"What are his symptoms?" Elise asked urgently.
"Coughing blood, vomiting incessantly!" Dong Chen's face was filled with excitement, but quickly turned to sorrow as he recounted Mu Cheng's situation of entrusting his heir.
Sharp laughter echoed from the secret chamber.
"Worthy of being my good disciple! Within three days, the dog emperor will surely die. You must find a way to welcome back the Third Prince, and absolutely not let the Eighth Prince ascend the throne, otherwise this child will be under Qin Feng's control!"
In the capital of Great Gan, Xiao Qing reluctantly saw Liang Xiao off to Yan Prefecture.
The Nine Cauldrons were already on their way, said to weigh over ten thousand catties each, making them impossible to weigh directly. They required the traction of countless oxen, horses, mules, and donkeys, and a hundred thousand troops for escort, a task fraught with difficulties.
The northern border needed to be well-prepared to deal with the potential threats from the Tianri tribe and the Xianbei.
The next day, in the Grand Liang Imperial Palace.
Mu Cheng lay on his sickbed, his face pale, his eyes half-closed.
Zhi Rou and Su Wanqing dared not cry aloud, their tears falling silently.
"Father Emperor..." The Eighth Prince Mu Youmin wailed inconsolably in Su Wanqing's arms.
Mu Cheng turned his head towards the sound of crying and saw a white-robed figure approaching him. His exceptionally handsome face was etched with grief.
"An Guo?" Mu Cheng exclaimed in surprise.
"Father Emperor, it... it is your son..." Qin Feng stepped forward nervously, taking Mu Cheng's hand, his voice trembling.
Only then did Mu Cheng clearly see Qin Feng before him. He chuckled briefly, then looked at Su Wanqing and the crying Mu Youmin in her arms, and a deep sadness welled up within him.
In the past, his Empress Li Xun and his two beloved sons had been poisoned to death by Xiu Ping.
This child, and his elder brother who had been poisoned to death, resembled so much his deceased eldest son...
"My life is filled with too many regrets. It is a pity this child, unable to understand anything, has already lost his father. From now on, I entrust them, mother and son, to you. You should understand where their safe haven lies."
Qin Feng solemnly replied, "Your son understands!"
Su Wanqing quickly handed the child to Zhi Rou to hold and knelt before Mu Cheng, "Your Majesty..."
"What are you doing? Get up!" Mu Cheng urged her.
Fearing Mu Cheng would cough again, Su Wanqing quickly rose, wiped the sweat from his brow, and said mournfully, "This concubine's sins are deep..."
Mu Cheng immediately interrupted her, "Wanqing, I know everything, but you have long since turned back from your stray path, and I do not blame you. I only grieve for the child who was poisoned to death by your elder brother."
Su Wanqing exclaimed in shock, "Then why does Your Majesty still tolerate this concubine..."
"Because you resemble my two empresses so much..." Mu Cheng sighed.
Su Wanqing felt as if a lump was stuck in her throat.
Mu Cheng said, "But I want you to remember forever that you are not Li Xun, nor are you Li Pin. You are Su Wanqing, the Su Consort of Great Liang. You don't need to be anyone else. You are all the loves of my life, none higher than the other. I only owe you and cherish you. Therefore, from the moment the child was born, I vowed to never again allow anyone to manipulate you."
Su Wanqing finally broke down completely, weeping uncontrollably.
At this moment, she finally understood why Mu Cheng had the Xuan Wei guard her at all times, forbidding her from contacting outsiders freely.
It turned out he had seen through everything long ago, patiently guiding her to return to the right path...
"You must make our child understand the principle that the people are more important than the ruler. From this day forward, do not commit evil even if it is small, and do not neglect good deeds even if they are small," Mu Cheng implored.
Su Wanqing tearfully agreed, took back the crying Mu Youmin, and was overcome with emotion. 138 Reading Network
Mu Cheng finally smiled and closed his eyes, then coughed up blood incessantly.
In just two days, Mu Cheng's face had lost all color.
An imperial decree had been issued, and newspapers publicized Mu Cheng's entrustment of his heir, but did not mention which prince was to succeed him, only stating that Qin Feng would select the new ruler.
Officials, civil and military, were on tenterhooks.
They had considered many possibilities, but never imagined that Mu Cheng would leave the choice to Qin Feng.
If Qin Feng chose the Eighth Prince Mu Youmin, would it not be emulating Duke of Zhou and Yi Yin?
This clearly intended for Qin Feng to wield absolute power!
