Chapter 38 Chapter 38 It Hurts
A month passed before the emperor returned to court. Rumors about the crown prince, fanned by deliberate incitement, intensified. Upon reading the memorial, Emperor Hui'an's face flushed red, his eyes widened with rage, and he threw it to the ground.
"This is simply outrageous! The Crown Prince is so concerned about the country and the people, working day and night, and recuperating in the Eastern Palace. How can they think he is a punishment from God? It's really hateful!" He dragged his sick body to the court, and was so angry at the contents of the memorial that he felt dizzy and couldn't stop coughing with his hands covering his lips.
All civil and military officials knelt down together.
"Lord Wei, you have been in Jiangnan for so long. How have things been handled?" After taking the medicine brought to him by Eunuch Yang, he slowed down his breathing and asked again.
An official immediately stepped forward to respond, "Your Majesty, upon arriving in Jiangnan, Minister Wei immediately addressed the victims, and the plague is now effectively under control. However, he would like to ask Your Majesty whether the Jiangnan Governor and others should be immediately escorted back to the capital to await trial."
Emperor Hui'an leaned back on the dragon throne, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Forget it. Jiangnan is unstable. For now, I'll just leave my life to Xiang. I'll make a decision later." He then asked about other matters and left the court only after the discussion was complete.
Qianyuan Hall. Emperor Hui'an summoned several trusted ministers to the palace to inquire about the road construction in the southwest to attack the Tusi. Fortunately, the road was almost complete. The most important thing now was to attack the enemy by surprise. Before the enemy could fully react, he could send a general with his troops into Yelang and capture them in one fell swoop.
To be on the safe side, Emperor Hui'an appointed Zhao Wen as the Grand General to command the troops against the enemy. General Zhao was a valiant and accomplished warrior with numerous achievements, and sending him would both boost morale and increase the odds of victory.
After a long discussion, the meeting had to end because Emperor Hui'an was unwell.
The next morning, when Mingyue woke up, she planned to go to the cage to feed the captive harrier as usual, but she saw the empty golden bird cage. She cried out in surprise, "Hey? Why is the harrier gone?"
Yuhu rushed out upon hearing the noise. The bird cage opened outwards. It was unclear whether the hawk had escaped or been released. When the two returned to report to Liangyuan, they were surprised to find her expressionless and calm, saying, "Let it go if it wants to."
Noticing the confusion in the two people's eyes, she tucked a few strands of hair on her cheek behind her ears, sat up and explained in a soft voice: "Maybe I didn't close the cage door properly when I fed it yesterday, so it found a chance to escape. It's just an animal, it's gone when it's gone."
She had already fed that thing into the harrier's stomach as food. As long as the secret guards arranged by the prince did not cut it open, they would definitely not be able to find it.
For some reason, Liang Hanzhang felt a faint sadness. Her heart, which had originally leaned towards her brother, now gradually shifted towards the crown prince. In the few months she had spent with him, she had witnessed his dedicated work, day and night, devoted to state affairs. It was a blessing for the people to have the world in his hands.
More importantly, he was the father of the child in her belly. If the rebellion succeeded with her help, wouldn't she be the criminal who murdered the child's biological father?
His heart felt like it was being torn apart by an invisible hand, the pain was unbearable. Liang Hanzhang even had a faint hope, hoping that the beast would never come back. Deep down, he also had an indescribable hope that the secret guards hadn't discovered the secret hidden in the harrier's belly.
This would alleviate the torment and guilt she felt. She was like duckweed on a river, carried forward by the wind or swept back by the current. Regardless, she ultimately lacked the power to make her own choices.
She only hoped that she would have fewer sins and that the baby in her belly would grow up healthily. That would be all.
The maidservant didn't say much after hearing Liang Yuan's words, but she felt strange. She had always seen the Empress dote on the beast, always feeding it when she had nothing to do. She had thought she had developed feelings for the hawk, but now that the hawk had flown away, the Empress's reaction was surprisingly calm.
Moreover, they saw an inexplicable sadness on the queen's face. Was it because the hawk had flown away? Or was it something else?
No matter how confused they were, they were servants after all. Since their master was unwilling to say more, they dared not ask any more questions.
In a blink of an eye, two months had passed since the Crown Prince's visit to Jiangnan. Under his guidance and leadership, all affairs in Jiangnan were handled in an orderly manner, and recent rebellions were suppressed. People's livelihoods, which had been devastated by the incessant natural disasters, were gradually recovering.
