274 The Passing of Mo Jingqi's Retribution

ning. Ye Li led Ye Shan and Ye Lin to sit in Lady Dowager's Hongle Hall, chatting with her. Since before dawn, the courtyard where Ye Ying lived had already been busy. Madam Wang found Ye Shan and Ye...274. Death, Mo Jingqi's Revenge

Due to Mo Jingqi's words, everyone left the palace room, leaving him alone for his final moments. No one knew what this busy emperor, who seemed to have accomplished nothing in a lifetime, would want to write during his last moments.

Mos Yao held Mo Xiaobao with one hand and led Ye Li with the other as they walked alongside the Grand Dowager Princess and Duke Huaguo. These were now the only two elder statesmen left in the country. The others followed behind at a respectful distance. No one had the heart to leave the palace at this moment. The emperor's will was still held by the queen, with the protection of the Grand Dowager Princess, Duke Huaguo, and Prince Dingwang. Nobody dared to interfere. However, they did not have the grace to simply turn their backs and walk away.

The group sat down in a pavilion in the imperial garden. The pavilion was small, so only the Grand Dowager Princess, Duke Huaguo, Mos Yao, and Mo Xiaobao were inside. Duke Huaguo smiled as he looked at Mos Yao and then at Mo Xiaobao sitting on his lap, obviously a clever child, saying with a smile, "Prince Dingwang looks better than when I last saw him in the capital."

Mos Yao nodded and replied, smiling, "Old Duke, you look as robust as ever after all these years." Duke Huaguo shook his head and sighed, saying, "Age has caught up with me..."

The pavilion was quiet for a while. Finally, the duke asked, "What are your plans for the future, Prince Dingwang"

Mos Yao was somewhat surprised, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Duke Huaguo and said, "Old Duke, you're not trying to persuade me"

The duke shook his head, saying somewhat helplessly, "Since this deadlock has been broken, there's no need to repeat the mistakes of the past. Even mending a broken mirror is far from perfect. Moreover... the Chu Kingdom has bound Prince Dingwang for too long. Now that the dragon soars in the sky, regardless of success or failure, it might not be within anyone’s power to reverse this course. What do you think, Prince Dingwang" Mos Yao smiled faintly but neither confirmed nor denied his words. Although Duke Huaguo had spent a lifetime on battlefields, he was by no means ignorant of politics. The return of the House of Dingwang to Chu would certainly be what many common people and court officials wished for, yet it would be a huge blow to the soldiers and officials of the Mos Army and the House of Dingwang. Even if Mos Yao were the head of the House of Dingwang, he could not make such a decision without considering his subordinates' feelings.

The duke waved his hand, saying with a smile, "I won't live to see Prince Dingwang's future glory, but given your talents and the support of your consort and other capable individuals, you will surely not disappoint the aspirations of our ancestors." What were the wishes of the Mos family’s generations of forebears To unify the world, pacify all directions, and have all nations pay homage. There had been more than one dazzling figure in the House of Dingwang's history with such abilities, but they perished due to various reasons.

"Old Duke..." the Grand Dowager Princess said in surprise. She knew that the duke wouldn't try to persuade Mos Yao, yet his words now showed great confidence in the future of the Mos Army and House of Dingwang. After all... from a macro perspective, the House of Dingwang was not at an advantage.

The duke shook his head with a smile, saying, "Grand Dowager Princess, we are old. The future will be left to young people." The Grand Dowager Princess froze, looking at Duke Huaguo's white hair and wrinkles, then at her own wrinkled hand. Indeed... they were too old to折騰 for much longer. Well...

Mo Jingqi ultimately died. Whether as a son, brother, father, or emperor, he was a failure. So before his death, he didn't expect grandchildren around him or mournful ministers. He dismissed everyone and breathed his last in the empty palace room.

When they received the eunuch's report and rushed back to the palace room, Mo Jingqi was lying stiffly on the bed, already dead. The bedding and clothing on his upper body were almost completely stained dark red with blood. His eyes remained open, staring blankly at the dragon-patterned curtains above him. The Grand Dowager Princess sighed softly and walked over to close his eyes, saying, "Let's go outside to hear the imperial edict."

