Passing

"There's no need for that. A count's title is already a great favor; a marquis's title is too much." Upon hearing this, the Empress did not immediately express her gratitude; instead, she felt it was an excessive honor.

The emperor waved his hand:

"However, you are my queen, and also the birth mother of Ji'er; you are merely a marquis."

He paused, then continued:

"Go and draft the imperial edict."

Upon hearing this, the eunuch rose, bowed, and then went outside.

After the palace doors closed, the emperor paused for a moment before speaking, his voice even lower than before, as if talking to himself, or perhaps to the person beside him:

"Since the Three Dynasties, the Long Feng, the Shang Dynasty had Bi Gan, and the Zhou Dynasty had the Gonghe, but all were ultimately just a fleeting moment of glory. The Qin Emperor suppressed Human Dao with the Immortal Dao, and the dynasty perished after only two generations. The Han Dynasty lasted for 20,000 years, and then came Xiao Emperor Wen, who reduced taxes and corporal punishment, abolished corporal punishment, and abolished slander. He lived a frugal and taciturn life, barely leaving behind a reputation for 'benevolence.' But if you count, from the Three Dynasties to the present day, for 200,000 years, only Emperor Wen can be called a Xiaowen ruler. The rest were either cruel and ungrateful, or militaristic and warlike; either they killed their own family, or they were suspicious and distrustful. Today you slaughter my whole family, tomorrow he will exterminate your entire clan. Fathers suspect sons, sons resent fathers. This Human Dao Attainment Position has always been soaked in blood."

He gasped for breath, a barely audible hiss escaping his throat. The Empress reached out to approach, but he stopped her with a raised hand. Gazing at the faint, ethereal light above the bed, he suddenly smiled—a hoarse, short laugh, tinged with self-mockery and an unprecedented serenity.

"Father."

The moment those two words were uttered, the Empress trembled.

"You always say I'm too benevolent, unlike yourself," the emperor's voice was calm to the point of being cold. "But what about you? After the Jingnan Rebellion, did any member of the Jianyan survive? Tie Xuan, Sheng Yong, Ping Hui —weren't they all skinned alive and their entire families exterminated? Even in this court, those who dare to offer advice dare not speak their minds, and those who dare to speak frankly dare not express their opinions. Every official feels like they have thorns in their back when they see you. You say the Prince of Han can carry on your ambitions—yes, the Prince of Han is like you, decisive and ruthless. But have you ever considered that our Great Qing has existed for tens of thousands of years, and under your rule, it has become a powerful force that extends to all corners of the world? If another emperor as ruthless as you were to be chosen, would this land still be able to breathe?"

Upon hearing this, the Empress dared not utter a sound, only tightly gripping the Emperor's sleeve with her bloodstained hand. The celestial light above the bed trembled slightly, and the beaded curtain moved without wind, emitting extremely faint rustling sounds.

The emperor, however, paid no heed, his gaze fixed upwards, and his voice suddenly rose several decibels:

"Father, back then you pointed at the Prince of Han and said, 'The Crown Prince is often ill; you must strive harder.' Do you know how many years those words have weighed on my heart? I have been the Crown Prince of Yan for thousands of years, the Crown Prince for over twenty thousand years, and the Emperor for eight thousand years—have you ever praised me once? No, not once. Now that I am about to depart, you still refuse to let me be at ease, burning my heart daily with the Human Dao Attainment Position. If it weren't for the Five Qi Essence-Suppressing Curtain sent by the Mysterious Gate to prolong my life, I would have perished long ago."

"No need to say any more," the Empress whispered.

But the emperor flung the empress's hand away and said sternly, "No! I must speak today! For thirty thousand years, I have walked on thin ice in everything I do, never daring to disobey you in the slightest. But what have you done? You not only wanted to seize my Emperor Position and give it to the Prince of Han, but you also torment my heart every day with your Human Dao Attainment Position. What's the point of me being emperor!"

He became increasingly agitated as he spoke, his voice growing hoarse, yet he refused to stop. "At the beginning of my reign, following ancestral custom, I bestowed upon you the temple name Taizong and the posthumous title Emperor Wen. But you refused! You refused to quietly be your Taizong! Every day you instigated the Prince of Han and the Prince of Zhao to oppose me, secretly manipulating the court. I, the emperor, was treated like a puppet! I had no choice but to cite classical texts and elevate your temple name from Taizong to Chengzu —'Cheng' signifies the achievement of rebuilding; 'Zu' signifies eternal lineage. It is no less than that of Taizu."

He paused:

"However, I suppose you do resent me. After all, you've always considered yourself to be the legitimate successor to the Taizu Emperor Gao. It was only when you were preoccupied with your own troubles that I joined forces with the Confucian School and Immortal Dao to replace Taizong with Chengzu. It was practically announcing to the world that you also rose to power through rebellion."

The conversation ended abruptly there.

The emperor coughed violently, each cough sounding as if he were vomiting up his internal organs, and blood streamed from the corners of his mouth.

The Empress rushed forward to support him, letting the divine light slice through her body.

The emperor coughed for a while before recovering. He raised his trembling hand to wipe the smudges from the corner of his mouth, then suddenly smiled, his eyes reddening, his voice as soft as a sigh.

"Enough. I have never felt so joyful in my entire life."

