As the apprentice whom Wen Zhiyun met by chance in Anshui County, the six siblings did not have a deep impression of Wu Suowei.
Especially after four years, many memories have become blurred.
Even Wen Zhiyun believed that he would not be able to see Doctor Wu unless he returned to Anshui County.
But now.
They not only met, but they did so within the imperial palace, even in front of the emperor's sleeping quarters.
A young doctor in his early twenties, dressed in a brocade robe, stood smiling in the candlelight. The shadow cast by his long eyelashes fell on his face, which did not detract from his handsomeness but rather brought out a unique charm.
Wen Zhiyun stood three feet in front of him, her fair face showing astonishment, as if she had just heard some legendary opera, or as if she had learned a shocking secret.
As the long banquet came to a halt, the two turned around simultaneously, their expressions differing.
"So it's Your Highness the Crown Prince. It's been a long time. How have you been?" Wu Suowei's tone remained nonchalant, yet his form of address seemed to know everything.
Wen Zhiyun's face was full of surprise, while Chang Yan's eyebrows gradually lowered in sorrow.
"Dr. Wu, what are you doing here?" he asked solemnly.
Wu Suowei clicked his tongue. "It seems I've frightened His Highness. I apologize in advance. There's something else... I'm not surnamed Wu."
“You actually believed a name like Wu Suowei that sounds like nonsense.” He reached out and ruffled Wen Zhiyun’s hair. “My surname is Sun, and I am Sun Siji, a direct descendant of the Sun family. I was ordered by the Emperor to go to Anshui County to protect a prince who had escaped.”
"I need to get close to him without letting him notice, so I'll just bump into a young doctor surnamed Wen and teach him some medical skills I learned from the Yan family. This way, I can protect His Highness and also fulfill my mission."
Therefore, he really has no connection with the Wu family.
Even the name was made up; it's a wonder everyone believed it.
Wen Zhiyun angrily took two steps back to avoid the large, groping hand.
"Oh, don't be angry. I am still your master. A teacher for a day is a father for life." Wu Suowei, or rather Sun Siji, reached out his hand, seemingly addicted to stroking it.
Wen Zhiyun could only retreat further and further, shrinking her neck to avoid him.
The two chased each other, neither of them noticing that Chang Yan, standing in the shadows, was stunned as something dripped down, soaking the ground.
"Your Highness, what's wrong?" the guard asked timidly. "Are you worried about the Emperor's health?"
Chang Yan didn't know how to answer.
Just moments ago, he resolutely suppressed all his emotions, convinced that his father was cold-blooded and heartless, and unworthy of his respect and love.
In the blink of an eye, Sun Siji revealed that his father actually loved him.
Although this love cannot compare to Zhu Changhong's, it still truly exists.
Was the long banquet a happy occasion?
I'm not happy.
He didn't receive love at the age when he longed for it the most, and after becoming cold and indifferent, he learned that he was loved. This love was thin but existed, leaving him unable to hate completely or love completely.
It's like a hand choking him, not killing him but making him suffer, neither the pleasure of living nor the pain of dying.
Unfortunately, the owner of the hand was bedridden, leaving him unable to decide whether to hate or love.
Is it not better to be ruthless in one's dealings with others?
If you're going to be ruthless, be ruthless to the end; if you're going to abandon something, abandon it completely. Isn't that better?
What do you want to do by showing a little warmth when you're being indifferent?
With trembling hands, Chang Yan reached out to wipe away all the tears that rolled down his face. The fourteen-year-old boy pretended to be calm as he staggered along the long palace corridor.
The guards tried to offer words of comfort, but their words were lost in the night.
The boy's figure was swallowed up by the darkness.
Wen Zhiyun finally stopped what she was doing, blinked her big, watery eyes, and large tears slid down her cheeks. "Dr. Sun, my brother is so sad, and as his older brother, there's nothing I can do."
I can't even cry with him.
