Shen Shiyun's lips curled into a bitter smile, as if all the bitterness of her life was hidden in this smile and sorrow. She said, "Your Majesty, there is one thing. If I tell you, you will hate me … But if I don't tell you, I don't want to deceive you …"
Shunzhi said, "Alright, that's enough. When you get better, you can tell me slowly." As he looked outside the hall, he hated that all the imperial physicians in the palace had died. If he watched her die in front of him, he really wanted to kill all the imperial physicians to be buried with her.
Shen Shiyun said, "No … There is not much time. Please listen to me … In fact, you don't have to blame yourself for Concubine Dong 'e's matter. She was not killed by you … Long before you issued the imperial edict … No, even earlier … That bowl of bird's nest was the one that caused Concubine Tong to have a cramp in her stomach after eating it. It was me … I used Concubine Dong' e's hand to give it to Concubine Tong. It was a plan to kill two birds with one stone. Because during that period of time, the two of them … enjoyed too much of your love. Out of jealousy as a woman … Later on, I used the opportunity of visiting you in prison to deliver a bowl of poison to Concubine Dong 'e. I naively thought that without her … you would return to my side. The truth … is like this. If I say that I'm such a heartless bad woman, and that I killed … the woman you loved deeply, and caused you to lose your son, would you … forgive me? Would you still be willing to coax me and not blame me? "
As Shunzhi listened to her intermittent narration, his face became paler and paler. He would never forget the two major cases a year ago and how heartbroken he was. Looking at Shen Shiyun's pale cheeks, a strong anger suddenly surged in his heart, covering up the pity brought by the sadness and shock.
Why could she, for her own selfish desires, deprive other people's happiness as a matter of course? In the end, if she was not in the right, she would be weak and pitiful and ask him for forgiveness? He was lost in thought. At the same time, his arms sank and he could no longer support her.
Shen Shiyun's head lost its support and fell to the ground with a "dong" sound. The shock made her feel dizzy. Although it was painful, it was far less painful than the pain in her heart.
His head tilted to the side after he fell to the ground, and he looked forward weakly. In front of him was a group of surrendered generals kneeling on the ground. Outside was an open palace gate, and outside were layers upon layers of guards. Further ahead was a misty sky with a faint glimmer of light peeking through the mist. At one end of the horizon, a blurry light could be vaguely seen, as if it was the light that led to the other side. His throat choked as he muttered, "Is that so? Ah, as expected … it still doesn't work … "
The wound on her neck seemed to expand rapidly in an instant. Large amounts of blood rose up and sprinkled down towards her like raging waves in the sea, immediately drowning her. Finally, he lost his last bit of consciousness. His palm fell from mid-air, his five fingers slightly open. The moment he closed his eyes, the last drop of tear flowed out from the corner of his eye and fell on the tiles, making a crisp sound, as if it was the last piece of music in her life.
After her breath dissipated, Shunzhi seemed to suddenly come back to his senses. He hurriedly bent over to check again and called out tentatively, "Yun 'er … Yun' er? Don't … don't scare me? "At this moment, his voice was very soft, as if he was afraid of disturbing her, or worried that he would scatter a few scattered feathers.
Several imperial physicians finally rushed in from outside the door. Previously, when they saw the Emperor bidding farewell to the Noble Consort Yun, no one dared to disturb them. They waited until Shen Shiyun breathed her last before they dared to rush into the palace hall. One after another, they saluted and said, "Greetings to the Emperor, long live the Emperor …" Shunzhi interrupted, "Why are you still being so formal at this time? Quickly help zhen save her ah! Can she still be saved? "
Those imperial physicians could clearly see from outside the palace hall that Shen Shiyun was already dead. Due to Shunzhi's mood, they could only follow the situation on the surface. They crouched down around her, one checking her pulse, another checking her eyelids. When they felt that the time was right, they reported, "Your Majesty … Noble Consort Yun has already passed away!"