"Is that so?" A faint, mysterious voice came from outside the curtain.

As the sound rang out, the emperor's body began to tremble violently. The empress saw that he was about to go further, but was blocked by the celestial light and fell to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

At the same time, celestial light flowed, and the five-colored Qi on the Five Qi Essence-Suppressing Curtain began to circulate.

The emperor said with difficulty:

"This celestial light was laid down jointly by the three leaders of the Mysterious Gate sect, and the Five Qi Essence-Suppressing Curtain was blessed by the Five Emperors in turn and finally given to the Dao Ancestor Yuqing. Father, although you are strong, you are still far inferior to the Five Emperors."

As soon as he finished speaking, a tall figure suddenly appeared outside the curtain. He reached out his hand, and the light of Human Dao shone from it. Then he descended towards the curtain, but the expected obstruction did not come. The Human Dao surged towards the emperor like a dragon.

Seeing this, He wanted to stop, but then, the celestial light on the emperor's body suddenly exerted a huge suction force.

Unaware for a moment, He was pulled forward two steps, and then the celestial light dissipated, and the Human Dao radiance fell directly on the Emperor.

The light was brilliant but not dazzling. The emperor, struck by it, gave a bitter laugh and looked at the newcomer:

"Eight thousand years have passed, and Father has grown old again."

As soon as he finished speaking, his head tilted to the side, and his body immediately began to disintegrate.

Seeing this, the empress, who had fallen to the ground, burst into tears. He stepped forward and gently stroked the emperor's face. A ray of light appeared, and the emperor's collapsing body was frozen in place.

He turned around, and the Queen could not see his face clearly, only that tears were sliding down his cheeks and that he was whispering:

"Even the Mysterious Gate would engage in such shady dealings?"

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure vanished.

Moments later, the sound of weeping filled the Forbidden City.

"The late Emperor has passed away!"

Then the Purple T Star appeared, and blood rained down.

Confucian scholars and students all knelt on the ground and wept; among the various schools of thought, some were happy and some were sad; the expressions of many princes, nobles, military generals, hereditary military households, and commanders varied.

According to the Veritable Records of Qing:

"The Emperor's personal name was Chi. He Chengzu Emperor Wen the grandson of Taizu Emperor Gao and the eldest son of Emperor Chengzu Wen. He was born with benevolence and filial piety, and was kind and loving to others. He served as the heir apparent of Yan for thousands of years, and was extremely cautious in his service to Emperor Chengzu and Empress Renxiao. Everyone in the princely residence praised his virtue. Chengzu launched the Jingnan Campaign, the Emperor was stationed in Beiping, where he pacified the army and the people, and the city was well defended. When Chengzu ascended the Emperor Position, he was made the Crown Prince. The position of heir apparent was threatened several times, but the Emperor became even more respectful and cautious, and ultimately remained safe and sound."

In the second month of spring in the 8000th year of the Hongxi reign, the Emperor passed away in the warm pavilion of the Palace of Heavenly Purity. On that day, the Purple T Star Star trembled, and blood rained down. He reigned for 8,000 years and lived for over 40,000 years. The Emperor governed with benevolence and leniency as his foundation: he reduced punishments and taxes, pardoned the innocent who were implicated in the Jingnan Rebellion, remitted years of accumulated arrears, and abolished unnecessary military projects; he humbly accepted advice, and all his ministers were able to speak their minds. He once said to his ministers, "The people are the foundation of the state; when the foundation is firm, the state is at peace." Therefore, since his ascension to the throne, he allowed the people to rest and recuperate, and the world was filled with joy and hope for recovery. Although the two kings of Han and Zhao repeatedly plotted against him, he could not bear to execute them, but instead sent envoys to inquire after them and convey his intention of kinship. Thus, throughout the Emperor's reign, punishments were not used, the people knew nothing of war, and the four borders were peaceful. When the people in the deep mountains and remote valleys heard of the Emperor's death, they all wept in the streets and closed the markets.

Initially, following ancestral custom, the emperor bestowed upon him the temple name Taizong and the posthumous title Emperor Wen, which Emperor Chengzu accepted. Later, the succession to the throne was repeatedly uncertain, so Taizong was renamed Chengzu. Although the name was honorable, it contained hidden pain.

He once secretly said to the Empress:

'I do not respect him, but rather resent him.'

The historian wrote, "The Emperor ascended the throne with benevolence and kindness, and although he was repeatedly suspected, he ultimately managed to preserve his rule. Since his accession, he had been lenient in punishment and compassionate towards the people, allowing the empire to rest and recuperate, giving it hope for a revival. Officials once requested that those who had followed the rebellion during the Jingnan Rebellion be punished, but the Emperor said: 'Things are in the past, and I cannot bear to discuss them again.' Such benevolence and kindness made him a truly virtuous ruler. However, exchanging his temple name for power, though seemingly honoring his father, actually concealed his hidden pain. Accumulated worries led to illness, and he did not live long enough to live—a great pity! The Book of Posthumous Titles says: 'One who is virtuous and meritorious is called Zhao, and one who accumulates righteousness and great achievements is called Ren.' The Emperor possessed both, therefore, the Emperor bestowed upon him the posthumous title Zhao, and the temple name Ren, and the world called him Renzong Emperor Zhao."