Chapter 180 |
The Dali Temple's public trial of the Prince Yong case shook the imperial court and the public.
No one expected that a single public trial would ultimately unravel so many affairs.
Tang Yisu self-immolated on the spot. Although his dying words attempted to exonerate the Second Prince, they in fact squarely placed the blame upon him.
The Fifth Prince voluntarily accused the Second Prince of being the mastermind behind the Third Prince's severed arm and the Shu family's embezzlement scandal, and even of instigating the Li clan's crime of illicit arms trading.
For a time, soldiers at the border and the common people of Great Zhou were outraged, gathering before their local government offices to demand severe punishment for the culprits.
The Second Prince was imprisoned in the Eastern Depot, while the Fifth Prince was placed under house arrest at the Ministry of Justice.
The two departments collaborated to verify the truth of the Fifth Prince's claims. In a secret chamber within the Fifth Prince's bedroom, they uncovered evidence of the Second Prince's involvement in the Shu family embezzlement case.
The Shu family was guilty, guilty of gross negligence. As the chief supervising official, such negligence warranted execution, but punishing one person was sufficient; it need not implicate the entire clan.
Just as the Second Prince had used Tang Yisu as a precaution against the Fifth Prince, the Fifth Prince had likewise taken precautions against the Second Prince.
Seeing his confession, the Second Prince did not refute it.
The Third Prince, acting as if mad, submitted memorials daily and constantly appealed to the imperial clan, demanding that the mastermind, the Second Prince, and even the Fifth Prince, compensate him with an arm.
The Eldest Prince, far away in Lingbei, also relied on one or two remaining useful contacts in the capital to submit memorials requesting a retrial of the Shu family case.
Emperor Chongzhao, his energy depleted, entrusted the overall adjudication to the three officials: Grand Tutor Fang, Xi Shiqiu, and Lin Zongping.
In the final re-evaluation, it was determined that the Shu clan members were innocent. Their status as criminal slaves was expunged, they were permitted to return to their native places, part of their family assets were returned, and their descendants were allowed to sit for the imperial examinations once more.
However, the charges against Vice Minister Shu were suppressed by Emperor Chongzhao, left undecided.
He summoned the Eldest Prince back to the capital from Lingbei.
The Eldest Prince stood outside the imperial palace, gazing at this magnificent, imposing royal city. Having grown accustomed to the free winds among the mountains and forests of Lingbei, he now found it somewhat hard to breathe upon returning to the place where he had grown up.
He was led into the Zichen Hall by Eunuch Yu.
The hall was hazy with the smell of medicine. The Eldest Prince saw his father, sitting cross-legged on the kang table by the bed.
From the time when the nation was caught between two enemy states and Great Zhou teetered on the brink, to the current seething intrigues in the capital, his father had aged considerably since their last meeting.
His face was not overly aged, but his temples were streaked with grey.
Clad in the world's most revered dragon robe, his person was tinged with the hues of twilight.
The Eldest Prince knelt and said, "This commoner pays his respects to Your Majesty."
Emperor Chongzhao pointed to the spot opposite him. "Sit."
The Eldest Prince hesitated for a moment before sitting opposite the Emperor.
Emperor Chongzhao said, "The Shu family's guilt was a misjudgment. All charges that should be expunged have been expunged."
The Eldest Prince replied, "Yes, this commoner is already aware."
Emperor Chongzhao continued, "However, your father-in-law, as the chief supervising official, bears too great a responsibility for negligence. The death penalty remains, and on this point, there is no room for change."
The Eldest Prince said, "This commoner has already used his official rank to offset the death penalty for his father-in-law."
Emperor Chongzhao looked at his attire.
Plain cloth clothes, washed many times over. "With the retrial of the Shu family case, I am giving you another chance to choose."
The Eldest Prince followed his gaze to look at his own clothes, finding nothing amiss, and asked puzzledly, "A choice?"
Emperor Chongzhao said, "If you retract your statement about using your rank as atonement, I will act as if I never heard it. Vice Minister Shu faces the death penalty, but you may return to the capital and resume your status as the Eldest Prince."
The Eldest Prince fell silent.
After a long while, he finally spoke. "The clothes on this commoner's body, though humble, were sewn stitch by stitch by his wife. There is no garment more comfortable than one made by a mother or a wife.
Having grown accustomed to wearing the best clothes, all others feel uncomfortable."
Emperor Chongzhao said, "So that is your answer."
The Eldest Prince stood up and knelt on the ground once more.
