Chapter 106 |
Zichen Palace.
Emperor Chongzhao lay on the bed with his eyes closed, as imperial physicians conducted their examination.
The Empress kept vigil by his side.
Physician Yang withdrew his hand: "His Majesty has exhausted his body to the point of collapse. The situation is somewhat critical. His external body temperature will not come down; the fever has lasted too long, disrupting the balance of the five elements. Other ailments will likely manifest in his body."
The Empress: "Then when can His Majesty awaken?"
Physician Yang: "Perhaps tomorrow, perhaps the day after."
A lute string that has snapped and been glued back together cannot withstand the same intensity of plucking as before. If, upon waking, His Majesty continues as he used to, it is foreseeable that over time, it will damage his heart's strength and shorten his lifespan.
Emperor Chongzhao remained unconscious for two full days.
With the ministers absent from court for two days, people's hearts grew restless.
The Fourth Prince only came when he had time, utterly disapproving of their willingness to go hungry just to wait there.
The Fifth and Sixth Princes still had to attend their studies at the academy, usually only coming to check after classes ended.
Qu Dubian never appeared; he stayed holed up in his own small courtyard.
However, no one said anything about him, as he himself had not yet fully recovered.
It wasn't until late at night on the second day of Emperor Chongzhao's coma that he finally drifted into consciousness.
His head throbbed with pain, and his entire body felt weak.
"Your Majesty!" Chief Eunuch Yu was the first to notice he was awake and called for the physicians to come in for a diagnosis.
"Your Majesty has finally awakened, thank heaven and earth!"
The palace servants in Zichen Palace immediately sprang into action. The imperial guards stationed outside also breathed a slight sigh of relief. During these days of the Emperor's coma, the very sky seemed overcast, the atmosphere tense every moment.
Thank goodness, thank goodness.
After a bowl of warm medicinal broth was consumed,
Emperor Chongzhao rested for a good while.
He had always considered himself in excellent health, often staying up late, using strong tea to stay alert while handling state affairs. Occasional minor discomforts would pass after a night's sleep.
He never imagined a day would come when he would lie in bed like this, so frail and powerless.
After finishing the medicine, he leaned against the bedside and looked at his own hand.
The physician finished his diagnosis and said quietly, "Since Your Majesty has awakened, there should be no major danger. However, you must take care to rest and recuperate, and must not overexert yourself again."
Emperor Chongzhao's expression, neither pleased nor angry, remained unchanged: "Who is still waiting outside?"
Chief Eunuch Yu immediately replied, "Reporting to Your Majesty, the First, Second, and Third Princes are all there. The other princes have returned."
Emperor Chongzhao: "The Fourth Prince isn't there either?"
Chief Eunuch Yu: "...Indeed."
The Fourth Prince had merely taken a glance today before leaving; one could hardly speak of him being 'there' or not.
"We speak the least in normal times. When handling duties, he always cuts corners where he can, not applying his heart."
It was unclear whether he meant the Fourth Prince was inattentive to his duties or inattentive to him.
Chief Eunuch Yu pondered for a moment, feeling it was both.
Emperor Chongzhao rubbed his fingers together, then after a moment said, "And the seventh one?"
Chief Eunuch Yu's heart skipped a beat. He explained, "Um... Regarding Pinggui Courtyard, the Seventh Prince's illness has not yet fully recovered."
That meant he hadn't come.
Emperor Chongzhao: "Did he send anyone to inquire about me?"
Chief Eunuch Yu glanced at the Emperor's expression: "As you know, the Seventh Prince dislikes having outsiders serve him. Pinggui Courtyard basically only has Eunuch Ye attending to him closely, so..."
Emperor Chongzhao nodded calmly and asked no more.
"Have the eldest three come in."
"Yes."
Chief Eunuch Yu called the three princes waiting in the side hall to enter.
He himself did not go in. His Majesty probably wanted to speak with the three princes; it wouldn't be appropriate for him to enter.
