Chapter 116 The Imperial Physician.

When Chu Heng returned home, Daiyu was sitting in front of the lamp, lost in thought. He walked over quietly and asked, "What are you thinking about...?"

Daiyu was startled and cried out, almost falling off the stool. Fortunately, Chu Heng caught her, saying, "Be careful!"

Daiyu, still in shock, exclaimed, "You scared me to death..."

Hearing the commotion, the maids and nannies rushed in, asking repeatedly, "Your Highness, Your Highness! What happened?"

Chu Heng patted Daiyu's back reassuringly and said, "It's nothing. I was just joking with the Princess. You may all leave now."

He had barely finished speaking when Daiyu slapped his hand in an annoyed tone: "What's all the fuss about? You scared me to death!"

Chu Heng rubbed Daiyu's chest worriedly, still feeling a little aggrieved: "I didn't mean to scare you. I thought you knew I was back."

Daiyu found it somewhat amusing at this moment, and she nudged Chu Heng: "Change your clothes first, I have something to tell you."

Chu Heng saw that the panic on her face had faded before he released her and had the maids help her change into casual clothes, wash her face and hands, and sit down next to Daiyu.

"What is it?" Chu Heng asked, holding Daiyu's hand.

Daiyu used her free hand to adjust the lamp wick: "His Majesty issued an edict today, ordering us... Eldest Sister, Fifth Sister, and I to choose a few concubines for the Crown Prince. Are you aware of this?"

Chu Heng nodded: "He mentioned it a couple of times before, and now we have people around the Emperor. Although he can't serve him closely, he can still find out about these things. The Emperor also summoned you to Haiyan Palace. What did he ask for?"

Daiyu said unhappily, "His Majesty said that the girls must be at least of marriageable age, and it doesn't matter whether they are born legitimate or illegitimate, as long as they are good-looking and have a gentle temperament."

"The age of coming of age?" This was something Chu Heng had never heard of before. He became even more certain of his guess. "The Crown Prince is only twelve years old, yet the Emperor wants to choose a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl. This is for..."

Daiyu slammed her hand on the table: "He wanted to see the Crown Prince have a child before he died, to give him a grandson! How... absurd!"

Chu Heng quickly took her other hand in his and gently blew on it, saying, "The emperor is delirious. Why are you getting angry over him? It's not worth it."

"Who's angry for him?" Daiyu said angrily. "I'm upset for those girls. Why should the Emperor's dying wish cost them their entire lives?"

"Don't be angry, don't be angry," Chu Heng quickly comforted her. "If you don't like it, I'll think of a way."

Daiyu sighed, "Now that the emperor is in power, what good ideas do you have?"

Chu Heng placed Daiyu's hand on his face and pondered for a moment before saying, "The emperor wanted to hold his grandson before he died, but you can't rush things. His son has to be healthy before he can have a grandson."

Daiyu pondered, "You mean... have the imperial physician tell the emperor that the crown prince is currently unfit for the throne..."

She couldn't quite bring herself to say what came next, but her meaning was already quite clear.

Chu Heng smiled and said, "Only if the head of the Imperial Medical Academy says this will the emperor believe it without question and wait for my arrangements."

Daiyu breathed a sigh of relief: "Alright, I'll choose with them for now. Even if we do it in a day or two, we still won't be able to decide."

"Hmm." Chu Heng was silent for a moment, then asked, "What does Sister Shuhe mean?"

There's no need to worry about Hejia and Yongkang, as the Minister of the Imperial Clan has already expressed his intention to surrender. The only one we need to be wary of is Princess Shuhe.

Daiyu said, "Given the current situation, who wouldn't want to stay out of it? But since His Majesty has given the order, we have no choice but to deal with it."

Chu Heng smiled: "This way, the selection process will be even slower."

...

Before the fourth prince's wedding, the emperor stopped the selection of concubines for the crown prince. However, the selection of the crown princess continued, and this one required the emperor's personal approval to be valid.

The crown prince immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Listening to the government every day was already exhausting enough for him. To have to come back and rest while there was the noise of women was terrifying.

The crown prince's wet nurse felt it was a pity, but her master was too young to understand such things and didn't think about it at all. No matter how much she regretted it, the crown prince wouldn't understand.

The crown prince was very curious at this moment: "I wonder why Father Emperor suddenly changed his mind..."

He really wanted to thank this person.

The Crown Prince hasn't moved to the Eastern Palace yet, and he doesn't have many capable people around him. When his wet nurse heard him ask this, she said, "How would we know? His Majesty's heart is as deep as the abyss. Your Highness should not make any presumptuous guesses. Just be filial to His Majesty, listen to the government diligently, and be able to independently oversee the country as soon as possible. At that time, His Majesty will surely be pleased, and perhaps his illness will be cured immediately!"

The crown prince forced a smile; he knew he couldn't be made from rotten wood.

At this moment, in Haiyan Palace, the person who made the emperor change his mind and whom the crown prince wanted to thank was giving the emperor acupuncture.

The Crown Prince was no longer choosing concubines, and the Emperor was dejected. After the head of the Imperial Medical Academy put them away, he couldn't help but ask, "When will the Fifth Prince finally be able to take a concubine?"

The chief physician sighed silently: "Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince is still young. If he were to engage in sexual relations at this age, it might cause him to develop health problems and possibly even be unable to have children for the rest of his life. I am not speaking recklessly; there are precedents among physicians throughout history, and I dare not deceive Your Majesty."