The daylight from outside filtered through the blurred window lattice, casting light on Emperor Chongzhao's back, leaving the expression on his face obscure and unreadable.
"You may go."
Only then did the Eldest Prince's tense body relax slightly. He did not rise, but instead pleaded, "I beg permission for this commoner to visit Consort De."
Emperor Chongzhao raised his hand slightly.
Eunuch Yu then helped the Eldest Prince to his feet and led him outside, whispering, "Someone will shortly take you to Consort De."
At this, the Eldest Prince revealed a genuinely sincere smile.
Wenxin had asked him to bring back some local specialties from Lingbei. He wondered if his mother would find them palatable. After delivering them to his mother, he would take some to Little Seven as well.
Eunuch Yu handed the Eldest Prince over to a young eunuch and returned to the hall.
Emperor Chongzhao lit a slender stick of incense and inserted it into a gilded incense holder the size of half a palm. "Twice he did not choose me. He chose the Shu family, betraying me twice.
"I am his father. Could it be that I compare unfavorably to a father-in-law for whom he holds little affection?"
As he spoke these words, his voice was calm, betraying neither joy nor anger.
Eunuch Yu stood quietly at his side.
Emperor Chongzhao said, "Send word to the border, summon Prince Ming to return."
Eunuch Yu replied, "Yes."
He cautiously reminded, "There is another matter. How should the Second Prince and Fifth Prince be dealt with? The three Grand Secretaries await Your Majesty's decision."
The Fifth Prince was relatively less culpable, but the Second Prince had truly provoked public fury. The border soldiers and the people of Great Zhou were all awaiting his final fate.
Emperor Chongzhao gazed at the curling blue smoke by his hand.
"My summoning of Prince Ming back is itself the decision. Having served by my side for so many years, how can you fail to understand? This has been delayed long enough. Proceed."
-
Eastern Depot.
In the prison.
Tang Yisu's self-immolation ignited the wrath of the border troops and the people of Great Zhou, costing him his own life and also sealing the fate of the Second Prince.
Members of the Second Prince's faction did not even dare to submit memorials pleading for leniency on his behalf.
Anyone who spoke up was immediately branded a 'treacherous official'.
The Second Prince sat upright in his solitary cell. Before him was a small table, its surface clean.
Having been imprisoned hastily, he had someone fetch a set of clothes, a hair crown, and a hairpin from his residence. He re-tied the hair disheveled by the Third Prince and secured it properly with the pin.
The Eastern Depot served the Second Prince the same food given to other prisoners.
He was not picky, eating whatever was provided.
However, the fare was poor, and over half a month, he had grown noticeably thinner.
Footsteps sounded from outside.
A section of elegant, plain robe hem stopped before the cell door.
Chen Jian personally led the visitor, unlocked the cell door, and said, "Consort Ruan, please enter."
Consort Ruan softly expressed her thanks and entered, carrying a food box.
The Second Prince opened his eyes. "Mother Consort has come."
Consort Ruan placed the food box on the table before him and sat opposite.
Her eyes were slightly red. Her gaze swept over the Second Prince, a complex, inscrutable look in their depths.
"In my memory, it has been a long time since Mother Consort looked at me with such an expression," the Second Prince said with a faint smile. "Like a mother."
Since he killed that palace maid in his childhood, he had never again seen a mother's care and affection on Consort Ruan's face, only the look one gives a monster.
Consort Ruan lowered her eyes and took out dishes and wine from the food box.
Food prepared in the palace was far more refined than what was served in the Eastern Depot.
Consort Ruan: "You have come to this point today because of your own actions, because you have committed too many evils." She poured wine into the cup and pushed it before the Second Prince. "You cannot blame others."
Second Prince: "Mother, you worry too much. I have never blamed others."
Using the Fifth Prince's hand, capitalizing on his hatred for Consort Lan and the Sixth Prince, he had the Third Prince deposed. The only regret was that the Crown Prince wasn't implicated.
He could only deal with the Crown Prince through the Shu family. The result was even better than he anticipated: the Crown Prince was dismissed from his official post, allowed to keep his wife and children, stripped of his noble title, and exiled far to the north of the Ling Mountains.
He then lured the Li clan into trafficking weapons. People are greedy and prone to wishful thinking. The Li clan took the bait of their own accord and committed treason. When the affair was exposed, the Sixth Prince fell from power.
From the day he began scheming against others, he had anticipated there might be a day like today. He just hadn't expected it to unfold in this manner.
Not very dramatic or earth-shattering, he evaluated inwardly.
