Chapter 183 True Dragon's Heart Blood
Xiahou Yu calmed down for a moment, took a few breaths, and finally said, "Your Majesty, please put the Empress down first and let me treat her."
Lu Haozhi hurriedly put Meng Yan back on the pillow and stood aside.
Xiahou Yu stepped forward, opened his needle bag, and took out three silver needles. He inserted them into the imperial concubine's Quze, Futu, and Neiguan acupoints. He then said to Lu Hao, "Your Majesty, these three acupoints are related to the heart meridian. Your Majesty's pulse is weak now, and only a trace of life remains in her heart. I will first protect your life so that she does not die, and then discuss with my colleagues in the Imperial Hospital how to treat you."
Lu Haozhi didn't know any medical skills, but he roughly understood that Meng Yan wouldn't die just yet. His tense nerves gradually relaxed, and he said immediately, "Just go ahead and treat her. There's no need to show off your knowledge to me. I have all kinds of precious herbs at your disposal. As long as you can save the imperial concubine, I will spare no expense."
Xiahou Yu naturally took the lead and nodded in acceptance of the order.
After the silver needle was inserted into the acupuncture point for a while, he took Meng Yan's pulse again and found that although the pulse was still extremely weak, it was continuous. He couldn't help but feel overjoyed.
This is possible!
At that moment, he explained the whole story to the emperor, gave some instructions to Meng Yan and two other palace maids, and then hurried back to his residence to find a way to treat the disease.
Lu Haozhi ordered the palace maid to bring a jujube wood armchair, then sat down beside the bed, holding Meng Yan's hand.
Yan'er, you knew this day would come, so you have been deliberately being intimate with me these past two days, right?
What a pity, I won’t let you go.
You haven't become the queen yet, you haven't given birth to a crown prince for me... you haven't been with me till old age.
Even if it means death, I will not allow you to break your promise.
Rong An walked over quietly, leaned over and whispered, "Your Majesty, the Western Expedition General sent someone to deliver a letter of greeting, and he is still waiting outside Zhonghe Hall."
Lu Haozhi didn't think much about it at first, and blurted out, "According to the old rules, accept the memorial and send it on its way. You're asking for my instructions on such a trivial matter. You, the eunuch in charge of the imperial court, are you just here to eat and do nothing?"
Rong An knew that the emperor must be in a very bad mood at the moment. He chose this critical moment to confront him and deserved to be scolded. However, he had to say what he had to say.
"Your Majesty, the general has sent someone to convey his message, asking about the Imperial Concubine's recent situation. He said that the general has not seen her for several months and misses her very much. I beg Your Majesty to grant this person permission to see her and bring back some personal words from her... What do you think?"
As he said that, he glanced at the bed.
This Great General of the Western Expedition is none other than Meng Changyuan, the eldest son of the Marquis of Yiyang. Although he has returned to the capital, he has not yet resigned from his post as general due to the epidemic, so everyone still calls him the Great General of the Western Expedition.
Lu Haozhi regained consciousness and remained silent for a long moment before he slowly spoke, "...It's best not to tell the general this news for now. Later, ask the imperial concubine's personal maid to bring over an item she usually uses, and tell her, 'The general's regards are known to the queen, but she's currently busy and has no time to see anyone. It won't be too late to see you again when the general returns to court.'"
Meng Changyuan...
He still remembered the foolish things Meng Changyuan did impulsively when Meng Yan was in trouble in his previous life.
Although the situation is very different in this life, he still doesn't dare to take the risk.
If Meng Changyuan acts rashly again, the Meng family and even Meng Yan will be put in a passive position.
Rong An obeyed the order, bowed, and went to find Ruizhu and Yunxiang. He opened Meng Yan's jewelry box and took out a hibiscus hairpin inlaid with oriental pearls.
Rong An wrapped the item carefully, hid it in his sleeve and left Chunze Zhai.
As soon as he stepped out of the door, he saw his apprentice Xiao Tang, who was always with him, secretly wiping tears at the foot of the wall.
He stepped forward and slapped Xiao Tang on the back of the head, "You little bastard, you have no scruples, you're going to die!"
Little Tang's eyes were red as he sobbed, "Master, why do good people never get good rewards? My parents also had this disease before, and no one cared for them, so they were about to die. The emperor ordered all hospitals to admit them, and the queen gave me extra money as a subsidy. Later, a prescription was found, and only then did my parents escape. Otherwise... otherwise, I would be without parents now... But everyone is well, so why did the royal concubine fall ill?"
Rong An listened and couldn't help but let out a long sigh.
He turned his head to glance at Chunze Zhai, but the room was dim under the bright sunlight, and he could not see the figure of the True Dragon Emperor.
If something happens to the Imperial Concubine, what will the Emperor do...
Is it true that good people don't live long, while evil deeds last for thousands of years?
