coobybook Chapter 293 293 Shock
Chapter 293 293 Shock
Chapter 293 293 Shock
Perhaps because he had heard about the great fire in the court, the emperor slept very restlessly that night. He dreamed of the various events that happened before he ascended the throne. In the dream, he held the heads of several of his brothers in his hands and sat on the throne amidst blood. However, the dream suddenly changed, and his own face suddenly became the face of his eldest son. Suddenly, a raging fire broke out all around him, and he could hear the screams and sobs of young girls. The heads in his hands turned into women with long hair reaching the ground, and pairs of charred hands grew out of the blood, tightly clutching the hem of his dragon robe, shouting for help.
He was awakened by the nightmare before dawn and tossed and turned, unable to fall back asleep.
So he sat up and stared blankly at the candlelight all night. He still remembered how, when the incident happened that night, his eldest son disregarded the ban on confinement in the Eastern Palace and knelt before him, weeping bitterly—a sight that was so much like his own past self.
He knew that his eldest son was not the most outstanding among all his sons, but in order to break the curse that the emperors of the Great Xia Dynasty were never born of the eldest son, he never wavered in his idea of deposing the heir and establishing another successor, despite his repeated unforgivable mistakes.
But he was increasingly feeling powerless. It wasn't that he couldn't see the ambitions of his other sons, especially his fourth son, who was just like him back then. He couldn't suppress or praise such a son. He had thought that having his eldest son keep him in check would wear down his arrogance, but it turned out that his eldest son was useless.
Of all his sons, the sixth was the most intelligent and insightful, but he had always avoided getting involved in disputes and kept to himself. Now, however, he had been dragged into the conflict for the sake of the autumn hunt. With his cleverness, perhaps he could manage to balance the current situation to some extent.
As for the third son… he was also exceptionally talented in his youth, but he was more inclined towards martial arts than literature. He was the most stable and reliable, and always indifferent to power, content with just getting things done in front of him. But this time, I wonder why he got involved. Could it be that the daughter of the Marquis of Anshi is really that outstanding?
The emperor frowned, thinking carefully.
He had seen that woman during the Mid-Autumn Festival, because she had saved his Golden Lotus, so he still remembered her somewhat. Before her appearance was ruined, she was considered a beauty, but now her appearance was not as good as before, and could even be described as ugly. Why was she still being fought over?
Could it be...
The emperor's expression hardened, and he summoned his personal guards.
"Send more men to keep a close eye on Ye Xingguan and Gongsun Zhan, and see who they have been in contact with recently. If there is any unusual activity, report back immediately."
After giving his instructions, the emperor felt even more exhausted and fell asleep again, leaning back in his chair with a heavy heart. It wasn't until the next morning when he was supposed to attend the court session that he realized he had caught a cold and was too tired to continue. He dismissed the court session and went back to rest.
Upon hearing that the emperor was ill and absent from court, the women of the inner palace all worked tirelessly to prepare soups and medicines, sending them to the Qianhua Palace. After the emperor finished his medicine, attended by the empress, he looked up at the eunuch who had announced his arrival and asked:
What's been delivered from outside?
"The Imperial Concubine sent someone to deliver some wind-dispelling and cold-relieving oil, saying that applying it to His Majesty's forehead would not only help him cure his cold but also strengthen his body."
"The Consort Xian sent someone to deliver a calming incense, saying it was a gift from the Third Prince, and that using it would calm the mind and reduce worries."
"Consort Shu was worried that His Majesty would catch a cold and lose his appetite, so she personally made His Majesty's favorite crucian carp soup, with some cinnamon added to it, which can dispel wind and heat and soothe the spleen and stomach."
"And Consort De..."
The emperor was in a state of agitation when the eunuch was about to speak, but he waved his hand to interrupt him.
"Bring in the calming incense from Consort Xian and light it. Tell the rest of them to go back."
The eunuch brought in the calming incense that Consort Xian had given him, placed it in the incense burner, and lit it. As soon as the fire started, a wisp of smoke rose into the air. The scent was light and sweet, like the fragrance of plum blossoms in spring rain or dew on lotus leaves in summer. It was indeed refreshing, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on his body. The cold and evil qi seemed to flow out of his body like dirt, and his limbs no longer felt heavy.
After working up a sweat, the emperor's worries had completely dissipated. He changed into a clean set of clothes, and his brows relaxed completely.
"It is indeed a good thing. I felt much better after burning it for only a short while, and my illness is completely cured. Empress, what do you think I should do to reward Consort Xian?"
The Empress smiled and said, "Since Consort Xian said that this calming incense was a gift from the Third Prince, if we are to bestow a reward, I think we should also bestow one upon the Third Prince."
The emperor naturally felt more favorably disposed towards Chunyu Yang, but for a moment he didn't know what to reward him with. He looked out the window and said, "The weather is so nice today, and many of the chrysanthemums in the Imperial Garden are in bloom. Why don't we hold a family banquet and invite them all to join in the fun and get rid of this illness? Li Decai."
Chief eunuch Li Decai stepped forward: "What are your orders, Your Majesty?"
The emperor said, "Go, send someone to Qionglin Garden to move the Golden Lotus Chrysanthemum to the palace. The weather is very nice today, perfect for chrysanthemum appreciation."
Li Decai: "Yes, this servant will send someone to do it right away."
The Empress stepped forward and tentatively asked, "Your Majesty, at today's family banquet, is our son present...?"
The emperor's expression remained unchanged, but he said, "As the crown prince, his thoughts and actions should always prioritize the well-being of the people. He committed such a mistake, and I have already shown him leniency by confining him to his quarters to reflect on his actions. If I were to release him now, not only would the people of the three prefectures object, but even the ancestors would likely object."
The Empress could only grit her teeth and smile, "Your Majesty is right. Since he has made a mistake, he should reflect on it properly."
Chunyu Jing had originally planned to present Ji Hongbo's head to the emperor during the morning court session to curry favor, but the emperor was found to be ill and had skipped the session. He had just returned to the Nanping Prince's residence with the head, his face grim, when a messenger from the palace arrived to say that the emperor had recovered and would be holding a chrysanthemum-viewing banquet at noon, inviting several princes to bring their families.
Upon hearing this, Chunyu Jing's face darkened further. The news of his concubine's sudden death in the palace had not yet spread, and everyone outside believed that she was still alive. Although An Rong was in poor health, if he claimed that his concubine was unwell, the palace might send a royal physician to treat her.
If the news of An Rong's death were to be revealed, then Vice Minister An would surely rush back to see his daughter and would definitely inquire of the imperial physician about all the details of An Rong's death.
After much deliberation, he couldn't come up with a good solution.
Ye Yingrou guessed Chunyu Jing's thoughts, smiled gently, and said, "Is Your Highness worried about the sudden death of the concubine?"
Chunyu Jing pulled her into his arms and said, "Rou'er understands my thoughts best. Do you have any way to relieve my worries?"
Ye Yingrou said, "That depends on whether Your Highness wants to deceive everyone or fulfill your duties as a husband."
Chunyu Jing said in a deep voice, "Minister An is still of great use to me, so An Rong's death cannot be revealed to outsiders for the time being. Once I have accomplished my goal, even if Minister An finds out, it will be too late."
Ye Yingrou broke free from his embrace, curtsied to him, and said, "Rou'er understands. Please wait here for a moment, Your Highness. I'll be right back."
Not knowing what she was up to, Chunyu Jing raised an eyebrow and waited there.
About fifteen minutes later, a delicate figure lifted the curtain, walked around the display shelf and gracefully approached him. Her appearance and figure were none other than the deceased An Rong.