Chapter 23 Chapter 23 The Boy in the Dream
Everyone was at a loss, but it was Eunuch Hu Xian who stabilized the situation and shouted, "Call the imperial physician." He then signaled Yong Zhou to carry Mu Congmo to the inner hall.
The lower-ranking officials had long anticipated that today's court session would be anything but peaceful, even noting the absence of the Duke of Han. They suspected that the Emperor, returning from a long illness, would make significant moves today. However, they had not anticipated Mu Congmo's fainting in the courtroom, nor did they know what the unexpectedly appearing secret guard had said.
In the inner hall, Zhang Shu, the chief judge of the Imperial Medical Bureau, was kneeling on the ground. He was already in his sixties, with gray hair, and his hands were even trembling as he took Mu Congmo's pulse.
Normally, the Empress should be in charge of the situation when the Emperor is seriously ill, but with no Empress appointed, the harem is empty. With no other options, they had to ask the Empress Dowager to take charge.
The current Empress Dowager is not the Emperor's biological mother, but the late Emperor's empress. Sadly, she was not favored, but she did care for both of them when Your Majesty was young. After the current Emperor ascended the throne, he honored her as Empress Dowager. To avoid suspicion, she has long resided in Shoukang Palace, worshipping Buddha day and night, and never interfering in palace affairs.
But now, at this moment, she had no choice but to leave the temple. She was dressed in a long, azure robe, her hair pinned up with a single wooden hairpin. Although she wore no jewelry or phoenix crown, she exuded a majestic air.
Perhaps it was her noble birth that had cultivated her exceptionally steady temperament, or perhaps it was her years of high office that had given her a certain awe. In any case, her presence had intimidated some of the more cunning courtiers. Her name was Shangguan Jing, and her father had been the late emperor's Grand Tutor. Though long gone, many of the officials in the court were still his students and acquaintances.
There have been many rumors before that the Queen Mother and His Majesty, the royal family mother and son, are not on good terms. But now seeing the Queen Mother's worried look, it doesn't seem fake. The rumors are not true.
"President Zhang, how is His Majesty's health? When will he wake up?" Shangguan Jing asked after seeing Zhang Shu finish taking his pulse.
Zhang Shu had been able to survive in the palace for so many years, so naturally he knew how to protect himself. However, this trick did not work on Shangguan Jing. She had been able to survive in the treacherous harem for so many years, so she could easily see through his evasion.
In desperation, he could only speak tremblingly: "Your Majesty, His Majesty is not seriously ill. He just fainted due to a sudden burst of anger. If nothing unexpected happens, he will wake up after resting for half a day."
"Why is Your Majesty so angry for no reason? What happened in the court today?" These words were naturally spoken to Eunuch Hu.
"Your Majesty, the morning court hasn't started yet. Suddenly, a leader from the Shadow Dragon Guard appeared. I don't know what he said to Your Majesty, and then he fainted. I don't know what happened to the rest of you." Hu Xian's words were very scheming. He first secretly reminded the Queen Mother that the matter was related to the Shadow Dragon Guard, hinting that she should not pry into it easily, and at the same time distanced himself from the matter.
As he expected, Shangguan Jing said after listening, "Since it's related to the Shadow Dragon Guard, I won't ask about it. However, since you often serve His Majesty, you should also advise His Majesty to take good care of himself. His Majesty's sudden fainting must be due to your usual poor service. If there is a next time, even if His Majesty doesn't blame you, I will not let you off easily."
She understood the admonition and warning in Hu Xian's words. While it was indeed inappropriate for her to interfere in the affairs of the Shadow Dragon Guard, that didn't mean a servant could bully her. However, her relationship with Mu Congmo was awkward. They had lived in peace for years, but if she punished Hu Xian today, it would be overstepping her authority and could easily create a rift between them. Therefore, she only offered a warning.
Hu Xian naturally understood the deep meaning of this and said respectfully, "The Empress Dowager has taught me that I will take better care of Your Majesty in the future." He gave Shangguan Jing enough face.
Shangguan Jing naturally wouldn't get angry with a servant. She stood up from Mu Congmo's bedside and instructed Hu Xian, "Dr. Zhang and I are enough here. Eunuch Hu, tell the ministers outside the palace to go back."
Hu Xian bowed and was about to leave when Mu Congmo, who was lying on the dragon bed, suddenly woke up and sat up. Hu Xian didn't bother to go outside to inform the ministers. He quickly walked over to Mu Congmo.
Mu Congmo sat there blankly, his eyes empty, unable to hear any movement around him.
He and the young man went for a walk hand in hand by the river. The young man stood under a willow tree on the river bank. The breeze blew the willow branches and ruffled the young man's hair.
He walked forward and reached out to tidy up the boy's hair. The other boy also reached out and held his hand. The two of them held hands tightly and paced back and forth tirelessly along the river bank.
Until the sky gradually darkened and the boy said goodbye to him, he watched with his own eyes the boy's figure getting farther and farther away from him.
Suddenly, the young man turned to look at him, only to see him reach out and remove his mask, smiling gently at him. Because they were too far away, he couldn't see the young man's face. But it didn't matter. No matter what face was beneath the mask, he would always love him as deeply as before.