It was recently discovered that someone had deliberately put something in the water, causing the entire city to be infected. The finger of blame for all this was pointed directly at Liu Yi, the governor of Jiangnan.
Liu Yi hadn't worried about the previous incidents in Jiangnan, but now his influence in the southwest had been annihilated by the imperial court, and the provincial governor was no pushover, having uncovered everything he had done in Jiangnan. Seeing his cause unfulfilled and facing imprisonment, how could he remain in peace?
Governor Liu was furious. His face was so ferocious that the loose flesh was almost squeezed together. His eyes, the size of green beans, were full of cruelty, as if they were about to burst out of his body in the next second.
He rested his hands on the table, his fingertips white from exertion. After a long pause, he turned his back and practically roared, "That bastard Zhu Fang, how dare he bully me like this!"
The plague had come out of nowhere, and he was initially puzzled. He never imagined it was Zhu Fang who had poisoned the well water and was trying to pin the blame on him. It was ridiculous!
Did Zhu Fang think he would be afraid of that so-called provincial governor? He was just a dog sent by the imperial court. He accidentally contracted the plague in Jiangnan and died without any treatment. This seemed to be a very normal thing, right?
But he hadn't anticipated that the provincial governor was truly capable of investigating things in detail. If this continued, the provincial governor would probably bring his head to the capital before he could even finish his work.
At this moment, he only regretted that he had not judged his people well at the beginning and had actually wanted to take advantage of the tiger. Now, his great cause had not been accomplished, but he was going to end up being bitten by the tiger.
Well, since everyone bullies and humiliates him and looks down on him, don't blame him for being cruel! He straightened up, his voice without any emotion, and said lightly: "Since the Censor is so capable, let's just go all the way."
He wiped his hands gently with a handkerchief and said: "Kill that Wei guy."
The servants around him were slightly surprised when they heard this, but they didn't dare to persuade him anymore. Before he could continue to give orders, a secret guard came in with a secret letter and reported: "Master, there is news from the capital."
Upon hearing this, Liu Yi suddenly looked up, snatched up the secret letter, peeled off the wax seal, and began to read it carefully. Not long after, he could hear his almost maniacal laughter: "Great! That's great!"
The subordinates looked at each other in bewilderment and couldn't help asking, "Master, what news has come from the capital?"
Liu Yi held the secret letter tightly in his hand. The veins on the back of his hand bulged and the skin was loose, which seemed inconsistent with his rosy face.
He laughed and said, "The secret letter said that the prince has also gone to the south of the Yangtze River."
"The Crown Prince? Going south?" They had worked with the officials sent by the imperial court for so long, but they hadn't discovered which one was the Crown Prince. Could it be that the Crown Prince had also disguised himself?
"I have long felt that Judge Cui, who is standing beside the Censor, is suspicious. His temperament does not match his dark green official uniform at all. I was puzzled at the time, but I didn't expect it to be the prince." The governor smiled and nodded, "Interesting."
As expected of a prince, even though he was wearing a coarse linen shirt, he still couldn't hide his noble aura. However, this aura was built up by stealing the wealth and power of Liang State.
Doesn't he feel ashamed while enjoying this enormous wealth?
The candlelight in the main hall flickered, and a very light sigh seemed to be heard from above. Then, Governor Liu slowly sat down on the armchair, placed the secret letter in his hand on the flame on the nanmu shelf, and seemed to murmur or talk to himself:
"It's time for the Li family and their son to pay the price for their actions back then."
Outside the window, cicadas chirped, and in the nearby lotus pond, frogs croaked. His voice was lost in the air, carrying a chilling chill.
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Li Cheng had been taking a wait-and-see approach for some time, holding off on taking action against Liu Yi. He felt that Liu Yi was acting suspiciously, and that Zhu Fang was also engaged in numerous underhanded activities. He had initially sent someone to monitor Zhu Fang, but to his surprise, his men were able to gather information.
"Your Highness, are you doubting Zhu Changshi?" Wei Zhaosheng stood up and cut off the lamp wick, unable to help but asking.
"Zhu Fang was too impatient. He was afraid that we wouldn't believe him, so he fabricated all kinds of stories for Liu Yi to make us focus our attention on the governor." This way, he could act more easily.
"Then what on earth is the purpose of transporting so much firewood to the Zhu Fang Mansion?" Wei Zhaosheng also saw the contents of the secret letter in the prince's hand, but he still felt that it was confusing and many things had not really come to light.