Consort Ruan: "Harming your own brothers... Ping'er, you grew up with them. Did your heart not ache when you struck?"
"Not every misdeed is done by that one villain," said the Second Prince. "But, heartache?" He touched his chest. "That's an illness, isn't it?"
Consort Ruan fell silent. "Eat something."
"Alright," the Second Prince picked up his chopsticks and took a piece of meat. "But Mother, is this food really safe to eat?"
Consort Ruan glanced up at him. "I will eat it with you then."
Just as she reached out, the Second Prince pressed down on her chopsticks with his own.
"Since it was brought for me, Mother, you'd better not partake. I am hungry."
He ate the food she had brought unhurriedly and took a sip of wine.
Second Prince: "Sometimes I truly wish I could return to the day you discovered I had killed someone as a child. With my current abilities, I would certainly be able to dispose of the body properly. Then, we could still be a close, intimate mother and son."
Consort Ruan turned her face away.
The Second Prince finished the food and drank the last of the wine.
He studied Consort Ruan's profile carefully. "Why are you crying? It's just poison bestowed by Father Emperor."
Consort Ruan: "You knew?"
"I estimated it was about time Father Emperor made his decision."
Killing him was the will of the people.
Even the Son of Heaven cannot truly defy the people's will.
Father Emperor especially valued his reputation. As his health declined, he became even more concerned with his legacy. By killing him, Father Emperor would probably gain a reputation for 'placing righteousness above family loyalty.'
Second Prince: "Mother, is your heart aching now?" he asked, puzzled. "What does it feel like to personally pour poisoned wine for your own child?"
Tears streaked Consort Ruan's face. She reached out, grabbed the Second Prince's shoulders, and shook him, her eyes fixed intently on his face.
"I wanted to see you one last time, Ping'er. Can't you feel it at all? Human emotions..."
For the last time in her presence, the Second Prince revealed his most perfect, most gentle smile—the same smile he wore every time he went to pay his respects at Consort Ruan's palace.
"If we meet again, Mother, you can teach me in the next life."
He closed his eyes amidst Consort Ruan's stunned silence, his life extinguished.
Consort Ruan slowly released his shoulders, and the Second Prince collapsed to the floor.
Silence filled the prison cell.
Only after a long while did the sound of weeping grow, louder and louder.
In the struggle for imperial power, he did not believe his actions were wrong, considering it merely a matter of winning or losing. Thus, until death, he never signed a single confession.
-
After the Second Prince reaped what he had sown, the protesting commoners in the various provinces and commanderies gradually quieted down.
Emperor Chongzhao summoned the Fifth Prince, who was under house arrest.
Upon hearing the news, Qu Dubian went directly to the palace gates to intercept him but arrived a step too late and missed him.
The guards at the palace gate said awkwardly, "If you had come a little earlier, you would have seen him. By now, His Highness the Fifth Prince is probably already in the Zichen Hall."
"Would you like to enter directly?"
Qu Dubian shook his head.
The Fifth Brother was not the mastermind behind many of the events; his crimes could be dealt with leniently. Yet for so long, he had merely been confined at the Ministry of Justice without a formal sentence.
Father Emperor's sudden summons—it was unclear whether it was good or bad news.
But he certainly did not want anyone to know the content of their conversation. Going to the entrance of the Zichen Hall might actually be counterproductive.
Ye Xiaoyuan: "Please wait in the carriage. Keep the curtain drawn. Once the Fifth Prince emerges, you will see him immediately."
-
Zichen Hall.
Western Warmth Pavilion.
The Fifth Prince knelt on the floor, his expression placid.
He had been kneeling for a while, but Emperor Chongzhao had been busy reviewing memorials and had not looked at him.
After approximately half an hour, the Emperor finally pinched the bridge of his nose and had Eunuch Yu remove the processed memorials.
Only then did he have time to look at the Fifth Prince.
Emperor Chongzhao: "There are no outsiders here. I have some questions I wish to ask you."
Fifth Prince: "Your son will answer truthfully without reservation."
"Consort Lan harmed your birth mother. I understand you striking against the Sixth Prince in court. But that day at the Dali Temple, why did you suddenly reveal what you had done with the Second Prince, pushing both him and yourself into the eye of the storm?"
Because of Tang Yisu, the Second Prince was destined to have no further standing in court.
By exposing himself, the Fifth Prince gained no benefit whatsoever—only disadvantages—aside from making the Second Prince's situation worse or ensuring his death.
Fifth Prince: "Why? Father Emperor, do you want to hear the truth?"
