Chapter 194: Lingering on the Sickbed
The furnishings in the house remained the same, but many things had already shown signs of age. The two pots of green plants placed on the antique display shelf had their leaves drooping half-dead, as if no one had taken good care of them.
Logically speaking, as a prince, Chen Yu would replace everything in the palace in a timely manner, and it shouldn't be in this situation now.
Furthermore, Xu Zhao followed the old housekeeper Zheng as she walked into the inner room. Housekeeper Zheng had aged a lot, and it seemed that many years had passed since she last left.
It’s a pity that I don’t know what year it is today.
I don’t know how Chen Yu is doing now.
The inner room is blocked by a screen and you can't see inside.
It was winter now, and the doors and windows of the house were closed, not a single breath of cool air could get in. Since Xu Zhao could not feel any cold, he could only judge the temperature of the house by the still fairly strong charcoal fire.
Butler Zheng walked into the inner room and came to the bedside. A vicissitudes of life voice sounded: "My lord, the imperial concubine has been buried."
Butler Zheng responded with a weak voice, "Got it, you can go down first."
Imperial Concubine?
Could it be Su Yao?
Buried?
Su Yao is dead?
After hearing the conversation inside, Xu Zhao immediately lost his composure and ran directly into the inner room, where he bumped into Butler Zheng who was walking out of the inner room.
Butler Zheng passed through Xu Zhao's body without any hindrance. However, Xu Zhao, who was not used to his current state for a moment, was so scared that he slammed on the brakes.
The expected pain did not happen. Xu Zhao then remembered that she was now in a state similar to a soul. No one could see her or touch her.
After reacting, Xu Zhao continued to walk inside, not noticing that Butler Zheng had paused behind her.
Butler Zheng felt a sudden chill. He stopped and took a look at the charcoal fire in the charcoal basin. It was burning brightly. The prince's health is not as good as before, so he should be careful with the charcoal fire in winter so as not to let the prince get cold.
After leaving the house, Butler Zheng called the servant and asked him to pay attention to the charcoal fire in the prince's room and not let it go out.
Entering the inner room, the first thing you see is Shen Yu lying on the bed. He has his eyes tightly closed, and his slightly moving lips are pale. Probably because he was in good health when he was young, there is still some flesh on his face. Although he has lost a lot of weight, he is not to the point of being skinny.
Chen Yu just lay motionless on the bed. If it weren't for the rise and fall of his chest, Xu Zhao would have almost thought that there was just a corpse lying on the bed.
Xu Zhao didn't know when Su Yao passed away, nor could she tell what year of the Showa era it was. She only knew that Chen Yu's condition was not good, or even very bad.
"Chen Yu!" Xu Zhao walked to the bedside and called out reluctantly.
Shen Yu, who had just laid down, seemed to hear a familiar voice in his ears. His eyelids trembled as he opened them and looked in the direction of the voice. He saw nothing except the layout of the house.
His heart felt empty, his heavy eyelids closed again, and he sighed silently.
His health is getting worse day by day, and he doesn't know when he will not wake up. His only wish before he dies is to take one more look at Xu Zhao.
But... after so many years, Xu Zhao has never appeared again.
We said we would see each other next time, but why didn’t you come to keep your promise this time?
Chen Yu used up all his strength, "Liar!" His voice was hoarse and weak, and filled with indescribable sadness.
As the words fell, a tear fell from the corner of Chen Yu's eye, passed by his ear, and stained the pillow with tears.
Xu Zhao covered her mouth and squatted down. She heard what Shen Yu said, and tears could not stop flowing down. She shook her head and thought to herself: I didn't lie to you, I'm here...
She knew clearly that for her, the separation was only a week or two, but for Chen Yu, the years were really too hard to endure.
Probably because he was tired of crying, Xu Zhao leaned against the bed and just looked at Chen Yu lying motionless on the bed.
She couldn't touch him and he couldn't see her.
Time just passes quietly.
As night fell, before the candles were lit in the house, heavy snow began to fall outside.
Perhaps because it was near the end of the year, the sounds of maids and servants talking and laughing could be heard occasionally outside the house, making Shen Yu's house seem even more deserted.
"Creaky——" The sound of the door opening startled Xu Zhao and also startled Chen Yu who was lying on the bed.
When it was time for dinner, Butler Zheng opened the door and the servant followed him into the house carrying the lunch box.
After sleeping for a whole day, Shen Yu felt that he had regained some strength, and with the help of the housekeeper, he propped himself up and sat up.
The servant opened the lunch box, took out a bowl of millet porridge, and handed it to Chen Yu, "Your Highness, enjoy your meal."
Chen Yu leaned against the head of the bed, holding the bowl and drinking in small sips.
Now his body is getting weaker and his appetite is poor, so he can only eat these on weekdays.
After finishing the porridge in his hand, the servant took the empty bowl, put it back into the lunch box and stood aside.
Chen Yu didn't lie down so quickly, but looked at the housekeeper Zheng beside him and asked as usual: "What day is today?"
Butler Zheng lowered his head and answered truthfully, "Today is already the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, and the Chinese New Year will be here in two days."
"Twenty-nine... Time flies so fast, it's Chinese New Year again."
Chen Yu closed his eyes, not knowing whether he was tired or thinking. No one made a sound to disturb him, and the room suddenly became quiet.
After a long while, he slowly opened his eyes again, "Uncle Zheng, count the silver in the mansion tomorrow, give the servants some silver for the New Year, and then send everyone away."
"Your Highness, I won't leave!" The servant beside him knelt down immediately after hearing what Chen Yu said, "Your Highness will always be by your side. If everyone leaves, who will take care of you?"
“Your Majesty…”
Just as Butler Zheng was about to speak, Shen Yu raised his hand to interrupt him.
Chen Yu coughed twice, and Butler Zheng quickly pulled the quilt up.
"You go down first. I have something to talk to Uncle Zheng about."
"I have made up my mind, Your Majesty, you can't drive me away." After the servant expressed his attitude, he got up and left the house, waiting at the door.
"I know that the prince does not want to implicate the servants in the mansion, but we are not heartless and ungrateful people."
"The situation is different now. I can't protect you all. It's better to disperse you all as soon as possible to save your lives. As for Mingkang, if he wants to stay, he can stay. You can give him more money. After I die, I will take him with me."
Mingkang is the servant who just said he wanted to stay.
"The prince is just seriously ill now. He has the imperial physician to treat him. He will recover if he rests well." Butler Zheng didn't want to hear his own prince say discouraging words.
Chen Yu kept shaking his head, the imperial doctors were all from the palace, if someone wanted him to stay sick, he would never get better.
No one knew what kind of deal was made between Zhao Zhao and the Imperial Concubine. The Imperial Concubine protected him for eight or nine years, until she suddenly fell seriously ill the year before last. She no longer had the energy to take care of him, and he actually started to contract a serious illness.
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