He found Chief Eunuch Bao and recounted what the Emperor had asked him inside the hall, worrying: "Tell me, if only the Seventh Prince had come even once, or even just sent someone to ask a single question, I could have covered for him here, praised him a bit."
"Now, although His Majesty doesn't say it, he will surely feel in his heart that the Seventh Prince doesn't care for him."
The Seventh Prince got along quite well with the palace servants of Zichen Palace. Without conflicting interests, they didn't want to see a rift grow between the Seventh Prince and His Majesty.
But not a single inquiry had been made; it was truly hard to gloss over.
Chief Eunuch Bao lowered his voice: "Then should we send someone over to inform the Seventh Prince?"
Chief Eunuch Yu: "It's so late now, and His Majesty is already awake. Going to tell him would be too late."
-
Inside the hall.
The First, Second, and Third Princes knelt by the bedside. The First Prince wept bitterly, his sobs like an ox's bellow:
"Father! You've finally awakened!"
The Third Prince's tears, welling in his eyes, were nearly forced back by this roar; he barely managed not to break character. "Father has exhausted himself worrying over state affairs. You must take good care of your health from now on, otherwise your son is deeply concerned."
The Second Prince did not speak, but his expression was one of palpable relief, allowing others to see his worry.
Emperor Chongzhao took in all their expressions.
He said indifferently, "Exhausted from overwork, yes. I am growing old. I will need your help more from now on."
The First Prince said with a firm expression: "Father, rest assured! Your son would dare ten thousand deaths without refusal!"
The Second and Third Princes, however, both bowed their heads respectfully. "Father is in the prime of life. With proper rest, recovering to your former state is only a matter of time. We, your sons, are still young, with little experience. We still need Father's patient guidance."
The First Prince: "..."
He released the Emperor's sleeve, somewhat bewildered, and glanced back.
The Third Prince straightened his back, forcefully suppressing the urge to roll his eyes.
Elder Brother, really, can't you tell good words from bad?
After the First Prince realized his mistake, a cold sweat faintly seeped onto his back. He quickly shuffled back on his knees two steps. "Your son also needs Father's guidance."
Emperor Chongzhao did not respond, and silence fell in the hall.
It was so quiet one could almost hear breathing. The First Prince's heart pounded.
He felt a suffocating sense of breathlessness.
"Recently, there have been voices in the court advocating for the establishment of a Crown Prince. The Fourth is lazy and negligent. The Fifth and Sixth have not yet established their own households. Only you three have been at court for many years. Speak, what are your thoughts on this?"
A question that could doom them.
Emperor Chongzhao: "Don't be nervous. We are all family. I am merely asking you."
The alarm bells in the three princes' minds blared wildly.
Even the foolish First Prince knew such a question could not be answered carelessly. A wrong answer might mean immediate disqualification, especially while the Emperor was still unwell.
"Third Son, what do you think of the Eldest Prince?"
The Third Prince said: "Elder Brother is heroic and valiant, straightforward and candid. He has been my role model since childhood."
The First Prince felt a bit nauseated.
Emperor Chongzhao nodded: "Eldest Son, what do you think of your Third Brother?"
The First Prince: "Third Brother's speech and bearing are deeply cultured. Your son cannot hope to match him even if he tried."
"Since you both think so highly of each other, whom should I, then, establish as Crown Prince?"
The Third Prince: "Your son only wishes to share some of Father's burdens. The matter of the Crown Prince is naturally for Father to decide. Your son has absolutely no other intentions!"
The First Prince: "Your son likewise!"
Emperor Chongzhao kicked out: "Then those in court recommending the two of you for the crown—aren't they officials who have pledged themselves to your factions? Am I blind or deaf?!"
"Cough, cough, cough, cough!"
As his emotions surged, Emperor Chongzhao began to cough.
"Father!"
Emperor Chongzhao said coldly: "Get out! When to establish a Crown Prince is for me to decide. It is not yet your place to remind me!"
The Crown Prince and the Third Prince, having been kicked, dared not show any emotion on their faces. They tearfully urged him to take care of his health and retreated respectfully.
