Chapter 692 The Three Children Are Entrusted to Your Raising
While Qiao Qinghe was still wondering, she heard Emperor Xiaozhao asking the imperial physician about the condition of the children.
The head of the Imperial Medical Academy spoke on behalf of everyone: "Your Majesty, fortunately the three children ingested a small amount of poison, which is why they survived."
"Thanks to Doctor Mu's intervention, some of the poison in the children's bodies has been expelled, and their lives are temporarily safe."
"However, continued acupuncture and medication treatment are needed to completely eliminate any remaining toxins."
"How long will it take?" Emperor Xiaozhao pressed.
The head of the courtyard looked at the hibiscus.
After a slight hesitation, Mu Jin replied, "It could take as little as three months or as long as three years."
Emperor Xiaozhao frowned, and then heard Mu Jin explain, "Illness comes like a landslide, but recovery is like pulling silk from a cocoon. The same is true for detoxification after poisoning."
"If we want to detoxify without harming the child, or to repair damaged organs while detoxifying, we need to continuously adjust the antidote formula according to the weakening of the toxicity, and supplement it with medicines to repair and nourish the body."
"This is a long and meticulous process. It cannot be accomplished overnight."
The Empress, finding this reasonable, quickly reassured Emperor Xiaozhao, saying, "Your Majesty, I think Physician Mu's words make sense."
"Now that his life has been saved, detoxification is secondary; the most important thing is to prevent any potential health problems for the child."
Emperor Xiaozhao thought for a moment and then nodded in agreement, "This matter will be entrusted to you!"
These words were spoken to the hibiscus.
Upon hearing this, Mu Jin was startled and immediately knelt down to reply, "Your Majesty, it will take a long time to completely cure the three children, and it may be inconvenient for me to enter and leave the palace every day. Perhaps I should teach the method to the imperial physicians..."
Before Mu Jin could finish speaking, Emperor Xiaozhao raised his hand to interrupt her, saying, "The children will be taken back to the residence of Lady Qinghe to be raised. We will discuss further matters once the three children are fully healthy."
"In that case, it will be convenient for you to come and go from the Qiao residence, and it is also perfectly acceptable for you to live there."
"I have only one request: heal the three children and ensure their safety."
Emperor Xiaozhao said this last sentence to Qiao Qinghe.
Qiao Qinghe was startled and immediately knelt on the ground.
"Your Majesty, the young master and lady are of noble birth, and it is truly inappropriate for me to raise them. I implore Your Majesty to reconsider!"
Are you kidding me? Entrusting the deposed crown prince's three children to her to raise?
Now that the deposed crown prince is dead, it seems likely that the deposed crown princess is also dead. Now, the three children are three hot potatoes!
Whoever takes it on is doomed!
Moreover, she had no relation to the deposed crown prince and his wife, so how did this happen to her?
Unexpectedly, before she could finish speaking, Emperor Xiaozhao looked down at her and said mockingly, "Of noble status?"
"Are the children of a deposed crown prince considered to have a noble status?"
"Ah, isn't Madam Qinghe still raising the child of truly noble birth?"
"If she doesn't even dare to raise these three children, then where does Old Madam Qiao get the guts to raise the young master of the Qi Prince's Mansion?"
Qiao Qinghe's heart skipped a beat.
What did Emperor Xiaozhao mean by those words?
Does that mean if she doesn't raise these three children, she can't raise Qian Ge'er?
Despite this suspicion, Qiao Qinghe still struggled to explain, “Your Majesty, the young heir of the Qi Prince’s mansion is my great-grandson.”
"But the three young masters and ladies have no family relation with me, so it would be inappropriate for me to take care of them."
"It would be more appropriate to entrust them to their maternal grandparents for upbringing."
"The maternal relatives of the three children?"
Emperor Xiaozhao scoffed, "Are you referring to the Wu family, or the Zhong family?"
The two boys were born to the late Crown Princess Wu. Now, the Wu family is being pressured by the Yongchang Marquis's mansion and the Prince of Chu's power, and is suing to depose the Crown Prince.
As for the Zhong family, the maternal family of the deposed crown prince's wife who gave birth to his youngest daughter, their story is even more complicated.
When the deposed crown prince plotted a rebellion, the Zhong family clearly supported him wholeheartedly and actively participated. However, at the last minute, they changed their minds and betrayed the crown prince, even abandoning their own granddaughter.
Such repeated actions are truly the behavior of a despicable person. They are even worse than the Wu family.
Qiao Qinghe had clearly thought of these two families as well, and immediately realized she had spoken out of turn, her face showing embarrassment.
"I misspoke, please forgive me, Your Majesty."
Emperor Xiaozhao sighed, "It's decided then. The three children will be temporarily raised by you."
Emperor Xiaozhao made his decision, and Qiao Qinghe could no longer refuse. She could only obediently reply, "This old woman obeys the decree. This old woman will certainly live up to Your Majesty's trust and do her best to detoxify the three children, recuperate their bodies, and protect them."
Emperor Xiaozhao nodded in satisfaction, "Very good."
Qiao Qinghe thought for a moment and asked, "Your Majesty, I suddenly brought three children back to my residence. Shouldn't I give an explanation to the outside world? Also, should we keep the identities of these three children a secret?"
Emperor Xiaozhao pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said, "The identities of the three children do not need to be kept secret. You can take them directly back to your residence."
“They are just commoners now, so you don’t need to treat them like royal children. Just treat them like ordinary relatives’ children.”
"As for how to respond to the outside world, you can decide that yourself."
Qiao Qinghe's lips twitched again. Is it really that casual?
It would be one thing to entrust the three children of the deposed crown prince to a complete stranger for upbringing.
Now she gets to decide what to say to the outside world?
Aren't you afraid that she'll turn around and tell those who came to inquire that Emperor Xiaozhao forced her to take over the three children?
Emperor Xiaozhao looked at the three children again before patting the Empress's hand. "I'm leaving this to you. I have a few words to say to Consort Qinghe alone."
The Empress quickly replied, "Your Majesty, please go. I will look after things here."
Emperor Xiaozhao nodded and said to Qiao Qinghe, "Madam Qiao, please come with me."
"yes."
Qiao Qinghe quickly stood up and followed Emperor Xiaozhao outside.
After leaving the inner palace, Emperor Xiaozhao did not stop. Instead, he led Qiao Qinghe to a side hall on the other side, dismissed the palace servants, and asked Qiao Qinghe to sit down and talk.
Just as he was about to speak, Emperor Xiaozhao thought for a moment and then instructed Liu Xin, the only one still remaining in the hall, "You may also leave."
Liu Xin dared not look up at Emperor Xiaozhao's expression, and only respectfully replied "Yes" before quickly retreating.
After everyone had left, Qiao Qinghe cautiously asked, "Your Majesty is so cautious, is there something important you wish to instruct me on?"
Emperor Xiaozhao gave Qiao Qinghe a deep look, and instead of answering, asked, "King Qi, King Chu, and Prince Huaiyang, who do you think has the most imperial bearing?"
Qiao Qinghe was startled and then knelt down on the ground with a thud.
"Your Majesty!?!"
She looked at Emperor Xiaozhao in horror.
He knew all along?
Otherwise, why would Emperor Xiaozhao ask her such a question?
They even specifically asked her about Li Sanqi, the King of Qi, and the King of Chu together.
Heaven knows, since the founding of the Great Yan Kingdom, there has never been a precedent of a woman inheriting the throne!
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