As he ran quickly towards the young man, a bolt of lightning suddenly struck. When he arrived, there was only the mask on the ground, and the young man's body was turned into powder by the lightning.
The boy who would smile at him disappeared from then on, leaving him alone, sitting alone on the ground, holding the mask that the boy always wore.
The noisy sounds in his ears gradually brought him back to his senses, and he realized that everything that had just happened was just a dream. But the news from Yong Zhou said that A Yan had died in a thunderbolt. No, that couldn't be the case. A Yan's cultivation was extremely high, so how could he have been killed by a thunderbolt? He didn't believe it.
He seemed to suddenly remember something and tried to stand up, but was stopped by the people around him.
Hu Xian said anxiously, "Your Majesty, you are not well yet. Please take a good rest. If you need anything, just tell me."
Mu Congmo was already a little angry after being stopped, but now was not the time for anger. He had more important things to do. People say that magic swords are spiritual, and they are connected with their masters. Broken Rainbow is Gu Shiyan's sword. If the other party is really in trouble, this sword will not be completely unresponsive.
"Hongting, go find Hongting quickly." Mu Congmo's voice was low and hoarse, almost shouting. His eyes were bloodshot and his hair was messy. He looked nothing like the noble and self-respecting emperor of the past.
Yong Zhou was standing nearby. He knew why Mu Congmo was looking for Hong Ting, but Hong Ting was no longer there. Afraid of provoking Mu Congmo again, he simply stood there motionless, head bowed, and remained silent.
Mu Congmo seemed to have guessed something in his heart, but he didn't want to believe it, and just kept saying: "Go find it, don't you understand what I say?" The emperor's majesty instantly filled the entire inner hall. Except for Shangguan Jing, everyone hurriedly knelt on the ground with their heads close to the ground.
Shangguan Jing looked at the emperor's loss of composure and couldn't help feeling distressed. Mu Congmo had a miserable childhood, and later when he first ascended the throne he had to face ministers with different ulterior motives. Now that the court has finally stabilized, this kind of thing has happened to Mu Congmo again.
She was kindhearted and saw clearly the difficulties of life in the deep palace, so she was quite tolerant towards the eunuchs and palace maids. Otherwise, she would not have helped Mu Congmo in his childhood. She had no children, so she treated Mu Congmo as her own child. Although she had lived in a Buddhist temple for a long time over the years, her care for Mu Congmo did not diminish.
Looking at Mu Congmo now, she felt very distressed, but the court still needed Mu Congmo, and he had to cheer up. If this dragged on, Mu Congmo would eventually want to know the answer, so it would be better to tell the story now.
"Since Your Majesty has asked, where is that person? If he is still in the capital, bring him here. If he is not there, you should report his whereabouts to Your Majesty. This is your duty as a subject." Shangguan Jing sighed and then spoke slowly.
Yong Zhou hadn't dared to hide anything from Mu Congmo in the first place, simply because he was worried about his health. Now that the Queen Mother had spoken, he dared not hide it even more. He knelt down and spoke hesitantly, "Your Majesty, Hong Ting...he..."
His tone was intermittent, and then he finally made up his mind and spoke: "Before receiving the news today, the Broken Rainbow Sword suddenly let out a mournful cry and flew all the way to Yunliang Qianchi, and Hongting also chased it. If it were not for this, I would not dare to believe the authenticity of the news from Jizhou, let alone report it to Your Majesty so easily."
The last glimmer of hope was shattered. Mu Congmo sat on the bed in a daze, wondering, how could this be? A Yan's cultivation was so profound, and with Yunliang Qianchi and Wu Zun looking after him, there was no way a mere Beirong State Master could be his opponent.
By the way, Beirong State Master, Mu Congmo suddenly noticed that the news from Jizhou was that Gu Shiyan decided to break through to the peak of the Free and Easy Realm only after his battle with Beirong State Master. If this was the case, then he must be involved in this matter. Mu Congmo secretly decided that he would not let him off easily.
Mu Congmo couldn't accept the boy's death, whether in reality or in his dream. In the dream, he saw the boy die before his eyes, which was undoubtedly cruel to him. But in reality, he didn't even accompany the boy to the end of his life. How could this not be cruel?
Until now, he has not even seen the boy's face beneath the mask, and he cannot use the art of painting to restore the boy's existence. Even if he could, how can a character created by ink on paper be compared with a living person.
The time he had spent with the young man was too short. He had thought that after waiting for a few years, until the world was stable and the people were prosperous, he would choose a child from the royal family and go to Yunliang Qianchi to find him in person. So what if he married into the family?
But he had not expected that the hasty farewell that day would lead to their separation forever. Apart from the handkerchief picked up by Chang Ye, he no longer had any items related to the boy, and he couldn't even think of him when he saw the items.
After he washed the handkerchief, it no longer had the scent of the young man. How could he meet the young man in his dreams at midnight?
He wanted to leave it all behind and follow in the boy's footsteps. But he didn't know the reason for his death. If it was man-made, he would not let go of anyone involved. If it was God's will, then he would defy the will of Heaven and leave no Buddhist temples, shrines, or monasteries untouched.
"What else did the news from Jizhou say?" There was no emotion in Mu Congmo's tone, but everyone present could sense the emperor's impatience.
Shangguan Jing suddenly spoke at this time, interrupting Mu Congmo's words.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