The heavy tolling of the bell in the imperial city announced to all under heaven the death of another emperor.

"By the grace of heaven, the emperor proclaims: ... Establishing the tenth imperial son, Mo Suyun, as the new emperor. The former crown prince is demoted to Prince of Qin. Prince of Qin's birth mother, Empress Dowager Liushui, will be buried with the previous emperor." The voice of the empress was calm as it echoed outside the palace chamber, causing everyone’s expressions to freeze in shock. In this moment, the empress gave a slight frown when she glanced at the seated dowager empress. The dowager empress felt a sudden jolt and an ominous premonition. She heard the empress softly recite the last sentence: "The Dowager Empress... will be buried with the previous emperor. By imperial command."

"This is impossible!" The dowager empress' face was ashen, and she stood up, shouting loudly, “You! Did you tamper with the late emperor's will”

The contents of the imperial decree did shock the Empress too, but her expression remained composed. She calmly replied: "The late emperor handed the imperial decree to me personally in front of everyone present. I have not left anyone’s sight since then. Please investigate thoroughly, Your Excellency."

In silence, they all knew it was true—there were so many people and eyes watching over her that even if she wasn’t a skilled martial artist, there would be no way to predict the emperor handing his will to her.

"No... this is impossible! My son would never do such a thing! Preposterous… in all history, which emperor has required their mother to die with them!" The Dowager Empress refused to believe it. Historically, there was no such custom; however, the imperial decree stated that she must be buried with the previous emperor, so this did not seem too out of line. Meanwhile, Chancellor Liu from the Liushui family collapsed as well. Not only had his granddaughter failed to become empress, but his daughter now faced death by burial. This sudden shock was too much even for an experienced courtier like him.

The other person involved in this decree, the tenth prince Mo Suyun, who would rule the country from now on... everyone turned their gaze towards the bewildered ten-year-old prince kneeling on the ground. The young prince's mother was merely a concubine whom Emperor Mo Jingqi had unexpectedly favored. After giving birth to him, she did not receive any more favor and was simply given the title of Consort. For years, this mother-son pair seemed like ghosts in the palace, almost forgotten by everyone. But now... this bewildered child has gained everything that others have longed for.

Moshouyao looked at the timid young prince with a meaningful smile on his lips and said calmly: "Since the imperial decree has been read out, it is of no concern to me anymore. I will take my leave." Once again, Duke Ding made clear that he had no intention to meddle in the affairs of Chu’s court. The pale-faced Mo Jinglei felt a slight relief and nodded: "Duke Ding, you may depart."

Moshouyao gave him an ambiguous glance, then held Xiaobao while leading Ye Li out of the palace. They didn’t care how events inside the palace would unfold.

Exiting the imperial city, both sides of the streets in the capital were draped with white cloth, masking the usual vibrant colors beneath a somber black and white. The emperor's passing has plunged the nation into mourning; even though this emperor wasn't beloved by his people, they still had to wear funeral clothes, ban all music and dancing, and prohibit weddings as an expression of grief.

Duke Ding’s mansion did not adhere to such strict rules; only obvious red decorations were removed, while daily life continued normally. Although they resided in the capital now, they no longer considered themselves citizens of Chu but rather guests like those from Western Ling and Northern Rong. There was no need for such rigid customs for guests.

Back at their courtyard, Moshouyao seemed unusually lost in thought as he sat down. Ye Li asked quietly beside him: "Yao, what’s wrong Are you tired" Moshouyao shook his head and pulled her close, breathing deeply before saying: "I am thinking... is Mo Jingqi's death too easy..." Years ago, Moshouyao would never have let Mo Jingqi die so easily; he would make him lose everything bit by bit until the nation fell apart. But now that it happened, there were a thousand ways to take Mo Jingqi’s life upon learning of his father and brother’s deaths.

Even at this moment, he had the thought of saving Mo Jingqi just to continue tormenting him later on. Yet in the end, he let go of this idea.

