Chapter 119 The Dying Struggle.
Chu Heng thought about it seriously for a moment, then said very seriously, "When I first met you, I certainly wouldn't have looked at you like this."
His words stirred up memories for Daiyu, who then said, "When I first met you, I didn't like you very much."
"That's too tactful," Chu Heng said honestly. "You must really hate me."
Daiyu couldn't help but laugh: "No, it's not that. After all, you were unwilling to accept that arranged marriage back then."
Chu Heng gently stroked Daiyu's face: "Now I only feel fortunate that Master Pingyi said something back then, otherwise I would have missed you, which would have been my lifelong regret."
Thinking back to her childhood and reflecting on these past years, Daiyu smiled and said, "It's the same for me."
After the maids heated up the food and brought it over, Daiyu had already warmed up. Chu Heng helped her take off her outer crane cloak and then had someone bring over a foot warmer.
As they sat down, Chu Heng smiled and said, "We can't tell Yang'er that we secretly ate together, or that kid will definitely make a scene."
Daiyu smiled and said, "It all depends on whether you can hold back."
Chu Heng didn't answer her question, but instead asked with a smile, "Are you going back today?"
"There's a curfew, so I can't go back. I'll go home early tomorrow morning." Daiyu glanced at him with a smile, "Isn't this what you were waiting for me to say?"
Chu Heng smiled, his eyes crinkling, and said, "I want you to stay with me."
Daiyu smiled and scolded, "How old are you? Why are you still acting like a little girl?"
Chu Heng pulled her hand: "Do you think I'm too old? Sigh, the ancients were right, beauty fades and love wanes..."
The maids almost burst out laughing, and Daiyu's face flushed red. She patted Chu Heng and said, "If you say that again, I'm leaving right now."
Chu Heng quickly sat up straight: "Let's eat, otherwise the food will get cold again."
Daiyu smiled and then agreed after a moment.
The next day, when Chu Heng and Daiyu returned to the mansion together, Chu Yang was searching the courtyard for his parents. Upon seeing them return, he complained, "Mother, Father, you two secretly celebrated the New Year together behind my back!"
"Carry me, carry me, carry me..." Chu Heng smiled and squatted down. Daiyu and the wet nurse put the pouting little guy on his father's back. "Isn't this how we carry you? Did you just wake up? Have you had breakfast yet?"
Chu Yang snorted, "It's not that I'm on the back, I'm starving, Dad..."
Before he could finish speaking, his mother patted him on the back: "You brat, talking about death and life during the New Year, you have no sense of propriety."
Chu Yang said, "Mother, you said it yourself."
Daiyu patted him again: "Isn't it you who started talking nonsense?"
Chu Heng laughed heartily: "Let's have breakfast, I'm hungry too."
Chu Yang punched his father's shoulder with his little head: "Dad, you're siding with Mom again."
"Oh dear, what should we do then?" Chu Heng placed him on the kang (a heated brick bed), raised his eyebrows and smiled, "I will only ever side with your mother for the rest of my life."
Chu Yang rolled around on the kang (heated brick bed): "I'm so pitiful..."
Daiyu smiled and nudged Chu Heng: "Shoes, he's wearing shoes!"
The family of three made a ruckus for a while, and only stopped when the maids came to invite them to dinner.
...
The emperor was so ill that he could not bear the year-end sacrifices and New Year's court ceremonies. The empress dowager and empress had both passed away, so all the palace banquets this year were naturally cancelled, just like last year.
Except for the Crown Prince who occasionally had to pay his respects, the Emperor even exempted the princesses and other members of the imperial family from the usual New Year's greetings. Regardless of what others might think, Chu Heng's family felt that they had a more comfortable New Year than the previous year.
After the Lantern Festival, the imperial court reopened its seals. With the arrival of spring and the blooming of flowers, the areas affected by last year's snow disaster gradually recovered and everything became vibrant again.
Except for the emperor.
On the second day of the second lunar month, when the dragon raises its head, Chu Heng had just finished discussing the imperial plowing ceremony with the other four regents a few days later when he suddenly received a summons from Haiyan Palace. The five of them hurriedly went to meet the emperor.
When they arrived, they learned that the emperor was on the verge of death, with imperial physicians surrounding his bedside and the crown prince kneeling to one side, sobbing and weeping.
The incident happened so suddenly that Chu Heng frowned instinctively: "What happened? When we came here yesterday, His Majesty seemed to be in good spirits. How did he suddenly become so ill?"
The head of the Imperial Medical Academy, unable to reply, had one of the physicians beside him answer: "His Majesty's condition can change suddenly, but the suddenness... the suddenness of it all, we ministers do not yet know why..."
Lord Guo asked suspiciously, "Could it be that someone is plotting against His Majesty?"
Lord Pei said, "Now is not the time to talk about this. The most urgent matter is when His Majesty will be out of danger, otherwise..." He lowered his voice, "The Court of Imperial Clan Affairs has long been prepared. Shall we invite the Minister of the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs to come now?"
Even the imperial physicians couldn't give a definite answer; how could they dare to predict whether the emperor would recover?
Chu Heng rubbed his cheeks. He wasn't fully prepared. The emperor was dead now, and his future would be bleak. But he wasn't a god; he couldn't save a dying person.
That's such a pity.
Chu Heng rubbed his fingers together. After all his planning for so long, it had all come to naught.
