Chapter 345: Visiting the Sick
It was winter.
There were still flowers in the Imperial Palace, blooming in vibrant colors.
The Emperor sat blankly in front of a pot of bright flowers.
He had lost two children in a single day.
In an instant, he had aged, like a withered flower.
He watered the flowers with boiling water, and they withered to show him.
Eunuch Yan and Vice Minister Jiang exchanged a glance before looking away, watching the Emperor’s tall but gaunt figure.
In truth, the Emperor was already of a ripe old age; in this era, the average human lifespan was about 33 years.
The Emperor had lived well beyond the average, and he had many children too.
Superior material conditions and medical care could extend his life, yet he could not save the lives of his children.
“Er’lang, have someone give Buqi a proper burial.”
“Yes.”
Jiang Changtian did not linger and turned to leave.
Eunuch Yan remained by the Emperor’s side, bringing him several pots of boiling water, watering and killing several precious flowers.
He was filled with anger.
His son had used death to prove his innocence because his son did not trust him.
In reality, he did not trust his son either.
When the Emperor learned that the Fifth Prince’s side concubine was one of the Sixth Prince’s people, he was furious.
If the person sleeping beside you was someone else’s pawn, that feeling was truly disgusting.
But the Sixth Prince had died to prove his will.
It only proved that he was a fool.
Yes, a gentleman could not become the Crown Prince.
A gentleman can be deceived by righteousness. Everyone thinks the throne is easy to sit on, but those officials are old, cunning foxes. If you are not careful, you will become a puppet. It is just the east wind overcoming the west wind, or the west wind overcoming the east wind; fortunes turn, and an Emperor is an Emperor, not a gentleman.
So who was the real killer?
It was highly probable that it was one of his remaining children.
But he did not want to believe it.
This was forcing him to kill his own children.
People do not want to believe their own children could be wrong, that they could be villains.
He now realized that perhaps he really had been wrong.
In truth, the Crown Prince had done very well back then, without any major faults.
It was only because he himself had been nitpicking, growing increasingly displeased with him, that officials interpreted his intentions and framed him, leaving him unable to defend himself.
Although he had not committed suicide, it was likely from that moment on that his Crown Prince son had died.
He had personally driven his pure and kind-hearted child to death, leaving behind those with hearts like scorpions.
Next, he would have to find those scorpions.
The dragon has nine sons, and each is different.
The Emperor turned to look at the Eunuch Yan beside him. “Wen Xin, can I trust you?”
Eunuch Yan nodded and said, “This servant’s status is lowly, yet I admire Bo Ya and Zhong Ziqi. Your Majesty, you have shown me grace by recognizing my talent. Everything I have, you have given me. Without you, there would be no me. There is no one else in this world who treats me this way. You can trust this servant.”
The Emperor stared at him with slightly clouded eyes.
He returned the gaze earnestly—peaceful, gentle, and tranquil.
It made the Emperor think of the former Crown Prince’s tutor, Grand Tutor Jiang Bai.
He had asked, “Ah Bai, can I trust you?”
Jiang Bai had replied, “You can always trust this subject.”
He had not failed him, yet he had failed him.
After the Sixth Prince died, the Fifth Prince’s side concubine was subjected to severe torture.
Unable to endure it, she uttered the word ‘Yu’ before dying.
The 9th Prince’s name was Chu Yu.
The advisor also committed suicide.
It was discovered that he had dealings with the 9th Prince during his lifetime and had frequented the same pleasure houses.
This time, the Emperor did not have anyone arrest the 9th Prince.
He was ill.
He even missed the once-every-ten-days morning court session.
It seemed he was very seriously ill.
It was rumored that the Emperor had vomited blood after losing two sons in one day.
However, this was just a rumor; saying such things casually was a capital offense.
It was prying into the Imperial health.
That same day, an imperial physician from the Imperial Physician Bureau disappeared.
The Seventh Prince and the 9th Prince both knew this news.
Moreover, the Emperor had recently been clutching at straws in his illness.
The Emperor already took pills daily, which some officials had opposed.
Now, it was even more exaggerated.
He had been quietly bringing all sorts of strange folk practitioners into the palace.
