The more cowardly a person is, the more wild they are; I've driven the villainous minister craz

Yun Shang suddenly stopped in his tracks.

The scene of the emperor summoning him yesterday flashed before his eyes.

At that time, Li Yuanhe was in good spirits and even smiled and said to him, "Yunqing, I feel much lighter today."

They also discussed disaster relief, little did anyone know that would be their last meeting.

"When did this happen?" Yun Shang's voice was so low it was almost inaudible.

“At three-quarters past midnight…” Xiao Fuzi choked up, “His Majesty passed away in his sleep…”

"His Majesty passed away peacefully. Before going to sleep, he said he wanted to summon the Minister of Works the next day to discuss the construction of the irrigation canal..."

Because Old Man Feng had instructed that the eunuchs who served the Emperor in the Hall of Longevity should check the Emperor's breathing every two hours each night.

Xiao Fuzi has been handling this matter. Lately, he has hardly dared to sleep deeply at night and has developed the habit of waking up every two hours.

The first few times, he nervously tried to check the emperor's breath, fearing he would touch something cold. These past few days, seeing that His Majesty's complexion had improved, he thought his condition had improved. But tonight, when he tried to check the emperor's breath, he found nothing.

The emperor had stopped breathing, but his body still retained some warmth and had not completely cooled down.

Xiao Fuzi suddenly broke down in tears, slapping himself hard with both hands, "It's all my fault, it's all my fault! If only I had discovered it sooner, if only I had discovered it sooner..."

But everyone knows that even if Xiao Fuzi had discovered it earlier, it would have been useless.

Li Yuanhe's fate has come to an end.

Yu Wan gently supported Yun Shang's arm, feeling his stiffness and her heart aching.

She turned to Xiao Fuzi and asked, "How are Her Majesty the Empress and His Highness the Crown Prince?"

"The Empress Dowager was holding His Majesty in the Hall of Longevity and weeping uncontrollably, and the young Crown Prince was also by His Majesty's side..." Xiao Fuzi wiped away her tears.

Yu Wan patted Yun Shang's arm and said softly, "Yun Shang, let's go into the palace first."

Yun Shang, who had seemed to have lost his mind after hearing of Li Yuanhe's death, finally reacted. He nodded mechanically and walked towards the inner palace.

From afar, one could hear the woman's heart-wrenching cries: "Your Majesty! How could you bear to abandon me—"

"Whoa whoa-"

There was also the sound of the little prince crying.

Yun Shang strode into the Hall of Longevity, where the concubines and palace servants were kneeling on the floor. Yun Shang walked through the empty space and saw Li Yuanhe lying on the dragon bed.

His face was very pale, but the corners of his mouth were slightly upturned, and his expression was relaxed and happy, as if he were asleep and having a sweet dream.

No wonder Xiao Fuzi said that His Majesty passed away peacefully.

Perhaps Li Yuanhe dreamt of the prosperous Zhao Dynasty ten years later, a time of peace and prosperity for the nation.

Yun Shang slowly knelt before the dragon bed, his eyes lowered and he remained silent.

The little prince lay on the dragon bed, his little hands tightly gripping the emperor's already cold hand as he cried incessantly. He was clearly not even two years old, yet he seemed to understand that his father, who could pick him up and ride him on horseback, was no longer there.

Beside her, the Empress was crying uncontrollably, completely ignoring the young Crown Prince.

Yu Wan watched this scene and sighed almost imperceptibly.

The little prince is still so young; it's not good for him to cry like this.

Yu Wan went over and picked up the little prince, trying to comfort him, but she had never comforted a child before, and her attempts were completely ineffective. Instead, the little prince cried even harder because he was taken away from his father.

Yu Wan was extremely anxious and quickly squatted down to hand the little prince to Yun Shang, saying, "Yun Shang, please comfort the little prince!"

She directly placed the little prince into Yun Shang's arms, and Yun Shang subconsciously reached out to hug him.

Surprisingly, the moment the little prince was embraced by Yun Shang, his previously wailing expression suddenly stopped. His fair little face was still covered with tears, and his dark, grape-like eyes seemed to have been washed by rain.

He just stared straight at Yun Shang.

