Chapter 682 - 684: Trump Card

Chapter 682: Chapter 684: Trump Card

Li Qiong visited Mr. Zhu and Hua Manman almost every day to see if they had woken up.

However, three days passed, and the two remained comatose.

They showed no signs of waking up at all.

To make matters worse, war reports kept pouring in from the front lines. The rebel army, led by the Regent King Li Ji, was advancing with unstoppable momentum, conquering cities and seizing territory as they marched straight for Tianjing.

Li Qiong was frantic, but he had to maintain a calm facade to steady the court’s morale.

In the blink of an eye, the day of the Emperor’s funeral arrived.

The funeral was a major affair. Even with a great enemy approaching, it could not be omitted.

As the Crown Prince, Li Qiong had to step forward and preside over the proceedings.

He suppressed his unease, donned the magnificent and solemn crown robe, and led the officials in escorting the Emperor’s coffin out of the capital.

The entire city was placed under martial law, and the people were ordered to stay behind closed doors.

The long streets were silent.

The funeral procession advanced slowly.

The accompanying concubines and the civil and military officials all wailed, their cries so heart-rending it felt as though the world was ending.

Whatever their true feelings, this was the time to force tears from their eyes to demonstrate their loyalty to the Emperor.

A place for the Emperor had long been prepared within the Imperial Mausoleum.

After a series of tedious ceremonies, the Emperor’s coffin was interred in the burial chamber. Crown Prince Li Qiong personally inscribed the tombstone with the Emperor’s posthumous title, name, and the year and month of his death.

When all the rituals were complete, the crowd withdrew from the mausoleum.

The mausoleum was closed and sealed shut.

The weather was foul that day. Dark clouds hung heavy in the sky, and the air was stiflingly hot, as if a great storm could break at any moment.

It was a perfect reflection of their mood.

The Emperor was dead, the Crown Prince was still young, and the Regent King was watching like a tiger stalking its prey.

How long could the Great Zhou Dynasty survive?

Li Qiong returned to the palace by carriage.

Though his body was exhausted, his mind was still racing.

He first went to check on Mr. Zhu and Hua Manman. Seeing they still hadn’t woken up, he felt a keen sense of disappointment.

Afterward, he summoned the Left Chancellor and Right Prime Minister to inquire about the progress of quelling the rebellion.

Mr. Zhu had suggested using Hua Manman’s identity to threaten Li Ji into surrendering, but the tactic was too despicable. Especially after what Hua Manman had said, Li Qiong’s conscience was pricked; he could not bring himself to use a woman as a human shield.

In the end, he stuck to the original plan and dispatched a veteran general to lead an army against the rebels.

To be safe, Li Qiong mobilized nearly every man he had at his disposal, hoping to use his numerical advantage to crush Li Ji in one fell swoop, giving him no chance to make a comeback.

The Left Chancellor reported truthfully.

"Our forces are still en route to the front. It will be approximately five more days before they engage the rebel army. I urge Your Highness to be patient."

The Right Prime Minister added,

"Now that the late Emperor has passed, the realm cannot be without a sovereign for even a day. The court officials are waiting for the new emperor to be enthroned. We hope Your Highness will ascend the throne as soon as possible to bring stability to the court and the people."

Having been raised since childhood to be the Crown Prince, Li Qiong naturally understood the protocol for succession.

He could not agree directly. Instead, he adopted a humble demeanor, stating that he was still mourning his imperial father’s passing and had no mind for anything else at the moment.

The Left Chancellor and Right Prime Minister, understanding their roles, began to offer words of comfort and persuasion.

But Li Qiong remained firm in his refusal.

The next morning, the Left Chancellor and Right Prime Minister led the civil and military officials to the gates of the Crown Prince Mansion. They knelt and implored the Crown Prince to ascend the throne as soon as possible.

Li Qiong refused several times, but as he could no longer decline their pleas, he was finally "forced" to agree.

This scene of harmony between sovereign and ministers was recorded by the court historians, destined to be immortalized in the annals of history as a celebrated tale.

The new emperor’s crown robe had been made long ago and was a perfect fit. Everything else needed for the enthronement ceremony was also ready. All that remained was for the Honglu Temple to choose an auspicious day for Li Qiong to formally ascend the throne.

Everyone in the palace was frantically busy with the preparations.

But at this moment, the Empress Dowager suddenly sought out Li Qiong.

She had come to remind him of something.

"Your imperial father has been interred. Isn’t it time for Princess Consort Zhen to leave the palace?"

Li Qiong was loath to send his mother away, but it was a matter he had long since promised. He could not go back on his word, so he could only agree with great reluctance.

"Thank you for the reminder, Grand Empress Dowager. Your grandson will arrange for my mother to be escorted from the palace tomorrow."

But the Empress Dowager said, "I see the day is still young, and the weather is fine. There is no need to delay until tomorrow. Send her away today. Once she is gone, you can focus on your preparations to ascend the throne."