The prince had been busy for so long that he felt dizzy. He placed one hand on the table and gently pinched his brow with two fingers. His voice sounded a little tired:
"Although I can't guess what Zhu Fang is up to, one thing is certain, Zhu Fang and Liu Yi must belong to two different camps, and their goals must be contradictory."
It has been a while since we went south of the Yangtze River. I heard that the first battle in the southwest was a victory. The elite troops led by General Zhao Wen broke through the gate and killed all the rebels without leaving a single piece of armor.
It seems that one of Zhu Fang and Liu Yi is getting restless.
Wei Zhaosheng had been accompanying the Crown Prince for such a long time, and had witnessed firsthand how diligently he cared for the people's livelihood, unwilling to rest even for a moment. Seeing him now exhausted, he could not help but advise, "Your Highness has worked so hard for several days, it's time for you to rest well."
He was in the Ministry of Works all year round, and sometimes when there were floods, he would not sleep for days and nights. He was from a family of military commanders, and his body could withstand it better than the prince.
Although the prince often practiced martial arts, his foundation was still weak. Moreover, he was raised outside when he was young, which damaged his foundation. If he continued to endure such a high workload, he would probably have problems sooner or later.
Li Cheng was about to shake his head when he suddenly felt dizzy. Wei Zhaosheng was quick to support him. Just as he was about to call for a medical officer outside, he was stopped by Li Cheng. He held the other's hand and shook his head, saying, "I'm fine."
"I just didn't get enough rest last night, so I'm a little tired. There's no need to make such a fuss."
He knew his own health clearly and knew that it was indeed because of lack of rest. He just needed to lie down in bed and take a good sleep. There was no need to disturb others late at night.
"But, Your Highness's health is precious. If you are not careful..."
"I know what's going on. You don't need to persuade me." He stopped Wei Zhaosheng from speaking any further, gave him a few simple instructions, and then went back with the help of his followers.
Wei Zhaosheng looked at the prince's tall back and felt a lot of emotion.
The weather tonight wasn't particularly good, unlike the usual bright moon and glittering stars. A cool breeze gradually picked up, and the few stars in the sky grew dimmer. Even the usually melodious weaver girls fell silent. For a moment, the world was hushed, filled with boundless loneliness.
Li Rong quickly extinguished the candle in his bedroom. He didn't have to keep a candle by his bed when he slept, but during the time when Zhilan lived there, he was afraid that Liangyuan, a woman, would feel scared sleeping in the dark at night.
Now that he was alone, he didn't bother with anything. He told someone to blow out the candle and then lay down. He thought he would just fall into a dreamless sleep, exhausted as usual. But tonight was different.
He dreamed of the woman he'd been thinking about so much. Her belly was already slightly bulging, the curve visible. Inside, she was carrying his child. The woman, with a serene expression, sat by the window, staring blankly at the rain outside.
As if sensing someone behind her, she smiled brightly and turned back, calling softly, "Your Highness." As she spoke, she stretched out her arms for a hug. She had been pampered in the Eastern Palace for so long, she'd done this countless times.
Li Cheng was already used to it. His legs seemed to have their own thoughts as he walked to her side. He half squatted down and held her in his arms. Smelling the familiar scent, he couldn't help but be intoxicated.
He twirled a strand of her long black hair and asked with a smile, "How are you doing lately? Has the child bothered you?"
The prince was not good at speaking. During the few months he spent with her, their topic of conversation always revolved around food or the inconspicuous flowers and plants in the yard.
She was born a maid, and although she could read, her knowledge was limited. It was naturally impossible for him to talk to her about poetry, songs, scriptures, and classics.
However, because her handwriting was really ugly, soft and without any texture, and she was eager to learn, he would teach her how to write in their free time.
The days passed in a dull manner. Although they spoke little, they had a tacit understanding. The prince was always in a comfortable mood when he was with her.
Ever since she became pregnant, the two of them had a lot more to talk about. Most of it revolved around the baby in her belly. As two inexperienced parents, their feelings about the arrival of a child were similar.
They were both expectant and worried. Looking at the flat belly, they could already imagine the sweet and soft face of their future baby.
The woman shook her head, her body shrouded in golden light, emitting a faint hue. She nestled her head against his neck, nibbling gently with her teeth, seemingly deeply attached. Li Cheng soon felt a dampness on his neck.
"Your Highness, I miss you." The woman wanted to get closer to him, but he was afraid of hurting her stomach, so he only dared to hug her lightly. Upon hearing this, he replied, "I miss you too."
He rarely shows his emotions, and outsiders see him as calm and serious.