Yun Shang looked down at the little prince in her arms; the child's soft body carried a faint milky fragrance.

Those eyes, identical to Li Yuanhe's, were staring at him intently, sending a shiver down his spine.

"Your Majesty..." Yun Shang's voice was hoarse as he gently wiped away the tears on the young prince's face. "Don't be afraid, I'm here."

This sound caused the Empress and the other concubines and palace servants in the hall to pause in their weeping.

The Empress stared blankly at Yun Shang and the little prince in his arms.

The little prince reached out his small hand and grabbed a strand of Yun Shang's hair, laughing as if he had found something fun.

Looking at the innocent little prince, Yun Shang remembered Li Yuanhe's instructions and hugged the little prince even tighter: "Your Highness, I will do my best to assist you."

The Empress let out a barely perceptible sigh of relief.

The fact that Yun Shang could solemnly say this in front of the emperor at least guarantees that he will not harm the young crown prince before he comes of age.

Yu Wan watched from the side and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

She turned to the Empress, who was still choking with sobs, and said softly, "Your Majesty, please accept my condolences. You are the mother of the nation, and now all the affairs of the palace need your attention. Please take good care of yourself."

The Empress finally managed to stop crying and stood up with the help of her maids: "I understand."

Yun Shang, holding the little prince, rose and bowed to the Empress: "Your Majesty, please accept my condolences. The late Emperor has passed away, but the country cannot be without a ruler for a day. I request that preparations for the new Emperor's enthronement ceremony be made immediately after the late Emperor's funeral to ensure the stability of the nation."

The Empress looked at the child in Yun Shang's arms, tears welling in her eyes, and choked out, "The Regent can make the decision. Everything... is in the Regent's hands."

……

As the sun gradually rose, golden rays streamed into the palace through the window lattices.

Yun Shang carried the little prince to the outside of the palace, where civil and military officials were already kneeling on the ground.

"The late emperor has passed away, and Crown Prince Li Yu will ascend the throne on an auspicious day." Yun Shang's clear, cold voice echoed throughout the Hall of Longevity. "The Ministry of Rites will conduct the funeral in accordance with regulations, keeping everything simple."

No one objected to the first half of the statement, but when the second half was uttered, many officials showed their dissatisfaction.

"Why simplify things? The national treasury is not short of money right now."

"Your Majesty has rendered great service to the nation; how can your funeral be conducted in a simple manner?"

"This is His Majesty's will," Yun Shang said calmly.

The Empress, who then emerged from the Hall of Longevity, also said, "I know that etiquette should not be easily disregarded, but this matter was indeed entrusted to me personally by His Majesty."

"His Majesty once said that the national treasury is indeed not short of money, but the treasury is taken from the people and should be used for the people. Many people are still not enough to eat or wear. His Majesty only wishes that the money in the national treasury can be used to its fullest potential. As for his affairs after his death..."

The Empress couldn't help but choke back tears, saying, "There's no need for a grand celebration."

Upon hearing these words, the ministers were even more grief-stricken.

Almost all of them prostrated themselves on the ground and wept bitterly, crying out, "Your Majesty—"

"His Majesty!"

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

"The Great Zhao is truly fortunate to have Your Majesty!"

Yun Shang stood before the palace, holding the gradually calming little prince in his arms, his gaze sweeping over the kneeling officials outside the palace.

The morning sun shone on his plain white robes, highlighting his handsome features, yet also exuding an undeniable air of authority.

The Minister of Rites stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Highness, the late Emperor has passed away. Please decide on the matter of his posthumous title."

Yun Shang lowered her eyes, looking at the innocent little prince in her arms. She recalled that Li Yuanhe was still thinking about building irrigation canals and providing relief to disaster victims before his death, and slowly said: "The late emperor was benevolent and loved the people all his life, and he still cared about the people even on his deathbed. His posthumous title should be 'Ren' (benevolent)."

He paused, then said in a clear and solemn voice, "The proposed posthumous title is 'Renzong'."

"Emperor Renzong..."

The courtiers repeated in hushed tones, then bowed deeply in unison, saying, "The Regent is wise! The late Emperor ruled with benevolence and deserves this posthumous title."

"Emperor Renzong's sagacious virtue shines forth!"