All they could do now was to outlive Mu Cheng and then slowly pressure Qin Feng.
"This dog emperor, he has been letting Qin Feng gradually control the national military power for months. If he were to act aggressively, and our Ministry of Revenue refused to allocate funds, we might be thoroughly purged..." The members of the aristocratic families were deeply troubled.
They could not think of any means to seize power for the moment. Direct confrontation was out of the question; they could only try to negotiate with Qin Feng.
That night, Mu Cheng had fallen into a coma.
"An Guo? Pin'er? Xun'er?"
"Xiu Ping is dead, dead! Revenge has finally been achieved!!"
"Return power to the people! Return power to the people..."
"Everyone has food to eat, everyone has books to read. Universal harmony is within reach."
...
Listening to Mu Cheng's ramblings, those present were overcome with grief.
After a long while, Mu Cheng slowly opened his eyes, his gaze clearer than ever before.
"Wanqing, daughter, son-in-law, you must not forget the vision of universal harmony, but you need not strive for it. First and foremost, protect yourselves..."
The three tearfully promised, "We will never forget!"
Mu Cheng held Su Wanqing and her son in his left hand and Qin Feng and his wife in his right, murmuring softly.
"I have suffered too much humiliation in the first half of my life, and could not protect anyone, nor could I establish true eternal peace, leaving a country that is strong on the outside but weak on the inside. I am ashamed, ashamed..."
Mu Cheng's gaze gradually unfocused, his eyes becoming distant, as if dreaming of his youth.
Before him was the prosperous capital of Great Liang, its people living and working in peace and contentment, with peace reigning in all four directions. Empress Li Xun and Noble Consort Li Pin attended him, General Liang Anguo led officials and military men of commoner background, bowing their heads in obedience, reporting the prosperity of universal harmony, and Emperor Mu Cheng, who followed their counsel without reservation...
A grand vision, a dream.
"It matters not if there is no Mu Cheng in this world, but there is still Liang Xiao and Qin Feng. They will surely surpass Liang Anguo and Mu Cheng! I am not alone in my path!!"
Mu Cheng's spirit rallied in a final burst of energy, his emotions and words more passionate than ever.
The candlelight on the wall flickered with the mother and daughter's sobs, the light growing dimmer.
Mu Cheng felt only darkness before his eyes. He blinked, but still could not see the path ahead.
"I truly wish I could accompany Anguo and the others to visit the 'divine realm' that child spoke of..."
The darkness before him made Mu Cheng's voice sound increasingly timid.
Just then, a faint dawn appeared in the distance, gradually dispelling the darkness before his eyes.
In a daze, a young man in white strode forward, extending a hand to him, his face, so similar to Liang Xiao's, filled with a smile that made one feel as if bathed in spring breeze.
"Where we go, Big Brother decides!"
Mu Cheng let out a sigh of relief and murmured softly.
"Anguo, brother, I miss, I miss seeing the snow in Yan Prefecture with you..."
With these words, Mu Cheng slowly closed his eyes, an unprecedented sense of peace washing over him.
A life of hardship, a lifetime of solitude. If there is a next life, we will discuss grand plans again.
The emperor who illuminated Great Liang, passed away peacefully amidst the cries of his wife and children in the imperial chamber.
The people of the capital mourned as if for their own parents, their streets filled with weeping. Shops closed, and the entire city donned mourning attire.
Under Qin Feng's arrangements, the Xuan Wei and the Northern King's Imperial Guards maintained order throughout the city, preventing any unrest.
At night, Su Wanqing, holding her infant son, appeared in the secret chamber of the Marquis of Zhenguo's mansion. The assembled group, suppressing their grief, discussed the matters calmly.
"My ill-fated child will be entrusted to the Regent King. Everything must be done with the people's well-being in mind. He must never become emperor, lest the nation fall into chaos and he himself be put in mortal danger."
Qin Feng nodded, "That is precisely my intention. Father Emperor also said earlier that the one who can truly protect the Eighth Prince is actually the Marquis of An Guo of Great Gan. I will entrust Jian Fuzi with the task of sending you and your child to Great Gan, so you will not be caught in the vortex of conflict."
Su Wanqing shook her head, "The child should indeed be sent to the Marquis of An Guo, but I cannot go."
"Why?" Qin Feng and his wife asked, puzzled.
Su Wanqing lowered her head, "I know my sins are deep and beyond redemption. However, my master is the root of all evil. I must have a final reckoning with her, so that I may bring solace to His Majesty, and to the soldiers and civilians of both nations who died because of her..."