Many of these strange individuals had also been dealt with.
However, because of the overwhelming wealth, there was a constant stream of strange individuals volunteering to enter the palace.
As it turned out, some of these strange individuals did receive huge rewards, not only treasures but also real estate.
The part about real estate made people go crazy when they heard it. That was property in the capital! It meant not only would one not have to worry about food and drink for a lifetime, but future generations wouldn’t either—wealth that would benefit three generations.
Thus, even knowing the risk of beheading, people still applied to enter the palace to visit the Emperor and offer remedies.
The Emperor was ill.
Even Princess Huiyun, who did not like to meddle in affairs, could not just stay at her son’s house listening to stories.
She decided to go into the palace to visit.
However, Princess Huiyun wondered if it might be a bitter-suffering ruse.
Just like how she had previously excused herself by saying her face was injured, hiding away in a temple and not coming out.
In truth, the injury on her face was fine; it was just a scar, and Princess Huiyun did not think much of it.
She did not care for beauty at all, because she possessed too much of it.
But she was too lazy to see people; she did not want to see anyone.
It was an excellent excuse.
Princess Huiyun took Mianmian into the palace with her.
Mainly because the little one was very clingy and could not bear to be separated from her.
Mianmian: “…Princess Grandma, do you have some misunderstanding? It is clearly you who is clinging to me.”
However, Mianmian quite liked going into the palace.
She treated it like visiting a tourist attraction, and she could even get in for free.
Princess Huiyun had originally thought her brother was faking it; he was well-versed in feigning illness.
Before, he had feigned illness to change from daily morning court to once every ten days—that time, he was “very ill.”
So, she was quite calm when entering the palace.
As for the death of her nephew, it was quite sad to speak of, but for royals, life and death were too common; sometimes it became routine.
Everyone dies, and she would die too.
Born into the royal family, sometimes dying early was not a bad thing.
Wearing a white robe and a white cloak, the Princess held the hand of Mianmian, who was also wearing a white robe and a fluffy white cloak, as they entered the palace.
A Princess was allowed to carry a sword.
Mianmian asked: “Grandma, can I bring my sword in too?”
She pulled out the small sword on her person.
Princess Huiyun looked at the little black thing in her hand and said with disdain: “That little trinket? Whatever. Another day, I will find you a better one.”
“No, this is what Father gave me, so it is the best.”
“I have better ones.”
“Impossible.”
Princess Huiyun: “…Why does my breathing become unstable every time I speak a few sentences with her?”
The one who came to welcome them was Eunuch Duan.
He kept his eyes on his nose and his nose on his heart, naturally not meddling in unnecessary affairs.
If it really were forbidden, there would be others to step forward; it was not his turn.
If no one cared, it meant it was allowed.
The workplace in the palace was such that it was better not to do anything than to do it wrong.
Eunuch Duan was currently in favor with the Emperor and had become another Eunuch Liu.
He was very good at reading the situation, and he personally ran out to welcome Princess Huiyun.
It was more pleasing to the Emperor than just standing before him.
After all, the Emperor’s regard for Princess Huiyun was obvious to all; it was definitely not just for show.
Princess Huiyun looked at the scene in the palace; in truth, it had not changed much.
She used to think the Imperial Palace was magnificent and splendid, but for some reason, after staying at the Jiang Family’s small courtyard for the past few days, she actually felt that this place was empty and lacked human vitality, and it was not as good as it used to be.
It was not as lively as that small courtyard.
Walking all the way, turning several corners, they arrived at the Emperor’s bedchamber.
Princess Huiyun had intended it to be a routine visit, but she did not expect to suddenly see the man on the bed, who looked even older than her Father in her memories.
It really gave her a big shock.
She was stunned and speechless.
Mianmian was also very surprised.
Because seeing Princess Grandma’s relatively relaxed state, she had also been quite relaxed, thinking that coming to the palace was just for a stroll and to visit relatives.
The kind where you bring a carton of milk to visit an elder.
See Great-Uncle Emperor, then go back.
She had not expected that Great-Uncle Emperor, without his dragon robes, had really aged twenty years in an instant.
Men without the uniform bonus really just wouldn’t do.
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