C264 (1/2)

Rong'er thought to himself, ”The empress dowager left just like that. This is probably the greatest tragedy the emperor has ever had. After days of accompanying the empress dowager's coffin without stopping to eat or sleep, until he fell unconscious due to exhaustion, I can clearly understand the emperor's grief. Because my heart hurts so much, not to mention the empress dowager's meticulous care and guidance since I was young …”

Xuanye guarded the spirit of the empress dowager day and night. According to the Manchu tradition, those who died in the past had moved the coffin every other year. The ministers had sent out orders for the coffin to be moved on the 29th of this month, but Xuanye had firmly refused. In the end, the empress dowager decided that the coffin would stop in the palace on the eleventh of the first month of the following year. Every day, the ministers of the second rank and above, as well as the wives of the princesses, would gather in the palace to mourn.

The palace was in chaos. The ministers and empress dowager were worried about Mystic Dragon's body, but Xuan Ye refused to leave. After three days of sacrifice, all the concubines no longer required their spirits to be guarded all day long, and all they had to do was gather three times a day to mourn.

It was already late winter, and the atmosphere of the funeral in the palace made the winter even colder. In front of the empress dowager's mourning hall, Xuan Ye sat in front of the spirit of the empress dowager, facing Zi's coffin with sadness in his eyes, and behind him, the tears of Crown Prince Yin were constantly falling. Yin He had been raised by the empress dowager herself, and his relationship with the empress dowager was especially deep.

Seeing that Zi had passed by, the consultant, Xing Xing, who stood to the side, slightly raised his voice and reported, ”After the time has passed, please rest, Your Majesty. Crown Prince!”

As for Xuan Ye and Yin He, they didn't seem to hear anything as they continued to stare at the coffin.

Rong'er was unable to sleep soundly in the palace. With Xiaoqing by her side, she headed to the Tzu Ning Palace at midnight. The scene she saw when she entered the palace was one of a small, sad figure.

Seeing that Rong'er had entered, the counselor hurriedly raised his eyebrows at her, hoping that she would persuade them. Rong'er understood, and nodded lightly, walking into the palace. Xuan Ye's footsteps didn't alarm Xuan Ye, who was still staring ahead. Yin turned around, saw Rong'er, and called out, ”Rong'er.”

”Your Highness the Crown Prince!” Rong'er bowed to Yin He. The Yin He in front of her was just like the emperor she met when she first entered the palace. She was young and full of heroic spirit. However, her eyes were already red and swollen. Your Highness, it's getting late. It's time for you to rest. ” Rong'er said softly.

Yin Ying shook his head. ”Huang Ama will not rest, and neither will I.”

Rong'er looked at Yin He with a pained expression and asked, ”What about the other princes?”

”The emperor told them all to return, only to leave the crown prince behind. The emperor said that the empress dowager helped raise the crown prince, so the crown prince should accompany the empress dowager more.” The consultant replied in a low voice.

Rong'er and the counsellor spoke in hushed tones, but Xuan Ye continued to sit there as if he didn't hear them.

”Did the emperor eat today?” Rong'er asked worriedly.

”I just drank some water, ate a mouthful and said that I couldn't eat anymore, so I stopped eating.” The consultant replied with a worried expression.

Rong'er nodded and walked to Xuan Ye's side. She sat down quietly without saying a word. She knew that too many people had come to persuade the emperor to eat and rest these days. The emperor had also heard too much, so even if she tried, it would be useless.

Sure enough, seeing that Rong'er had sat beside him, without even blinking his eyes, Xuan Ye directly said: ”Imperial Concubine Rong, you don't have to persuade me. You should understand that I don't want to rest, and I don't want to eat.”

Rong'er lightly nodded. ”Your majesty, chenqie isn't here to persuade the emperor. Chenqie only wants to accompany the emperor to guard the old ancestor.” Rong'er's eyes reddened. She looked at the high coffin and felt her heart ache.

Xuan Ye nodded in satisfaction and said no more.

”Old ancestor, chenqie remembered that you once said that you were most concerned about the emperor. You said that as long as the emperor was well, you could give anything up, and you knew that the emperor respected you so much that when you left, the emperor didn't eat or drink anything, and he even fainted away. chenqie knew that when you saw the emperor's filial piety in the sky, you would be deeply moved, but you would definitely be very reluctant to part with him …”

Xuan Ye turned around to look at Rong'er, who was beside him. Rong'er didn't look at Xuan Ye, but continued in a soft voice, ”Old Ancestor, chenqie remembers when we were clearing buddhism together in the past, you once said that once a person dies, they will be reincarnated. But once they pass through the Bridge of Helplessness and drink Grandma Meng's Elixir, they will have to put it aside.