HomeAfter I Bloom Hundred Flowers DieChapter 846: Reign Title Yonghe

Chapter 846: Reign Title Yonghe

“The Empress Dowager is Beichen’s grandmother and Junsu’s great-grandmother. I will naturally care for her,” Shen Xihe had never intended to kill the Empress Dowager.

Death would be too simple.

For what she did to Xiao Huayong, Shen Xihe wouldn’t give her a quick end.

Emperor Youning’s weary eyes gazed steadily at the unflinching Shen Xihe for a moment, his voice already deteriorating, accompanied by rasping sounds: “Summon the Three Excellencies and Nine Ministers…”

Liu Sanzhi looked to Shen Xihe – without her permission, he couldn’t get out.

Shen Xihe raised her hand. Zhao Zhenghao led the way, moving their hostages aside to clear a path. Liu Sanzhi quickly went to summon Cui Zheng and others.

Emperor Youning closed his eyes, seeming to gather strength.

Shen Xihe remained alert. Xiao Huayong once said Emperor Youning had secret guards constantly at his side, surely hidden in the hall now. Mo Yu and Tianyuan protected Shen Xihe almost skin-close, wondering if His Majesty would struggle one last time.

Until Cui Zheng and others arrived, Emperor Youning hadn’t summoned his secret guards. He opened his eyes, his gaze already scattered, voice weak as a candle in the wind, seeming ready to extinguish: “After I… pass away, the throne… the throne…”

His words captured everyone’s attention, except for Shen Xihe’s calm expression.

Faces flashed through the emperor’s mind. He knew he had no choice. Whatever name he spoke now would make no difference. Xiao Changqin’s heart was no longer on the throne, Xiao Changgen had long served the Eastern Palace, and Xiao Hongyong… naming him would only harm another son. Shen Xihe’s desire for the throne was clear.

Now the Northwest, Northeast Three Regions, and entire imperial city were under her control. Not passing the throne to Xiao Junsu would only cause more trouble without changing the outcome.

“Crown Prince…”

Three words, each pronounced with utmost clarity, seemed to exhaust his last breath. He quickly grew weary, eyelids especially heavy. In his haze, he seemed to hear several sighs of relief – these people likely hoped for this outcome. He wanted to open his eyes again if only for one last look, to see who so eagerly anticipated a child emperor, but he couldn’t overcome fate and passed away.

On the fourteenth day of the third month in the twenty-fourth year of Youning, the first ray of light covered the imperial city, marking the end of the palace coup that lasted through the night.

Witnessed by the Three Excellencies and Nine Ministers, His Majesty personally passed the throne to Crown Prince Xiao Junsu.

The Xiao imperial family’s first emperor under six months old was born.

The palace was quickly restored to a state of pending revival and peace. Shen Xihe moved out of the Eastern Palace, converting Zichen Hall back to the new emperor’s chambers, bringing Xiao Junsu to live in his birthplace.

After the emperor’s burial and the new emperor’s ascension, the reign title was changed to Yonghe.

Traditionally, imperial reign titles were carefully selected from the I Ching by the Ministry of Rites, but the new emperor’s was decided by the Empress Dowager.

Yonghe was also two extremely grand characters, and officials dared not object.

Everyone knew from this moment, the empire was under the Empress Dowager’s control.

After the new emperor’s ascension, Prince Lie Xiao Changying’s funeral was finally held. Though already buried, the funeral couldn’t clash with the late emperor’s burial and the new emperor’s ascension, hence the delay.

Now Empress Dowager, Shen Xihe brought the still speechless Xiao Junsu personally to Prince Lie’s mansion.

The Xiao imperial family was present, with Noble Consort Rong and her daughter to one side. They looked especially guilty at the white hemp-wearing Xiao Changqin burning paper with lowered heads, not daring to meet Shen Xihe’s gaze.

Shen Xihe left the mother and daughter’s fate to Xiao Changqin. Since awakening on the day of His Majesty’s death, he’d been silent and haggard, seeming to waste away in just days.

Shen Xihe didn’t know how to speak with him. Sighing softly, she took Xiao Junsu back to the palace.

One dusk after Xiao Changying’s seventh-day memorial, Tianyuan reported: “Empress Dowager, Prince Xin remains on Hanyao Gate tower, refusing to leave. The palace needs to lock up, but servants dare not urge him.”

Shen Xihe set down the memorial, glancing at bright-eyed Xiao Junsu: “Invite Prince Yi to accompany His Majesty.”

Prince Yi was Xiao Hongyong. Though only eight, Shen Xihe still granted him a princedom, keeping him in the palace until moving to his prince’s mansion at fourteen. Xiao Junsu and this young uncle were especially close, seeming to have endless conversations.

Hanyao Gate was the palace’s second wall. Xiao Changying had slit his throat on this tower. Sunset light spilled on the blue stone floor, the orange-red hue like undiminished bloodstains.

In white-collared robes, Xiao Changqin stood where his brother died. His extremely thin frame, wrapped in the evening light, carried an endless desolation as if heaven and earth would dim.

Shen Xihe dismissed everyone, walking alone to his side.

Noticing her arrival, Xiao Changqin bowed: “Greetings, Empress Dowager.”

“Rise.” Shen Xihe raised her hand and then stood beside him. Her gaze passed over the palace’s exquisite pavilions, green forests, and long rivers, toward the distant horizon. “Fifth Brother, if Ninth Brother’s spirit remains, he wouldn’t want to see you like this.”

Xiao Changqin’s lashes fluttered twice. After a while, he said: “I came to bid Brother farewell.”

After today, he should pull himself together. He knew why Xiao Changying killed himself – many reasons mixed, but fundamentally to prevent either loved one from dying unjustly.

That day, if he hadn’t acted so, either he or Shen Xihe would have died – likely him, given Shen Xihe had turned half the emperor’s Embroidered Guards.

If his loss of control had hurt Shen Xihe and disrupted all her plans, causing more casualties, even if she didn’t kill him, it wouldn’t have been enough to quell public anger.

Little Nine traded his life for his. He had to live for Little Nine.

Let these vast mountains and rivers continue endlessly, the dynasty eternal, becoming what he would joy to see.

Shen Xihe turned to look at Xiao Changqin’s thin, handsome face outlined with a sacred and scholarly air by the golden light. He was no longer as melancholy as when she last saw him – at least she saw vitality in him.

“Noble Consort Gui and Princess Pingling… what are your plans?” Shen Xihe asked.

She had dealt with those who needed dealing with. She left no survivors in Princess Ruyang’s family. The Xue clan was demoted to commoners – the clan members were too mediocre, but since their branch families had some talent, better to let them take over, still keeping Xue bloodlines.

Besides the Empress Dowager being served in Dafu Hall, daily enjoying the yellow sorghum incense she prepared, she showed no mercy to others. She didn’t kill Yu Sangning either, placing her in Dafu Hall to serve the Empress Dowager. The two dreamed daily with yellow sorghum incense.

In dreams, one ruled the world, one lived in wealth and glory. Awakening to silent, desolate halls, day after day, year after year.

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