Chapter 319: The Imperial Edict

Bang bang bang—

“Master, the Emperor has passed away. As per your prior instructions, the capital has been placed under immediate lockdown.” Mo Yuan’s voice came from outside the door.

“Prepare the carriage,” Gu Huaizhi ordered. He needed to enter the palace.

“Yes,” Mo Yuan replied and withdrew.

“Eat something before you go into the palace—you don’t know when you’ll have time to eat again,” Su Wan said, her nerves tightening. Her first thought was for Gu Jingyun’s safety, but Gu Huaizhi’s urgent entry into the palace was the top priority. If they waited for a proper meal, it would be too late.

She quickly packed a few pastries from the table into a food box and handed it to Gu Huaizhi, who was already dressed and ready. “Eat a little on the carriage.”

“Alright. After you eat, make sure to rest well. On the second day after the initial mourning rites, as a Commandery Princess, you’ll need to enter the palace to mourn at the spirit hall,” Gu Huaizhi said gently, brushing her cheek with his hand. “Once in the morning and once in the evening, for at least three days. Don’t busy yourself with anything else—take care of your health.”

“I understand. But you need to take care of yourself too,” Su Wan said, rising on tiptoe to plant a kiss at the corner of his lips. “Go on, quickly.”

“After the grand funeral, Jingyun will ascend the throne. I won’t be returning to the residence for the next half month. Everything at home will be left to you—thank you for your hard work.”

Gu Huaizhi pulled Su Wan into an embrace and quietly added, “The new residence has already been arranged. Once there’s time, you all can move in.”

“Alright,” Su Wan replied, agreeing to everything one by one.

Gu Huaizhi left in quick strides.

Su Wan stood beneath the eaves, her hand resting on the stone pillar. Dim moonlight cast a veil over the silent courtyard as she gazed toward the direction of the palace.

The palace bell rang out, followed by the tolling of bells from temples and shrines throughout the city, one after another.

It was a night far from peaceful.

——

The Empress, along with the Grand Secretary, Gu Huaizhi, and the Defender Duke, had already made preparations in advance.

Upon the Emperor’s passing, the Empress immediately took control of the imperial palace, issuing orders to place the capital under lockdown. Zhao Wei and the commander of the Imperial Guards personally took charge of the palace gates, tripling the usual number of guards patrolling the inner palace.

Officials from the Ministry of Rites, the Grand Secretariat, and the Hanlin Academy gathered to discuss state matters. The Empress sat beside Gu Jingyun, holding his hand from beginning to end, as they listened to the deliberations and drafted the funeral rites for the late Emperor.

Once the ceremonial procedures were finalized, the Grand Secretary presented the funeral regulations to Gu Jingyun. Since the late Emperor had passed and Gu Jingyun would soon ascend the throne, his current status was that of the heir emperor.

“Your Highness, please review this,” said the Grand Secretary, who was over sixty and carried the natural authority of one who had weathered many years in court. Yet at this moment, his expression was gentle and kindly. “If there are no issues, we will proceed according to this plan.”

Gu Jingyun had been thrust into this role like a duck forced onto a perch, utterly clueless. He pretended to examine the document carefully, his eyes drifting to Gu Huaizhi, who stood wearing a mask. Seeing him give a slight nod, Gu Jingyun straightened his posture and said earnestly, “No issues. Proceed as the rites dictate.”

After the heir emperor approved the plan, the next step was to begin the initial mourning rites for the late Emperor.

Everyone prepared to go about their respective tasks.

“Hold it right there!” The Empress Dowager arrived with a group in tow, casting a cold glance around before fixing her gaze on the Grand Secretary. “The Emperor has passed, and he left behind more than one son. Without even reading the imperial edict, you’ve already decided on an heir emperor? Who gave you that authority?”

The Grand Secretary glanced at the Empress. The Emperor had passed away, and no edict had yet been found. Given His Majesty’s condition before death, they feared there hadn’t been time to leave one. But judging by the Empress Dowager’s demeanor, she seemed to have come prepared. Could it be that the edict was in her hands?

With a calm expression, he said, “Empress Dowager, since ancient times in Great Zhou, the throne passes to the legitimate heir, not necessarily the eldest. Among the imperial offspring, only the young prince Jingyun is born of the empress, making him the rightful successor.”

The Empress Dowager let out a cold laugh. “In the absence of a formally appointed Crown Prince, Ji Wufeng was raised under the Empress’s care and is no different from a legitimate heir.”

