Spring Drunk Chang'an

Just half a year ago, Emperor Yingwu was in very good spirits.

The emperor, who was clearly in his fifties, looked like he was in his early forties. He was strong and healthy, with a straight back, a ruddy complexion, and full of energy.

His hair was completely black, and even his face had only a few wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.

Looks very young.

But it was not until the eve of the selection that the crown prince turned against him. At that moment, the emperor suffered a heavy blow and gradually showed his old age. The assassination of Xiao Xun and the fact that his most beloved son became a eunuch dealt him a second heavy blow.

Emperor Yingwu was completely old.

Standing and sitting with Concubine Qu, when their eyes met, they looked not like a couple, but more like father and daughter.

You know, Concubine Qu is only three years younger than Emperor Yingwu.

She raised her head, staring blankly at the emperor who had favored her for half her life.

Has he become like this?

"Hello, is everything Xun'er told me true?"

"Really? You're going to abdicate to the Crown Prince and you won't care about us anymore?"

Concubine Qu was crying, not caring that she was in front of the Qiankun Palace in public and surrounded by countless eunuchs and palace maids. She just grabbed the only hope, stretched out her delicate hands, and grabbed the dragon robe of Emperor Yingwu.

"Long live……"

She sobbed.

A look of heartache flashed in Emperor Yingwu's eyes. He bent down slightly, held Concubine Qu's arm, and tried hard to help her up. However, where did he get so much strength from his old body?

He could no longer hold on to the woman he loved.

"I won't ignore you. I've already made all the arrangements. Once... things are settled, I'll take you to the Southern Palace, and we'll live a good life as a family of three."

"Oh, and our daughter-in-law and grandson."

"You stay with me. When I die, I will order you and Xun'er to go to the fiefdom. He will be filial to you and provide for you in your old age."

"As for Xun'er's health, now that things have come to this, I won't discuss who is right or wrong. Anyway, I have already put an end to it for him. He has sons, two at that, so I can ensure he has a peaceful old age."

"That's good enough, Concubine. Please stop making trouble."

"I admit it, Xun'er also admits it, you, you should admit it too."

Unable to pull up Concubine Qu, Emperor Yingwu simply squatted down, looking his beloved woman straight in his old eyes.

He said with a wry smile.

As he spoke, Concubine Qu's tears flowed like a spring, dripping down her cheeks and soaking through the brocade on her body.

"Really, it really can't work?"

She choked and her eyes flickered.

Emperor Yingwu smiled bitterly and shook his head.

"But you clearly promised me before!" Concubine Qu was unwilling to give in. She clenched her hands under her sleeves into fists and dug her nails into her palms.

Blood spread out.

Emperor Yingwu avoided her gaze and said, "I am incompetent. I am really making things difficult for you."

"sorry!"

He actually apologized.

The dignified emperor actually apologized to her at the gate of Qiankun Palace in front of countless eunuchs and palace maids.

Concubine Qu immediately understood that he had made up his mind and it could not be reversed no matter what.

However, she was unwilling to give up. She had been invincible for too long. Unlike Xiao Xun, who was suppressed by the prince and had a sense of defeat since childhood, she had not been suppressed or resisted for too long.

I simply cannot accept the concept of losing.

Letting Queen Song take charge, and from then on being a subservient subject to others, and living in fear with her son and his family under the wings of others, for Concubine Qu, this choice is worse than letting her die.

She is going to fight to the death.

Even if we can't bring down the prince, dying together is better than losing!

She gritted her teeth, a sinister light flashing in the depths of her eyes. However, she glanced at the eunuchs and palace maids around her, and forced herself to control her expression, pretending to be weeping and desperate.

Concubine Qu hugged Emperor Yingwu, buried her head in his arms, and cried, "Your Majesty, you are so cruel! How can you apologize to me?"

"You have loved me, Xun'er, for half my life. I remember it all and I am grateful. Since you have made your decision, let it be."

"No matter where you go, no matter what the outcome, Xun'er and I will always be with you."

"We, a family of three, will face this together."

She deliberately emphasized the word 'a family of three'.

"Noble Concubine!" Emperor Yingwu was moved and felt guilty, and hugged Noble Concubine Qu tightly.

A pair of elderly people, who were almost a hundred years old in total, hugged each other tightly at the entrance of Qiankun Hall.

There were eunuchs and palace maids kneeling all around.

-

This farce between Emperor Yingwu and Concubine Qu was full of "audiences", so even if Emperor Yingwu later ordered them to keep it secret, it was definitely not stopped.

Their conversation spread quickly throughout the harem and even among some officials of the former dynasty.

Sentence by sentence, not even a word is different.

Emperor Yingwu's words showed that the court officials had a good feeling. The prince had indeed been very flamboyant and fearless recently, and it seemed that he was about to ascend the throne and take charge!

The old emperor had already stated that he wanted to abdicate, and with the appearance of a new master, naturally there were those who loved to curry favor and began to get close to Xiao Chuo, showing their courtesy and loyalty, doing everything they could.

Even the usually neutrals, fence-sitters, and royalists showed some goodwill towards Xiao Chuo.

Even Shi Lin took the initiative to pay his respects to Xiao Chuo.

After all, the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace controls two armies and has won over the Prime Minister, the Second Prime Minister, and the six ministers. Whether he will take the throne or not is no longer something the old emperor can decide.

Unless he dies suddenly on the spot, he will definitely ascend the throne.

Which minister could resist approaching such a monarch?

All the civil and military officials gathered together happily.

In the harem, the concubines and the princes and princesses surrounded Queen Song endlessly, trying their best to please her, especially the high-ranking concubines. Because Queen Song had not been in power for a long time, and she had just taken over the important event of marrying the Crown Princess in the Eastern Palace, it was inevitable that she was a little uncomfortable with it.

Several concubines who had helped Concubine Qu to manage the six palaces took the initiative to step forward and expressed their willingness to help respectfully and considerately. They did not try to seize power or take the opportunity to place people in positions, but focused on "simply helping".

The unmarried princes and princesses who still stayed in the palace also went to Fengqi Palace every day to wake up at dawn and dusk, and found the time when Queen Song was free to act like filial sons and daughters.

In fact, these high-ranking concubines and princes in the harem, even the adult princes who had been sent out, really had no intention of competing for the throne.

This is also the fault of the old emperor, Concubine Qu and Xiao Xun.

Emperor Yingwu was too partial to Xiao Xun. Except for the position of crown prince, he gave all the good and loved things to Xiao Xun. None of the many princes and princesses in the harem received his love at all.

The concubines could only serve him when Concubine Qu was not convenient.

With this level of imperial favor, why would you even bother to seize the throne?

What do they take?

head?

The throne would go to either the Crown Prince or the Prince of Yan. This was a concept the remaining princes had known since they were old enough to understand. So right now, the Crown Prince had clearly won...