Shunzhi immediately stood up and turned around with his eyes closed. He couldn't look at the imperial physicians with his own eyes and hear the facts with his own ears. Or perhaps he thought that as long as he didn't look, he could continue to deceive himself, assuming that Shen Shiyun could still be saved and that nothing had happened.
Those imperial physicians looked at each other a few times, trembling with fear as they advised, "Your Majesty, please restrain your grief …" "Your Majesty, Noble Consort Yun's funeral …"
Shunzhi didn't say a word from beginning to end, his lips tightly pursed. Because his back was facing everyone, no one could see the two lines of tears sliding down his face. They were afraid that as soon as he opened his mouth, he would cry silently in front of everyone.
Since he didn't speak, everyone could only wait quietly. No one dared to rush him. Finally, after enough time had passed and Shunzhi could control his emotions, he said bitterly, "Send her body out of the palace and find a secluded place to bury her in the wilderness. Don't leave any words on the tombstone … From now on, her name will be removed from the jade disk. There is no need to leave any records related to her in any historical materials. Just pretend … that she had never entered the palace, never been conferred as an imperial concubine, just pretend … that we never knew each other. In addition, from today onwards, remove the sign of the Snow Song Palace and list this place as a forbidden area. No one is allowed to come close … "
The imperial physicians looked at each other in dismay. Xuan Shuang wanted to say something but hesitated. Everyone thought in their hearts, "Could it be that the emperor really cares about Consort Dong 'e so much? Even after Noble Consort Yun died, he still refused to forgive her? "
Shunzhi didn't know who he was explaining to, but he suddenly muttered to himself, "Do you think zhen is doing this because zhen hates her? You're wrong. She never belonged to this palace. She came in a hurry and left in a hurry. She was just a shadow that appeared in zhen's dreams by chance. Zhen hopes that zhen can use zhen's own way to pay tribute to her. All along, she had worked hard to break free from the shackles of the palace's rules. Zhen will fulfill her wish … She couldn't fulfill her wish when she was alive, so after she died, let her soul wander freely. "
There was another sentence that was suppressed in the bottom of his heart that he didn't say out loud, "Make the Snow Song Palace a forbidden area. No one is allowed to enter. At least, I'm reserving a place that's unique to you. In the future, if you still have lingering feelings, you can return to the Snow Song Palace to take a look. That's a secret that belongs to me and you alone. I don't want outsiders to touch it. Are you satisfied? "
After a long period of silence, the imperial physicians carried Shen Shiyun's body out of the Snow Song Palace. From beginning to end, Shunzhi's back was facing everyone. He didn't want to see this scene with his own eyes. He also refused to take one last look at Shen Shiyun.
When the imperial physicians had completely retreated, he quickly lifted his sleeve and wiped away the tears on his face. He turned around and said, "Imperial Uncle … Imperial Father, Prince Regent, you've been in the military all your life. You've made a lot of heroic contributions to our Great Qing Dynasty. Your contributions are indeed outstanding, and no one can erase them. If the matter of that year is investigated in depth, I'm afraid that many unsightly truths will be revealed. With zhen's current state of mind, zhen won't be able to bear it. It's often said that one's achievements surpass their master's. With your talent, even if you have the intention to rebel, zhen will admit that you have the capital to rebel. However, it's impossible for greedy people to abide by their duties and concentrate on governing the country. This time zhen can forgive you, but zhen can't let you go. I think you should also understand what I mean. "
Dorgon saw how miserable Shen Shiyun's death was. Although she had taken her own life, the blood flowing all over the floor was still a ghastly sight. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead. With great difficulty, he stopped his hands from trembling. He took off the official's hat on his head and placed it on the ground with both hands. He said, "Many thanks for Your Majesty's grace. This prince is willing to die in order to repay Your Majesty's kindness … "
Shunzhi smiled bitterly and shook his head. He said, "You've misunderstood zhen's meaning. Zhen wants you to leave the imperial palace and never come back … Find a quiet place and spend your old age peacefully. No matter how tempting the desire for power is, it can't compare to the meaning of 'living' itself. At least as long as you're alive, you'll still have everything. You've already handed over the commander's seal, zhen is not worried that you'll rebel again. "
For a moment, Dorgon was stunned on the spot. After a long time, he realized that Shunzhi had reduced his punishment to the lightest. At this moment, he was sincerely moved. He respectfully kowtowed and said, "Many thanks, Your Majesty!" Cheng Jiaxuan helped him up. Dorgon's face was bleak and solemn. After standing up, he pushed away her hand and walked out of the Snow Song Palace step by step. Ah Ji Ge, Qi Chong Ge and the others looked at his back with disbelief. He was forced to the brink of death and committed such a serious crime, yet he was still able to leave the palace safely. Presumably, their punishment wouldn't be too heavy.