He shook his head and said, "No, God has eyes. The Imperial Concubine is a lucky person and will definitely get through this safely! Don't cry for no reason, you won't bring bad luck to the Imperial Concubine!"
Having said that, he took his apprentice and went to do his errand.
The imperial concubine fainted one day and almost died suddenly. Although everyone was anxious, there was nothing they could do except wait for Xiahou Yu to treat her. The days in Shanghe Garden passed like water in this gloomy atmosphere.
Xiahou Yu came to give the imperial concubine acupuncture three times a day, morning, noon and evening. Meng Yan could not eat or drink, so he put the prepared heart-protecting and qi-nourishing pills into her mouth and asked her to digest them.
Meng Yan's pulse was indeed getting steadier day by day, but she showed no signs of waking up. She was stuck in a deep sleep and refused to wake up.
At first, Lu Haozhi refused to leave day and night, staying by Meng Yan's bed, waiting for her to wake up.
However, the country cannot be without a ruler for a day, and everyone was worried about the emperor's health. They asked the empress dowager to come forward and persuade him, and he reluctantly agreed to leave Chunze Zhai for daily court meetings and handling state affairs.
There is no wall that is impenetrable in this world. The news of Concubine Meng's illness finally spread and spread like wildfire in the capital.
The people who had received her grace all set up longevity tablets in their homes, burning incense and kowtow every day, praying to God to protect the imperial concubine's safety.
There was a famous scholar in the capital who, upon hearing about the story of Concubine Meng, sighed deeply and wrote a biography of the virtuous Concubine Meng in her honor. The biography was thousands of words long, with gorgeous rhetoric and heartfelt emotions, and was widely circulated among the people.
This biography eventually fell into Lu Haozhi's hands.
“…His benevolence and kindness were so great that the people wept and worshipped him.”
Lu Haozhi read the manuscript word for word beside Meng Yan's bed. He held her hand and whispered, "Yan'er, did you hear that? We're all hoping you'll wake up soon. If you don't take the throne, who will?"
"Originally, we agreed that we would spend the Mid-Autumn Festival and the Double Ninth Festival together with the Queen Mother and Doukou. After the epidemic was over, I would take you to the hunting grounds. Mid-Autumn Festival and the Double Ninth Festival have passed, but you still refuse to wake up."
"You know what? This Mid-Autumn Festival, I gave the chef in the imperial kitchen a good scolding. The mooncakes are getting worse and worse. It's good enough if they have three out of the five nuts. The rose bean paste ones are so big that they hurt your teeth. This palace is not under your control, so it's not allowed."
The beauty on the bed was still sleeping soundly, like a jade statue, quiet and silent.
Strangely enough, Meng Yan had not eaten or drunk anything since she fell into a coma, but her face remained as smooth as before, and even her previous illness had gradually subsided.
Xiahou Yu also said that this was a good thing, the imperial concubine was recovering, but she just didn't wake up.
Lu Haozhi's mood gradually calmed down from his initial anxiety and irritability.
He was used to it. He would get up early every day to attend court meetings, and when he came back, he would review memorials while staying by her bedside and chatting with her about his experiences of the day.
Even the old man Rong An was muttering behind his back. He didn't expect the emperor to be so nagging.
“…Father!”
Princess He An ran in from outside and went straight to the bed.
During the time that Meng Yan was in a coma, the father and son spent time together day and night, and became much closer.
Doukou stood in front of Lu Haozhi and bowed in a childish voice, "Your Highness, your son pays his respects to your father."
Lu Haozhi looked at her. The little girl seemed to have grown a lot taller in the past few days. Her words and deeds were much more well-behaved than before. She was no longer spoiled and willful, and gradually developed the demeanor of a noble lady.
She has grown up a lot now that her loving mother is gone.
Lu Haozhi touched her head and asked, "Doukou, what did you learn from the teacher today?"
Doukou nodded and said, "Today, the teacher taught us the last few verses of the Three Character Classic. I will read them to you."
As she spoke, the little girl stood beside the bed, her soft voice flowing like water.
After reciting, she also imitated Lu Haozhi and placed her small hand on their clasped hands, "Mom, the teacher will start the "University" class tomorrow. You should wake up soon. I will recite it to you every day when I come back."
My mother, who used to smile sweetly, was lying there motionless.
Doukou's nose felt a little sour, but she forced herself to hold it back.
The Empress Dowager told her that she should not cry because it was unlucky, and that she should smile.
Looking at the little girl with a slightly red nose, and then looking at the sleeping Meng Yan, Lu Haozhi sighed softly and bent down.
"Yan'er, wake up soon. I'm waiting for you."
Shou'an Academy.
"Royal grandmother, royal grandmother!"
Before anyone appeared, a soft child's voice came into the main room.
Empress Dowager Jiang hurriedly placed the tea bowl in her hand on the kang table, and saw a small shadow running in.
"This child, I told her not to run so hastily, to be careful not to fall, why is she running again!"
Doukou ran up to her and covered her eyes with her two little hands, "I saw it!"