"I'll go and invite Minister of the Imperial Clan right away," Chu Heng said, lowering his eyes.
Whether the emperor could open his eyes again, whether he could leave a will or edict, there were too many variables involved.
At this time, apart from Chu Heng, the other four regents also had their own plans.
The crown prince is unreliable; aside from crying, he can't utter a single word when asked anything, which gives others a lot of room to maneuver.
However, after waiting for three days and making their own preparations to mourn the emperor, the dying emperor was able to swallow meat broth.
The head of the Imperial Medical Academy wept with joy, saying that the emperor's ability to eat meant he was beginning to recover.
For a moment, the others couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions.
The crown prince cried again, but this time he was happy.
This serious illness is like an emperor who has been away from power for a long time asserting his presence. No matter his physical condition, he can still manipulate everyone.
"Am I really no match for the emperor?" Chu Heng rested his chin on his hand, looking at the forsythia blooming in the wind outside the window.
Daiyu couldn't help but chuckle: "Truly, father and son are of the same ilk. You're just like Yang'er sitting here before the New Year, eagerly awaiting the ship from the south."
Chu Heng turned around and corrected him, "I am his father, he is like me."
Daiyu sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), nudged his arm, and asked, "Are you looking dejected now, ready to give up on our plan?"
Chu Heng replied without hesitation, "No!" He sighed again, "I just feel like I've been played by the emperor. He really has the ability to make people uncomfortable even when he's about to die."
Daiyu smiled and said, "In my opinion, this is a good thing."
Chu Heng looked at Daiyu, then suddenly leaned over and kissed the corner of her mouth, slowly revealing a smile: "What?"
Daiyu blinked, somewhat taken aback, then blushed and asked, "What are you doing?"
"I like you so much." Chu Heng smiled with his eyes narrowed. "Looking at you, no matter what the emperor does, I feel like he can't hurt me anymore."
They've been married for ages, and Daiyu has heard such sweet nothings before, but she still couldn't help blushing and her heart racing. She pinched Chu Heng: "Are you even listening to me?"
Chu Heng grasped her hand: "Listen, listen, of course you want to listen, tell me!"
Daiyu gave him a playful glare before saying, "We weren't prepared at all; the Emperor has done us a great favor."
Chu Heng nodded. He had indeed felt regret when he thought the emperor was going to die, but he was just feeling uneasy because the emperor had tricked him.
Now that Daiyu had comforted him, he felt much better. He raised an eyebrow and thought maliciously, "For the emperor, escaping death is obviously extremely lucky. But if he knew that he had helped Chu Heng buy time, wouldn't he wish he were dead already?"
Chu Heng was looking forward to this day.
Chu Heng held Daiyu's hand and smiled, "You have a virtuous wife at home."
Daiyu glanced at him; this man was clearly just using this as an excuse to act coquettishly, he was really getting more and more like a child.
...
Daiyu's birthday was celebrated without any grand celebration, only for two days with Chu Heng and his son Chu Yang.
In addition to the gifts from the princesses and other members of the imperial family, many officials' families also sent birthday gifts to Princess Duan, which was related to the snow disaster last winter.
It wouldn't be polite to return a gift that's already been delivered, so Daiyu sent someone to register them all so she could return the favor another day.
Apart from the gifts prepared by the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs as per usual, the palace did not bestow any rewards this year, because the emperor's mind was still not quite clear.
On this day, Chu Heng came to Haiyan Palace to pay his respects as usual. Among the five regents, he was the one who came the most frequently, but even Li Zhong, who was wary of him, could not say anything else.
Everyone knows that the Emperor treats Prince Duan like a brother and a father. It is only natural that Prince Duan is more attentive to the Emperor now, and it is something that people will praise him for.
Whether the emperor was asleep or unconscious, Chu Heng stood by the bedside for a while, but when no miracle occurred, he turned and went to another room to see the imperial physician.
"When will His Majesty be able to speak fluently?" Chu Heng asked the head of the Imperial Medical Academy directly today.
The physician shook his head wearily. He had dark circles under his eyes, and his once gray hair had turned completely white. "Your Highness, please forgive my lack of medical skill."
He was the emperor's confidant, always loyal. Just by looking at his condition, one could tell how much suffering and effort he had put in to keep the emperor in this half-dead state.
Chu Heng twirled his sleeve, not wanting to make things difficult for him, and asked again, "Who often goes to take the Sixth Prince's pulse? Is he here?"
The chief physician paused for a moment before saying, "Imperial Physician Xu is in the Imperial Hospital. Your Highness wants to see him, so I'll send someone to fetch him..."
"No need," Chu Heng said. "I will go and call him myself. The Imperial Physician should also get some rest. His Majesty is counting on you."
After the chief physician bowed and watched Chu Heng leave, a royal physician asked, "Why did Your Highness suddenly ask about the Sixth Prince?"
The chief physician suddenly recalled an old incident from many years ago, in which Prince Duan had been bedridden for many years due to poisoning. He suddenly shivered and shouted, "Stop talking nonsense! Has His Majesty's medicine been prepared?"
After the arrival of Physician Xu, Chu Heng did not first inquire about the Sixth Prince's condition, but instead asked, "Is there any medicine that can give a person a brief resurgence of life?"
Physician Xu replied, "I can do it."
Chu Heng smiled: "Then let's do it."
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