Chapter 335 The Emperor is Ill

Xie Shang smiled and said, "Please come in!"

Only after Zhu Zhenzhen entered the hall and bowed did Xie Shang say, "Zhenzhen, why did you come at this time?"

"Your Highness asked me for a gift, and I've made it for you, so I've come." She deliberately said this in front of Tang Qianran to show that she had a good relationship with the Crown Prince.

Xie Shang was taken aback, then smiled and said, "It's been so long, and Zhenzhen still hasn't forgotten." He couldn't recall asking her for any gifts either.

Then, he said to Wuxin, "Keep Zhu Liangdi's gifts safe for me."

"Yes." Wuxin took the bundle that Meixiang handed over.

In fact, Zhu Zhenzhen wanted to give it to the Crown Prince to try herself, but with another person present, she couldn't bring it out.

Xie Shang added, "Zhenzhen, have you had dinner yet? Ranran made some dishes herself, come and have some with us."

Just then, Lin Feng rushed in, panting, and heard the Crown Prince talking about "Zhenzhen" and "Ranran." He almost threw up his dinner from the night before. His Highness was really pitiful, trying so hard to please the young ladies of the Eastern Palace.

When Xie Shang saw Lin Feng arrive without saying a word, his disdain for him was practically written all over his face. He said coldly, "Why the rush? What happened?"

Lin Feng hurriedly said, "Your Highness, Eunuch Cao has sent word that His Majesty has fainted. Please go and see him!"

Xie Shang quickly got up from his seat and walked straight out, saying, "I have no intention of escorting the two ladies back to the palace first."

Xie Shang bumped into Empress Cheng as soon as he arrived at the entrance of Qianqing Palace. He also bowed politely and said, "Your subject greets Your Majesty."

Empress Cheng looked at him with a fawning gaze, and before she could speak, Xie Shang left.

Chief Steward Cao's face was full of anxiety. "Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince, Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress."

"How is Father/His Majesty?" the Crown Prince and Empress asked in unison.

"Imperial Physician Mei is inside conducting consultations."

The Empress asked, "Why did His Majesty faint? He has always been in good health."

Chief Steward Cao no longer concealed the truth, "Actually, His Majesty has been suffering from headaches for the past two years. Imperial Physician Mei has been treating His Majesty, and His Majesty has been taking the medicine every day without fail, but it can only provide temporary relief. Today, His Majesty felt a headache when he returned to the Qianqing Palace after handling state affairs, and he fainted from the pain. This servant immediately sent someone to fetch the imperial physician..."

Empress Cheng had never known that the Emperor suffered from headaches; she only found out now. Tears welled up in her eyes as she went to the inner palace.

Xie Shang frowned, called Cao De outside the hall, and asked in a deep voice, "Father has been ill for so long, why didn't Chief Steward Cao say anything? Is someone trying to harm Father...?"

Chief Steward Cao explained, "His Majesty forbade us to say, and Imperial Physician Mei has been examining the patient but couldn't find the cause. The Emperor is just overworked with state affairs, which has caused his headache. He said it's nothing serious and just told the Emperor to rest and recuperate. Today is the first time he has fainted."

The Emperor's meals undergo rigorous checks; he is extremely careful in this regard and never dines with his concubines, so it's impossible for anyone to poison him.

The reason why Chief Eunuch Cao informed the Crown Prince and Empress Cheng was because he felt they should know. Otherwise, if something really happened, he couldn't bear the responsibility. The Emperor's health was deteriorating, and this matter could no longer be kept secret.

Soon, Jiang Fenghua also arrived at the Qianqing Palace. She thought: Xie Shang will have to wait another year to become emperor, so this illness will not be life-threatening.

She walked up to Xie Shang and saw that he was anxious and his voice was trembling. "Ruan Ruan, why are you here?"

"Consort Tang said that Father Emperor had fainted, so I rushed here." She held Xie Shang's hand to comfort him, "Father Emperor will definitely be alright. Physician Mei's medical skills are superb, and he will surely cure Father Emperor."

Half an hour later, after being treated by Imperial Physician Mei, the Emperor slowly regained consciousness. Upon seeing this, Empress Cheng immediately rushed over, tears streaming down her face like broken pearls. "Your Majesty, you've finally woken up! I was so worried!"

When the emperor saw Cheng Langjin, there was no stern look in his eyes as usual. "I'm fine. I just fainted because I sat for too long."

"Chief Steward Cao has already said that His Majesty has been feeling unwell for some time now. How long are you going to keep this from me, Your Majesty?" The Empress cried, tears streaming down her face.

"I intend to punish Cao De..."

Empress Cheng said, "I want to reward him. If he doesn't speak up, I'm afraid I'll regret it for the rest of my life. When I heard the news of Your Majesty's fainting, I could barely stand. It's all my fault, I was wrong, I'm sorry. I often make you angry and give you headaches. If I could go back to the past, I would never quarrel with Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."

Empress Cheng sobbed, “Ever since I quarreled with Your Majesty, I have regretted it. I often think, how wonderful it would be if we could go back to the year we met! Then we could start over.”

Even if Your Majesty were to depose Lang Jin from her position as Empress, and exchange Lang Jin's life for Xie Lang's, I would be willing.

Her eyes were swollen from crying, and she said with great emotion, "Lang Jin only wishes for Xie Lang's safety. Lang Jin truly loves Xie Lang!"

Seeing her crying so sadly, the Emperor took her hand and personally wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. "Lang'er, don't cry."

Empress Cheng threw herself into the Emperor's arms. "Xie Lang, get well soon. When you're better, I'll play the zither for you and dance for you, okay? We can be like we were back then. I'm not the Empress, and Your Majesty isn't the Emperor. I'm just Xie Lang's Lang'er."

"Very well, I am Lang'er's Xie Lang, I am not the emperor." The emperor said gently, his temples were covered with white hair, and this illness seemed to have aged him instantly.

On the other side, Jiang Fenghua was dumbfounded by Empress Cheng's performance. She didn't expect Empress Cheng to turn the tables so quickly. Did the emperor really love Empress Cheng that much?

Xie Shang's eyes reddened as he looked at the scene in the dormitory. He murmured, "So Father and Mother loved each other so much when they were young, but a misunderstanding ruined their lives."

Upon hearing the word "misunderstanding," Jiang Fenghua understood Xie Shang's attitude. She feigned envy and sighed, "When you're in love, you must love each other well and not waste your precious time arguing, or you'll truly regret it!"

Xie Shang then inquired about the Emperor's condition from Imperial Physician Mei. Imperial Physician Mei shook his head. "Your Highness should be prepared. The Emperor's headaches are actually quite serious. He has fainted for the first time, and it may become more frequent in the future. He may even experience memory loss. I have been searching for a treatment for His Majesty."

Xie Shang asked anxiously, "How could it be so serious? Does Physician Mei have any solutions?"

"The only way to relieve His Majesty's pain now is through acupuncture. There is no other way to cure him," Physician Mei said in a deep voice. "I estimate that His Majesty has at most one year left."

Hearing this, Xie Shang felt his hands and feet turn ice-cold. How could his powerful father be so fragile, capable of anything at any moment...?