Chapter 497

In this world, there are many talented people, and there are also many straightforward ones.

But being able to gather together, admit jealousy, and admit coming to the Prince's Mansion for the general trend, this is already top-notch superiority.

The Imperial Court was quite discerning to appoint Sun Xiaosheng.

"Counselor Sun, please rise," Chang Yan took the initiative to help him up, "This palace greatly appreciates your words about the general trend. Being able to grasp the general situation of the times is truly rare wisdom."

Or rather, such courage and integrity already surpass most people.

Who doesn't want to choose a wise ruler? Who doesn't want to follow the general trend?

Only the weak vilify such opportunistic behavior. The powerful only smile amiably while waiting for the talented and extraordinary people who come to them when the general trend is on their side.

"Thank you, Your Highness the Prince," Sun Xiaosheng saluted with his hands clasped, then stood straight again with a hint of radiance on his face.

Although in this life he is unlikely to surpass Xu Mo, he won't be left too far behind by Xu Mo either.

Used properly, jealousy can also become a driving force to move forward.

Chang Yan waved his hand to signal everyone to continue cleaning up the mess.

The 5,000 city guards were not a small number. Imprisoning them all was a difficult problem that drove the elderly prefect of Feng Tian Prefecture crazy. Finally he came up with the clever idea to send some of them to the imperial dungeons and put them on trial in batches.

Rebellion was a grave crime. Even if they were not beheaded, they would still be exiled. The greatest possibility was being sent to the mining regions to do hard labor, and dispersed to the four seas to prevent them from rising up in mutiny.

It was unknown whether the 5,000 city guards regretted it later, but such support was enough to prove the capabilities of the Second Prince Zhu Changyu.

Chang Yan stood at the gate of the imperial city, watching the entire street gradually restore its former liveliness as the common people tentatively opened their doors and windows, becoming as bustling and noisy as before.

He smiled faintly, then called over a personal guard to instruct the Ministry of Rites to prepare more food. Just then he saw the Commander of the Imperial Guards rushing over in a hurry.

As a confidant of the Imperial Court, the man had always been calm and decisive.

Being able to command thousands of imperial guards also demonstrated his abilities.

But now, panic showed in his eyes. He could barely maintain his pace as he came over and whispered, "Your Highness, Noble Consort Ju has passed away."

That woman who had been so strong her whole life had swayed from the beam for who knows how long before being discovered by a palace maid who came to bring water. The attending guards who were supposed to protect her had all been driven away, standing outside in confusion.

If Zhu Changhong's death could be called an accident, then the death of Noble Consort Ju was even more a result of negligence in caring for her, a dereliction of duty by the Commander of the Imperial Guards.

No wonder he was in such a panic now.

Chang Yan took a deep breath, unable to say whether he felt grief or lamentation.

It was expected that there would be bloodshed in the palace turmoil, but the departures of Noble Consort Ju and her son were unexpected. The Imperial Court had already been ill in bed coughing up blood for some time. If he heard this news again...

"Let's go take a look," he nodded to Xu Mo and rushed to Chengqian Palace as quickly as possible.

Qianqing Palace, Chengqian Palace.

Just from the names you could see the favoritism. Historically, these were also often the residences of favored consorts.

But now, the corpses of Noble Consort Ju and Zhu Changhong lay sideways in the great hall. The hanging white streamers fluttered in the wind, stirring up an indescribable and uncanny bleakness.

"Mistress, Mistress why did you have to go? Mistress, wake up and look at us!"

Several head palace maids wailed loudly.

They were crying for their former mistress, but even more for their own fates.

The emperor's subjects change with the ruler, the mistress's servants change with the mistress.

When Noble Consort Ju was alive they were haughty head palace maids, with countless eunuchs and palace maids fawning over them. Now that Noble Consort Ju had died, at best they would be reassigned as sweepers, at worst their lives would be doomed.

Fate was just like this. The ups and downs of power and precarious future were never exclusively shared by masters and servants.