Shunzhi immediately walked in front of Prince Fu. He said, "You were a capable minister by the late emperor's side and had always been highly regarded by him. Sometimes, having power at your fingertips isn't a good thing. Zhen believes that you were only muddle-headed for a moment. When dealing with stubborn people, it's useless to lecture them a hundred times. But if they have the heart to repent, with just a little guidance, they'll understand what to do. Zhen hopes that Prince will be a reasonable person. Zhen also hopes that this will be the last time zhen will say these words to you. This time, there were too many people who committed the crime. You were just following the crowd, even if you were to be a little more vigilant … from this day onwards, you will be stripped of your position as the Prince and will reflect on your actions in the palace for three months. You are also a civil servant. After your confinement period is over, you will go to the Hanlin Academy under Tang Shaoshi's command to help with the imperial examinations and compile history books. "
Prince Fu kowtowed heavily. He said, "Chen knows his mistake and is willing to accept the punishment! Thank you for Your Majesty's grace! "
Shunzhi's gaze fell on the cowering Cheng Jiaxuan. After a moment of silence, he said, "Your injury … is already healed?" Hearing that Shunzhi knew about her injury, Cheng Jiaxuan's heart was filled with mixed feelings. Trembling with fear, he said, "Replying to Your Majesty, it's no longer a big problem." Shunzhi said, "That's good. In the future, don't act so impetuously. A girl will always find a husband in the future. If your face is really disfigured, it will be very difficult. "Cheng Jiaxuan's eyes were filled with tears as he nodded.
Shunzhi said, "You have a close relationship with those two people. Zhen won't look into how much information you have gathered in the Palace, but I also don't want to bicker with you. Since the main culprit has been executed, the accomplices … if I want to punish them one by one, Zhen does not have the energy to do so. But Zhen does not want to be on guard against hidden dangers at all times. Therefore, it is no longer appropriate for you to stay in the Palace. I think you don't have any lingering attachment to this place. "
Cheng Jiaxuan said softly, "Yes, nubi understands. Nubi … will leave the Palace immediately. "
Shunzhi nodded. He said, "Zhen has always been clear about rewards and punishments … Shangguan Yaohua, this time you have rendered meritorious service by protecting the Emperor. Zhen grants you the title of Cheng Qinwang, inheriting your father's nobility. You are an intelligent person, and also very capable. If you can devote your mind to the right path, you will certainly accomplish great things. Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize a boat. I hope that in the future, you will think twice before you act. Zhen used to admire you very much, I hope you will not fail to live up to Zhen's trust. At a critical moment, it is not easy to choose a side, but the opportunity to choose is not available every time. "
Shangguan Yaohua acknowledged Shunzhi's favor. Shunzhi sighed. He said, "Regarding the Chen family matter seven years ago, Zhen has indeed let you down. Zhen is thinking that Zhen will build an ancestral hall for the Chen family to worship. At the same time, Zhen will invest in the reconstruction of the Chen family's old residence, which was destroyed by the fire that year. I hope that Zhen will be able to compensate you somewhat. "Shangguan Yaohua repeatedly said," Many thanks to Your Majesty, many thanks to Your Majesty! On behalf of the Chen family, this subject would like to express my gratitude to Your Majesty! "
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