Chapter 190 The Emperor is Seriously Ill?
The emperor's fall from grace was a momentous event that would terrify his ministers.
Yinzhen was immediately sent back to the Hall of Mental Cultivation for treatment. The imperial family members and civil and military officials stood guard outside, not daring to move or being able to move.
With Prince Li and Prince Lian scrutinizing them from the front, and Prince Yi guarding them with troops from behind, even those who harbored thoughts about the Emperor's sudden accident and the Crown Prince's absence dared not reveal themselves now.
After all, the situation was unclear, the atmosphere was tense, and the guards around him had their swords drawn and exuded a murderous aura.
"what is going on?"
Suddenly, a dignified yet anxious female voice rang out from the quiet entrance of the main hall. Everyone turned around and saw the Empress, who was still ill, rushing over with a worried expression, and a mature and composed-looking woman.
"Your Majesty the Empress, Consort Tongjia."
It was Prince Li who first greeted everyone, and only then did they realize that this woman was none other than Consort Tongjia, who had been invited by the Emperor to manage the harem recently.
"How is the Emperor?"
The Dowager Consort Tongjia looked extremely worried and couldn't wait to find out about Yinzhen's situation.
Yinreng shook his head seriously: "The imperial physician is still inside seeing patients."
"Is there anyone serving inside? I'd like to go in and take a look."
"Your Highness, no one may enter without the Emperor's order."
Yinreng reached out and stopped Consort Tongjia, who was about to walk inside, and stared at her intently. Consort Tongjia seemed to realize that her behavior was somewhat inappropriate, and quickly explained, "I was impatient. I will wait here."
Yinreng didn't say much. So, with the addition of Consort Tongjia and the Empress, everyone quietly stood guard at the entrance of the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Time passed slowly, and just as everyone was growing impatient and a bad feeling began to rise in their hearts, the doors of the Hall of Mental Cultivation were opened, and Su Peisheng, whose expression remained unchanged, appeared before them.
"How is the Emperor?"
It was actually Consort Tongjia who first asked this question.
"His Majesty has awakened. Please invite Prince Li and Prince Lian inside." Su Peisheng nodded slightly in response to Consort Tongjia, then looked at Yinreng and Yinsi.
The two looked at each other and walked into the hall. Before going in, Yunsi patted Yunxiang's arm and said, "I'll leave the outside to you."
"Don't worry, I'll guard it well." Yunxiang's face was serious as he stared intently at the officials outside. His eyes even bore a slight resemblance to Yinzhen's, making some people with guilty consciences afraid to meet his gaze.
After Yinreng and Yinsi went inside, the eunuchs in the hall led a group of imperial physicians out and sent them to a side hall. At the door, Yinxiang was directing the guards to watch over the emperor, clearly to prevent others from finding out about the emperor's condition.
The door closed, leaving only Su Peisheng facing the crowd, guarding the entrance.
Consort Tongjia tightened her grip on her handkerchief, her expression displeased. She couldn't help but question, "Has the Emperor truly awakened? Why were only two princes allowed in, and not even the imperial physicians? I'm worried..."
"Your Highness, this is the Emperor's decree. No one is allowed to enter except for Prince Li and Prince Lian."
Su Peisheng met the Dowager Consort Tongjia's gaze coldly, completely unconcerned by the suspicion in her words. In short, without the Emperor's order, no one else was allowed to enter.
"Please wait patiently, Your Majesty has your own reasons."
Yunxiang walked over, his tone gentle, but his scrutinizing gaze was undisguised. The Dowager Consort Tongjia's face stiffened, quickly revealing annoyance at being wronged, and she retreated to her original position, remaining silent.
Yixiu, who was standing to the side, was holding Jianqiu's hand. She looked very weak, so weak that she didn't say anything, but her eyes silently observed Consort Tongjia.
The atmosphere outside the hall was tense, while the three inside listened quietly. Only when it was completely silent outside did Yinreng speak: "Is the Dowager Consort Tongjia so impatient?"
"Success or failure can happen in an instant, so it's natural to be unable to control one's emotions."
The "culprit" that triggered the panic was now casually reclining on the bed in his pajamas. Apart from his slightly pale lips, there was nothing else wrong.
"Tsk, you seem quite carefree, not worried about getting into trouble at all?" Yunreng sat on a chair to the side and took a sip of tea with an annoyed expression.
"With you all here, I naturally feel at ease."
"You're good at ordering people around, aren't you afraid we'll take this opportunity to rebel?" Yinreng casually remarked, then turned to look at Yinsi, only to find him sitting silently in his chair. "Eighth Prince, what's wrong with you? Are you really scared? No way?"
"Yes, it scared me." Yun Si lowered his eyes and forced a smile. Knowing Yin Zhen's physical condition, when he collapsed, Yun Si thought it was real for a moment, which frightened him so much that his face turned pale and his whole body went limp.
It was precisely because of his performance that those who had initially had only a slight doubt completely believed him. After all, everyone knew that the Emperor and Prince Lian had a good relationship; the two had been "colluding" before the Emperor even ascended the throne, and had fooled countless people.
A hint of seriousness flashed across Yinreng's eyes, but he quickly chuckled nonchalantly, "Prince Lian is not very bold."
Yinzhi smiled and did not refute, then turned to look at Yinzhen: "Why is Your Majesty in such a hurry? Are you rushing to clean up the court before Honghui returns? You are kind to Honghui, but you are exploiting me and Second Brother."
The joke contained a subtle probing and a deep underlying worry.
“You said Honghui hasn’t returned yet,” Yinzhen raised an eyebrow, as if he hadn’t heard anything. “The Crown Prince has rendered meritorious service but is thousands of miles away, the Emperor is seriously ill, and the harem is under his control. Such a good opportunity will not come again if we miss it. Who wouldn’t be tempted?”
Yinreng and Yinsi both nodded, having to admit that this was indeed the best opportunity, both for those ambitious men and for them.
"Let's see, let's see who else can jump out of this Forbidden City. I am very much looking forward to it."
Yinzhen smiled, lay down a bit, and settled himself properly into the quilt: "Alright, you can let the ministers in now. If you don't open the door, they'll suspect you of regicide."
"Tsk," Yinreng looked at Yinzhen's appearance and shook his head helplessly. "You're having a comfortable time as emperor. If you keep working day and night like this, I might really kill the emperor one day."
Yinzhi smiled, said nothing more, and followed Yinreng, who had also had his face changed, with a solemn expression that could not hide his sadness. He opened the palace door.
"The Emperor has summoned you; please come in."
Seeing the undisguised ugliness on the faces of the two princes, everyone's hearts skipped a beat, and they followed the two inside with trepidation.
"Greetings, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!"
"Cough, cough... flat body..."
Everyone knelt on the ground to pay their respects, not daring to look up at the Emperor's face. Of course, they couldn't see him either. After expressing their gratitude and standing up, they discovered that thin, bright yellow curtains were drawn around the dragon bed, allowing them to vaguely see the Emperor's figure inside.
Such secrecy inevitably makes people wonder if the emperor is trying to hide his unwell appearance or if he is really seriously ill.
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