Her Majesty Chose Violence, They Chose Her

Chapter 22: Chapter 22: The Emperor is Dead

On the seventh day since the Little Emperor was poisoned, she finally succumbed.

Upon hearing that the Little Emperor had died, the Empress Dowager felt not a shred of grief—only the ecstasy of a successful plan.

"The heavens are truly on my side!"

"Quick, inform Duke Rong!"

The Empress Dowager deliberately changed into dark, somber robes. Once Duke Rong arrived at the palace with a group of officials, they marched in a great procession toward Zichen Palace.

The Regent King’s men were still there. For the past two days, Rong Yin had kept a constant vigil over the Little Emperor, and it was Han Yang who had administered all the acupuncture and medicine.

’The Regent King has murdered the Emperor. That crime alone is enough for us to have him executed!’

’Rong Yin is finished this time!’

To eliminate two of her greatest threats in one fell swoop... The corners of the Empress Dowager’s lips curled up in a smile she could barely suppress. It was only when she reached the entrance of Zichen Palace that she managed to rein in her delight, forcing a pained and furious expression onto her face.

"Rong Yin, that ambitious wolf, has murdered His Majesty! He intends to usurp the throne! I ask you all to join me in bringing this traitor to justice and avenging our Emperor!"

The Empress Dowager launched her attack immediately, and Duke Rong personally led his men to storm the hall.

The Regent King’s men made no move to stop them. The guards, along with the court officials, all flooded inside.

A screen inside had been moved aside, revealing the Regent King sitting by the Dragon Bed. On the bed lay a slight, still figure.

Ordinarily, one might have thought the Emperor was merely asleep. But now, no matter how they looked, they saw only a corpse.

"My son!!"

The Empress Dowager let out a heart-rending wail and threw herself toward the Dragon Bed. The Little Emperor lay perfectly still. Her body, though still retaining a hint of warmth, was far colder than a living person’s, chilling to the touch. Her chest did not rise or fall.

Though ecstatic, the Empress Dowager found it hard to believe her child was truly dead. Trembling, she reached out to check for breath beneath the Little Emperor’s nose. The moment she confirmed there was none, a genuine sliver of grief pierced her heart. "My son!"

’This was her only child!’

Shaking, she pointed a finger at the Regent King. "Rong Yin! You dared to murder my son! How could you be so venomous?"

Rong Yin watched her performance with utter indifference. "Wasn’t it you who poisoned Her Majesty? When it comes to venom, I am no match for the Empress Dowager, who would even strike down her own flesh and blood."

Duke Rong immediately stepped forward, glaring as he roared, "Rong Yin, you murdered His Majesty! The evidence is irrefutable, and your crime is unpardonable. Cease your sophistry! Men, seize him!"

Rong Yin’s men instantly moved to form a protective circle around him.

Doctor Han stepped forward. "Your Excellencies, please hear me out. Seven days ago, His Majesty suddenly fell ill. In truth, it was not an illness. The Empress Dowager had administered a rare poison from the Western Regions in an attempt to control him. Four days ago, unable to bear the torment, His Majesty escaped and jumped from the palace wall in full public view, only to be saved by the Regent King. This is something you all witnessed."

"Nonsense! The Emperor is the child I carried for ten months—my only child! How could I possibly harm her?"

The Empress Dowager bellowed.

Duke Rong and Liu Zhongwen understood that if Doctor Han continued, it would be detrimental to the Empress Dowager, so they gave the order to act.

"Stop!"

At that critical moment, Prince Jing arrived with several other dukes and members of the Royal Family.

Prince Jing, walking at the head of the group, strode to the Dragon Bed. He gazed at the breathless Little Emperor on the bed and took a deep breath. "What in the world happened to the Emperor?"

The Empress Dowager pointed a trembling finger at Rong Yin. "It was him! He is the one who killed His Majesty!"

Doctor Han repeated his earlier explanation, then continued, "For the past several days, I have been using acupuncture to purge the poison and doing everything in my power to save His Majesty. He was incredibly resilient and took his medicine diligently. But unfortunately, the poison was simply too potent. To this day, no one has ever survived it."

In other words, the Emperor was dead—poisoned by the Empress Dowager.

"You lie! How could I possibly poison my own child?"

The Empress Dowager clutched the Little Emperor’s sleeve tightly. "My child was always so good, so obedient, but recently she has repeatedly defied me. She merely had a common cold! Doctor Zhou examined her and prescribed medicine. But Rong Yin killed my people and insisted on having Han Yang perform acupuncture on His Majesty, claiming he was poisoned."

"His Majesty was bewitched by them and no longer trusted me! That’s how he fell into Rong Yin’s demonic clutches! He is the one to blame! This is all his fault!"

"I never should have backed down... I should never have left her side... It’s my fault. I am the one who failed my son..."

The Empress Dowager’s cries were heart-wrenching. Who could witness the grief of a mother who had lost her son and not be moved?

’And her version of events did seem plausible. The Little Emperor had been rebellious and defiant lately. Without someone’s backing, how would she have dared to be so audacious?’

"Regent King, how do you explain yourself?"

Rong Yin: "..."

’What was there to explain? How he’d been set up by the Little Emperor?’

"If I were truly plotting to usurp the throne, would I have given you all the opportunity to stand here and question me?"

Duke Rong’s gaze was sharp. "Is the Regent King suggesting that His Majesty would rather trust you than his own mother?"

Liu Zhongwen added, "His Majesty is dead. That is an indisputable fact, no matter how you try to argue. If the Regent King’s conscience is clear, then he will surrender without resistance."

The Empress Dowager rose to her feet, her voice full of fury. "Guards! Seize him!"

Rong Yin shot her a glacial look. "The Empress Dowager knows better than I do why Her Majesty truly died. You claim I committed regicide for the throne? Very well. Today, before everyone, I will swear an oath to never covet the throne. Let’s see what that reveals about the Empress Dowager’s true colors."

"A nation cannot be without a ruler for a single day. Her Majesty had no brothers and no heirs." His gaze fell upon Prince Jing. "I propose that we enthrone Prince Jing as the new Emperor. Does anyone object?"

Although the officials aligned with the Regent King were reluctant, they could see that the situation was highly unusual.

After a moment of consideration, they stepped forward. "A nation cannot be without a ruler. We are willing to support Prince Jing as the new Emperor."

Seeing this, the neutral factions immediately made their choice. Prince Jing was the late Emperor’s elder brother, a direct descendant of the true royal bloodline. The throne was rightfully his.

"We are willing to support Prince Jing as the new Emperor."

The Empress Dowager was livid. "On what grounds?"

’All the power she had so carefully schemed to obtain... why should it all be handed to someone else on a silver platter?’

Duke Rong demanded, "His Majesty’s body is not yet cold! Our first priority should be to find out who murdered him and bring the culprit to justice, not to debate who will take the throne!"

Duke Liang, who held Duke Rong in the greatest contempt, snorted coldly. "The two matters are not mutually exclusive. Once Prince Jing becomes the new Emperor, he will naturally avenge his own nephew. Prince Jing would never spare the villain who murdered the Emperor. Why are you in such a hurry?"

Duke Rong shot back, "The Empress Dowager can adopt an outstanding child from the Royal Family to be the new Emperor. Why must it be Prince Jing?"

Duke Liang retorted, "His Majesty has only just died, and you’ve already picked out a successor? Who is it that truly wanted to murder the Emperor? Could it be that this was your premeditated plot all along? A scheme that would also conveniently eliminate the Regent King. How insidious."

Duke Rong gritted his teeth in fury. "You know nothing! Stop making such vile accusations!"