Such a strong-willed fifth brother would certainly not want his crybaby fourth brother to discover his sadness.
“Actually, what can we do?” Sun Siji patted his young apprentice on the shoulder. “The Sun family will fully support the establishment of a crown prince, but with the crown prince's appointment, the entire Fengjing will be in turmoil, and His Highness the Crown Prince will become everyone’s target.”
"And you need to protect him."
In the laws of the Dayu Dynasty, establishing a crown prince was the ultimate goal in the struggle for the throne.
To consolidate the Crown Prince's power and prevent fratricide, the Crown Prince can establish a Crown Prince's Palace to freely cultivate confidants and powerful ministers.
In this way, even if the emperor dies unexpectedly, the crown prince can smoothly ascend the throne without worrying about anyone usurping power or rebelling.
The Sun family was undoubtedly a trusted confidant of the imperial family, and now, after the father and son's late-night conversation, they smoothly switched their allegiance to the crown prince.
With the addition of the Jiang, Dou, and Yao families, the Fifth Prince's influence in the court was overwhelming. As the rightful heir, even the He family couldn't utter a word of denial.
This is something Xu Mo once mentioned: under the general trend, there is no such thing as favoritism or bias.
As long as they're not aligned with the enemy, they're allies.
The other powerful families in the court were not enough to make a difference, and the Ju family was even more vulnerable. The ones who needed the most attention were the taciturn second prince and Fang Yuan of the Fang family who had escaped.
As a target, there are countless opportunities to get hurt.
A healer is the best person to make gold-threaded soft nails.
Wen Zhiyun stopped crying, clenched her fist and nodded, "Dr. Sun, don't worry, I will definitely protect Xiao Wu and will never let anyone hurt him."
Sun Siji reached out again and patted his little apprentice Rongrong's head.
the next day.
It is unknown what method the Imperial Medical Academy used, but the emperor, who was indeed ill, pretended to be sick for more than ten days and sat on the dragon throne, listening calmly to the report.
Because of the distance and the inability to look directly at each other, as long as a few words are spoken, it looks no different from before.
Jiang Jizong, however, gripped his tablet tightly, sighing with mixed feelings.
With the cabinet ministers and the six ministries in attendance, there was not much government business piling up. After a few brief reports, the court session was nearing its end.
The He family continued to contradict the Jiang and Dou families, arguing heatedly over the smallest things.
The Zhu and Tao families remained as taciturn as ever, while the Ju family cried and complained endlessly about Consort Ju's affair, but received no response.
As the emperor sat on his dragon throne, looking down upon all living beings, he cast several meaningful glances his way across them.
Jiang Jizong loosened his scepter and finally managed to step forward through a gap. He bowed and solemnly said, "Your Majesty, in recent years Your Majesty has been unwell several times, and there is a backlog of official duties. Based on past records, it is time to establish a Crown Prince to share Your Majesty's burdens."
The entire court fell silent instantly.
The Ju family couldn't believe it, the Zhu and Tao families stared wide-eyed, and even the Dou and He families were baffled.
Only Jiang Jizong, with his hands clasped in front of him, repeated, "Please, Your Majesty, establish a Crown Prince."
"Your Majesty, please establish a Crown Prince." The head of the Yao family stepped forward.
The most surprising thing was that the Sun family "requested the Emperor to establish a Crown Prince".
The discord between the Jiang and Dou families was merely a facade. After a brief moment of astonishment, Dou Weiming resolutely stepped forward and requested the Emperor to establish a Crown Prince.
At this point, nearly half of the people in the court bowed.
The head of the He family looked left and right, and finally shouted, "Please, Your Majesty, establish a Crown Prince."
This is not pre-arranged collusion; it is a demonstration of trust and support for our allies.
The Tian family raised the corners of their mouths and nodded under the horrified gazes of the Ju, Tao, and Zhu families. "Granted. Stand up."
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