"Second Prince, stay."
The Second Prince paused and turned back.
Emperor Chongzhao said, "You will attend to me tonight."
Second Prince: "Yes."
He went to fetch the medicine bowl and, sitting by the bedside, blew on each spoonful to cool it before feeding it to Emperor Chongzhao's lips.
Emperor Chongzhao said abruptly, "It must be difficult, being caught between the eldest and the third, isn't it? I questioned them earlier, but not you. Do you resent that?"
The Second Prince smiled: "Father, you know my temperament. I have never competed with them for anything." He said with an open expression, "What does it matter how fiercely they contend? As long as you are here, you are our pillar."
Emperor Chongzhao asked no more and drank the medicine sip by sip from his hand.
"The Fourth avoids the fray. But you, I have watched you maintain balance between them, always steady and composed. That is good."
The Second Prince's smile remained unchanged. "Then shall I prepare some pastries for you later? I learned from a concubine in my residence; they taste quite good."
Emperor Chongzhao gave silent assent.
The Second Prince went to the imperial kitchens to prepare the pastries.
While preparing the ingredients, he used scissors to trim the stems and leaves.
His father's illness had undoubtedly reminded many, including himself, that he was gradually aging.
Even if Father continued to delay naming an heir, he must surely have begun to consider it in his heart.
Snip.
The Second Prince applied a little more force, cutting off a troublesome leaf.
-
The hour of the Ox.
Eunuch Bao, standing guard outside, suddenly saw a figure approaching, leading a dog.
The newcomer wore blue robes, his hair loosely falling and tied at the nape of his neck with a cord.
"Seventh Prince?"
Qu Dubian held a sheaf of papers in his hand, nodded to him, and coughed twice into his hand. "Is Father inside? Is he still awake?"
Eunuch Bao: "He is awake, just woke up. But he just reprimanded the princes. The Second Prince stayed behind and went to the imperial kitchens to make pastries."
Qu Dubian handed him the dog leash. "Watch him for me. I'm going in."
Eunuch Bao, remembering what Eunuch Yu had just told him, hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back. Watching the Seventh Prince enter, he sighed inwardly.
If only the Seventh Prince had come a little earlier.
His Majesty probably harbored some resentment in his heart.
Emperor Chongzhao was in bed reading the memorials that had piled up over the past two days. Eunuch Yu could do nothing about it.
"The Great Zhou won't fall just because you skip reading memorials for a couple of days."
Qu Dubian's footsteps were light. His sudden remark upon entering made Eunuch Yu's eyelids twitch: "Seventh Prince?"
Emperor Chongzhao looked up, frowning. "Are you scolding me?"
Qu Dubian glanced at him, ignoring Eunuch Yu's frantic eye-blinking, strode over in two or three steps, snatched the memorial from his hand, and even took the tray holding the other memorials beside him, placing them all far away.
Then he stood wordlessly before the bed.
In memory, Little Seven was always smiling, somewhat carefree, lively, and cheerful.
But now his face was taut, completely expressionless.
Emperor Chongzhao had never seen his youngest son look so cold, as if covered in a layer of frost.
Strangely, the anger that had flared in Emperor Chongzhao's heart was extinguished by this chill. He said, "Little Seven..."
"You deserved that scolding!" Qu Dubian said expressionlessly, pulling the pillow from behind him and forcibly tucking Emperor Chongzhao back under the covers. "Didn't the imperial physicians tell you to rest quietly? And here you are, reading memorials as soon as you wake up. Are the memorials that fascinating? Can't you rest and recuperate before looking at them?"
"The ministers receiving their salaries aren't just eating for free. If it's urgent, they will surely request an audience to tell you. What's the point of looking at things that aren't urgent?"
"You're just taking advantage of being the highest authority in the palace. With the late Emperor gone and the Empress Dowager gone, you think no one can control you, so you push yourself like this."
Emperor Chongzhao was subjected to this torrent of reprimands.
Looking at his youngest son's furious face, the last trace of anger and dissatisfaction in his heart vanished.
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