King Xiang of the Red Chamber

Chapter 734: Stars Sink and Moon Fall
Many times, thinking too much can easily lead to getting stuck in a rut, so Zhu Jinghong decided not to think too much about it.

After having breakfast with Baochai, all the girls came over, and those who had children brought their children with them.

It is worth mentioning that Zhen Qin is a lucky person. She gave birth to a son in September last year, and Zhu Jinghong named him Zhu Mutong.

At this moment, the child, who was only half a year old, was in Zhu Jinghong's arms.

By now, Zhu Jinghong already had three sons and two daughters, so he no longer had to worry about the issue of succession.

After everyone talked for a while, it was time to enter the palace, and Zhu Jinghong and Baochai went to the palace again.

The queen was critically ill, and as a son, it was only right for her to go and take care of her.

And this kind of life will become the norm in the future, at least the three families will take turns to serve.

The northwest has been pacified. Today, the Ming Dynasty can be said to have no enemies around the world, but at least there are none in the near future.

There are no major events in the court. The only ongoing activities are land survey and naval expansion, which are now proceeding in an orderly manner. Everything seems to be moving in a good direction.

This should have been an exciting and prosperous time, but the emperor was not very happy because the queen's health was getting worse and worse.

In a blink of an eye, another two months passed and it was mid-May. The Northwest Army had returned victoriously and a grand celebration ceremony was held on May 20th.

Hundreds of generals had been awarded titles and rewards one after another, and everyone was immersed in joy, but the emperor still couldn't be happy.

May 26th was an ordinary day. Zhu Jinghong had not been to the palace in recent days.

After all, the harem belongs to the inner court, and it is inconvenient for too many men to go there, so the princess is responsible for taking care of the sick recently.

As the sun was setting, Baochai returned to the palace. At this time, Zhu Jinghong was watching Xiangyun and Daiyu playing chess.

In accordance with the Queen's order, Xiangyun had been selected into the palace a month ago, and was now the official concubine of the Queen.

Seeing Baochai returning, Zhu Jinghong went up to her and asked about the Queen's situation today.

Sitting on the chair and taking the tea handed by the maid, Baochai slowly replied: "Today, the queen mother looked good. Later in the evening, she drank two bowls of soup and ate two pieces of jewel-embroidered cakes!"

"Is it?"

The Queen has been relying on ginseng soup for her survival recently, and her appetite has never been as good as it is today, which really surprised Zhu Jinghong.

But when he thought about it carefully, he was suddenly startled and stood up from his chair.

Seeing his abnormal behavior, Baochai was surprised, but then she realized what was going on and her face changed drastically.

"What's going on?" Daiyu couldn't help asking.

"Or... let's go to the palace and take a look?" Baochai looked hesitant.

After a brief thought, Zhu Jinghong replied: "If we go at this time, I'm afraid the palace gates will be locked!"

After a few moments of silence, Baochai insisted, "Let's go and take a look. If there is really something wrong, the palace gate will open!"

"it is good!"

So the couple went out again and headed for the palace under the escort of the guards.

They arrived in time and the Dong'an Gate had not been locked yet, so they entered the imperial city.

However, when they arrived at Donghua Gate, they found that the palace gate had been closed, so they were a little late.

Even if Zhu Jinghong wanted to go in, he would have to ask for permission at this time.

Just as he was following the normal procedure, the Donghua Gate, which had been locked not long ago, opened again, and a dozen eunuchs hurriedly ran out.

"Master Thirteen, you... why are you here?"

Seeing these people's terrified faces, Zhu Jinghong suddenly became nervous and asked, "Why did you leave the palace?"

"Master Thirteen, something terrible has happened. The Empress has fainted. His Majesty has ordered me to summon all the princes and princesses to the palace as soon as possible!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Jinghong felt as if he had been hit hard, and he stood there in a daze.

But the next moment, he pushed away the people in front of him and rushed directly into the Donghua Gate, with Baochai following closely behind him.

The two of them hurried to Kunning Palace, and at this time the emperor and the concubines in the harem had already arrived outside Kunning Palace.

However, these concubines could only wait outside the palace, each with a solemn expression and a serious look in their eyes.

Zhu Jinghong ignored these people and rushed straight into the main hall. No one stopped him along the way.

He ran faster, so Baochai was left behind. It was a long time before she entered Kunning Gate, panting.

"Princess, His Highness has gone in!" A noble of lower rank came forward to show goodwill.

Even though the other person did not have a high status in the harem, he was still her elder, so Baochai still thanked him and returned the gift.

Back in the Queen's bedroom, Zhu Jinghong came to the Queen's bed and saw the Emperor standing beside her.

At this moment, Zhu Xianming had a sad and frightened look on his face, and he looked at the queen with concern.

Even after Zhu Jinghong entered the palace, Zhu Xianming did not turn back, for he was afraid that the queen would not look at him more after waking up.

"mother……"

Zhu Jinghong rushed over, knelt in front of the couch, tears falling continuously, but before he could call out a few more times, he was stopped by the emperor.

"Just speak quietly and don't scare your mother!" Zhu Xianming's face was gloomy.

