696 A New Story Part 1 (1/2)
”Please help me.”
”Why should I help Your Highness?”
”Because I'm one of the Tangs.”
”The Sixth Prince is also a citizen of Tang.”
”But his mother isn't.”
”The Tang Empire is always open and inclusive. It never cared about things like this.”
”Please trust me.”
”Why should I trust Your Highness?”
”Because you don't trust the Empress.”
Li Yu looked at the familiar handwriting on the edict and felt sad all of a sudden.
It was her father's handwriting. Just like how the rumors went, no matter how enamored he was with calligraphy and no matter how hard he practiced, he could not improve his handwriting.
However, in the meticulous handwriting, one could see that her father was very calm and composed when writing it. There was no hesitation nor struggle.
Li Yu held the edict with trembling hands. Her fingers pressed down, looking as if they were about to sink into the yellow cloth. The tremor passed from her arm to her shoulders, and she trembled all over.
She felt extremely disappointed and sad, and then, she grew angry. It was not just because of the contents in the edict, but more so because of the composure in her father's handwriting.
”How could this be?”
She said softly.
Then, she repeated the question, her voice filled with frustration and discontent.
”How could this be?!”
Her voice was louder than before, but it did not ring outside the Taoist temple or through the rainy night outside. No one else heard it, and it was no louder than the sound of her teeth clacking.
Li Qingshan said, ”This was written right before His Majesty passed. Since he left an edict, it proves that he had felt the will of Heaven. But you should be able to see that he had decided on this since a long time ago.”
Li Yu was silent for a long time. Then, she suddenly lifted her head and wiped away the tears on her face with her sleeve. She looked at Li Qingshan, who laid on the couch and asked in a trembling voice, ”Can the edict be edited?”
Li Qingshan massaged his eyelids and said, ”Not usually.”
A glimmer of light appeared in Li Yu's eyes and she asked, ”Why not usually?”
Li Qingshan glanced at her and said, ”It can be edited when the country is in turmoil.”
Li Yu asked, ”Who can edit it?”
Li Qingshan answered, ”I can.”
Naturally, the Tang Emperor's edict could not be easily forged. There were the imperial seal and complicated emblems on it. The crux of the matter was that the edict bore a unique stamp that was the aura of Heaven and Earth.
Part of that stamp came from the royal blood and part from the witnesses of the edict.
Before His Majesty had left Chang'an, he had written the edict in the Southern Gate Temple in the presence of his most trusted Nation Master Li Qingshan and his younger brother, Master Huang Yang.
The imperial seal was in the imperial palace, on the couch of Li Yu, who helmed the country according to orders given to her.
Li Yu looked at Li Qingshan's old and haggard face and asked with a trembling voice, ”What do you want?”
Li Qingshan looked at the beautiful woman in front of him who was wearing a damp dress. She looked like the little girl who fussed beside her mother many years ago. A nostalgic smile appeared on his face.
Then he said calmly, ”I want the Tang Empire to continue for many more generations. I want the South School of Haotian Taoism to flourish. I want the Tangs to live a carefree life. Your Highness, can you promise me this?”
Li Yu left the Southern Gate Temple.
Before long, the shocking news would spread through the torrential rain and enter the mansions of officials in Chang'an. A grand assembly was not supposed to be held tomorrow, but there was bound to be one.
The South Gate Temple was still silent in the rain as if nothing had happened. The oil lamps could only illuminate the corners of the Taoist Temple.
He Mingchi knelt before an oil lamp, most of his body hidden in the shadows.
Li Qingshan knelt on his sickbed and looked above him silently as if he could see the rain falling on the temple. He frowned slightly and lamented, ”I edited the edict today and went against the laws of the Tang Empire and His Majesty's wishes. I wonder how the history books would be written when I die and how His Majesty would view me.”
He Mingchi did not speak. It was inappropriate no matter what he said at this time.
”But I do not regret it because Her Highness was right. Rather than saying that I trust in her and Prince Huiyuan, I would say that I can't trust the Empress. How can I allow the Saintess of Diabolism to rule the Tang Empire?”
Li Qingshan said indifferently, ”If it wasn't for her, would His Majesty die young?”
He Mingchi looked up at him and thought of the officials and citizens in the imperial court and the streets. They all thought that Her Majesty and the Nation Master were close. Who would have expected that the truth differed so greatly?
”Chang'an City has had too many funerals in the past years. The senior statesmen and old generals have all left us one by one. Now, the Emperor is dead, and so is the Headmaster. What else could this be other than Heaven's will?”