Chapter 211 I'm Confident

The following morning, the morning court session ended in vain, as news of the emperor's ill health spread throughout the court and the palace.

It's natural for people to get sick from eating grains and other foods, even the emperor is not immune; this is a normal occurrence. However, when Zhang Tingyu, Guarjia Emin, and others were waiting in front of the Hall of Mental Cultivation as usual, they were not able to go in to visit as usual. The person who came out was neither the emperor nor Su Peisheng.

Hongzhao had stayed up all night, and his already fair complexion appeared even paler and bloodless under the sunlight. His once bright and clear eyes were now bloodshot.

He stepped forward and cupped his hands in greeting to the ministers. “Gentlemen, Father is unwell and cannot rise. There will be no court meeting today. Please return home. I will send someone to your residence to inform you when things will be restored.”

They could hardly accept the Crown Prince's courtesy, and hurriedly bowed and clasped their hands. Since the Emperor was so ill, although they couldn't help but have doubts, they could only return home. Just as they were about to leave, they heard His Highness the Crown Prince speak again.

"Prince Yi, please wait. Father has something to discuss with Uncle Thirteen. Please come in."

Even if Hongzhao hadn't spoken up to stop him, he had originally planned to avoid people and come to see him again. Hongzhao was someone he had watched grow up, and his current state was really not right.

Watching the uncle and nephew walk away, Guarjia Emin turned around, his eyes filled with deep thought. He quickened his pace to catch up with Zhang Tingyu, who was at the front. After exchanging a few polite words, he looked around and, seeing that no one was paying attention, lowered his voice and asked, "Your Excellency is deeply trusted by the Emperor and has served him for many years, so you know him very well. Now there is something I don't understand, and I hope you can enlighten me."

"You said that in the past, when His Majesty was unwell, he wouldn't refuse to see anyone; there were always many concubines attending to him in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. How come this time is completely different? I see no trace of imperial physicians around the Hall of Mental Cultivation. On the contrary, the number of guards has increased considerably. This..."

Zhang Tingyu was clever; he knew from the tone of the voice what Emin was referring to. Not wanting to argue further, he raised his hand and waved it before the conversation was even over—"We both know how much the Emperor values ​​the Crown Prince. Now that the Crown Prince is attending to the ailing Emperor, there is no need for concubines. Lord Emin, you should put your mind at ease and take advantage of this time to achieve some political accomplishments. The Emperor will ask about this once he recovers."

The implication was clear: clean up your own mess and mind your own business. After a few polite words, he quickly left for his carriage, leaving Emin alone, lost in thought, slowly making his way towards the palace gate.

...

A moment of silence fell over the Hall of Mental Cultivation, where the uncle and nephew stared at each other in bewilderment.

After Yunxiang shed his initial surprise upon entering the hall, and listened to Zhou Qi recount his elder brother's current situation, he sat opposite Hongzhao, becoming one of the worried-looking members of the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

"No, this can't be done like this." Yunxiang stood up impatiently and paced back and forth twice, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper. "This matter can't be kept secret like this, and it's impossible to keep it secret forever. Today it was still a sudden event. But if it's like this tomorrow, there's no guarantee that no one will become suspicious. No matter what, it's really not good for you."

He took two more steps closer to his elder brother's bed, where the person appeared to be asleep. One could easily ignore his unusual lip color and his almost imperceptible, steady breathing.

“Hongzhao, your thirteenth uncle knows you are sad and you are stubborn. I also hope that my brother will get better right now. But you are the crown prince, and you are the son that my brother values ​​most. We are born into the royal family and we have to give up a lot. This is unavoidable.” He walked up to Hongzhao and held his shoulders from above. “Your thirteenth uncle will help you.”

Hongzhao looked up against the light at his thirteenth uncle, who was speaking so frankly to him. Compared to yesterday, his emotions had stabilized considerably—"Father was poisoned. I know who poisoned him. Thirteenth Uncle, are you willing to believe me this once?" As he spoke, he slowly stretched out his hand and beckoned to Prince Yi, signaling him to come closer.

Yunxiang leaned down in confusion. Hongzhao's rustling voice rang in his ears. He spoke very carefully, and one would definitely miss it if one did not listen carefully.

His eyes widened slowly, clearly showing his disapproval. He reached out and grabbed Hongzhao's wrist before he could pull it back. The words of protest were almost on the tip of his tongue, but looking into Hongzhao's determined eyes, he couldn't bring himself to say them.

Yunxiang turned to look at his elder brother on the bed, then at Hongzhao's pale and haggard face. His jaw twitched for a long time before he finally managed to squeeze out a sentence—"Are you sure you're confident? If you miscalculate, it could be utterly disastrous. Your brother has paved the way for you; you really don't need to..."

“I’m confident!” Hongzhao looked into his eyes and said, word by word, “Thirteenth Uncle, I’m confident. Trust me this once.”

Yunxiang had always known about his nephew, the Crown Prince, and his deepest understanding came from the bowl of medicine in the Prince's mansion. He knew his own body well; given the circumstances at the time, it would have been a miracle if he had been able to survive for another year or two. It was impossible for him to be able to move freely like he was now. The only variable was that bowl of medicine laced with blood.

Now he says he has a way to wake the Emperor up. Although there is no evidence, Yunxiang believes him. He just doesn't know what price he will have to pay in exchange for it.

The mind-reading device was controllable, and Hongzhao hadn't turned it off since last night, eager to hear everyone's true thoughts. Therefore, he naturally heard everything Uncle Thirteen said about his inner thoughts.

His blood was useless; what was useful were the health-preserving pills, but unfortunately, there weren't any left. Last night, Hongzhao had a sudden flash of inspiration; the system's words and his mother's words together gave him a powerful wake-up call.

Just last night, right here, he called out in his heart again—"System."

"drop--"

Hongzhao had no time for further rambling, so he cut straight to the point—"The effects of the 'Feign Death Pill' state that the user will fall into a state of suspended animation for a specified period (within one month), lasting from one hour to three days. Afterward, the user will immediately wake up and can simulate the recovery state after a serious illness, which takes from fifteen days to six months. The recovery time can be controlled by the user, right?"

"Yes!" Even the system's electronic voice sounded excited. It highly approved of Hongzhao's "sudden inspiration."

Sure enough, Hongzhao thought to himself, this was just like the last time the Cold Palace caught fire. The system was under some kind of control and couldn't give him direct help or hints at certain points. But if he discovered it himself, he could get the system's answer.

Hongzhao continued, "Even if one's lifespan is nearing its end, as long as one consumes it, it will surely follow the effects of the elixir and prolong life for six months, right?"

"Yes, six months will not affect the original world line; it is within the controllable range of the system's will."

"Okay, you prepare it for me. I'll call you when I need it. Can I still adjust Ama's perception of the outside world like last time, even though I don't have any points?"

Having received the system's affirmation once again, Hongzhao gradually breathed a sigh of relief, and the game of chess began in his hands.