Pei Qing couldn't believe that the person in the coffin was Xiao Jing. Although he was gravely ill, she couldn't imagine that he would pass away today...
Even if the rebels had stormed the palace, they would have needed to coerce or entice someone to issue an imperial edict. They wouldn't dare immediately assassinate the emperor. Xiao Yuan followed her gaze, remaining silent for a moment before taking Pei Qing's hand.
He turned to the weeping and laughing Chu Li and asked, "Where is the prince? If an imperial edict is to be declared, he must be present."
Chu Li, overjoyed that Xiao Yuan was finally speaking to him—even if with disdain—replied eagerly, "In response to your question, my lord! I have already fired the signal flare. The prince is on his way back to the palace!"
Earlier, when Chu Li realized Xiao Yuan was alive, he had wanted to run up and hug him, only to be met with a fierce glare that sent him back in line.
Chu Li had wiped his tears, rubbed his numb knees, and then went outside to release the signal flare, signaling the Nanchuan troops stationed outside the palace to escort the prince back.
Xiao Yuan didn't bother to reprimand him. If Chu Li hadn't started crying without checking the situation, Pei Qing wouldn't have mistakenly thought that the person in the coffin was Xiao Yuan.
But it wasn't entirely Chu Li's fault. Having fought fiercely and seeing nothing but the coffin when he returned, his mind went blank. He hadn't even asked a single question before falling to his knees and crying in front of the coffin.
Pei Qing, still in shock, asked, "How did the emperor... pass away?"
"Poison," Xu Da replied. "The chief eunuch serving in Yangju Hall reported that the emperor mentioned the empress had gone to Xuyang Palace to care for the prince through a side door. Afterward, he issued the edict to open the palace gates."
"The emperor ordered that no one was to disturb him. It wasn't until the Imperial Guards came to report our victory that the eunuch entered the hall and discovered the emperor had... The imperial physician confirmed that the poison was in the wine cup."
"What?" Pei Qing stumbled back, and Xiao Yuan caught her.
She had only turned around to adjust the brazier after bringing the wine, and in that brief moment, the wine had been poisoned. One cup contained a sedative, and the other, poison. She couldn't understand how Xiao Jing could have been so resolute. When he had calmly spoken of this being their final farewell, he had truly meant it.
"Mother!"
A child's voice brought Pei Qing back to reality.
Xiao Ji'an was being escorted back by the Nanchuan army at full speed. The soldiers outside were amazed at how such a young child could bravely walk through the bloody, muddy ground, ignoring the corpses, and enter Mingwu Hall without hesitation.
He threw himself into Pei Qing's arms and finally began to cry. He understood what the coffin signified and what he had lost. Pei Qing held the child, crying as well. Xiao Yuan frowned, watching her body shake with sobs, afraid she might faint from the grief.
Xiao Yuan looked at Xiao Ji'an, feeling a pang of sorrow. He knew the pain of losing a father all too well. Gently placing his large hand on the child's head, Xiao Yuan declared, "The new emperor has ascended, and Nanchuan swears loyalty unto death, unwavering in our devotion."
This simple statement carried immense weight. It meant that Xiao Yuan would support the young emperor's ascent, ensuring Pei Qing's position as empress dowager, eliminating any remaining threats, and restoring peace. With this step, he would be tied to the capital for decades, unable to return to Nanchuan.
Xu Da silently observed Xiao Yuan. Before his death, the old prince had made it clear that Xiao Yuan was not to leave Nanchuan, nor was he to involve himself in political affairs or the struggles for the throne. Xiao Yuan was the last of their line; he couldn't be allowed to follow in his father's tragic footsteps.
But after all the twists and turns, Xiao Yuan had still ended up in the palace, nearly losing his life there. Was this defying fate or merely fulfilling his destiny?
Outside, a guard's loud voice announced, "Presenting Lord Chancellor Xiang!"
The elderly Chancellor Xiang Zhiyi entered, his expression solemn. His hair and beard were white, yet there was no sign of frailty in his demeanor. Ignoring the greetings of those present, he approached the coffin, knelt heavily, and kowtowed three times.
He had witnessed Xiao Jing ascend the throne, knew of his deep concern for the state, and understood that his grand ambitions had not been fully realized. The chancellor's heart was heavy with regret, but he knew that by faithfully assisting the new emperor, he could, in some way, repay his late sovereign.
Xiang Zhiyi rose, producing the emperor's imperial edict with its regal pattern and began to read aloud, "The late emperor's final decree is here. All ministers, heed the edict!"
From inside the hall to the outside, all the soldiers and the newly arrived court officials knelt before the grand hall, watching as the chancellor, holding the edict, stood at the entrance and unrolled it.
The imperial seal was awe-inspiring in its crimson hue, but as Xiang Zhiyi read the words inscribed upon it, his face froze in shock.
Until today, he had never dared to read it on his own. The emperor had summoned him in secret that night, entrusting him with the decree. Even though Xiang Zhiyi had known he was highly trusted by the emperor, nothing could have prepared him for this moment.
Yet with everyone waiting in silence, he had no choice but to read the edict as it was written:
"The hereditary Nanchuan Prince Xiao Renyu's son, Xiao Yuan, my brother in arms, has repeatedly quelled rebellions, protected the throne, and rendered great service. He is most capable of succeeding the throne. Let him ascend to the position of emperor.
"My imperial son, Xiao Ji'an, is exceptionally gifted and has won my deep affection. Due to his tender age, he shall be adopted by Xiao Yuan, changing his lineage to that of Xiao Yuan.
"The late Empress Pei, eldest daughter of the Pei family, who has rendered meritorious service by raising the imperial son, is posthumously honored with the title of Hui Xian and shall be buried alongside me in the imperial mausoleum. The succeeding Empress, Pei Qing, youngest daughter of the Pei family, who is gracious and virtuous, embodying the empress's role to perfection, has demonstrated her loyalty and dedication during a time of crisis. Her contributions shall never be forgotten. Therefore, the Pei family shall never be stripped of its empress title."
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