Emperor Chongzhao: "Deceiving the sovereign is a capital offense."
Fifth Prince: "Very well."
He smiled slightly. His back, which had been straight and reverently kneeling, bent slightly, and he leaned back, settling onto his calves.
He assumed a kneeling-sitting posture.
The appearance of being cautious, silent, and steady vanished completely.
"In your perspective, my actions are, of course, difficult to comprehend. Betraying... no, or rather, infiltrating the Sixth Brother's side was because I wanted revenge against him and Consort Lan, to avenge my mother."
"As for Second Brother... he was probably your preferred heir after the fall of the Crown Prince and the Sixth Prince, wasn't he?"
"In those days, the one who harmed my mother wasn't just Consort Lan. It was actually you as well," the Fifth Prince said with feigned puzzlement. "You haven't forgotten, have you? You said, 'The court and the rear palace are intricately linked. I will still have use for Noble Consort Lan's father in the future.' What useful purpose—trafficking weapons?"
"You were also one of the behind-the-scenes pushers who, weighing the interests, chose not to investigate deeply, leading to my mother's death. Without you, none of today's events would exist."
Emperor Chongzhao hurled the cup in his hand. Porcelain shards splattered against the Fifth Prince's face, leaving a small cut.
He glared at the Fifth Prince. "You are taking revenge on me."
Fifth Prince smiled: "The fury in your eyes that day at the Dali Temple made me very happy."
He was probably the true mad dog among all the brothers. The last chain restraining him had been tampered with. If a mad dog bites, one can only blame the one who touched the chain.
To put it plainly, it wasn't entirely for Little Seven. Ensuring the Second Prince's death was also to disgust and unsettle the person before him to the greatest extent possible.
Little Seven would live well from now on. He himself had nothing left in this world to yearn for.
Eunuch Yu wished he could pierce his own eardrums.
Yet, Emperor Chongzhao's face showed no anger. On the contrary, he appeared emotionally steady.
It was unclear whether he was internalizing everything, unwilling to let the Fifth Prince see him provoked again, or whether he was following Physician Yang's advice to control his emotions.
"I understand. My questions are finished. Eunuch Yu, see him out."
The Fifth Prince stood up on his own. "Your son takes his leave."
Emperor Chongzhao: "The innermost cell of the Eastern Depot is yours. From now on, you shall reside there, never to leave, never to see the light. Each day, you shall kneel for an hour facing the direction of the imperial palace to atone for your sins."
"Since you despise your emperor, there is no need for you to be buried in the imperial mausoleum after death. From now on, in this world and the underworld, we shall never meet again."
The Fifth Prince: "I thank Your Imperial Father for this gracious reward."
He accepted the reward with apparent pleasure and strode out of the Zichen Hall.
Once more, Emperor Chongzhao watched as his sons, one after another, walked out of that door, never to appear before him again.
-
Outside the palace gates.
Qu Dubian waited until the Fifth Prince emerged in one piece and quietly let out a sigh of relief.
"Fifth Brother."
The Fifth Prince: "Your fifth brother just threw a rather spectacular fit in the Zichen Hall, Little Seven. It's better for you to keep your distance, lest our imperial father be displeased when he finds out."
Qu Dubian: "It's fine."
The military merits he had established were his strongest shield. As long as he didn't commit a major transgression, he would never have to kowtow to anyone in this lifetime.
Ye Xiaoyuan: "Where are you taking the Fifth Prince?"
The palace attendant behind them replied, "We are escorting the Fifth Prince to the deepest prison of the Eastern Depot, to be imprisoned for life. After death, he is not to be buried in the imperial mausoleum. His Majesty decreed this as the Fifth Prince's punishment."
This punishment was far more severe than having his noble title stripped away.
Qu Dubian frowned.
What had Fifth Brother said in the Zichen Hall?
The Fifth Prince reached out and gently touched the edge of the black silk covering Qu Dubian's eyes. "Your elder brother has committed a wrong. Punishment is deserved. Don't frown."
"Don't go to plead with him. It's useless."
For him, this was probably the best outcome.
Perhaps one day, out of sheer boredom, he would simply end this meaningless life.
Qu Dubian's heart inexplicably tightened. He suddenly grasped his brother's hand. "Fifth Brother, I plan to leave the capital to travel afar, to seek out interesting storybooks and local specialties. Some I won't have time to read or enjoy, so I'll send them to the capital. Will you help me choose which ones are good?"