Ye Li sighed softly and looked up at Moshouyao: "Do you think Mo Jingqi’s death isn't tragic enough"

Moshouyao pondered for a moment; before his death, Mo Jingqi had lost almost everything except not witnessing the downfall of Chu. Even if he was emperor of Chu and succeeded by the tenth prince, there would be little hope left for him. So death might have been better than seeing such a fate. Thus, Mo Jingqi’s death can indeed be considered tragic enough. Perhaps... his current sense of loss stems from not personally orchestrating this tragedy but merely setting it in motion

"We hate those we should hate, and let them receive the punishment they deserve. But I don't want you to let this hatred taint your heart. Once a person is dead, all debts are cleared; hating a deceased person makes no sense. If you're still unsatisfied, shall we go into the palace together and鞭屍墨景祈, then dismember him" Ye Li said softly.

Mos Yao smiled and hugged Ye Li, saying, "I understand. I won't think about this matter anymore in the future. Although it's a pity that I couldn't personally avenge my brother for becoming an emperor. However... someone like Mo Jingqi doesn't deserve to dirty my hands. There's a phrase that goes... 'Heavenly calamities can still be forgiven, but self-inflicted misfortunes cannot sustain life.'"

Ye Li smiled faintly and said, "I'm glad you've come to terms with it."

In the following days, the entire capital was bustling with activity. Mo Jingqi's coffin still remained in the palace without a funeral yet, but the royal family and officials had already started arguing fiercely. The focus of their dispute boiled down to two things: one, Prince Ten ascending to the throne; and two, Dowager Empress and Lady Liu accompanying the deceased emperor in death. As the mother of Li Wang and Lady Liu being the birth mother of the Crown Prince, Mo Jingqi's sudden move struck them where it hurt most. However, compared to the Liu family, Li王府’s situation was much better.

This was because Mo Li was already a Regent Prince; even if he wasn't the emperor, the young emperor still had to heed his advice before personally leading an army against rebels. He still had plenty of time to scheme and plot. The Liu family, on the other hand, was in a different situation: the Crown Prince became Qin Wang, and Lady Liu would accompany Mo Jingqi in death. As such, the Liu family could no longer rely on any support within the palace. When the time came, Mo Li wouldn't miss this opportunity to strike at the Liu family. Even if Dowager Empress had to accompany Lady Liu in death as well, it wouldn't hit Mo Li as hard as it would hit the Liu family. Because Mo Li was already an independent and powerful prince, whether or not he had the support of the dowager empress wasn’t that crucial.

At this moment, Changde Palace was filled with mourning; the once bustling palace was now eerily quiet without a single attendant in sight. Dowager Empress sat dazedly on her throne, her well-groomed hair having turned white overnight and her face pale and haggard.

Mo Li quietly sipped his tea at one side with an indifferent expression; even his own birth mother could no longer discern any emotion from him.

"Li... what should we do, Li How heartless can he be… I am his own mother!" The Dowager Empress murmured. She never imagined that Mo Jingqi would leave such an imperial decree behind. She couldn't become the empress dowager as she hoped to; her grandson wouldn’t even appoint her as the grand empress dowager after ascending the throne. She had become the first, and perhaps only, empress dowager in history ordered to accompany a deceased emperor in death by her own son. All her former glory seemed like fleeting clouds, and now she might lose not just her position but also her life.

Since becoming empress dowager, she had never felt this panicked before—not even when Mo Li rebelled against the southern provinces long ago. Why… why was everything different from what she expected

Mos Li put down his teacup and calmly looked up at the Dowager Empress, saying, "Mother, this is my brother's will."

The Dowager Empress froze for a moment before realizing Mo Li’s meaning. In some aspects, an emperor's will might be more effective than a decree while he was alive; although it was said that the emperor never jokes about his words, as long as Mo Jingqi lived she always had chances to find ways to make him retract his order. But now, Mo Jingqi was dead. The last imperial decree he left before dying became his will. To show respect for the previous emperor, no new emperor could easily overturn the late emperor's will after ascending the throne. Mo Li was telling her that there wasn't anything he could do.

"No… it can’t be! I don't believe this!" The Dowager Empress staggered over and grabbed Mo Li’s hand, saying, "I am your own mother, Li! Save me, Li; I don't want to die. I know... I know you have a way out of this!" Mo Li shook his head gently and said, "Mother, forgive me, but there's nothing I can do."

