pappabearbooks Chapter 5543 Ascending the Throne
Chapter 5543 Ascending the Throne
Chapter 5543 Ascending the Throne
Empress Su harbored deep resentment towards Li Jingye.
The fact that Fang Jun was able to send troops to rescue them instead of watching them die in the chaos of war was enough to demonstrate his magnanimity, loyalty, and virtue. This made Empress Su both surprised and moved, because it meant that Fang Jun would do his best to support the Crown Prince's ascension to the throne.
She understood Fang Jun's political demands very well. They were not about seizing power or usurping the country, but about weakening the imperial power so that the world would not belong to one family or clan, and that the world would not rise or fall because of one person.
The emperor remained high above all others as the symbol of the empire, but he no longer held the power of life and death over hundreds of millions of people.
This was perfectly acceptable to Empress Su and the Crown Prince, who were in a difficult situation.
After all, the prerequisite for everything is to survive and ascend the throne!
Given Fang Jun's love and support for the Crown Prince, and her "promise" as Empress, the two should have enjoyed a period of extremely close and unreserved interaction. However, the Crown Prince was neither ambitious nor exceptionally intelligent, and he did not necessarily desire to restore the supreme imperial power. Furthermore, she never aspired to cultivate him into a wise and virtuous ruler.
What good is it if imperial power is in decline?
As long as she becomes Empress Dowager and the Crown Prince becomes Emperor, that's enough.
As for whether future monarchs will fight back against the decline of imperial power, that's a matter for later; why worry about it?
However, Li Jingye's nonsensical ramblings amidst the chaos of battle placed the Crown Prince in a dangerous situation.
With such a thorn planted in the Crown Prince's heart, how could Fang Jun, no matter how magnanimous or tolerant, be completely unguarded against the Crown Prince?
Empress Su gritted her teeth in anger. Li Jingye's attempt to sow discord was utterly despicable!
……
In the area between the Taiji Hall to the north and the Liangyi Hall, the rebel army suffered a crushing defeat, with hundreds of fleeing soldiers running for their lives in a chaotic and desperate manner. Even death-defying warriors are human. When their morale is high, they are naturally fearless and ready to die for their cause. But once their fighting spirit is broken, they are no different from ordinary people. Even ants cherish life, let alone humans.
However, the Left and Right Imperial Guards had already divided their forces and surrounded the area completely. As the encirclement gradually tightened, the scattered assassins were either killed or captured, and the battlefield, which had been fiercely fighting not long ago, gradually calmed down.
The heavy rain poured down on the corpses lying on the ground, washing away the blood and revealing pale, horrifying faces.
Empress Su suppressed her stomach cramps and covered the Crown Prince's eyes with her hand to prevent such a horrific scene from leaving an indelible memory in his mind.
Wang Fangyi discarded his already dulled sword, wiped the rain from his face, and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, Your Highness, the Grand Commandant and the others have arrived."
Empress Su turned around abruptly and looked up, only to see a large group of people hurrying down the steps behind the Taiji Hall, quickly coming down to the mother and son.
Her gaze remained fixed on Fang Jun the entire time. Seeing his tall figure standing firm like a mountain in the heavy rain, unhurried and composed, a sudden wave of sorrow welled up in her heart. Her pale lips were pressed tightly together, and her eyes instantly reddened.
Fang Jun stood in front of the crowd and looked at her for a moment. His gaze was gentle and peaceful, filled with a profound sense of tranquility.
After a moment, she lowered her eyes and bowed deeply to the ground.
"Your Majesty, we respectfully welcome the Crown Prince!"
A group of people followed closely behind, bowing to him.
Empress Su struggled to control her emotions and asked in a clear voice, "Is Your Majesty well?"
Fang Jun said in a deep voice, "His Majesty has passed away due to the poisoning of treacherous officials. The country cannot be without a ruler for even a day. We respectfully welcome the Crown Prince to ascend the throne!"
Empress Su suddenly tightened her grip on the Crown Prince's delicate hand.
Her heart was filled with both grief at finally confirming the Emperor's passing and joy at the Crown Prince's ascension to the throne. Between these emotions, she was overwhelmed with mixed feelings. She stared blankly at Fang Jun, tears unconsciously rolling down her phoenix eyes and mingling with the rain on her face.
Seeing this, Fang Jun stepped forward, bowed slightly, and said softly, "Now that things have come to this, grief and sorrow are useless. Please take heart. The most urgent task is to invite the Crown Prince to the Taiji Hall and, in the presence of the ministers, to ascend the throne before His Majesty's spirit, thus stabilizing the situation."
Empress Su understood Fang Jun's concerns. Although she had the situation under control, things were unpredictable and anything could happen.
She nodded slightly, finally shifting her gaze from Fang Jun's face. Looking around at the assembled ministers, she said loudly, "You are all ministers of the state and pillars of the empire. At this time of palace upheaval and ancestral turmoil, I hope you can support the Crown Prince as you supported the late Emperor. The Crown Prince and I will be grateful and never forget your kindness!"
"This is our duty!"
"I will resolutely assist the Crown Prince in continuing the prosperous era of 'benevolence and harmony,' and remain steadfast in my loyalty!"
……
The Empress and the Crown Prince, surrounded by their ministers, ascended the steps to the Taiji Hall. Only Li Ji remained behind. Despite the heavy rain soaking his clothes, he dragged Li Jingye's body out from among the corpses scattered on the ground, tidied his remains, and personally prepared his body for burial.
Stroking his grandson's cold face, even with Li Ji's hardened heart forged through countless trials, he couldn't help but lose his composure and burst into tears.
