Chapter 234 The Burden

Under the flickering red candlelight, a woman wearing a red veil sat upright by the bed.

"Your Majesty, just now, Miss Daiyue from the Crown Princess's side came to deliver a message saying that the Crown Prince is not resting in Yuqing Palace today."

Shushen stiffly turned her neck under the veil, and after hearing what the maid beside her said, she reached out and pulled the veil off herself—"Did the Crown Princess say anything else?"

The maid nodded. "The Crown Princess also told us not to rush to pay our respects. She even prepared gifts and told us to report to her if we were short of anything, and she would have someone bring more."

Shushen looked at the pile of things that she had brought over and placed on the table. She stood up and walked to the table to take a closer look. There were fabrics for clothes, jewelry and hairpins, and cosmetics. The gifts were all in her usual style, and they looked like a very thoughtful present.

Shushen couldn't help but smile slightly, and raised her hand to remove the heavy hair ornament that had been weighing her down for half a day. The maid next to her immediately came to help.

She just didn't quite understand. Today, three new women entered the Eastern Palace, and the Crown Princess was pregnant. Everyone was waiting to see which room the Crown Prince would go to today. Originally, everyone thought that the concubine would definitely be the first to go, but now that the Crown Prince had moved into the Hall of Mental Cultivation, why didn't the concubine seem anxious at all?

That's what she thought, and that's what she asked.

Shushen pressed her aching temple while glancing at her with a smile—"The Crown Prince is not the kind of person who indulges in petty romances, so why should I trap myself in a day or two of waiting? Go and organize the things I brought. The Crown Princess has prepared generous gifts, so I should naturally reciprocate."

She entered the palace seeking only stability. The Crown Prince had promised her stability, and she trusted him, but even more so, she believed in herself and her ability to stay true to herself.

Hongzhao had no idea that someone would actually bet on where he would sleep that day, but even if he did know, it wouldn't matter.

Contrary to popular belief, he didn't deliberately hide from the three newlyweds in the room and run to the Hall of Mental Cultivation today. Instead, he genuinely tripped up his father.

Hongzhao had intended to use the news of the Crown Princess's pregnancy to make his father happy, but unexpectedly, his joy turned to sorrow, and the next morning the emperor was so happy that he fell down.

It was literally a stumble and fall.

As fate would have it, Su Peisheng was checking the gift list with Xiao Dezi, who was by the Crown Prince's side. Hongzhao was being held back by the Thirteenth Prince and was talking to him, so he didn't follow. The Emperor was accompanied only by Xiao Xiazi, who was a few steps away, with a few guards following closely behind.

Unfortunately, perhaps because of his unsteady steps, Yinzhen lost his footing on the flat road and almost fell backward. Luckily, Xiazi caught him in time and prevented him from actually falling to the ground, but even so, he still strained his back.

Hongzhao naturally had to take care of him personally for two days.

It's true that people get more afraid of falling as they get older. Just look at the Emperor. Even when he had a low-grade fever for days, he never missed court sessions, and the Imperial Study was always bustling with discussions. But after that one day, he was lying on his bed in the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Having learned from the previous experience, this time, apart from those who submitted memorials to inquire about the emperor's well-being, no one dared to cause trouble in the palace.

Hongzhao's assessment of this was: "He knows how to cherish his life now."

The side hall of the Hall of Mental Cultivation is still clean and tidy, and is cleaned every day. It is convenient for Hongzhao to come and go and take care of him while he lives here.

In the morning, he watched his father drink his medicine and lie down. He then studied the acupoint chart that Zhou Qi had given him for a long time, and the idea of ​​trying massage himself became stronger and stronger.

Yinzhen stared at the acupuncture point chart in his hand, which was upside down, and involuntarily swallowed. He then abruptly changed the subject, saying, "Ahem... You haven't returned to Yuqing Palace for two days. There's nothing major happening here, but you should pay more attention to the Crown Princess's pregnancy. Go back and check on her."

"Hmm?" Father rarely chased him away, so Hongzhao looked up for no reason. Seeing that his expression did not seem fake, he looked suspiciously at his thirteenth uncle.

Yunxiang took everything in, trying his best to suppress the upturned corners of his mouth. His gaze lingered on the acupuncture point chart for a long time before he finally spoke normally, "Ah, yes, I'm taking care of things here, so you can go back and check on things without worry. You missed yesterday's excitement, and it's not right for you to stay out of sight all this time."

Seeing that he was clearly suppressing a laugh, Hongzhao raised an eyebrow but didn't ask any more questions. He closed the blueprint and stood up. "Then Father, wait for your son. After I go back and check on things, I'll come over and read today's memorial to you. I also made old duck soup, which we all love, for dinner."

"Go on, go on." Although Yinzhen's expression showed impatience with his nagging, one could still tell from his smiling eyes that he was happy.

It's just a facade.

Hongzhao withdrew, and the smile on Yinzhen's face gradually faded. Su Peisheng stood guard outside, and there were no servants in the room, only the two brothers.

After a brief silence, Yinzhen suddenly spoke.

"What does Thirteenth Brother think of Hongzhao now?"

Upon hearing this seemingly random question, Yunxiang was momentarily stunned, but his mouth, faster than his brain, began to praise Hongzhao: "Hongzhao is intelligent and filial, it seems like nothing can stump him. He always manages to find a solution to problems that other ministers can't resolve..."

As he spoke, he slowed his pace slightly, realizing something a beat too late—"Speaking of Hongzhao, Your Majesty surely knows more than I do, so why are you suddenly asking about this..."

Seeing Yunxiang's hesitant and speculative expression, Yinzhen did not deny it.

He lay back on the bed and let out a long sigh—"Yes, Hongzhao is the closest to me, ever since he was a child. Everyone who has met him praises him. I naturally know my son best."

He didn't tell anyone that the step he took the day before wasn't actually because he tripped over a stone, but because he suddenly couldn't see the road ahead clearly, as if he were on a cloud and then falling heavily, which made him lose his balance.

"I believe that Hongzhao is now capable of shouldering the responsibility of overseeing the country."