The emperor gave him a long, wistful look: "I just wanted you to give me a straight answer: when will I be able to hold my grandson? Will it all be hopeless by the time I close my eyes?"

The chief physician kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, please do not worry. As long as you rest peacefully, avoid anger and overexertion..."

"Alright." The emperor raised his hand. "It's that same old talk again. I know you're right. After these past few months of rest, I have indeed felt much better."

But the emperor couldn't stay away from foreign affairs and only focus on recuperating forever. Firstly, he was worried, and secondly, he was unwilling to accept this situation.

The chief physician had served the emperor for many years and understood his implication, but even a divine physician would not dare to speak recklessly about the matter of offspring. Even though the crown prince was of age and married, he dared not make a definitive statement about when the emperor would have a grandson!

After thinking quickly, the abbot tentatively said, "Your Majesty, the Fourth Prince will be getting married in five days."

The emperor glanced at him and said, "Fourth Prince, no rush."

The ailing emperor was very stubborn. Could the eldest son of the crown prince be the same as the eldest son of an ordinary prince? Only by seeing the eldest son of the crown prince could the emperor fulfill his wish, as it was a symbol of his long-lasting succession.

Furthermore, the emperor doesn't want to see the fourth prince's eldest son right now. He only hopes that the fourth prince will have more children after he dies, so that he won't have another fool to drive him to his death.

The chief physician was speechless. Who knew what the emperor was thinking? He wasn't worried about having a son of the right age, but he was anxious about having a son who wasn't right age.

Having finally been released by the emperor, the chief physician gave a few instructions to the imperial physicians on duty that day before returning to the Imperial Hospital from Haiyan Palace.

Just as he reached the main hall, he saw one of his imperial physicians carrying a medicine chest come out. The head physician asked, "What's the matter?"

The imperial physician said, "Director, I'm going to check on the Sixth Prince's pulse."

The abbot then said, "The Sixth Prince is young and frail; we must be extra careful."

"Yes." The imperial physician bowed, and seeing the chief physician's worried expression, he added, "Did the chief physician get into trouble with His Majesty? Go in and rest."

The chief physician glanced at him. This young man was skilled in medicine, but he wasn't good at speaking. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been ostracized by his colleagues in the Imperial Medical Academy and would have been assigned to treat these difficult and demanding nobles.

The reason why the academy is in such a predicament with the emperor today is also related to the person in front of us. Who told him to read so many medical books and even show them to himself!

The chief physician felt he was really making trouble for no reason, but if he didn't explain to the emperor, what if he was punished later?

The abbot shook his head, caught in a dilemma. His anger flared even more as he thought about it, so he waved his hand and said, "Go quickly!"

...

In the sweltering July heat, the fourth prince was getting married. Because the emperor had not yet granted him a residence, he was still confined to the palace and could not leave his quarters.

Zhao Qing inquired about the situation from the palace and learned that the Fourth Prince was cursing and shouting in the palace every day, and all the servants were suffering as a result, but he dared not touch the newly arrived princess.

"When the emperor arranged the marriage for the fourth prince, he probably intended for him to enter the court and become a rival to his brothers. That's why he chose a prestigious family for him: the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, a high-ranking official. Even the emperor had to give them some face, let alone the fourth prince," Chu Heng said.

Daiyu asked doubtfully, "Does the Fourth Prince even have the brains for this?"

Chu Heng couldn't help but laugh: "I also think he doesn't."

Zhao Qing bowed and smiled, "Eunuch Li scared the Fourth Prince a bit, and he was afraid to offend the Princess Consort."

"Li Zhong is being so kind?" Chu Heng raised an eyebrow. "The Emperor would never be so kind."

Zhao Qing then laughed and said, "It was the princess's family who gave Eunuch Li a house and a chest of gold, which persuaded him to agree."

Daiyu understood: "But the Fourth Prince thought this was the Emperor's intention."

Chu Heng clicked his tongue: "Taking advantage of the emperor's illness is the perfect opportunity to deceive the emperor and reap benefits." He rubbed his sleeves. "Governor Wu must be itching to get his hands on this marriage that can't be changed right now."

Daiyu frowned and said, "A high-ranking official is not someone to be trifled with. Besides, we don't know his character well, so it's not good to test him too easily. Perhaps... we should wait until I have a chance to speak with the Fourth Prince's wife before discussing it further."

Chu Heng was a little worried: "You'd better not go, Fourth Brother is a brainless idiot. Who knows what he might do?"

Daiyu insisted, "The Fourth Prince is under house arrest, and the Princess Consort is not. There is still a chance to see her without the Fourth Prince, but before that, I need to find a reason to enter the palace."

Currently, because there is no one in charge of the inner palace, it is not easy for female relatives of the imperial family to enter the palace.

Chu Heng quickly said, "No rush, it's even more inadvisable to rush into the palace."

Daiyu chuckled: "I know, don't always be so cautious. I'm not someone who can't withstand a storm."

"I know," Chu Heng said, gazing at her with tender eyes, "but I'm still worried about you."

Daiyu leaned on his shoulder: "Yes, I understand. We're not in a hurry; we'll surely have a foolproof plan."

This time, their wait was neither too long nor too short; as the autumn winds began to blow, the Empress fell seriously ill.

After the death of the eldest prince, the empress's health had been poor, but she forbade anyone to call the imperial physician, thus delaying treatment until now. Finally, she could no longer hold on, and the lady-in-waiting beside her called the imperial physician while she was unconscious.