FBC – Chapter 365 The Crown Prince Is Incapable

“The memorial didn’t go into detail; it only said that Prince Yong unexpectedly saved the Fourth Prince, who was being pursued by bandits, and then the Fourth Prince stayed at the military camp. Over the past two years, he has fought alongside the Mu family army in several small battles and earned considerable merit. Based on his achievements, he is now a general in the Mu family army. The memorial requested that his merits be reported to His Majesty.”

“That!” Empress Dowager Sun’s face turned ashen.

“Consort De, excellent!”

King Cheng’s expression was grim. “It seems the matter is not simple.”

He pondered for a moment. “If it doesn’t work…”

He struck the table with his palm.

Both Empress Dowager Sun and the officials nearby flinched slightly, then immediately nodded.

Empress Dowager Sun’s expression turned dark. “It should have been done long ago. I can’t bear it any longer!”

King Cheng looked at the officials. “Before they returned to the capital, the palace unfortunately flooded.”

The officials were shocked but dared not speak further; they turned and left.

Two days later, a sudden fire broke out in the emperor’s sleeping palace. Quan Zhong ran out, engulfed in flames, shouting for help to save the emperor.

The entire palace descended into chaos as people rushed to extinguish the fire.

However, the blaze was too intense. By the time it was put out, the emperor, bedridden with a serious illness, had been burned to a blackened corpse.

Empress Dowager Sun and King Cheng hurried over, and Empress Dowager Sun began to weep loudly.

King Cheng grabbed a palace servant who had helped with the firefighting. “Where is His Majesty?”

The servant cried, “His Majesty is in the inner chamber! The fire was too intense, I couldn’t get in… His Majesty… His Majesty is gone.”

King Cheng felt a slight relief but remained uneasy. “Are you sure? Who saw it with their own eyes?”

The servant pointed to a corpse not far away. “Zuo Ban Dudu, who would never leave His Majesty’s side, ran out calling for help but was burned to death. His Majesty was bedridden—there was no way he could escape.”

Empress Dowager Sun covered her face, wailing, then lifted her head to sneak a glance at her father, who happened to be looking.

They understood each other at once and immediately headed toward the charred hall.

A palace officer hurriedly stopped them. “Empress Dowager, King Cheng, the temperature inside is too high. You can’t go in!”

Empress Dowager Sun choked on her words. “But His Majesty is still in there!”

“The Forbidden Guards have gone in. Soon… they will carry His Majesty out.”

Empress Dowager Sun collapsed to her knees. “Your Majesty, why did you leave me behind?”

King Cheng sighed. “Empress Dowager, the emperor’s funeral must be arranged quickly. Stop crying for now.”

The empress was helped to her feet by the attendants and shakily returned to the palace to arrange the emperor’s funeral.

When the Crown Prince and Gu Hua arrived in Bianjing, the entire city was shrouded in mourning.

White flags with black borders and white lanterns adorned every street, and passersby wore plain mourning clothes.

Zhao Luoxuan and Zhao Yuxuan’s faces immediately turned pale.

As princess and princes, they naturally knew this was a national tragedy.

The city’s defending generals knelt and saluted when they saw the Crown Prince’s carriage.

Zhao Luoxuan could hardly contain herself. She lifted the curtain of the carriage and asked, “What happened?”

The defending general’s eyes were red. “Reporting to Princess, His Majesty has passed away.”

“Impossible! How could Father…” Zhao Luoxuan screamed, her eyes instantly reddening.

She quickly turned to Gu Hua inside the carriage. “Sister, I leave Qi’er in your care.”

She jumped out of the carriage and pointed at a Forbidden Guard. “Give me a horse!”

The guard dismounted immediately. Zhao Luoxuan leapt onto the horse. “To the palace!”

Zhao Yuxuan and the other two followed, racing toward the palace with Zhao Luoxuan.

Gu Hua held Tuantuan with one hand and Duan Qi with the other. “Chiyu, ensure the Fourth Prince’s safety.”

“Don’t worry, Princess. We have people with us, and Consort De has also sent people to support us inside the palace.”

Only then did Gu Hua feel reassured.

Chiyu lowered his voice. “Princess, we should return to the residence first.”

Gu Hua was calm; the emperor had been seriously ill and bedridden for over two years, so he wasn’t expected to live long.

How he died didn’t matter as much as the next moves of the empress and King Cheng.

“Where will we stay?”

“In a mansion east of the city. The three thousand Black Armored Guards can’t enter the city, so everything has been arranged in advance.”