So Zhu Jinghong stopped talking, and then, like the emperor, he waited quietly in the same place.

After a while, Baochai rushed in and knelt behind Zhu Jinghong.

Three pairs of eyes were all staring at the couch, waiting for the queen to wake up.

Time passed very slowly, causing the three people in front of the bed to feel tormented.

About twenty minutes later, the Crown Prince and his wife entered the hall. Ten minutes later, Prince Rui also arrived, followed by Zhu Yunsheng and his wife.

Later, the princes of various counties also arrived one after another, but they could only wait in the outer hall.

The atmosphere in the Queen's bedroom was extremely solemn, and Baochai and three other sisters-in-law sobbed in a tacit understanding, which just set off the sad atmosphere.

Among the four women, Zhu Yunsheng cried the most sadly, with tears flowing continuously but without any sound.

Just like that, another half an hour passed, and the queen finally woke up leisurely.

When her cough sounded, everyone moved closer to the queen's bed as if by reflex.

"Go and call the imperial physician!" Zhu Xianming shouted.

"Your Majesty... stop... stop making trouble!" Yang Qingyin's voice was weak, like a candle in the wind.

"Okay... okay... let's not make any trouble and call the imperial physician. You just take a good rest and don't... don't talk!" At this moment, Zhu Xianming was so anxious that his words stuttered.

At this moment, Yang Qingyin closed her eyes slightly and said, "Your Majesty, I...I have something to say!"

"You say...you say, I'm listening. The fourth brother, the sixth brother, the thirteenth brother, and Sheng'er are all here!" Zhu Xianming held his wife's hand, his voice choked with sobs.

He already knew that he would lose his wife tonight, which made him feel more painful than a knife cutting his heart.

"All...all of you get out...Old Four...stay...stay!"

Zhu Xianming nodded and said, "You all go out, and the fourth one stays!"

Although everyone was reluctant to go out, they did not dare to disobey orders at this time, so they could only get up and leave the hall.

"Your Majesty, you...you should go out first!"

"Qingyin!"

Zhu Xianming was reluctant to leave, but when he saw his wife's pleading eyes, he had to go out even though he was reluctant.

"Take good care of your mother and be careful with your words!"

"I understand, son!" replied the prince.

When Zhu Xianming went out, Zhu Jingyuan hurriedly crawled to the edge of the couch, ready to listen to his mother's final instructions.

Over the past few decades, the Queen has taken good care of the Crown Prince and can be regarded as his most powerful supporter, so the Crown Prince has a deep affection for his mother.

Before the Queen even opened her mouth, the Prince was already sobbing...

The Queen was giving instructions here, and at this moment in the outer hall, the Emperor himself was sitting on the main seat, with several high-ranking concubines on his left and right.

Next are Zhu Jinghong’s two siblings, a group of princes and princesses, and the older imperial grandchildren.

The atmosphere at the scene was extremely solemn. Dozens of people gathered here, but there was no sound at all. A few minutes later, the prince came out, but his face was still covered with tears.

"Sixth brother, mother wants you to come in!"

Sixth brother... This title even made Zhu Jingyuan feel unfamiliar, as he was rarely called that by the prince.

This inevitably reminded him of his life in Prince Jing's Mansion, when they indeed had a deep brotherly love.

With a sigh in his heart, Zhu Jingyuan walked into the inner hall. The past could not be undone.

A few minutes later, Zhu Jingyuan left the Queen's bedroom, but at this moment, like Zhu Jingyuan, he kept wiping his tears with his sleeves.

"Thirteenth brother, the Queen Mother wants you to come in!"

Zhu Jinghong moved quickly and hurried to the inner hall, only to see the queen looking at the door.

Pale face, prominent cheekbones, bloodless lips, sunken eye sockets...

All these indicate that the queen is at the end of her life and may die at any time.

"Mother..." Zhu Jinghong knelt on the ground and then crawled to the queen's bed.

"Thirteen……"

"My son is here, my son is here!"

Holding his old mother's dry hand, Zhu Jinghong felt extremely sad. It had only been a short time and things had turned out like this.

It is at such times that people tend to think more. For example, what came to Zhu Jinghong's mind was his mother who was extremely beautiful when she was a child.

"You...are...a...good kid!"

The queen's breath was weak and her words were difficult to understand, so Zhu Jinghong had a hard time understanding her words.

"Although you...are good at martial arts, you are...most kind and filial!"

"you……"

Next, Yang Qingyin spoke a few more words intermittently, and she almost lost her breath during the conversation, which frightened Zhu Jinghong so much that he was at a loss and extremely sad.

"Mom, please stop talking and take a good rest!"

Yang Qingyin just wanted to finish explaining what was on her mind, but she continued: "No... don't..."

"To embarrass you..."

The three words "embarrass you" were as silent as the Queen's voice. Zhu Jinghong really didn't hear clearly, so he asked carefully: "Mother, what do you want?"

Yang Qingyin said it again, and Zhu Jinghong only vaguely heard "Fourth Brother" and "Sixth Brother", but still didn't hear the words in between.

Seeing that her younger son didn't hear clearly, Yang Qingyin said it again, but unfortunately her breath was even weaker this time, and it became difficult for her to even speak.

