PFC Chapter 259 Protect the Imperial Seal
Chapter 259 Protect the Imperial Seal
Tears flowed out of the Imperial Concubine's eyes uncontrollably like a flood that broke through a dam, and slid down her pale cheeks, one drop after another, hitting the ground hard, splashing tiny tears.
The "tick-tick, tick-tick" sound was like the cry of her broken heart scattered all over the floor. It was particularly harsh in this silent and depressing imperial study.
When the emperor saw the grief-stricken imperial concubine, his heart felt as if it was being stabbed by millions of steel needles.
He saw clearly that the imperial concubine's eyes were already red and swollen from crying. Her originally lively eyes had lost their luster, leaving only endless despair and helplessness.
Her lips trembled slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but the grief was choked in her throat.
But the emperor knew that he must not collapse at this moment. He was the backbone of this palace and the guardian of this country. Even if he only had one last bit of strength left, he had to hold up the sky.
He gently reached out and held her trembling hands. Those hands were as cold as ice cubes in the cold winter, and the coldness penetrated through the fingertips and went straight into the emperor's heart, making his heart clench again.
"My beloved, don't be too sad. Your health is important." The emperor's voice was a little hoarse, as if it was squeezed out with difficulty from a dry throat.
But he still tried to make his tone sound calmer, trying to give the imperial concubine a little comfort and support.
"Xian'er and Yu'er... they are both good children," the emperor's eyes revealed deep regret, "even though they have suffered such a misfortune, they certainly don't want to see you so heartbroken. If they are still alive, they must be hoping that we can be well and cheer up."
The imperial concubine slowly raised her tear-stained face, the makeup on her face already mottled by the tears.
She looked at the emperor, her eyes full of despair and helplessness, as if the whole world had collapsed at this moment.
"Your Majesty, how can I not be sad?" She said with a trembling voice, "They are my own flesh and blood, and now... now they are gone from me. What is the meaning of my living..."
As she spoke, she couldn't help sobbing again. Her sorrowful cries echoed in the imperial study, tugging at everyone's heart.
The emperor felt distressed upon seeing this. He quickly took the imperial concubine into his arms and hugged her tightly with his arms.
At the same time, one of his hands gently patted her back. The movement was gentle but soothing, as if he wanted to convey his warmth and support to her, so that she could feel a little comfort in this endless grief.
Then, the emperor said softly: "My beloved concubine, I understand your pain." He lowered his head slightly, looking at the imperial concubine who was crying in his arms, his eyes full of pity.
Then, a hint of determination gradually emerged in his eyes, and that determination was like a burning flame, dancing in his eyes.
He continued, "That rebellious son has not yet been brought to justice, and is still acting recklessly in this palace, attempting to seize the country. If we collapse now, wouldn't that be fulfilling his wish? We can't let him succeed, absolutely not!"
The emperor hugged the imperial concubine tighter, as if to isolate her from this cruel reality.
After hearing what the emperor said, the imperial concubine wiped away her tears and tried to calm herself down.
She took a deep breath and said in a tearful voice, "Your Majesty, we can use the pills to save our lives right now. Yu Gongchen cherishes his life and will not kill us for the time being. I have hidden the pills in Chuxiu Palace. I hope they can be used."
The Imperial Concubine suddenly remembered something and raised her head hastily, with a hint of worry in her eyes, and asked, "Your Majesty, where are the pills I gave you earlier?"
"Don't worry, I'm already hidden." The emperor looked at the anxious look of the royal concubine and hurriedly comforted her.
He knew that at this critical moment, the pill might be the key to their lives, and the Imperial Concubine's concerns were not unreasonable.
Then, the emperor slowly turned his head and looked towards the inner room. The door of the inner room was tightly closed, as if hiding countless secrets.
There was a crucial secret passage hidden in the inner room. The entrance to the secret passage was very ingeniously designed, and the surrounding walls were carved with exquisite patterns. If you didn't look carefully, it would be difficult to find the mechanism hidden in the patterns.
Once the heavy stone door was closed, it would be like being blocked by an invisible barrier from the outside and could never be opened again.
Only the person holding the special key can open it. The key is said to have unique patterns and marks, and is the only proof to open this secret passage.
The emperor stared at the direction of the inner room, and a wave of sadness and self-blame surged in his heart. His eyes became a little dim, as if he was lost in deep memories.
Back then, this secret passage was built by the previous emperor in order to deal with various crises that might arise in the palace. It was originally intended to be the last line of defense for the royal family.
At that time, the palace was relatively peaceful, and the late emperor might never have imagined that one day this secret passage would be opened during his reign, and in such a chaotic and critical situation.
The opening of this secret passage seemed to be silently telling of his incompetence, which allowed the power struggle in the palace to develop to such an uncontrollable level.
At this moment, he only hoped that Prime Minister Ren could protect the imperial seal and prevent Yu Gongchen, the rebellious son, from succeeding. All this made him feel that the burden on his shoulders was getting heavier, and the road ahead was even more confusing, as if he was in the vast darkness and could not find a single direction.
In this solemn and depressing atmosphere, the Crown Princess stood silently by the side, her face as pale as paper, her lips bloodless. Her eyes were empty and desperate, as if her soul had been pulled out of her body.
She slowly raised her head, looked at everything in front of her, and said slowly: "Alas, I really can't believe it. I am still a step late after all. Perhaps all this is destined. How can human power easily change it?"
Her voice was very soft, as soft as a falling feather, yet it revealed endless sadness and helplessness.
Just at this moment, Eunuch Defu, who had been standing quietly by the side in silence for a long time, raised his head slightly.
There was a trace of calmness and composure on his face. Although there was a hint of panic in his eyes, he still tried to remain calm.
He coughed lightly, attracting the Crown Princess's attention, and then said, "Crown Princess, please don't be so desperate. Although the current situation is difficult, as long as it is not the last moment, there is still hope.
Everything in this world is always unpredictable. Who knows when something unexpected will happen."
His voice was neither too high nor too low, and it exuded a reassuring power, as if he was the faint ray of light in this dark moment.
Eunuch Defu said this to the Crown Princess, but he was also using it to comfort his own panicked and uneasy heart.
In the midst of these treacherous palace changes, everyone is struggling in the vortex of fate, hoping that there will be a ray of light to penetrate this endless darkness.