"And there are some rare and interesting little trinkets. The deep prison of the Eastern Depot is probably a good place to store things," he pulled the Fifth Prince aside and said in a low voice, "I have acquaintances in the Eastern Depot. Will you be my item custodian, Fifth Brother?"
The Fifth Prince was stunned for a moment.
He tilted his head, as if looking at his younger brother's face. Several seconds later, he uttered a single word:
"Alright."
Qu Dubian clapped his hand in agreement. "A promise is a promise."
After they finished speaking, the palace attendants behind the Fifth Prince cautiously urged them twice. Qu Dubian stepped aside, letting them take Fifth Brother to the Eastern Depot's deep prison.
Qu Dubian stood by the carriage, 'watching' them depart.
Fifth Brother's demeanor, as if he didn't care whether he lived or died, worried him.
Fortunately, the Eastern Depot was Xiao Chun's territory. He could ask Xiao Chun to look after Fifth Brother more often, to prevent him from truly giving up hope and doing something irreversible.
Ye Xiaoyuan: "Your Highness, what you said earlier about planning to travel afar... is it true?"
Qu Dubian: "It's true."
-
Fourth Prince's residence.
The Fourth Prince had been lying in bed for a full day.
Not eating, not drinking.
His dead-fish-like eyes were open, staring at the ceiling.
Eldest Brother went to Lingbei, Second Brother is gone, Third Brother lost an arm, Fifth Brother is imprisoned, Sixth Brother is farming, Seventh Brother is blind... Among the princes, only he remained.
He was the slowest to hide.
A servant in the room urged, "Your Highness, please eat something."
Fourth Prince: "What do you think are the chances of our imperial father passing the throne to Imperial Uncle Ming?"
Servant: "Uh..."
Fourth Prince: "What are the chances of our imperial father having another son?"
Servant: "This..."
Fourth Prince: "Is it too late to hang myself?"
Servant: "!!! Absolutely not!"
A servant guarding the door outside entered and announced, "Your Highness, His Majesty summons you to the palace."
The Fourth Prince was like a skeleton crawling out of a grave hoping for sunlight, only to lift the coffin lid and find an overcast sky outside.
He exuded a faint aura of death, his steps heavy as he entered the palace.
Before leaving, he saw his personal guard, Leng Yue. Because the burn scars on his face were frightening, he wore a half-mask.
Fourth Prince: "You're back? Have you taken care of all the family matters?"
Leng Yue said, "Yes, the elders have been laid to rest. Thank you for your consideration, Your Highness."
The Fourth Prince sighed. "Mm."
-
From the fall of the Northern Frontier, the Yong Prince returning to the capital wounded, to within the capital itself, the Sixth Prince, Second Prince, and Fifth Prince successively losing their eligibility to inherit the throne—it had taken only two months.
All the officials and imperial clansmen in the entire capital had not celebrated the New Year well.
Except for the common people, everything was quiet and desolate.
The number of people offering incense at temples increased, praying for peace and fewer upheavals in the coming year.
However, after the first month, the capital finally settled into complete calm.
On the day of the Lantern Festival, the heads of the Left Worthy King and Jirgal were presented as offerings on the altar of the Fengxian Hall. Emperor Chongzhao reported to the ancestors that the longstanding threat of the Northern Frontier had been completely eradicated, and during his reign, the territory of Great Zhou had expanded even further than before.
Qu Dubian also attended, serving as a sort of mascot, with people coming and going to flatter him.
Besides him, the Fourth Prince was also there.
The Fourth Prince had been summoned by Emperor Chongzhao to live in the palace, housed in the eastern warm chamber of Zichen Hall. His peaceful days of idling were over; opening his eyes meant private tutoring from Emperor Chongzhao and watching the emperor review memorials.
All the laziness he had indulged in over the years was now being made up for, one by one.
The Fourth Prince wasn't stupid; he was lazy. Forced by Emperor Chongzhao and three Grand Secretaries to study the art of rulership and statecraft, he learned quickly, but dark circles were visibly appearing under his eyes.
Among Emperor Chongzhao's sons now, he was the only intact seedling left.
Qu Dubian was speechless. He patted his shoulder. "Fourth Brother, I believe you can do it."
The Fourth Prince grabbed him, not letting him leave. "Little Seven, you simply don't understand how much pain I'm in now..."
No, he understood.
Back in the Northern Frontier, handling military affairs while fighting, he had learned the meaning of heart-wrenching pain.
The job of emperor was better left to Fourth Brother. He was going to make a run for it.