She turned to the person beside her—it was the chief eunuch who had served by the late Emperor’s side. “Read the imperial edict.”

Gu Jingyun tightened his grip on the Empress’s hand. In the Empress Dowager’s eyes, he saw malice.

The Empress pulled Gu Jingyun in front of her and gently placed one hand on his shoulder. His tense body gradually eased, and a faint sense of security returned.

The Grand Secretary’s gaze fell on the imperial edict in the chief eunuch’s hands. His expression was unreadable as he cast a subtle glance toward Gu Huaizhi.

Gu Huaizhi lowered his eyes, the cold gleam of his mask reflecting the light, making it impossible to discern his current expression.

The previously calm atmosphere within the hall had been shattered by the Empress Dowager’s arrival. A heavy tension now hung in the air.

The Empress Dowager’s ambition was well known to all.

The fact that she could command the chief eunuch to read the imperial edict was enough to suggest that its contents aligned closely with her desires.

After all, the late Emperor had held the deposed Crown Prince in high regard—and that Crown Prince had been removed by the Regent. It wasn’t impossible that the edict named him as successor.

The chief eunuch stepped forward a few paces, stood at the center, and slowly unfurled the edict. He began to read aloud: “I, bearing a lacking virtue, inherited the great foundation of our forebears, and have ruled for sixteen years. Since taking the reins of governance, in matters of discipline, law, the employment of officials, and administration, I have failed to uphold the standards set by Emperor Taizu… Emperor Taizu laid the foundations of this dynasty, a legacy of utmost gravity.”

“The position of Crown Prince, as the rightful heir, must not remain vacant for long. My son, Jingyun, born of the Empress, is intelligent and gifted, capable of upholding the ancestral lineage. He is hereby established as the Crown Prince.

According to the rites and customs, he shall observe mourning for twenty-seven days. Upon the end of mourning, he shall ascend the throne as Emperor. I especially appoint Grand Ministers Xu Hui, Tingyuan, Shang Wenping, and Zhao Qin as his regents.

These men are veteran officials and trusted statesmen. I entrust my inner thoughts to them, that they may devote themselves loyally, support and guide the young sovereign, and assist in managing state affairs. Let this be proclaimed throughout the realm, so all may know.”

Everyone in the great hall knelt down in reverence, bowing to the Crown Prince.

“No—impossible!” The Empress Dowager snatched the imperial edict, her fingers trembling as she held it. She read it again, and it was clearly different from what she had seen before. It had clearly named Ji Wufeng at the beginning—how had it become Gu Jingyun now?

When Gu Jingyun returned to the palace, the Emperor was already in a coma, completely unconscious. He hadn’t even known that Gu Jingyun was still alive—how could he possibly have passed the throne to him?

“You’ve altered the imperial edict! That’s a capital crime!” the Empress Dowager shouted, pointing furiously at the Empress.

The Empress spoke calmly and unhurriedly, “Imperial Mother, you should take a closer look at the ink on the edict. I brought Jingyun to visit His Majesty and told him the joyous news. He woke up. In accordance with ancestral rites, he summoned several key ministers and personally dictated this imperial edict in their presence.”

The Empress Dowager was nearly choking with fury. No one knew better than she did that the Empress had never brought Gu Jingyun to see the Emperor—His Majesty could not have possibly awakened. And more than that… it was she herself—

If she were to argue with the Empress based on facts, she would expose what she had done to the Emperor—and that would be a path to ruin.

The Empress Dowager took a deep breath, forcing down the fury raging inside her. She couldn’t afford to act rashly.

“How is it that I, the Empress Dowager, was not informed the Emperor had awoken?” Her face twisted briefly, the corners of her lips tugging into a strained smile. “Now that the Emperor has passed, Ji Wufeng can be released from the Imperial Clan Court, can he not?”

The Empress did not make things difficult for her and readily replied, “His Majesty did once dote on that son. Though he later grew disappointed and their relationship as ruler and subject faded, the bond between father and son still ran deep. Let Feng’er come to bid him farewell.”

A sense of wariness rose in the Empress Dowager’s heart—such an unusual response could only mean trouble.

The Empress was no easy opponent. For her to agree so readily to release Ji Wufeng—could she have something else planned?

But with the situation this precarious, she had no choice. She would release Ji Wufeng first and respond as needed when the time came.

“I will send someone to fetch Feng’er,” the Empress Dowager said coldly, casting a sharp, chilling glance at the chief eunuch who had betrayed her. Her eyes brimmed with hostility as she turned and left with her attendants.