After Emperor Wen fell into a deep sleep, Jin Xiaohe slowly got up from the bed with tears in her eyes, and lit the tea incense in the incense burner with trembling hands.
The fragrance, accompanied by wisps of smoke, gradually spread. Emperor Wen unconsciously inhaled the fragrant mist in his sleep, his face gradually turned red, and his breathing became rapid.
His eyes opened slightly, but they looked blurry and empty, as if they had lost focus. After a while, Emperor Wen's eyes began to become dull and he fell into a state of complete confusion.
At this moment, Jin Xiaohe suddenly felt a sharp pain. She covered her face and found that blood was flowing from all her seven orifices.
She was terrified and hurriedly wiped the blood off her face. At the same time, she picked up a cup of tea on the table and quickly extinguished the incense in the incense burner.
As the fragrant mist dissipated, Emperor Wen's complexion gradually returned to normal, but he was still asleep. Jin Xiaohe sat blankly by the bed, her heart filled with fear and anxiety.
When Emperor Wen woke up in the morning, he felt dizzy and as if a heavy weight was pressing on his head. He opened his eyes with difficulty and saw the sunlight shining through the window. Only then did he realize that it was daybreak.
He rubbed his temples, trying to ease the headache, but it didn't help. He turned to look at Jin Xiaohe, who was still asleep beside him. Her face was dull, her eyes were closed, her lips slightly parted, and her breathing was steady and deep. Her eyelids were a little dark, obviously she didn't get enough rest last night.
Emperor Wen sighed helplessly, thinking: Was I too indulgent last night? Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt and self-blame.
Emperor Wen decided to change his lifestyle from that day forward and stop indulging himself like before. He wanted to readjust his mindset and behavior to become a better and more self-disciplined emperor.
Emperor Wen quietly got out of bed, put on his clothes, and walked out the door. When he reached the door, he stopped and looked back at Jin Xiaohe, who was still sleeping soundly, his eyes full of pity. Then he gently closed the door and left the room.
After leaving the room, Emperor Wen went straight to the court to handle government affairs. On the way, he met a palace maid and ordered, "Prepare some nourishing soup for the imperial concubine later!"
During the morning court session, Emperor Wen was sitting on the dragon throne, listening to the reports from the officials below, when suddenly he heard a loud noise.
"That's enough!" Emperor Wen interrupted them impatiently. "What are you arguing about? Can't you just be quiet?"
The ministers lowered their heads in fear, not daring to make a sound.
Emperor Wen frowned and said unhappily, "From now on, all these trivial matters will be handled by the Prime Minister and the Crown Prince!"
After saying this, he slammed the table, stood up, and shouted angrily: "Withdraw from the court!"
Emperor Wen turned away, leaving his ministers looking at each other in bewilderment.
When did they start quarreling? This left everyone puzzled and bewildered.
Xiao Jinghan slowly raised his head and glanced at An Qingxuan who was standing opposite him.
The two men looked at each other, their eyes filled with confusion and puzzlement. What had happened to make Emperor Wen so angry?
In the next few days, Emperor Wen seemed particularly anxious and restless during the morning court sessions.
Whenever civil officials and military generals reported to him various matters, big or small, he would always wave his hand impatiently and hand them all over to the prime minister and the crown prince to handle together.
Even the affairs of the Ministry of War, which should have been handled by An Qingxuan, were bluntly asked by Emperor Wen to be handed over to the Crown Prince.
This sudden change created a tense and oppressive atmosphere in the court. The ministers looked at each other in bewilderment, wondering why Emperor Wen had lost his composure and wondering if there was some hidden secret.
The Third Prince was in an even worse situation, his power being gradually eroded by the Crown Prince's followers. However, Emperor Wen turned a blind eye to this, as if he was completely unaware of it.
The Third Prince was helpless and mustered up the courage to go to Emperor Wen after leaving the court. However, he did not even see Emperor Wen.
Eunuch Gao looked at the Third Prince and sighed, "Your Majesty is inseparable from Concubine Jin every day, and he doesn't even see me! Third Prince, you should go back!"
The Third Prince frowned and said firmly, "I will wait for my father here! I will never go back until I see him!"
The worry in Eunuch Gao's eyes grew deeper and deeper. He knew that the Third Prince was in a difficult situation, but he was powerless to change the status quo. Seeing that he could not persuade the Third Prince, he gritted his teeth and decided to go to Emperor Wen.
Eunuch Gao arrived at the door of Emperor Wen's room, but before he could even stand firmly, he heard the flirting between Emperor Wen and Concubine Jin coming from inside the room.
Eunuch Gao couldn't help but twitch his lips. Although he felt a little unhappy, he still said softly: "Your Majesty! The Third Prince is asking for an audience outside the palace!"
Inside the house, Emperor Wen's voice was clearly filled with displeasure: "No!"
Eunuch Gao sighed helplessly and continued, "Your Majesty! The Third Prince said he would wait outside!"
Emperor Wen's voice was still cold: "Then let him stand!"
Eunuch Gao wiped the sweat from his forehead, turned around, and ran out of the hall, breathless. He came to the Third Prince and anxiously urged him, "Your Highness! Go back! His Majesty won't see you! It's snowing and windy, you can't freeze yourself!"
The third prince, however, seemed to be angry and said firmly: "Thank you, Eunuch Gao! I will wait for my father to come out!" After that, he straightened his back and stood there motionless, like a sculpture.
A fierce wind howled through the palace and corridors, sending icy snowflakes drifting down. The Third Prince stood quietly outside the hall, his body trembling slightly, his gaze firm and persistent, as if trying to penetrate the tightly closed palace door.
Time passed minute by minute, the night gradually deepened, and the cold night wind mercilessly attacked the body of the third prince.
His lips were already purple from the cold, his hands were clenched tightly into fists, and his nails dug deep into his palms. However, he still did not retreat, still standing there firmly, waiting for the arrival of dawn.
Finally, daybreak arrived. Sunlight streamed through the clouds, illuminating the entire palace. The Third Prince slowly opened his eyes, only to find his vision blurry. He felt dizzy, his body swaying uncontrollably. Finally, he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
The eunuchs rushed over in panic, lifted the Third Prince up, and sent him to the Imperial Medical Bureau for treatment. This news quickly spread throughout the palace, causing an uproar. Officials talked about it, expressing surprise and admiration for the Third Prince's behavior.
The atmosphere in the court was tense and solemn. Emperor Wen sat on the dragon throne, his face gloomy. The ministers stood respectfully on either side, heads bowed, and dared not speak.
At this moment, the Imperial Censor Sun Zhi suddenly stepped forward and said in a resounding voice, "Your Majesty! You must prioritize state affairs! You must not allow the evil concubine to take power! She will bring disaster to the country and the people! I implore Your Majesty to depose the evil concubine!"
Emperor Wen was furious upon hearing this. He slammed the table and stood up, his eyes wide open. He pointed at Sun Zhi and said, "Drag Sun Zhi away and behead him! Hang his body at the city gate!"
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