Zhu Jinghong saw this scene. In order not to make his old mother anxious, he roughly guessed what the queen wanted to say based on what she said before and after.

"Mom...don't worry, we brothers will never make trouble again!"

Although the meaning was different from what she expressed, it was still somewhat related, and Yang Qingyin finally felt better.

She nodded slightly and looked outside the door.

"Mother... do you want to see Sheng'er?"

But Yang Qingyin shook her head, so Zhu Jinghong asked again: "Do you want to see the emperor?"

Seeing his mother nod slightly, Zhu Jinghong nodded quickly: "Son will go and invite the emperor right away!"

Without any delay, Zhu Jinghong ran out of the hall and reported the situation to the emperor.

Zhu Xianming had been waiting impatiently. Hearing these words, he seemed to become much younger in an instant and ran in with his robe in hand.

Just as Zhu Jinghong stood still, Baochai came up behind him and asked, "Who is the queen mother?"

Zhu Jinghong didn't answer, but just sighed.

Then, he looked at the fourth and sixth brothers opposite him, thinking about what his mother had told him.

The Crown Prince and Prince Rui both felt uncomfortable being stared at by him, so they turned their gazes away.

After a while, Zhu Yunsheng was also called in, but the emperor himself did not come out again.

About a few minutes later, Zhu Yunsheng's crying voice was suddenly heard from inside. The people waiting in the hall were stunned for a moment, and then they understood what had happened.

The Crown Prince, Prince Rui, and Zhu Jinghong, the three brothers, almost simultaneously rushed towards the aisle of the bedroom.

But the aisle was so wide that three people walked side by side, which caused crowding and friction. They were pulling each other and pushing each other, and there was no grace or elegance at all.

In comparison, Baochai and the other three were more elegant. They walked into the inner hall with lotus steps, followed by several concubines.

At the same time, the concubines, princes and princesses inside and outside the hall, as well as the emperor's grandchildren waiting outside, all knelt down one after another and began to mourn.

When Zhu Jinghong and his companions entered the inner hall, they saw that the queen had been helped up and was lying sideways in Zhu Xianming's arms.

Even though the queen had passed away, Zhu Xianming still did not let go and held his wife tightly with both hands, tears streaming down his face.

Seeing his sons enter the palace, Zhu Xianming found an outlet for his emotions.

Then he heard him crying, "Qingyin... wake up quickly, the children are here!"

"Wake up quickly... I order you to wake up quickly!"

Zhu Xianming, who was once wise, was like a madman at this moment, constantly shaking the queen in his arms.

The prince, who was kneeling in the front, could not bear to see his mother suffer such a pain, so he unexpectedly knelt forward and grabbed the emperor's shaking hand.

"Dad... let Mom rest in peace!" Zhu Jingyuan burst into tears.

At this moment, the Zhu family father and sons no longer cared about their image and showed the emotions that normal people should have.

"Fourth Brother, your mother... is gone, she is gone!" Zhu Xianming's voice was hoarse and he took a breath before he finished speaking.

He couldn't bear to say the word "death", so he used "gone" instead, but this was just deceiving himself.

"How could she go away alone? How could she leave me alone?"

"Why did she leave me alone?"

By the end of his speech, Zhu Xianming had shown signs of being furious, his eyes were red like a wild beast.

"It's all the fault of those quack doctors and servants. They killed the queen!"

"Someone come..." Zhu Xianming shouted these two words with all his might.

"Dad... Mom said before she died that this is fate and she doesn't want you to blame others!"

"Does Dad want Mom to leave without peace of mind?"

The person who said this was not any of the three Zhu Jinghong brothers, but Zhu Yunsheng, who had taken care of the queen the longest in the past six months.

The emperor had obviously lost his mind at this moment. Zhu Jinghong and the prince were assessing the situation. The sixth brother had no intention of interrupting at all. Only Zhu Yunsheng stood up bravely.

The reason that supported her in saying this was that she really remembered her mother's instructions and did not want the matter that her mother was worried about to end badly.

At this time, Zhu Jinghong said: "Dad... please calm down, mom's spirit in heaven is watching you!"

Zhu Xianming took these words to heart and they calmed him down a lot.

But he couldn't swallow this breath, so he issued an order: "The death penalty can be avoided, but the living crime cannot be escaped... All those involved will be imprisoned and exiled to Yili!"

His wife died, "killed" by these people. Zhu Xianming really wanted to kill people. In fact, he wanted to exterminate these human beings even more.

For now, just imprisoning or exiling these people was already a lenient sentence for him. The Queen's legacy had indeed played a big role.

Under the flickering candlelight, Zhu Xianming looked like a ferocious beast, and no one dared to persuade him at this moment.

Next, Zhu Xianming waved away everyone as he wanted to spend some time alone with the queen.

This is actually not in line with the royal system, after all, there are things like bathing, changing clothes, and burial afterwards.

But in the palace, Zhu Xianming's words are the rules, so everyone can only wait in the outer hall.

The night is vast, the stars sink and the moon sets, and the soul of the virtuous queen returns to heaven.

(End of this chapter)