Chapter 415 - 12.23
Two months had passed, and Xu Jiansheng kept recruiting more and more volunteers as the effect of Yunyu’s death finally started showing up in the Imperial Palace.
Although Huang Shu already ordered the people to hide the fact that Empress Xiuying had passed away, there would always be few people who were bound to spread the rumour to the masses. And when the citizen knew that Empress Xiuying had died, most people were not even saddened.
Because they always thought that Empress Xiuying was a leech that had no use to Emperor Xianliang other than bothering him. He was also a ger man, and ger had an even lower social status than a woman in this traditional society.
Even worse, the late Empress Xiuying was an infertile ger man. He truly had no use to Emperor Xianliang, and his worth had been diminished.
Emperor Xianliang heard this during the morning court. He attended the morning court less and less, and his appearance was haggard.
He had an unkempt beard. He didn’t even bother to use proper regal clothing. He was getting thinner and thinner as he didn’t want to eat anything served to him. At least he only ate very little compared to usual because he lost his appetite whenever he remembered how his wife suffered from starvation and malnutrition in his hands.
"Y—Your Majesty... this minister had heard about the grieving news through a passing rumour in the capital city that His Majesty Empress Xiuying had passed away. Is this true, Your Majesty? Shouldn’t we cremate his remain soon?" One minister asked.
Even the ministers were kept in the dark about the news by Huang Shu. Huang Shu only selected few people he trusted to keep their mouths shut about Bai Yunyu’s death. And after knowing that the news had been spread wide to the capital, Huang Shu, who had been lifeless for the whole two months, finally lit up in rage.
He raged as he pointed at the minister who had just spoken about this, "Who told you this!?"