"Ahem!" Little Wu Steward stood on both sides and said in a sharp voice, "His Highness the Prince has arrived!"

The few palace maids immediately stopped weeping and knelt down neatly on the ground, as silent as the winter cicadas.

Chang Yan stepped forward and glanced at Noble Consort Ju's purple face before instructing in a low voice, "Prepare the remains for Noble Consort Ju and the Eldest Prince."

"Yes." Little Wu Steward immediately arranged for people to take care of it.

The Commander of the Imperial Guards stood to the side, hesitating over whether to speak or not.

Preparing the remains was not the key issue, nor was taking a final look. The key was how to tell the Imperial Court, how to tell that man on the sickbed.

Your lover and your most beloved child are both dead.

They died in the turmoil, during the transfer of imperial power.

Would he feel regret? Would he resent Chang Yan? Would he want revenge?

These were all unknowns.

In any case, he was still the emperor with the most power now. He was not dead yet. When an emperor was enraged, corpses would cover the land.

Even the Crown Prince had to avoid his wrath.

"This subordinate took Noble Consort Ju into the Hall of Supreme Harmony with the permission of the Imperial Court," the Commander of the Imperial Guards did not dare conceal anything and told the truth. "The Imperial Court knew of Noble Consort Ju's ambition. This move was to make her thoroughly give up hope, while at the same time ordering this subordinate to protect Noble Consort Ju well..."

He did protect Noble Consort Ju, but was unable to protect the Eldest Prince.

Zhu Changhong's death directly led to Noble Consort Ju's departure.

Now with the deaths of both mother and child, it was truly difficult to explain.

Chang Yan's pupils shrank slightly and he sighed softly.

Currently there were two options:

One was to take advantage of the Imperial Court's time confined to the sickbed and conceal the deaths of Noble Consort Ju and her son for as long as possible, ideally until the Imperial Court breathed his last.

The other was to speak directly, which would give the Imperial Court a chance to see Noble Consort Ju one last time, but would also lead the Imperial Court to excessive grief, even resentment.

The Commander spoke the truth because he was afraid of the emperor's resentment, yet did not dare boldly conceal things from the emperor, so he passed this problem on to His Highness the Prince.

Chang Yan stood still expressionlessly for a long time before heading to Qianqing Palace.

He had decided to face the resentment directly.

The Commander of the Imperial Guards' heart leaped to his throat as he hurried to follow along.

The two passed through the tranquil corridor and arrived at the majestic Qianqing Palace. Before even entering, they could hear bursts of coughing.

Wu Steward was anxious and worried. When he saw Chang Yan, he opened his mouth as if to say something but forcibly swallowed it back down.

He only saluted and asked, "Greetings to Your Highness the Prince. Have the earlier matters... all been taken care of?"

Chang Yan forced a smile and nodded.

"That's good if it's taken care of, that's good if it's taken care of," Wu Steward nattered on. "You don't know, it was clearly the hour when His Majesty should sleep, yet he stubbornly refused to close his eyes, tossing and turning, worried about matters. Sleeping could clearly alleviate it, yet he has coughed like this until now. I also don't know how the great lord... "

Realizing his slip of tongue, he quickly changed to say, "I also don't know how far along Your Highness the Prince's enthronement ceremony has progressed."

As expected, favoritism would not change, nor would care be reduced.

Chang Yan smiled and signaled Wu Steward to open the door. Amidst bursts of coughing, he stood before the imperial bed.

The once vigorous man now looked haggard. His cheeks were sunken, his eye sockets dark, his lips pale.

Sensing the footsteps, it still took him some time to slowly open his eyes and hoarsely ask in a coarse voice, "You've come... How is everything... Did things go smoothly... Is everything still alright?"

Though there were no clear subjects, Chang Yan could determine with certainty who he was asking about.

A strange feeling of grief and grandeur surged up in his heart. Without any concealment he opened his mouth, "Not good, extremely not good."