Chapter 982: Chapter 982 The Emperor is Dying_1 Chapter 982: Chapter 982 The Emperor is Dying_1 According to ancestral laws, the Crown Prince is the legitimate successor to the Imperial Throne. However, if Prince of Zhao, as the legitimate son of the Emperor, were to vie for the throne at this time, no one would accuse him of being a rebellious traitor.

An heir to the throne is, after all, just an heir. He is not the Emperor yet.

As the imperial edict was announced, it caused quite a stir in court and within the public.

The Empress, too, stepped right out of the Cold Palace and resumed her control of the entire Harem.

Concubine Yu, Concubine Shu and others gathered at the Crystal Clear Manor in the East Palace, all with worried expressions on their faces.

They had always been at odds with the Empress, and after aligning themselves with Jiang Ning, they had openly opposed her. When the Empress was confined, they managed the Harem. Although they did not take advantage of the situation to further harm the Empress’s hold on the Serene Phoenix Palace, their mockery and ridicule were constant, both intentionally and unintentionally.

Who could have expected that the Empress would ever regain her position?

The Empress now has a legitimate son, who is also the recently meritorious Prince of Zhao. The Emperor, even for the sake of Prince of Zhao, would not make things difficult for the Empress.

Concubine Yu and others worried that they would be targeted by the Empress.

Jiang Ning thought that these concubines were missing the point.

Was now the time to worry about whether the Empress would give them a hard time?

The Emperor was on his deathbed!

Even though most people in the Harem viewed their position of concubine as a means to make money and secure a comfortable retirement, the Emperor was still their man.

They didn’t seem concerned about this at all.

The big boss was about to log off, they were barely able to keep their jobs, but they were still concerned about palace strife.

Jiang Ning leaned back in her soft chair, clutching the heater, casually listening to their worried discussions. Her mind, however, had already wandered elsewhere.

Uncle was back, but she hadn’t been home to see him yet.

Did Gucheng also come back?

Did he get hurt?

The Emperor was bed-ridden, at this crucial juncture, even if she stood out in the East Palace, she could no longer carelessly run around.

After saying goodbye to the old concubines, Concubine Zhu, Concubine Ya and Concubine Ye visited in quick succession.

Jiang Ning’s nose filled with the heavy scent of cosmetics, she thought to herself that she would never have imagined in her past life that she would have so many wives.

“Princess Consort, do you think the Emperor’s health could improve?” Concubine Ye asked through her tears.

“Ah, well, we would need to ask Imperial Physician Dong about that.”

“Princess Consort, has the Emperor changed his mind about wanting us to be buried with him?” Concubine Zhu was concerned about her own life.

Ever since Concubine Ya entered, she hadn’t uttered a word, now she finally raised her head, her face full of concern.

Her own country had been destroyed but she didn’t feel much sadness. She just wanted to live her days peacefully. Now, even this desire seemed like a luxury.

She only hoped that when the Crown Prince ascended to the throne and she became the Empress, they would be kind to them, the Grand Concubines.

Who would have thought that the Emperor would conveniently think about making them part of his funeral rites.

They were all young and beautiful, there was still so much of life left to live, who would want to die with an old man!

“As long as the Crown Prince ascends the throne, I can naturally protect all of you, but…” Jiang Ning paused, “Given the current circumstances, as you are aware, it’s hard to say.”

At this, Concubine Ye burst into tears.

Her crying made Concubine Zhu and Concubine Ya cry as well.

There was a chorus of sobbing in the Crystal Clear Manor.

To those uninformed, they might think some terrible event had taken place.

Just as Jiang Ning was thinking about how to console them, she saw Wenxi run in in a fluster, fell to his knees and called out anxiously, “Princess Consort, I just heard from the front, the Emperor… the Emperor has passed away!”