of clarity flashed in his cloudy eyes.
The emperor raised his withered, emaciated hand, pointing tremblingly at Gu Junze, "You've finally... come..."
Gu Junze slowly walked forward, looking down at him who was lying on his sickbed.
"Your Majesty, what are your orders?"
The emperor's eyes suddenly sharpened, revealing a gaze that seemed to see through everything.
"You knew about my illness all along, didn't you?"
The emperor gave a bitter laugh, his voice weak but clear.
"No wonder you were so certain of Gu Chengyan's identity...no wonder you were prepared for my Gu poison..."
Gu Junze remained silent, neither admitting nor denying.
"Uncle, go down to the underworld and atone for my mother's sins! Our ancestors are waiting for you."
The Third Prince Zhao Yunci put away his prayer beads, stood up and took two steps back. The pious look on his face gradually faded, replaced by a calm expression.
The emperor struggled to sit up, but was interrupted by a violent cough. Blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, staining the brocade quilt red.
"The Gu poison must be acting up, it must be very painful, right?" Gu Junze sneered. "Just like my mother was in pain before she died."
The emperor's body trembled violently, and a hint of fear and regret flashed in his eyes.
"When did you cast the spell on me?"
A cold glint flashed in Gu Junze's eyes, and his voice was low and dangerous: "After the Empress Dowager passed away, your headaches were caused by the Gu worms acting up."
A flicker of surprise crossed the emperor's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.
He seemed to have anticipated this day, but he never expected it to come in this way.
"I thought you had truly let go of your hatred and that you only had the greater good of the country in your heart. It turns out you were just deceiving me."
"Sister, sister, your son is much better than you. He won't foolishly go to his death."
The emperor weakly closed his eyes, his tone revealing resignation.
"What happened to your mother was my fault, and I deserve my punishment..."
Gu Junze looked at the emperor's aged and haggard face and watched him quietly, clinging to his last breath, unwilling to give up.
"You want my empire, don't you?"
The emperor opened his eyes with difficulty, his voice weak but still carrying the majesty of an emperor.
"You've done all this for revenge, for the sake of seizing this world."
Gu Junze sneered and slowly shook his head: "The word 'treason' means to me devastation, chaos, and abandoning the country that my mother fought so hard to protect."
"This land is a peace that my mother bought with her life. If I were to start a war because of my own personal grudges, that would be a true betrayal of her."
The emperor was stunned, clearly not expecting such a response.
His gaze fell on the Third Prince, and he finally understood: "You had planned this all along..."
The Third Prince's expression remained unchanged, as if he had been waiting for this day for a long time.
“Father, this country needs a wise ruler, a monarch who is not blinded by ambition and conspiracy.”
The emperor's gaze gradually became unfocused, as if he were looking into the distance.
"Sister?" His voice suddenly softened, as if he had returned to his youth, "You've come..."
Gu Junze and the Third Prince exchanged a glance, neither of them speaking to interrupt the Emperor's illusion.
The emperor stretched out his hand, trembling, pointing his withered hand in a certain direction in the void, a long-lost smile appearing on his face.
"Sister, are you here to pick me up?"
The emperor's voice was weak but tinged with joy, "I know... I've done many wrong things... I've failed your trust..."
"I regret it so much... Sister... forgive me, take me away..."
The emperor's voice grew softer and softer, and his hand, though still outstretched, began to droop limply.
Finally, with a barely audible sigh, the hand fell completely to its side on the bed.
The emperor's eyes remained open, but they had lost their luster forever.
The third prince stood before the bed, gently bent down, and closed the emperor's eyes.
After a moment of silence, he turned and walked toward the door of the sleeping quarters.
"Father has passed away." The Third Prince pushed open the door, his voice calm yet resolute.
Upon hearing this, the palace servants waiting outside the door were first stunned, and then one of them immediately prostrated himself on the ground and burst into tears.
"The Emperor has passed away—"
The mournful cries instantly spread throughout the Taiji Palace, then outwards, eventually alarming the entire imperial palace.
Gu Junze stood there, watching the Third Prince's departing figure. Han'er was still waiting for him at home!
Then he turned and walked in another direction...
The Third Prince Zhao Yunci stood in front of the bronze mirror, with several eunuchs behind him holding their breath.
They carefully removed his monk's robe, which he had worn for many years, and dressed him in clean white mourning clothes.
The monk's robe was neatly folded on a table to the side, where a string of prayer beads lay, quietly emitting light.
Zhao Yunci looked at herself in the mirror, this was the first time in many years that she had examined her appearance so carefully.
The person in the mirror has a handsome face and exquisite features; where is there any trace of otherworldly charm?
"Your Majesty," an old eunuch whispered, "the men who searched the Prince Su's residence have returned. They found something in the secret room..."
The old eunuch's voice trembled slightly, clearly indicating his unease about what he was about to say.
"Speak," Zhao Yunci said calmly.
"Find a man who has no shame and no tongue."
The old eunuch lowered his head and said in an even lower voice, "This man is covered in wounds, as if he had been tortured, yet he still has a breath left."
Zhao Yunci's eyes flickered slightly, and after a moment of silence, she asked, "Do you know this person's identity?"
"Your Majesty, judging from the tattered clothing and the old wounds on his body, it might be..." the old eunuch's voice lowered even further, "...the real Prince Su."
Zhao Yunci turned to look at the monk's robe and prayer beads placed to the side, her eyes gradually becoming sharp.
"I am no longer a Buddhist disciple," he murmured to himself, his voice carrying a hint of resolve. "Now that I have shed the shackles of Buddhism, I must take up the butcher's knife!"
He turned to the old eunuch, "Kill him, it will be a relief!"
The old eunuch responded respectfully, but dared not look directly into his master's eyes.
"Go, don't let him suffer any more."
Zhao Yunci turned to the bronze mirror, gazing at the unfamiliar yet familiar face reflected there, "In the most swift way."
The old eunuch accepted the order and withdrew, leaving only a few personal attendants to continue tidying up Zhao Yunci's mourning clothes.
Outside the window, the sun was setting.
The last ray of sunlight fell on the neatly folded monk's robe, as if bidding farewell to the end of an emperor...