Qu Dubian whispered to him, "Fourth Brother, have a little nephew early and train him up. Once you become the Retired Emperor, you can rest. Grand Tutor Fang and the others look like they can still work for another decade or more. Take good care of them, and they can even help you raise the child."
The Fourth Prince's gaze grew distant, a flicker of seemingly unattainable hope appearing in his lifeless eyes.
He said, "Haha."
Qu Dubian: "..."
The kid's gone mad.
As soon as the ceremony ended, he returned to his princely residence to pack things useful for his long journey.
His fief had been decided: Guangling, also known as Jiangdu, later called Yangzhou. Among the prefectures where princes could be enfeoffed, his was the most superior.
For this journey, he planned to travel around Great Zhou, starting with Lingbei.
Last time, Eldest Brother had sent him local products from Lingbei. After tasting them, he had been longing for more, so he intended to go to Lingbei again to see the snowy landscapes of its lofty mountains and see how they differed from the Northern Frontier.
Afterwards, he would detour to the Northern Frontier to visit Xia Fuyang and, on the way, bring his grandfather back.
His treatment was probably almost complete by now.
Then he would go to Qingzhou and Jizhou to drink with the brothers he met during the bandit-suppression days, finally detouring to Xianghe County to see the folks there, before finally returning to his fief in Yangzhou.
He went to the palace to request permission to take Consort Xuan and Noble Lady Guo to his fiefdom. Emperor Chongzhao agreed.
Grandmother also wanted to go, but she was advanced in years and could not withstand the long, arduous journey, let alone the extreme cold of regions like Lingbei and the Northern Frontier.
So, after discussion, it was decided that Consort Xuan, along with guards from the Sword-Holding Marquis Estate, would escort Grandmother and Noble Lady Guo first to settle in the Yangzhou fiefdom.
Zhiyi and Xie Lishan had other tasks. They wished to travel with Ahanli to escort Aunt Axiang's spirit tablet and ashes back to the Xiang River and stay there for a time.
Everyone had their own arrangements.
A few days before departure, Imperial Physician Yang, carrying his medicine chest, hurriedly knocked on the Seventh Prince's mansion gate.
Qu Dubian had him shown in and asked, puzzled, "It's already dark. What brings you here, Imperial Physician Yang?"
Yang got straight to the point without mincing words. "Your servant has made progress in studying the 'tendon-snapping, bone-breaking' condition. That poison is truly fierce, causing severe damage to the body. While there is no antidote yet, I have found a method to alleviate its effects."
He produced an oversized gourd.
Qu Dubian hefted it; it was exceptionally heavy. He asked hesitantly, "This wouldn't be medicine inside, would it?"
Imperial Physician Yang said cheerfully, "Yes, it is!"
"It can maintain your current physical state without deterioration and also has effects that clear the liver and brighten the eyes. It stimulates the sphenoid sinus to regain vitality. Perhaps after taking it for a few years, you might regain some sight."
As soon as he finished, Ye Xiaoyuan's eyes lit up. He eagerly asked, "Really?" He had great faith in Imperial Physician Yang's medical skills. "Then how many times a day, and how much each time?"
Imperial Physician Yang poured out thumb-sized, pitch-black pills from the large gourd. "Chew them. Twice a day, three pills each time. Of course, this is just the initial version. Once I research further, I will send the new medicine to you on your journey. Remember to check for it, Eunuch Xiaoyuan."
Ye Xiaoyuan grasped his hand. "You've worked hard, Imperial Physician Yang."
Imperial Physician Yang: "Not at all! It's just... the medicine is a bit bitter. Chewing it..."
Ye Xiaoyuan: "That's no problem! To be able to see, His Highness isn't afraid of bitterness."
The two of them completely overlooked the actual person who needed to take the medicine standing beside them.
Qu Dubian: "..."
He had originally planned to let his eyes fully recover once the political situation was completely stable, or after his fourth brother ascended the throne, and stop watching the 'cartoons'.
Imperial Physician Yang meant well, but he really didn't want to chew bitter pills!
-
No matter how much Qu Dubian tried to wriggle out of it, Ye Xiaoyuan resolutely packed Imperial Physician Yang's medicine for the journey.
Qu Dubian, Yi Shier, Ye Xiaoyuan, and Xi Zixing, along with the two dogs, Yidianbai and Jinlai, officially began their long journey.
The carriage rolled leisurely forward.
Xi Zixing sat on the front beam, suddenly struck by a strong desire to see the expression on Xia Fuyang's face when he and His Highness appeared together in the Northern Frontier.
It was sure to be priceless.