After Emperor Longqing recovered from his illness, he only wanted Concubine Lin to accompany him. No other concubines were allowed to spend the night with him. Now that he was ill again, Concubine Lin took over the responsibility of guarding the Taiji Hall.
The imperial doctors carefully prescribed the medicine, all of them were a little worried - the body of Emperor Longqing was already at the end of its strength. His body had been hollowed out and could not withstand stimulation and ups and downs. But he got angry again. If this continued, he might not live long. They were also worried about their own heads.
Emperor Longqing was rarely angry about coughing up blood. He asked the imperial doctors to leave, then smiled and waved to Concubine Lin Shu: "Come and sit next to me."
The bedroom was very quiet. The painting of the ladies on the gilded screen looked even more mysterious and beautiful because of the flickering candlelight. Concubine Lin Shu nodded in agreement, put down the medicine bowl, sat down gently beside Emperor Longqing, and gently tucked the quilt for him: "Your Majesty's health is more important, why bother to get angry with those villains?"
Emperor Longqing was quiet for a while, then he sighed: "How can I not be angry? I am like this now, and the people below me don't take me seriously, thinking that I am deaf and blind. They even dared to kidnap the granddaughter of the elder. What if it was an ordinary person? I am still alive, and they are so lawless..."
The ominous meaning in these words was too obvious. Concubine Lin Shu was terrified and knelt down on the footstool in a hurry: "Your Majesty, please calm down!"
"What do you mean by calming down or not calming down? Get up." Emperor Longqing stretched out his hand and pulled her up to sit down. After a moment, he said, "Now that it has come to this, you are the only one left who can talk to me."
Concubine Lin pursed her lips, tears glistening in her eyes: "Your Majesty, don't say that. I will always be with you..."
Emperor Longqing smiled with some regret: "In the past, I would not believe this. Starting from Empress Yuan and Empress Ming, the women around me have said this to me one by one, but in the end they all left me one by one..."
The moonlight today was particularly bright, which made people feel particularly comfortable to talk. Emperor Longqing opened his heart to the people around him for a rare moment: "I know I am not good either. I am very suspicious and easily trust others. From Empress Ming to Concubine Feng, and then to Empress Fang and Concubine De, I have harmed them all."
Although they all changed beyond recognition in the end, Emperor Longqing actually knew in his heart that the reason for their changes was ultimately due to his own suspicion and fickleness.
But he was always ashamed to admit it in the past, thinking that he was the emperor and could not be wrong.
Only now, when they are almost at the end of their rope, can I understand their despair at that time.
Concubine Lin Shu didn't know what to say. She called out "Your Majesty" in a somewhat bewildered manner, and then hesitantly advised him: "Don't think like that..."
"You are always like this." Emperor Longqing was somewhat relieved. He coughed a few times and held her hand. "For so many years, I have suspected this and that, but I have never suspected you. I feel most comfortable with you."
"The sons I gave birth to don't live long." Emperor Longqing changed the subject, his voice low and a little scary: "The eldest is like this, the second is like this, the third is needless to say, even the fourth..."
He smiled bitterly, finally revealing his vulnerable side, with tears in his eyes: "Although Xiaowu is still alive, his mother did such a thing, I regard him as dead... Only Xiaoliu is left..." Emperor Longqing said in a dull voice: "It's a pity that I won't live that long and won't be able to plan for his future..."
The Sixth Prince was too young, so young that he had no chance of ascending the throne. He was only two years old, but the Tatars were eyeing him covetously. These days, even Jiang Zining, the old man who was always good at smoothing things over, began to ask him indirectly about his thoughts on the throne, and also vaguely mentioned people like Renzong who succeeded the throne to their younger brother after the death of their elder brother in the previous dynasty.
He was angry in his heart, but he knew that the situation was stronger than the person. If he was in good health, he could hold on for another ten years. He would pave the way for the Sixth Prince and clear the obstacles no matter what. But unfortunately, he was now exhausted.
Concubine Lin's tears fell down, she covered the back of Emperor Longqing's hand with her hand and kept shaking her head.
Emperor Longqing gently advised her: "Don't cry, as long as I am alive, I will plan for your future."
Concubine Lin Shu didn't know what to say. She was always honest. She looked at Emperor Longqing and choked up, "Your Majesty, Xiao Liu'er is still young... You have to watch him grow up..."
Among so many children, only the Sixth Prince was born at the right time. Emperor Longqing had begun to reflect on himself. He had alienated Concubine Peng De and the Fifth Prince because of the Fourth Prince's affairs, so he was extremely fond of the Sixth Prince. The Sixth Prince was the only child who had urinated on his dragon robe, and he held the Sixth Prince the most.
With the natural instincts of father and son and the nurtured affection, the Sixth Prince was very close to him, satisfying all his fantasies of being a father.
Such feelings were very deep. Emperor Longqing closed his eyes, and when he opened them he smiled and said, "It is impossible to watch him grow up, but it is possible to arrange a future for him and you... Seeing that my birthday is approaching, I have decided to let Prince Linjiang and Prince Zheng return to the capital..."
Prince Zheng had already been on his way back with Wei Yangqing, so there was nothing much to say. However, Prince Linjiang was a powerful vassal with his own fiefdom, and he was not allowed to enter the capital without an imperial edict.
Letting Prince Linjiang return to the capital at this time... Concubine Lin Shu looked at Emperor Longqing with some confusion and fear, and asked boldly: "Your Majesty, do you want to..."
She didn't know what to say and waited hesitantly for Emperor Longqing's reply.
Emperor Longqing knew what she was thinking, adjusted his sitting position, and then shook his head: "I have to see what kind of person Old Five is, so that I can feel at ease and make a choice."
Concubine Lin Shu understood a little, but still couldn't speak.
Perhaps it is because a dying man's words are most kind. At this point, Emperor Longqing finally put aside all the false pretenses and clichés and began to consider his only remaining sons wholeheartedly.
She nodded, and waited until it was very late and Emperor Longqing had fallen asleep before she came out of the Taiji Hall and returned to her own palace.
It was late spring and early summer. The gloomy weather made people feel uncomfortable. There was not a breath of wind. She came down the steps and got on the sedan chair. The tension in her heart finally eased a little.
I have always been worried that Emperor Longqing would use a last resort to lure Prince Linjiang to the capital and then get rid of him as soon as possible. But now it seems that Emperor Longqing still wants to follow the example of Emperor Renzong and others in the previous dynasty, and pass the throne to the younger brother after the elder brother's death, and then let his son be the crown prince.
She tightly grasped the jade pendant around her waist, her hands were deformed with such force, and after a long time she slowly closed her eyes and exhaled.