Empress Dowager Jiang raised an eyebrow. "What did you see? Is it another strange insect you've never seen before?"
Doukou shook her head, suddenly climbed onto the footstool, stood on tiptoe, held Empress Dowager Jiang's head, kissed her forehead with her little mouth, and then quickly covered her eyes.
Princess He'an's action made everyone in the room laugh.
"This little devil is so clever!"
Empress Dowager Jiang was also grinning from ear to ear and slapped her on the butt, "You know you can't look, why are you still looking?"
Doukou hummed, "It's not what I want to see, it's my father..."
Empress Dowager Jiang was both angry and amused. She understood what was happening. This bastard son didn't even know how to be cautious in front of the younger generation!
After laughing a few times, the Queen Mother sighed deeply.
Thanks to Doukou, I can still feel a little relaxed during these sad days.
"Xia Houyu's medical skills have always been superb, but now he is helpless."
Zang Xiu tried to comfort her, "When the imperial physician Xiahou came this morning, he said that the imperial concubine's vitality is gradually recovering. She might wake up someday, perhaps tomorrow."
Empress Dowager Jiang said calmly, "Maybe tomorrow, or maybe next year. If Yan'er doesn't wake up, it will be difficult to deal with."
Zang Xiu listened and said nothing more.
She knew what the empress dowager was referring to. Recently, a group of civil officials in the court had been clamoring, saying that the empress's position was vacant, the country was unstable, and the people were uneasy, and they were forcing the emperor to appoint a empress.
The emperor naturally would not allow it. He was furious and took off the official hats of the two censors who jumped the most happily. However, the others seemed not to see it and were not afraid at all.
Empress Dowager Jiang said coldly, "What a bunch of old scoundrels! Seeing Yan'er's popularity soaring, they're worried that the position of empress will fall to someone else, so they want to take advantage of this opportunity to grab the position first."
Zang Xiu then dared to speak out, "Empress Dowager, the Emperor won't take advantage of them. However, the Emperor has already raided the homes of the two censors, and they don't seem afraid."
Empress Dowager Jiang snorted, "What a bunch of old foxes! They're trying to trick the court! Yan'er is unconscious, so of course she can't be empress at this time. If the emperor insists on doing it for her, and he's too harsh, it's bound to make people dissatisfied, and in the end, it will ruin Yan'er's reputation. With this concern, the emperor can't go too far. Of course, they don't fear anything. Their only fear is that if Yan'er takes the throne, they will no longer have a role in the chess game of the Great Zhou court." As she spoke, her eyes were cold and she said, "They are all outdated people. It's time to leave."
That night, in Yinghua Palace.
Lu Haozhi knelt in front of the tablets of the Lu family's ancestors, opened his clothes, revealing his muscular chest.
Rong An knelt beside him and kowtowed, "Your Majesty, please think twice! You are the emperor, you cannot afford to make any mistakes!"
Your Majesty... Why did Your Majesty suddenly remember that legend...
This is a palace secret passed down from the previous dynasty. It is said that if you offer the blood of a real dragon's heart in front of the ancestral tablet, you can bring back the one you love.
Rumor has it that Lady Zhaoyang, the favorite concubine of the previous dynasty, was seriously ill. In order to pray for her recovery, Emperor Shang took blood from his chest and offered it in front of the ancestral tablet and prayed. Three days later, Lady Zhaoyang recovered without taking any medicine.
This matter was a secret of the previous dynasty. It was not recorded in history books and was only circulated within the palace.
Upon hearing this, the previous emperor of this dynasty refuted it, saying, "This is just a trick used by the evil concubine to win favor. It's nothing surprising!"
The emperor had heard this story since childhood, and at the time he had called it absurd. How, how come today...
The emperor is desperate and is trying every possible means to cure his illness!
Lu Haozhi's expression was calm, "Don't worry, I know what to do."
Yan'er hadn't woken up for a long time, so he wanted to try whatever it was.
He would do anything to save her.
Lu Haozhi took out a small knife as thin as a cicada's wing. Under the moonlight, the blade flashed with cold light.
He raised the knife and slashed it across his chest.
After a moment's work, he tied his belt and burned a piece of blood-stained white cloth in the brazier.
Lu Haozhi stood up and looked at the rows of Lu family tablets on the altar with an indifferent expression.
Do the ancestors of the Lu family really want him to inherit the throne and govern the country?
Then put her back.
Lu Haozhi turned and walked out of Yinghua Palace. The moon was hanging in the sky, and the ground was covered with silver frost. Outside the palace, there was silence except for the chirping of insects.
He walked along the palace road and suddenly whispered, "Today's events..."
Rong An was quick-witted and quickly replied, "Your Majesty, don't worry. I have made all the arrangements. There isn't even a cat within a three-mile radius of Yinghua Palace today. The news will definitely not leak out."
Lu Haozhi nodded without saying anything.
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