Once upon a time, Li Jingye was regarded by him as the future pillar of the Li family, a candidate to inherit the family business after him. He was passionate, loyal, brave and handsome, and the pride of him and the entire Li family.
However, it was precisely this pride that led him astray, onto a path of no return, ruining not only his own future and life but also dragging the entire Li family into an abyss. He did not know whether His Majesty's death was caused by Li Jingye, but as long as someone linked His Majesty's death to Li Jingye, then the Li family was destined to be a family of treason, and even Li Ji's past illustrious military achievements for the empire could not offset it.
Throughout the Tang Dynasty, the descendants of the Li family never had a chance to rise again.
Therefore, Li Ji did not go to the Taiji Hall to support the crown prince's ascension to the throne with the other officials. Instead, he stayed here to collect his grandson's body and at the same time made a statement—that he, Li Ji, would voluntarily withdraw from the court and give up his position at the core of power in exchange for leniency towards the Li family.
He is no longer the powerful and influential Minister of the Left, the top military leader, but an old man who feels ashamed and remorseful because his grandson has caused such a terrible disaster...
*****
Dark clouds shrouded the Taiji Palace, and the wind and rain made it seem gloomy.
In the Taiji Hall, when Empress Su saw His Majesty lying on the bed, his eyes wide open in death, her last breath fading away, the last breath she had managed to muster suddenly burst forth, and her body collapsed to the ground as if her bones had been removed…
After finally catching her breath with the help of a group of concubines and imperial physicians, she crawled to the side of the bed and burst into tears.
Although the couple had many conflicts and their relationship had been strained for a long time, the thought of their childhood and deep affection, and how they had relied on each other in times of fear and uncertainty under Emperor Taizong's oppression during the Zhenguan era, only to be separated by death now, only intensified their grief.
The cries were heart-wrenching, and tears streamed down her face, as if she wanted to pour out all the past affections and the grievances of recent years.
Crown Prince Li Xiang knelt to one side, looking completely bewildered.
Although he already knew what death was, he had not yet realized what His Majesty's death meant for his life. Seeing the Empress's heart-wrenching cries only made him feel more fearful and uneasy...
The courtiers in the hall looked at each other, unsure whether to stop the empress from crying or not.
Finally, Fang Jun coughed lightly and said gently, "Your Majesty, please accept my condolences. The most important thing now is to support the Crown Prince to ascend the throne. It is not too late to cry after everything is in order and the dust has settled."
Empress Su had been crying her heart out, and her grief, coupled with the rain she had been caught earlier, caused her to collapse limply onto the ground, though her sobs gradually subsided.
Fang Jun had a headache. Although he was worried about the Empress's health, how could he leave without her present at this moment?
The imperial physician helped the empress up and made her kneel to the side. After examining her, he found that the coldness and emotional turmoil had caused her meridians to compensate, and that she was not seriously injured, so he decided not to bother with it.
Fang Jun looked at Li Yuanjia.
As the Minister of the Imperial Clan and now the First Prince of the Imperial Clan, it is only natural for him to preside over the enthronement of the new emperor.
Li Yuanjia knew that this moment was not only crucial to the succession of the imperial throne, but also a golden opportunity for him to establish his own position. He coughed and, seeing Fang Jun already standing beside the Crown Prince, said, "The late Emperor has passed away, and the world is in chaos. The Crown Prince Yu De Chun Gong is renowned for his benevolence and filial piety. According to the 'Posthumous Title Law,' 'receiving the mandate of Heaven is called Succession, and continuing the will and accomplishing the work is called Ruler.' Your subject respectfully obeys the late Emperor's last edict and requests that the Crown Prince ascend the throne to continue the ancestral temple and bring peace to the people. May the spirits of Heaven and Earth and our ancestors truly rely on this."
After speaking, he presented the black jade tablet and bowed twice before the spirit of the late emperor.
The courtiers knelt on the ground and said in unison, "We respectfully request the Crown Prince to ascend the throne!"
All previous objections were ignored, and the Crown Prince was tacitly accepted as the heir apparent.
As for the "late emperor's long-cherished wish" and "last will and testament" that Li Jingye mentioned not long ago, they seem to have never appeared...
Empress Su was jolted awake by the shouts of the court officials. She saw Fang Jun leaning down and whispering in the Crown Prince's ear that he should not agree immediately but should decline first. His earnest teachings and caring manner made her momentarily dazed.
This man is not only the pillar supporting the empire, but also the pillar supporting the sky for mother and son.
Of course, she didn't simply think that everything would be fine once the Crown Prince became emperor. The battle in the rain behind the Taiji Hall was still fresh in her memory, and she also realized that Li Jingye alone could not possibly gather so many rebel troops to run rampant in the palace and wreak havoc.
There must be someone behind this.
Without Fang Jun's protection, who could guarantee that the crown prince would not "die young due to illness" after ascending the throne?
Within the palace walls, anything, no matter how vicious or bizarre, can happen...
After hearing Fang Junzhi's instructions, the Crown Prince wept blood and declined the offer three times, but the ministers insisted.
Li Yuanjia then led the Crown Prince to the remains of the late Emperor, knelt on the ground, and paid homage with the highest honors: "Heaven has been unkind, sending down this great loss. However, the state cannot be without a ruler, and the affairs of state cannot be neglected for even a moment. I beseech Your Majesty to suppress your deepest feelings, follow the greater good, uphold the heavy trust placed in you by the late Emperor, and comfort the hopes of the people throughout the land... I request that you ascend the throne."
The prince wept bitterly, but reluctantly accepted the courtesy.
He then ascended the throne before the spirit tablet, becoming the succeeding emperor.
Officials bowed and danced in accordance with ritual, while cries shook the palace.