Zhao Hua's words left Xiao Jingheng speechless.
Yet he would never admit to any wrongdoing,
So they gazed at each other in prolonged silence.
Outside, the thunderstorm raged on,
Zhao Hua saw Xiao Jingheng struggling to rise, but his arms lacked even the strength to prop himself up,
So she leaned down, as if bestowing favor upon a weakling, extending her hand to help Xiao Jingheng up.
"Don't touch me!" Xiao Jingheng firmly swatted away Zhao Hua's hand.
She paused briefly, not angered, and still gently laughed, "Does my lord not wish for this concubine to help you rise? Then shall I summon Xiao Yinzi instead?"
Saying this, she called out softly toward the door, "Xiao Yinzi, come in."
Before the words had fully left her mouth,
Xiao Yinzi, who had not appeared despite Xiao Jingheng's earlier loud summons, now obediently entered with a bow.
Xiao Jingheng glared at him with furrowed brows,
Seeing him holding a brush and ink in one hand, and a bright yellow imperial edict in the other, walking step by step toward them.
Standing before them, he placed the items on the table, first bowing to Zhao Hua and respectfully saying:
"Long live the Empress, may she be blessed with eternal happiness."
Then turning to Xiao Jingheng, he said, "May the Emperor be in good health."
With those words, he supported Xiao Jingheng's arms and helped him rise.
Xiao Jingheng clenched his right fist tightly, mustering all his strength to swing at Xiao Yinzi,
"You traitorous dog!"
This punch landed softly on Xiao Yinzi's chest, like a pebble dropped into the ocean, only provoking laughter from him.
"When I serve the Emperor wholeheartedly, he calls me a dog servant. When I serve the Emperor in his time of distress, he calls me a traitorous dog. Either way, in your eyes, I'm just a subhuman plaything, so what's the difference?"
Xiao Jingheng realized that when even Xiao Yinzi dared to speak such mocking words to him, it meant Zhao Hua's power had already permeated every corner around him, and she no longer feared his imperial authority.
But none of that mattered now.
Xiao Jingheng glanced absentmindedly at the water clock,
There was still one hour left,
One more hour until General Yuan Hongyuan would lead his troops directly into the Chaoyang Palace,
At that time, he would definitely subject these traitors to a thousand cuts and innumerable tortures!
As his gaze returned, he inadvertently glimpsed the imperial edict that Xiao Yinzi had placed on the table.
The edict lay open, but was completely blank, without the Emperor's jade seal.
Puzzled by Zhao Hua's intent, he suddenly heard her laughingly say:
"Xiao Yinzi, don't just stand there, go and assist the Emperor with the brush and ink."
Xiao Jingheng turned his gaze, glaring at Zhao Hua in bewildered fury,
"What trick are you playing now?"
Zhao Hua lightly pursed her red lips, adopting a meek demeanor, and softly mused:
"How could this concubine have any ill intentions? I merely wish for my lord to draft a final edict, to secure the safety of this concubine and her son."
At this moment, due to the effects of the drug, Xiao Jingheng was unable to move freely, only able to obediently submit to however others manipulated him.
Xiao Yinzi placed the inked brush in Xiao Jingheng's hand, but he still hesitated to put brush to paper, only lifting his gaze to glare fiercely at Zhao Hua.
Zhao Hua gently caressed her jade-like skin and shyly smiled,
"Why does the Emperor delay in putting brush to paper? Is it because you have no words to write and know not what to say?"
She took elegant steps forward, standing behind Xiao Jingheng, skillfully taking up the inkstone to grind ink for him,
Such 'intimate spousal attendance', just like countless days and nights in the past when Xiao Jingheng would read imperial edicts while Zhao Hua attended him.
Only now, the concubine's smile remained, but the lord's fury burned unquenched.
Zhao Hua gently said, "Since my lord seems unable to write, how about this - this concubine will recite a line, and my lord will write it down. Would that be acceptable?"
Saying this, she cleared her throat and solemnly began:
"The Emperor's second son, Cheng Yu, is benevolent, filial, and accomplished, with innate virtues bestowed by Heaven. He shall immediately assume the position of Crown Prince, and if I depart this world, he shall succeed to the throne. All civil and military officials, within and without the country, shall wholeheartedly assist in his reign and fulfill my aspirations."
But Cheng Yu had already been made Crown Prince, so the content of this final edict seemed rather inappropriate.
Xiao Yinzi, unable to discern the implications, simply looked puzzled,
While Xiao Jingheng, upon hearing it, was struck with utter shock beyond words.
What Zhao Hua had just recited was clearly the late Emperor's intended final edict to establish Prince Rui as the heir apparent, but how could she...
That edict had definitely been burned by him, so how did Zhao Hua know every single word of it so precisely?【Chapter 401】
Meeting Xiao Jingheng's astonished gaze, Zhao Hua arched her brows triumphantly:
"Why do you look at this concubine with such an expression? Is it because you begrudge the imperial throne you stole? Or perhaps you believe that after using this stolen possession for so long, you've even convinced yourself that it rightfully belongs to you?"
"How dare you!"
With the last shred of his shame stripped away by Zhao Hua's taunts, Xiao Jingheng once again revealed his impotent, raging visage.
He flung the brush aside and practically shouted hoarsely at Zhao Hua, his face flushed red with rage:
"You're dreaming! I will never write this edict! Song Zhao, if you dare lay a hand on me today, the officials from the previous dynasty will surely have doubts about the Emperor's death, and they will never let you and your son off!"
His furious roar coincided perfectly with the thunderclap outside,
Startling Zhao Hua, who clutched her chest and sighed, "This concubine is so afraid..."
But before she could finish, she suddenly raised her hand and slapped Xiao Jingheng's face with the swiftness of lightning,
More forcefully than any slap Xiao Jingheng had ever given her.
After the slap, before Xiao Jingheng could recover from his dazed state,
Zhao Hua abruptly grabbed the back of his neck with her right hand and forcefully slammed his head onto the table,
Though she still wore a smile, her voice was as cold and harsh as she said:
"This palace is informing you, not discussing with you! Today, you will write this edict, whether you want to or not!"
