Chapter 152 The Prescription is Different

It was quite a coincidence that the slip-up was actually made by Hongzhao himself.

Previously, a fire broke out in the Cold Palace. In order to use this incident to completely suppress the Empress, he exchanged for a fireproof shield and climbed over the wall of the Cold Palace, using a tall locust tree as cover.

The Cold Palace was right next to Zhongcui Palace, practically separated by a wall.

Back then, he was younger and lighter, so no one could tell he was stepping on the locust tree. This time, however, it's different. It's not yet the height of summer, and the branches and leaves aren't lush enough to completely block out the view. If you look closely, you can still spot one or two broken branches.

Xiao Dezi said that the person in charge of watching carefully examined the tree and found that there were actually quite a few broken branches on the small twigs. Since it hadn't been long and they hadn't fully grown back, it meant that someone had climbed over the tree more than once.

Since receiving the news, Hongzhao has been feeling conflicted. His initial purpose in coming here was to watch the play up close, but as he watched, he himself became a part of the play. At this moment, the first thought that came to his mind was, "Father Emperor is the Son of Heaven."

Whether to intervene in this matter, and how to intervene, is a difficult question to answer, and it's hard to strike the right balance.

Just as he was struggling to sort out his thoughts, the male protagonist of the story arrived.

"Your son greets Mother."

Yinzhen, who disliked the summer heat of the capital, found the Forbidden City even more stifling in July. He would break into a sweat with the slightest movement. Only when he entered the room did the cool air wash over him, and his furrowed brows relaxed a little.

"What are you thinking about? I saw you spacing out before I even came in, holding a book but not reading it." Yinzhen walked up to Hongzhao and reached out to rub his brow. "You've learned to frown at such a young age. Tell your father if you have any worries."

Hongzhao lifted his head following his force, but he naturally couldn't say, "Father, I think you've been cuckolded."

After thinking for a moment, he licked his lips and said, "My son was thinking that in previous years we would all be at the Yuanmingyuan or on the Mulan Autumn Hunt at this time, but why didn't we go to any of them this year?"

Mentioning this, Yinzhen, who had just finished talking about his son, couldn't help but frown and sigh, "Your thirteenth uncle is sick again, and this time it's more serious than before. Mulan definitely can't go. I don't feel comfortable letting him go to the Yuanmingyuan while he's in the capital like this. The imperial physicians have come to see him, but they only treat the symptoms, not the root cause. They're all quacks."

As he spoke, he irritably fiddled with his new favorite handheld item, revealing that the Thirteenth Prince's illness was more severe than ever before.

Hongzhao's eyes darted around, and he stepped forward, tugging at his father's sleeve as he said, "Father, let your son go and see him. You are so busy with work, so I will go and take care of Uncle Thirteen in your place. Uncle Thirteen is good to me, and I want to spend more time with him."

Seeing the Emperor deep in thought, Hongzhao added, "They say sons are blessed; perhaps Uncle Thirteen will be better in a couple of days."

Before this, Yinzhen had just returned from Prince Yi's residence. Seeing his beloved younger brother struggling on his sickbed, he naturally felt bad. Looking at the sincere eyes of the child in front of him, he sighed softly, "Alright, You'er, go and see your thirteenth uncle for me. Prince Yi's residence is well-maintained; it's fine for you to stay there for a while."

...

Although it wasn't far, Hongzhao still brought quite a few things with him. The next morning, he stood relaxed in front of the Prince Yi's mansion, while several servants behind him unloaded luggage from the car with large and small bags.

"Thirteenth Uncle, I've come to see you." Hongzhao called out as soon as he entered the room. Upon hearing the voice, the Thirteenth Master chuckled and tried to sit up.

Hongzhao saw this and quickly stepped forward to help him back down—"Uncle Thirteen, lie down properly. We don't need to be so formal between uncle and nephew."

He was indeed seriously ill. He hadn't been able to get up since summer began. At this moment, he looked extremely haggard, and his voice was very weak. "I heard my brother's message yesterday. I thought he was coming to visit me, but today, listening to this commotion, it seems like he's going to move the entire side hall of the Hall of Mental Cultivation over here."

He could be seen struggling to speak, and when he tried to force a smile, he somehow managed to break into a pain that almost made him lose his composure. Hongzhao saw this but could do nothing. He knew that his thirteenth uncle didn't want him to worry, and he had also heard too many ambiguous words from the imperial physicians. He also understood his own lifespan.

He smiled in agreement and said to Zhou Qi beside him, "Quickly show Prince Yi this. I brought a lot of good things with me this time. Whether it's gentle treatment or strong medicine, it can cure him."

Seeing his little nephew bustling around taking care of things, Yunxiang still didn't want to disappoint him. Although he already knew the outcome, he still obediently extended his wrist.

This time was no exception; what Zhou Qi said was the same as other imperial physicians: "Nourish and take care of yourself, and there will be other opportunities."

Thirteenth Prince was used to it; he was a carefree person by nature. This matter was no exception. Seeing his nephew's disappointed expression, he even had time to offer a word of comfort.

Hongzhao forced a smile and walked out of the house, but the smile vanished almost instantly upon exiting.

"how?"

Zhou Qi shook his head – “The patient’s illness is chronic, and this time it has all come out at once. It will only get worse with each episode. It can be triggered by cold, heat, hunger, or fullness. Even if you save him this time, it will be difficult to save him next time.”

Hongzhao's eyes were thoughtful—"In your opinion, how much time do we have left?"

"Take good care of yourself, and you should be fine until next year. But after that, it's hard to say."

After saying this, Zhou Qi picked up his medicine box and walked to the back. He needed to quickly brew today's medicine and return to the palace to report to the Emperor.

Hongzhao's eyes were dark. He remembered that he had a health-preserving pill, and if he gave it to his thirteenth uncle now, it would definitely be effective. But what would happen after it was effective?

He has never had the habit of doing good deeds anonymously, and he remains so today.

He stood motionless under the corridor, when suddenly a thought struck him, and the line from the original drama, spoken by An Lingrong, inexplicably appeared in his mind: "How can such a good medicine be used without a medicinal guide? Human blood is the best."

Hongzhao made up his mind, clenched his fist, and followed Zhou Qi as he left.

"Prince Yi, please take your medicine."

Xiao Dezi was covered in sweat. He carefully carried the medicine bowl to Thirteenth Master's bedside, taking each step with utmost care, afraid that even a drop of the medicine would spill.

The Thirteenth Prince found this amusing and propped himself up to look behind him—"Where's the Crown Prince? I haven't seen him for a long time."

Xiao Dezi looked troubled, stepped aside to avoid the hand of a maid who reached out to take the medicine bowl, and knelt down in front of Prince Yi's bed. "Your Highness is probably feeling unwell today due to the heat. He went to bed as soon as he came in. This medicine was freshly brewed. Your Highness specifically instructed me to serve you to drink it. I guarantee you will feel better after drinking it."

"The summer heat..." The Thirteenth Prince looked worried, and smiled helplessly as he felt the spoon pressed against his lips. "Fine, give it to me, I'll drink it myself."

He wasn't quite terminally ill yet, and he still had the strength to drink the medicine. He took the bowl and brought it to his lips, about to drink it down in one gulp, but he still keenly noticed that the bitter taste was mixed with something else, like... the smell of blood?

His eyes darkened, and his sharp gaze shot straight at Xiao Dezi, who was staring intently at the medicine bowl.

"Bring me the prescription. What's in this medicine?"