She wept like a child as she went to find Emperor Yongning, knelt by his bedside, and held his hand, saying, "Father, no, you can’t go, you can’t leave Ah Ning. You must live a long life and be with Ah Ning forever..."
Emperor Yongning was in a coma, completely unaware of Jun Ning kneeling at his bedside, in a disheveled state that abandoned imperial dignity.
Xiao Lizi, standing nearby, was very perceptive. He waved away the people who ca with him, ushered them out, thus preventing them from seeing Jun Ning’s following actions, which if spread in the palace, could beco a hundred rumors.
Unaware of what Xiao Lizi had done, Jun Ning’s entire attention was on Emperor Yongning. She held his withered hand and said, "Father, I beg you to live well. Ah Ning wants to be your pride, to let you see the grand scene of the unification of the world, and even wants you to help Ah Ning raise her children..."
"There are still so many things you need to do. How can you suddenly leave Ah Ning?"
"Ah Ning can’t bear to part with you and doesn’t want to face such an outco."
Jun Ning cried uncontrollably, her tears blurring her vision. She couldn’t clearly see Emperor Yongning lying in front of her, nor see that he had been awakened by her cries and was watching her with tears in his eyes.
He watched for a long ti, seemingly unable to bear it anymore.
Emperor Yongning spoke, "Yi Yi, don’t cry!"
Yi Yi?
Perhaps afraid to offend her, no one had called her by this na in a long ti.
So long that Jun Ning almost forgot she had such a na.
Jun Ning raised her head, wiped her tears with her hand, and looked at Emperor Yongning, her heart mixed with emotions as she said, "...Father."
"Yi Yi." Emperor Yongning responded to Jun Ning, struggling to sit up.
Jun Ning and Xiao Lizi stepped forward to prop a pillow behind him, helping him to sit up and lean against it.
The emperor, tornted by illness for a long ti, was exhausted in his expression, his body enveloped in the desolation and helplessness of soone about to die. The spirited Emperor Yongning who once commanded the empire was gone.
"Yi Yi, why are you dressed so strangely today? Why not in a princess’s attire?"
Emperor Yongning’s words were sowhat muddled, as if forgetting that Jun Ning had already ascended the throne, and was no longer just a little princess.
It is said that dying people beco confused.
I had only heard of this before, with little inner turmoil. Now, going through it personally, I understand that heart-piercing pain.
Listening, Jun Ning’s tears began to fall again.
But it seed Emperor Yongning had returned to normal, saying, "Bao’er, everyone has to die, I’m no exception. Don’t cry for ."
"In this life, I have been the Human Emperor, held supre power, raised eighteen children, and have no regrets."
During the years of being bedridden, Emperor Yongning had long co to terms with death, ready to face it calmly.
"Does the father an he is willing to forsake Ah Ning?" Jun Ning sorrowfully questioned.
"Of course, I can’t bear to!" This pierced Emperor Yongning deeply. He said, choking, "But what can be done if I can’t bear it? If King Yan wants you dead at the third watch, no one dares to keep you alive till the fifth."
When he said this, Emperor Yongning was full of sentints.
"These years, I’ve gone through the age of knowing Heaven’s will at fifty, and being free from delusions at sixty. Now, seeing it’s approaching seventy, I’ve reached an age of following my desires...and have understood so things."
"Today, I must tell you, father will speak with you now!"
After saying this, Emperor Yongning looked at Jun Ning, who understood his aning.
She wiped her tears away, sat on the chair by the bedside, and listened quietly with her ears pricked.
Obedient and well-behaved, like a student.
Today, Emperor Yongning was brimming with energy, speaking without much coughing or breathlessness.
He said, "Ah Ning, rember, no matter how noble our status is, we are all human beings, and humans cannot contend against the mandates of fate."
"Sotis all we can do is go with the flow of destiny and accept it cheerfully."
"In the future, no matter how big an issue you face, father hopes you will do everything you can without straining yourself too much, or father will feel heartbroken watching from above."
"Father..." Jun Ning cried.
Emperor Yongning reached out his hand and patted Jun Ning’s head, "Yi Yi, you will always be father’s pride. Having a daughter like you is the greatest blessing Heaven has bestowed upon ."
Jun Ning said, "Yi Yi being able to be father’s daughter is a fortune earned over several lifetis!"
"Yi Yi..." Emperor Yongning shed a tear, wiped it away, and said, "In a few days, father will go to arrange the ho for the next life. But there is still one question father wants to ask Yi Yi. Yi Yi must answer father."
Jun Ning looked into Emperor Yongning’s eyes that had lost their brightness, and said, "Please, ask father!"
Emperor Yongning said, "In the next life, are you willing to be father’s daughter again?"
Jun Ning managed a weak smile, "Father asked this question in the last life too."
"Yi Yi!"
"Father!"
The father and daughter cried and embraced each other.
...
After this long conversation with Jun Ning, Emperor Yongning was never conscious again nor did he get the chance to bid farewell to the concubines or his many sons.
Half a month later, he passed away in his sleep!
The departure was very sudden.
Yet Jun Ning had a premonition. She woke from a dream with bloodshed in her eyes, wiped it off, and quickly ran to Emperor Yongning’s side.
Emperor Yongning was already dead.
Many Imperial Physicians were summoned, but to no avail.
Lying by Emperor Yongning’s bed, Jun Ning wept bitterly, before composing herself to personally oversee the arrangents for Emperor Yongning’s funeral.
There were originally so matters she wanted to ask Xiao Lizi, but before dawn, she learned that Xiao Lizi had committed suicide in his room for his master.
Jun Ning was stunned for a mont, then went to find her mother consort, no, the Imperial Concubine had long since beco her empress mother.
She went to her mother to inquire about the situation, and after asking, went to guard Emperor Yongning’s spirit!
Pale-faced, she knelt before Emperor Yongning’s coffin, clutching tightly in her hand a silver bracelet, a birthday gift personally crafted by her father.
Although she wore it, she never knew it was handcrafted by her father, until when presiding over Emperor Yongning’s belongings at his deathbed, she saw the complete set of silver crafting tools which gave her a rough guess, then inquired the Imperial Concubine about it.
Turns out, her father’s affection accompanied her till his death.
"Father..." Jun Ning gazed at the silver bracelet in her hand, suddenly tearing up.
When the Imperial Concubine ca over, she saw Jun Ning silently shedding tears, with Jing Shu kneeling beside her. Jing Shu wanted to comfort her but feared making her angry, hesitated a few tis before giving up, and ended up crying along with Jun Ning.
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