bookrebus Chapter 723 The Tang Dynasty is still here, please rest assured
Chapter 723 The Tang Dynasty is still here, please rest assured
In the solemn silence, Li Jingyou staggered away, dragging his body as if his spine had been pulled out.
His back seemed to be stretched out particularly long in the increasingly dark sky, until it disappeared in the shadows of the palace walls.
Li Chengqian looked at the empty direction, his eyes gradually losing focus, as if all his strength was taken away with Li Jingyou's departure. He slowly closed his eyes and shook his head weakly, with mixed feelings in his heart, but he really didn't have the energy to care about what kind of pain and unwillingness Li Jingyou was carrying.
Li Chengqian turned around and looked directly at Zhang Xianhuai who was kneeling on one knee not far away.
Zhang Xianhuai's body leaned forward slightly, as if he was still trying his best to hold on to his last dignity.
His hair fell messily on both sides of his cheeks, soaked with sweat and blood, and strands stuck to his paper-pale face.
Li Chengqian's eyes instantly became sore, and he approached Zhang Xianhuai with unsteady steps, calling out anxiously, "Xianhuai, Xianhuai!"
There was expectation in that voice, but the only response he got was deathly silence, a silence so chilling that it made him feel uneasy.
The tip of the sword in Zhang Xianhuai's hand was pressed against the gap between the stone bricks, barely supporting his shaky body.
Li Chengqian called out twice more, each time with a trembling ending, but Zhang Xianhuai was like a lifeless sculpture, not moving at all.
Li Chengqian's heart sank suddenly, and an ominous premonition suddenly overwhelmed him like a surging tide.
He staggered to Zhang Xianhuai, slowly squatted down, and knocked his knees on the cold, hard ground.
His eyes looked at Zhang Xianhuai's closed eyes.
Li Chengqian's hands trembled violently and uncontrollably as he slowly stretched forward. Every inch of his movement seemed to be pulled by an invisible force, making it difficult and slow.
When his fingers finally touched Zhang Xianhuai's nose, his breath froze in an instant. Where his fingertips touched, there was ice cold, without a trace of the warmth of life.
"No...this is not true..."
Li Chengqian's lips moved slightly as he muttered to himself, his voice filled with despair and unwillingness to believe.
He subconsciously touched Zhang Xianhuai's shoulder lightly, and with this touch, Zhang Xianhuai's body fell straight towards Li Chengqian.
Li Chengqian quickly reached out and hugged him. At that moment, he truly felt the sticky area on Zhang Xianhuai's back. It was blood that had not yet completely dried up, carrying the temperature of a dying life.
Li Chengqian slowly pulled his hand out and looked at the bright red blood on it. His throat seemed to be blocked by a ball of cotton. He wanted to cry, but no tears came out. The deep powerlessness and grief were like a surging tide, completely drowning him and almost suffocating him.
He held Zhang Xianhuai tightly in his arms, staring at the familiar face in his arms with a dazed look, and memories came flooding back like a tide.
"Xian Huai, why don't you listen to the teacher!"
Li Chengqian's voice was choked with sobs.
"If you leave, how will I face your family in the future?"
His voice grew hoarse.
"It's really hard for the teacher to show his pregnancy..."
As he spoke, he rested his chin tightly on Zhang Xianhuai's head, as if looking for the last bit of comfort.
"Xian Huai, how can you bear to let the teacher suffer the pain of seeing her child die again..."
At the other end of the Taiji Hall, Li Jingyou walked in a daze, as if he was oblivious to everything around him.
Wang Can followed behind him.
Li Jingyou carefully held the spirit tablets of Su Li Shimin and Su Zhi in his arms. His eyes were dull and empty, and they fell directly on the dragon throne in the Taiji Hall.
The dragon throne that once symbolized the supreme glory and power of the Li family was now full of irony and sadness in his eyes.
"Why did it turn out like this..."
Li Jingyou murmured softly, a hint of determination flashed in his eyes, and without any hesitation, he slammed his head against the sharp dragon claws on the armrest.
There was only a dull sound, and the dragon claw instantly pierced through the skull. Blood splattered everywhere, splashing on the cold ground, blooming into a shocking blood flower.
Wang Can stood at the door of the Taiji Hall with his eyes wide open, but everything happened too suddenly and the distance was too far. He had no time to react and could only watch the tragedy happen.
When Wang Can hurried to Li Chengqian's side, Li Chengqian was still holding Zhang Xianhuai's body tightly, motionless. Wang Can's steps suddenly stopped, his throat seemed to be choked by something, and after a while he spoke with difficulty, his voice trembling with reluctance: "Your Majesty..."
Li Chengqian slowly raised his head and stared at Wang Can with a dull gaze, his eyes as empty as a bottomless, cold pond, without a single ripple. He nodded mechanically in response.
"Your Majesty, then..."
Wang Can hesitated to speak. He really didn't know how to tell him the cruel news.
"His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, clutching the spirit tablets of Emperor Taizong and Empress Taizong, died headfirst on the Dragon Throne in the Taiji Hall."
Wang Can finally gritted his teeth and said this sentence. His voice was as soft as a mosquito or fly, but it was like a thunderclap that exploded in Li Chengqian's heart.
"Father, you don't trust your son at all."
These words pierced Li Chengqian's heart at this moment, and then kept cutting back and forth in his heart.
He once thought that Zhang Xianhuai's departure would make him heartbroken, and he also thought that his son's suicide would make him live a life worse than death.
However, at this moment, his heart was dead silent and he felt nothing, just like usual. It was as if all his emotions were taken away in that instant, leaving only an empty shell.
"Wang Can, arrange for the body of Commander Zhang to be buried with him in Qianling Mausoleum. Have someone draft a posthumous title for him, grant him the title of king, and notify his family."
Li Chengqian's voice was eerily calm, as if he was just stating a very ordinary matter.
"Execute all those traitors and hold a court meeting two days later."
He paused slightly, took a deep breath, and continued, "Announce that the four capitals send envoys to the capital."
"Also, the Crown Prince's remains will also be buried in Zhaoling Mausoleum, so let's arrange for them to be next to the Empress."
"Restore the posthumous honors of the Divine Martial General, grant him a posthumous title, and posthumously grant him the title of King."
"Redress General Xue's injustice and make it known to the world."
"Outside the Taiji Palace, all the bodies of the soldiers, regardless of whether they were from the Three Thousand Battalion or the Black Armor Army, will be buried with honor and receive ten times the pension. The court must take care of the difficulties faced by their families."
"Entering the Tang Dynasty Heroes Memorial Monument, there must be no mistakes."
"This world cannot be in chaos. Take your time and sort things out. Don't be anxious."
Wang Can looked at Li Chengqian. He had never seen His Majesty so depressed.
Hu Bugui couldn't help but sigh heavily when he saw that His Majesty looked like a walking corpse.
He quickly stepped forward and held Li Chengqian with his hand, fearing that he would fall if he lost his balance.
Outside the palace gate of Taiji Hall, hundreds of officials gathered here. They had different expressions, some were sad, some were shocked, and some were confused.
Wang Can watched Hu Bugui supporting Li Chengqian as they walked towards the Taiji Hall step by step.
He slowly raised his hands above his head and bowed solemnly.
"If you don't return, tell them to take care of themselves. The Tang Dynasty is still here, so please rest assured."
Hu Bugui nodded, took a deep breath, and shouted with all his strength: "In compliance with the order of the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, everyone should stay at peace. The Tang Dynasty is still here, so rest assured!"
The sound echoed outside the palace gate for a long time.