Chapter 222 Extra - Watching the Movie 13
"How could it be smallpox!"
Yinreng's face darkened, and all sorts of schemes and plots flashed through his mind. Who had made a move against the young prince?
"Your whereabouts have been leaked?"
Emperor Kangxi frowned, sharing the same suspicion as Yinreng. They wondered if someone had taken this opportunity to harm the young crown prince. Otherwise, how could he have contracted smallpox?
Recalling the time when Bao Cheng contracted smallpox as a child, Kangxi became even more furious about the "mastermind." Indeed, no matter the world, there are always people who want to harm his Bao Cheng!
Looking at his own panicked state on the sky, Kangxi was quite angry at his son's incompetence. Didn't he show such affection for the young crown prince? How come he couldn't even do this simple task of care properly!
"The young prince is still so young..."
Yinzhi's words caused everyone to freeze. Kangxi harbored a vague sense of unease; judging from his appearance, he didn't seem like the type to covet the young crown prince's extraordinary abilities. Could the struggle for the throne among the nine princes be related to the young crown prince's death?
Emperor Kangxi couldn't help but feel a chill.
“No, it won’t happen,” Fuquan said with more confidence. “The young prince was able to save Lian Changquan; he has supernatural abilities and will be fine!”
“That’s right,” Yinreng was the first to respond to Fuquan’s words, “I agree with Second Uncle’s words, and I also believe in the young prince.”
It doesn't make sense that he could survive smallpox, but the young prince couldn't.
The candlelight flickered, and Kangxi looked at Yinreng, who was asleep on the bed but still couldn't help frowning, and couldn't help but feel sorry for him. He tucked the blanket around him and went outside the palace to inquire about the imperial physician's condition.
The group of imperial physicians looked at each other, and after pushing and shoving each other for a while, they finally pushed out one of the more senior physicians to answer.
"Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince is fast asleep now, and his complexion seems somewhat better than before. Judging from his current symptoms, the medicine he took should be working. However..."
"Why are you stammering! What is it?"
"However, upon closer examination, Your Highness's illness does not seem to be a typical case of smallpox."
...
"Not smallpox?"
Emperor Kangxi frowned deeply as he listened to the imperial physician's detailed explanation on the celestial screen, but he felt that something was amiss.
Kangxi carefully observed everyone on the sky and suddenly asked, "Wait a minute, where are the divine beasts at a time like this?"
"Fifth Prince, Sixth Prince, come out here. I have something to ask you!"
His words inexplicably overlapped with Kangxi's calls for "Little Five" and "Little Six" from the sky, and everyone suddenly realized what was wrong with them.
Tianmu hadn't concealed anything before; Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu's identities had already been exposed, and it was clear they were there for the young prince.
If the young prince is really in such danger, there's no reason why they haven't shown up. So what kind of conspiracy is behind this?
Seeing Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu on the sky, their expressions clearly revealing human guilt and remorse, everyone couldn't help but furrow their brows.
Kangxi, barely suppressing his anger, asked, "Baocheng will be alright, won't he?"
"Chirp—"
Little Five chirped, and Little Six nodded, both giving an affirmative answer.
While Kangxi breathed a sigh of relief, an even greater anger welled up within him. He questioned, "Baoben shouldn't have to suffer like this, should he? Weren't you here to protect him? Why are you watching him suffer?"
(What use are you all! No one is worth suffering for!)
Looking at the two children before him, Kangxi's expression turned completely cold: "If you've come for the sake of the Buddha's son, then leave Baocheng. Baocheng is my son, not the Buddha's son. I will protect him; I don't need you."
Yin couldn't help but nudge Yin Tang, "Ninth Brother, what does this mean? Why is the young prince sick?"
Yinzhen shook his head, his expression grave: "It doesn't seem like it was done by human hands, but rather like fate..."
"Destiny?"
Yin was puzzled, staring straight at the sky. How could there be a destiny that caused suffering? Shouldn't a Buddhist disciple be blessed by Heaven?
Before everyone could remain puzzled for long, the sky quickly provided the answer.
It was confirmed that the prince had not contracted smallpox, but rather cowpox, which the imperial physicians had determined to be a cure for smallpox.
From then on, the world was no longer afraid of smallpox.
Upon receiving this news, Emperor Kangxi sat silently on his throne, showing no joy. He was particularly distressed when he saw the report indicating that the symptoms of others who had received the smallpox vaccination were milder than those of Bao Cheng.
(It was Bao Cheng who bore the suffering for the common people, why! Why! I am the emperor, why should Bao Cheng bear the suffering of all the people under heaven for me!)
The fact that cowpox could cure smallpox with minimal risk was a great joy in itself.
But seeing the Emperor's dark expression, no one dared to show any joy.
"Legend has it that the Buddha had to endure hardships before ascending to heaven, and his disciples must be no exception..."
Listening to Yinzhi's analysis, everyone felt heavy-hearted, especially Yinreng. The status of a crown prince was already enough to make the young prince's situation precarious. Now, the status of "Buddha's Son" meant he had to endure so much suffering.
"He's still a child..."
Fuquan couldn't bear it; this universally applicable phrase, when applied to the young prince, evoked a particularly heavy feeling.
A deep crease appeared between Kangxi's brows as he looked at his displeased reflection in the sky and couldn't help but mutter, "He's truly an incompetent emperor!"
If it were him, even if he were to be more cautious, he would have made preparations earlier and certainly wouldn't have ended up in this situation. It would have been better to let him raise the little prince!
After his anger subsided, important matters still needed to be addressed. Kangxi solemnly instructed, "Liang Jiugong, order the Imperial Medical Academy to thoroughly study the smallpox vaccination issue."
"Yes, sir."
Liang Jiugong responded and, flicking his whisk, went to deliver the imperial decree. He wasn't originally required to go, but to save his precious whisk from having to fight two princes, he decided to go himself.
After Liang Jiugong left, everyone looked at the edict issued by Emperor Kangxi on the sky to reward the young prince. They nodded in agreement, agreeing that it was indeed the young prince's achievement.
But when they saw his next series of decrees, everyone was stunned and bewildered.
[Nalan Mingzhu was promoted to Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince; Zhang Ying, Li Guangdi, Tang Bin and others were appointed as teachers of Yuqing Palace to teach the Crown Prince alone; Changtai, son of Gabula, Orondai, son of Tong Guogang, and Nalan Xingde, son of Mingzhu, were appointed as subordinate officials of Yuqing Palace.]
(The Crown Prince's illness has such a huge impact on the Emperor? So many court officials have been pushed to the Crown Prince's side. Is the Emperor afraid that one day the Crown Prince will rebel and fail? Now that's it, I can't join the First Prince's side. My son is tied to the Crown Prince. What can I do? But the thought of working with Suo'etu is so unpleasant! I, Nalan Mingzhu, will never be subordinate to anyone. Even if I have to side with the Crown Prince, I will be the most trusted and relied-upon person under him!)
This was quite a bold statement, and it reflected exactly what he was thinking.
Mingzhu couldn't help but nod as she listened to the first part, but when the last sentence came out, she was completely taken aback. It turned out to be his own true feelings!
Facing the unanimous gaze of everyone, Mingzhu closed his eyes in despair. His reputation, his dignity...
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