The Dowager Empress stumbled backward two steps and nearly tripped over the chair behind her. She collapsed onto the chair無力地，望著Mo Li的眼神充滿了不可置信，“Li... are you really going to leave me in this situation Don’t forget, if it weren't for me trying to persuade the Emperor on your behalf, how could he have issued an order for me to accompany him in death？！”

The Dowager Empress also realized that her son was taking revenge against her. It was a retaliation for her siding with Mo Li when he had been poisoned and urging him to pass the throne onto Mo Li even when he was gravely ill... all because of this...

"Did the empress dowager succeed" Mo Jingli said coldly.

"What do you mean" The empress dowager was stunned.

"The throne… My imperial brother's will, which you heard. Passing it to the Tenth Prince! A mere child whom I have never even seen before and who knows nothing. This is what you advised my imperial brother behind his back" Mo Jingli stood up and said sternly; as he went on, he became increasingly angry until his voice was raised high, "Not only regarding the throne, but also for my son's sake, you didn't do anything! Now that Mo Jingqi has died, tell me, empress dowager, where should I go to find my son"

The empress dowager frowned and said, "Even if Qi'er tricked you, will it be a problem for you to take in more concubines and have several sons"

Mo Jingli's face turned ashen; of course he couldn't tell the empress dowager about his inability to have children anymore. Over the past few months, he had secretly consulted numerous renowned physicians, but none could help him. In fact, Mo Jingqi hadn’t lied to him in this matter—years ago, he had been given a secret infertility drug from within the palace that couldn't be reversed. So no one knew how important it was for him to have a child.

"In any case, I can do nothing about it. Empress dowager, you should take care of yourself." Mo Jingli said, smoothing out his slightly wrinkled clothes and turning to leave.

"No…" The empress dowager rushed over and grabbed the hem of Mo Jingli’s robe, sobbing and pleading, "Li'er, save your mother! Your mother doesn't want to die… Li'er, I am your birth mother… Li'er…" Looking down at the disheveled empress dowager before him, Mo Jingli coldly raised his hand to free himself from her grip. He said softly, "Empress dowager, it seems that even you don’t believe in blood ties when you are part of the royal family Otherwise… what did your actions toward my imperial brother amount to"

The empress dowager knelt on the ground and stared at Mo Jingli’s resolute figure as he walked away without looking back. Finally, she couldn’t help but cry out loudly and curse, "Rebellious son! Mo Jingli, you rebellious son! I am your birth mother… even in the Yellow Springs, I will not let you off the hook! No… I don't want to die… I am the empress dowager of Great Chu…" As she cried and cursed, tears streamed down her face as she sobbed on the ground. She finally remembered the look in her eldest son’s eyes when he had been persuaded by her to pass the throne to Mo Jingli a few days ago. Unfortunately, it was too late…

"I am the empress dowager… I will not die…"

Outside Zhāngdé Palace, the empress dowager’s cries were sealed behind multiple palace gates. Mo Jingli turned to look at the tightly closed gates and his expression darkened as his eyes flickered with various emotions before ultimately settling on emptiness.

"Prince Regent, Empress Dowager…" A strategist whispered a suggestion beside him. In truth, it was not impossible for both Mo Jingli and the empress dowager to save themselves. But Mo Jingli said indifferently, "No need. Pay attention to what the Liu family is up to. Don’t allow them or Concubine Liu to stir up any trouble. The Crown Prince… the birth mother of the Qin Prince must die."

The strategist’s heart shuddered inwardly; he finally understood why. If they were to protect the empress dowager, then it was inevitable that the Liu family would demand a similar fate for Concubine Liu as well in exchange for her life. But clearly, Mo Jingli had no intention of letting Concubine Liu live on. In order to crush the Liu family, Prince Regent Li…

"This minister understands."Yun felt his heart chill. He hastily responded with a forced laugh, "Your Excellency is joking. Regarding Your Excellency's wife... Lady is an extraordinary woman unparalleled in this world; virtuous...