Gu Hua nodded. “Good, let’s go. The empress is probably too preoccupied with the emperor now.”

The eastern mansion had originally belonged to the Mu family. After handling the Prince of Yong’s estate, most of the Mu family’s properties were sold, leaving only one mansion in the mountains.

Upon arrival, over a dozen people waited at the gates. Seeing Gu Hua’s carriage, they knelt and shouted greetings to the princess and the young prince.

Gu Hua recognized all the familiar faces.

Once settled, she called Chiyu.

“Where is Qing’e? I want to see her.”

Chiyu replied, “Understood. I’ll arrange it immediately.”

After dinner, Qing’e arrived.

Gu Hua saw her dressed in fine silk with jade hairpins in her hair.

“You…”

Qing’e bowed. “Zhao Yuxuan arranged it. I deliberately left traces of my whereabouts. He sent people to find me and placed me in a house east of the city to wait for his return.”

Gu Hua sighed. “It must have been tough on you.”

Qing’e smiled. “Not at all. I did it for myself.”

Gu Hua had her sit, and Sui’er served tea and snacks.

“When did His Majesty pass away?”

Qing’e set down her cup. “Yesterday. There was suddenly a fire in the palace. The next day, it was announced publicly that His Majesty had died. Those who served me said the palace was preparing for the grand funeral. They also said the Crown Prince would arrive in two days.”

Gu Hua thought for a moment. “Do you know if the Crown Prince has chosen a crown princess?”

“Yes, I know. He told me himself. He said he’d try to make me his concubine.”

Qing’e laughed bitterly. “With that coward? He only listens to his mother, who is ruthless. How could she tolerate me? Perfect, I became the Crown Prince’s concubine by default.”

“Presumably, he will come for you tonight. Once he gets used to seeing you, it will be done.”

Qing’e’s expression hardened. “Alright, I’ll return now.”

Sure enough, that night Zhao Yuxuan found Qing’e. As soon as he entered, he held her and cried bitterly.

He stayed the night and didn’t leave until before dawn the next day.

Qing’e soaked in a hot water tub, scrubbing her skin hard, looking disgusted.

The palace was in chaos for a day or two. Zhao Luoxuan arrived at the estate two days later.

Seeing Gu Hua, she threw herself into her arms, sobbing. “Sister, Father died so terribly… he was burned black, we couldn’t even see his face. I came too late. I couldn’t see him one last time.”

Gu Hua gently stroked her back. “Cry. Let it out.”

Zhao Luoxuan cried for a long time before stopping.

Gu Hua held a handkerchief to wipe her tears. “Everyone must die eventually. You need to come to terms with it.”

Zhao Luoxuan shook her head, a surge of anger lodged in her chest.

“No, someone burned my father to death! Sister, Father was murdered. In such a huge palace, only Father’s chamber was under fire—how is that possible?”

Gu Hua had already suspected. “Who do you think did it?”

Zhao Luoxuan froze, fear and despair creeping into her eyes.

“Could it be…”

Gu Hua gently patted her back. “You don’t need to say it aloud. It could just be a guess.”

Zhao Luoxuan didn’t need further explanation; her tears flowed even more violently.

Gu Hua knew she needed time to slowly accept the truth.

Though cruel, it was better than her being caught between the empress, her own brother, and the peace of the realm in the future.

An hour later, Zhao Yufeng and her uncle Li Guitian arrived.

Li Guitian bowed. “Your Highness, I greet the princess.”

Gu Hua returned the greeting. “Lord Li, Fourth Prince, please sit.”

They recounted the palace events and the actions of Empress Dowager Sun and King Cheng in detail.

Finally, Li Guitian said, “The news has also been passed to Prince Yong. What are your plans, Princess?”

Gu Hua heard that Empress Dowager Sun, wanting Zhao Yuxuan to secure the throne, ignored national mourning and held the grand wedding on the day of the coronation.

Only after the Crown Prince’s wedding would the ministers feel reassured.

Gu Hua smiled. “Throughout history, the royal family prioritizes producing heirs. If the Crown Prince cannot have children, do you think the ministers would agree to him becoming emperor?”

“Cannot have children?”

Li Guitian and Zhao Yufeng asked in unison, astonished.

Gu Hua looked at them. “Although Marquis Jingwen has never been promoted, he is now the head of civil officials and a proper royal relative. His influence is considerable. The Sun family must cling tightly to Marquis Jingwen to ensure Zhao Yuxuan gets the support of the civil officials. If rumors spread that the Crown Prince is incapable, what do you think Marquis Jingwen would do?”

Li Guitian’s eyes lit up.