But when he met this woman, he suppressed all his emotions in his heart. When he saw her, he just wanted to vent and tell her his true thoughts.
A man and woman sat on the Arhat couch, embracing each other. Li Cheng gently kissed her between the eyebrows. Just as he was about to ask something, he heard a dull sound. The next moment, he heard the woman's painful moan in his arms. He let go and looked, and the scene before him almost made him burst into tears.
He saw the woman's eyes were round, blood was oozing from the corner of her mouth, and a dagger was inserted straight into her from behind. He could even clearly see the cloud pattern carved on the dagger, shining with silver light.
Her face turned pale with pain, and her underwear was soaked with cold sweat. Wherever Li Cheng touched, it was wet.
He glanced down at his sticky hands, which were now covered in blood. Dark purple, the blood suddenly transformed into the ferocious, sinister faces of Shura, which pounced upon him.
The prince shuddered, his arms trembling as he held the woman in his arms. He saw blood gushing from the corners of her mouth. He felt dizzy and dark, as if someone had repeatedly slashed his heart with a blade, causing him to almost lose consciousness.
"Imperial Physician! Call the Imperial Physician!" His eyes were red and almost piercing, and the veins on his hand that was clutching her clothes were bulging. He was enduring great pain.
But after calling out several times, there was still no response from outside. The person in his arms gradually lost consciousness, as if he would leave him in the next second. Li Cheng was so frightened that his legs went weak and his temples throbbed with pain. He struggled to his feet and ran out, carrying the person.
Liang Hanzhang reached out and stroked his jade-like cheek, his voice intermittent and inaudible: "Your Highness..."
"Don't talk, I'll go find a doctor for you." Every word seemed to be squeezed out of his throat. He didn't even realize that his eyes were filled with tears.
"Don't be afraid, it will get better. Xu Yuanzheng of the Eastern Palace has always been an excellent doctor. Don't worry when he is around. Don't worry..." The voice was choked with sobs.
The man who usually kept his emotions secret now had tears in his eyes. Tears fell drop by drop on the woman's delicate face.
"Your Highness, I'm in so much pain." Born into a lowly family, she had long since developed a heart that could endure hardship and pain. Although she was usually gentle and considerate in front of him, she would never proactively tell him if she felt any discomfort.
If he hadn't witnessed with his own eyes a woman's face pale with pain during menstruation, shivering all over and lying on the bed with a quilt covering her body, her whole body curled up in the bed.
He had no idea she had such a serious health problem, and every menstrual period was excruciatingly painful. And as her husband, he was kept in the dark and never knew about it.
At that time, she poked her sweaty head out from the quilt and tried to force a smile to comfort him: "Your Highness, don't worry. I'm not in pain. I'm used to it."
How much suffering did she have to go through to be able to say to him nonchalantly: It doesn't hurt even when she was sweating profusely from the pain.
Li Cheng's throat was blocked, speechless, and his heart felt as if being torn apart by invisible hands. Now, the person who had always been able to endure and bear it all was actually telling him that she was in pain. It was clear how much pain she was enduring at that moment.
Li Cheng felt his heart bleed when he heard her words. The deep-seated anger within him threatened to burst forth. His breathing became heavy, his eyes crimson, and he felt a burning desire to kill.
He could only hold her in his arms like a precious treasure, unable to resist pressing his cheek against hers. He suppressed the rage in his chest and comforted her with a trembling voice: "I'm here. I'll find a doctor for you right away. The pain will go away immediately."
Liang Hanzhang's head swam with pain, and she felt a dampness on her neck. It was the man's tears. She clutched her belly, where the bulge held the child. Enduring the pain, she instructed the man above her: "Your Highness, if I cannot survive, you must protect the child."
Li Cheng's gaze fell on her belly, and he felt even more heartbroken. If the price of keeping the child was losing her, he would rather not have the child. Holding back the sourness in his nose, he shook his head, "No, you must be well, otherwise I can't guarantee that I will treat him well."
If she were gone, what would the child mean to him? He loved the child and looked forward to its arrival, especially because it was his and hers. This child had her blood flowing through him.
The man walked briskly, but for some reason, he couldn't seem to reach the end of the Eastern Palace. It twisted and turned like a maze. Li Cheng was panicking, and before he could see the road ahead clearly, he suddenly felt a pain in his chest.
He looked down and saw a dagger standing there, exactly the same as the one behind her.
His eyes were wide and he felt strange for the first time when he saw those familiar hands.
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