...
...
Two days later, Prince Yan, who was inspecting river affairs outside, finally returned to Yanjing in the early morning. Before dawn, and before the Prince of Yan returned to his mansion, the Queen sent someone to invite him into the palace.
The princess stayed in the palace, feeling uneasy. After Concubine Zhou died, the princess was uneasy and had no intention of managing the accumulated domestic affairs in the palace, so she simply left them alone.
Chengming's body was still placed in the back hall, waiting for the return of Prince Yan. Chengzhen was frightened and developed a high fever in the middle of the night. He kept talking in his delirium and the fever did not subside until dawn. He lay in bed sickly and couldn't even get out of bed.
The princess stood by her child's bed, looking worried as she watched her little son having constant nightmares.
The imperial physician was invited to treat the youngest son, but the child's condition still did not improve. The imperial physician said it was due to "excessive shock" and "wind evil entering the body."
"Mother." A timid voice sounded from behind. The princess's eldest son, Li Chengke, stood outside the curtain and called out cautiously.
The princess rubbed her temples and said, "At this hour, you should be at the Imperial Academy. Why are you here?"
Li Chengke's voice was as soft as a mosquito: "I want to... accompany my brother."
My younger brother was frightened and bedridden. Li Chengke was worried day and night and wanted to be by his brother's side.
The princess had been worried recently, and seeing her eldest son being so ignorant, she scolded him angrily: "Your brother is sick and has already delayed his studies. Do you want to delay your studies too?"
Li Chengke pursed his lips silently, leaning over the screen and looking into the room. Seeing his brother lying unconscious on the bed, Li Chengke sniffed, held back the sour tears that were about to burst out, and turned to leave the bedroom.
There is the scent of sandalwood and the sound of birds singing outside the house.
The princess looked tired and took a nap leaning against the bed. The sky was getting brighter, and the princess raised her head and asked, "Madame Liu, is the prince not back yet?"
Aunt Liu shook her head: "Not yet."
The princess sighed deeply and pinched the Buddhist beads in her hand. The concubine's son died unexpectedly due to illness, and she, as the mistress, also had some responsibility. But if you ask yourself, when Chengming was sick, the princess also sent a court doctor to treat him.
It was only because of his encounter with the cunning slave that Chengming's illness became more serious.
You can't blame her for being negligent, it's just that the child is unlucky.
I'm afraid there will be another fire when Prince Yan returns home. The princess pinched the Buddhist beads with her fingers, preparing for the storm.
After a while, Nanny Liu walked into the room, her tone anxious: "Princess, Queen... Queen..."
The princess sighed deeply and slowly closed her eyes: "Did my mother send someone to invite me to the palace? I guessed it."
Once you enter Kunning Palace, the worst that can happen is that you'll be scolded and punished by the Queen, and then forced to kneel for the whole morning. It didn't matter, she was already used to the Queen's harsh treatment.
If the queen blames her, the princess can go to the Buddhist temple and chant sutras and pray for the child who died unexpectedly, to express her grief.
Madam Liu shook her head, clenched the handkerchief in her hand, and said nervously, "The Queen and the Prince are here at the Palace."
...
The Queen first summoned Prince Yan into Kunning Palace and told him about the recent events in Prince Yan's mansion. Then, the Queen and Prince Yan came to the palace in a low-key manner.
It was almost noon and the sun was hot.
The queen only brought two old maids with her. She held the old nanny's hand and walked into the gate of Prince Yan's Mansion with Prince Yan.
The queen thought that since such a terrible thing had happened in the palace, the whole palace would be in chaos. But when the queen entered the palace, she was surprised to find that the palace was in order, the servants were doing their duties, and everything seemed calm.
The queen didn't believe that this was the princess's credit.
The princess must be hiding in her room at this moment, worried beyond her comprehension. How could she have the energy to manage the palace?
The old maid that the Queen arranged to stay at Prince Yan's Mansion stepped forward and said respectfully, "Replying to the Queen. The butler Fugui is bedridden, and the princess is taking care of Young Master Chengzhen. For the time being, all matters of the palace these days will be handled by Rong Mama from Liuli Pavilion and several maids."
The queen nodded with satisfaction.
The queen glanced at Prince Yan beside her, whose handsome face was still gloomy.
"Your son, your son pays his respects to your mother." The princess heard the news and ran over in a panic. She knelt down to pay her respects to the Queen and stole a glance at Prince Yan. Seeing his dark and handsome face, the princess' heart rose to her throat.
The prince is indeed angry!
The queen said calmly: "Go to the back hall to see the child."
The princess forced herself to cheer up and followed the queen and Prince Yan to the back hall. It was a hot summer day and the back hall was chilly with only two servants taking a nap at the entrance of the courtyard.
Li Chengming, who had passed away due to illness, lay quietly in a small coffin, looking thin and with a small frame. The coffin was surrounded by ice and his body did not rot.
Since the Crown Prince's condition worsened, Prince Yan has become even busier. He only saw the children born to his concubines a few times a year. The King of Yan never expected that one of his sons would lose his life just because he was away for a trip.
After all, they are connected by blood. Looking at the child in the small coffin, King Yan felt a dull pain in his heart.
The queen sighed and asked the old nanny to cover the child with a white cloth.
The queen ordered: "Send a team tomorrow to take the child's coffin to the Li family mausoleum for burial."
For children of the royal family who died unexpectedly at an early age, the burial ceremony is simple and there will be no grand funeral procession. Just find a small open space at the edge of the Li family mausoleum and put down the coffin and burial objects.
The queen thought of poor Concubine Zhou and asked the princess, "Where is Concubine Zhou's body? Send it there and bury it too."
The princess pinched the Buddhist beads in her hand and bowed her head to answer: "My mother, that concubine Zhou has gone mad and kidnapped Chengzhen. I have already asked someone to throw her body into the mass grave."
The room is quiet.
It was a hot summer day and a cool breeze came from somewhere, causing the soul-calling banners hanging on the wall of the back hall to sway.
The princess knelt down and took the initiative to admit her fault: "Mother, Prince, I know I am wrong. But that concubine Zhou hurt my Chengzhen, causing the child to be in a coma and talking in his sleep. Chengzhen is the prince's own flesh and blood, the legitimate son of the Prince of Yan's Mansion! The punishment for concubine Zhou is not severe!"
Her son was a legitimate son, and the deceased Li Chengming was just a bastard son born to a concubine.
There is a distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children in terms of status. Her children are the most important.
The queen felt a throbbing pain in her temple and she looked at Prince Yan helplessly. Prince Yan nodded slightly, as if he agreed with the Queen's decision.
The princess could never realize her mistakes. No matter how many times the queen scolded and taught her, she would never listen.
In this case, there is no need for the queen to continue to push the mud against the wall.
The queen said to the princess in a cold tone, "Tan Tai Shu Ya, you are seriously ill. You should take good care of yourself in Kun Yu Courtyard. You don't need to worry about the affairs of the palace."
The princess looked up in surprise, unable to believe it.
The Queen continued, "The four maids I sent will take good care of Cheng Ke and Cheng Zhen. You don't have to worry about anything. You only need to see the children twice a month."
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