Chapter 626 The Crown Prince of a Nation, Is It Really Ironic?
Jiang Ren's figure slowly disappeared from sight, and the Emperor lowered his eyes slightly. After a while, he stroked the medicine bottle again.
After a long silence, he sighed softly, "Do you think they'll blame me...?"
"Your Majesty, who are you referring to?" Seeing that no one was around, Eunuch Zhao stepped forward with a forced smile, carrying a bowl of moistening rice oil sent by the Imperial Kitchen, and said, "Your Majesty, you are the Son of Heaven, and naturally no one in this world would dare to blame you!"
The surrounding air felt like a dirty, damp rag after the rain, covering my mouth and nose—moist, earthy, and sticky, with a coolness that couldn't be warmed up.
The Emperor lowered his eyes, feeling the smooth texture of the medicine bottle under his fingers.
After a long while, a long sigh dissipated in the cool air.
...
Chengqian Palace.
Xuan Ting took up his pen and carefully wrote a long poem. Halfway through, his brows furrowed tightly.
"Your Highness, did I touch your wound?"
An Dehai, standing beside Xuan Ting, gently held Xuan Ting's wrist and carefully sprinkled medicine powder into the wound, his face full of self-reproach: "This servant deserves to die; I failed to protect Your Highness again."
As he spoke, his eyes reddened, and his lips twitched several times. He finally couldn't help but complain, "Your Highness's health is already weak. You were injured twice before, and although you have received care from Physician Jiang Jiang, you are still not fully recovered. Your Highness has already spent a lot of energy taking care of His Majesty recently, and you've lost all the flesh on your face."
His expression shifted several times before he finally couldn't help but show a hint of resentment: "The Emperor ordered the Ghost Physician to take so much of His Highness's blood. How long will it take for His Highness's blood to be restored? This has damaged His Highness's very foundation! If this happens again, won't it kill His Highness? And what's this talk about a catalyst!"
As he spoke, An Dehai clenched his teeth and looked at Xuan Ting with heartache in his eyes.
Xuan Ting listened silently, his eyes lowered, saying nothing. He simply placed his brush in the Azure Koi Brush Washer, staring blankly as the ink on the brush slowly dissolved in the water.
Hearing An Dehai sniffle, Xuan Ting lowered his eyes and said, "Alright, why make such a fuss over such a small injury? If it can truly save Father's life, taking a little more blood won't hurt."
"Your Highness," An Dehai's voice trembled slightly, "but your health is poor, aren't you just following in the Emperor's footsteps?"
His Majesty was frail and sickly in his youth, and years of treatment had been ineffective, leading the people to question whether it was divine retribution. Furthermore, the court officials had become quite close to Xiao Yuanshan because of His Majesty's health. Now that His Majesty's health is failing, how can we allow it to harm His Highness's foundation? Why doesn't His Majesty consider His Highness's feelings?
He dared not think of such treasonous words, but stared intently at Xuan Ting's wrist with red eyes, his gaze filled with heartache.
"Enough, stop talking." Xuan Ting frowned, looking at An Dehai: "Continue talking about Aunt Nuan. Are you sure the people in the Imperial Household Department are reliable? Did Aunt Nuan really say that?"
An Dehai also showed some concern and carefully helped Xuan Ting bandage his wounds, saying, "It's absolutely true, Your Highness. Please rest assured, everything I told you before came from Physician Jiang."
Upon hearing this, Xuan Ting let out a long sigh: "Is Aunt Nuan deliberately bringing up those painful memories? She's afraid, she's worried. She's received an imperial decree, but she's not happy about it."
An Dehai was taken aback and looked at Xuan Ting: "Your Highness, what you're saying is quite something. Physician Jiang was in high spirits when she left the palace. She even brought you some pastries, saying that Miss Baozhu and the others had eaten them and were thinking of you, so she brought some for you as well."
Xuan Ting gave a noncommittal scoff: "You think Aunt Nuan is happy? You haven't seen her when she's truly happy."
He had seen Aunt Nuan riding her horse through the mountains, joyfully gathering herbs; he had seen her humming a little tune, tiptoeing and dancing in the kitchen; and he had seen her earnest face as she went out to save lives. Whatever she looked like then, she would never be like this!
She should have been free and unrestrained, practicing medicine and helping the world, but now she has been dragged into the court and become a bargaining chip that everyone wants to hold in their hands. How could she be happy?
Having said that, he suddenly looked down at his wrist: "A crown prince of a nation, how ironic. Unable to protect those he wanted to protect, unable to do what he wanted to do. Now, he's about to lose himself as well."
"So be it. My father is in good health, so what does it matter to me?"
When he uttered the words "Father," Xuan Ting's voice faltered almost imperceptibly for a moment. The stubborn young boy stood tall and straight, but his trembling eyelashes seemed to betray his unease.
An Dehai crouched down and looked at the prince he had watched grow up.
His Highness had grown even thinner, and was more than half a head shorter than Li Junping, who was the same age. Even an ordinary boy would probably have been more robust than His Highness at the age of eleven.
However, when His Highness was a child, he was the healthiest among all the princes.
I don't know when or how things turned out this way.
In a daze, his eyes reddened again: "It's all my fault! I failed to protect Your Highness. Your Highness, I beg you, next time, if His Majesty needs to draw blood again, please have someone else do it. In my opinion, no one can say for sure whose blood it is. Your Highness's health cannot afford the slightest mishap!"
Xuan Ting's eyes flickered: "The Ghost Doctor's words are not entirely trustworthy. Father Emperor will not really hurt me, so you can rest assured."
As An Dehai listened to Xuan Ting's words, his nose tingled with emotion, and his lips moved several times, but he ultimately said nothing.
The Ghost Doctor's words may not be entirely credible, but how could he dare to do that without the Emperor's approval?
Even if we dare not, if the medicine really works now, how far away will the next time be?
He pondered for a while before saying, "Your Highness, we are in a time of crisis. Although your master, the God of War Li Rong, has obtained military power, he is about to go to the border. If something happens in the court at that time, I'm afraid that distant water will not be able to quench our immediate thirst."
"Your court officials support you so few that you could count them on one hand. His Majesty has yet to allow you to be close to them. When that day comes, how will we be able to contend with Xiao Yuanshan?"
A resolute glint flashed in An Dehai's eyes, and the next second he kowtowed to the ground: "Your Highness, we should also make preparations as soon as possible! Although Physician Jiang is a woman and currently holds a low official position with little influence in the court, she has close ties with the Duke's Mansion, the Prince's Mansion, and even the Imperial Preceptor. Your Highness, even if you don't want Physician Jiang to get involved, she has already become involved. If she wants to protect those you want to protect, then you must hold onto that position!"
Xuan Ting's face was deathly pale. After a long while, he laughed sarcastically again: "Since you won't say anything, I still want to go to see Master off and celebrate with Aunt Nuan. But now, how can I have the face to step into that door?"
As he spoke, Xuan Ting chuckled again.
There are probably very few crown princes in the world who act like him.
After a while, his gaze fell on the brocade box in front of him. He held it in his hand and stroked it for a moment before handing it to An Dehai beside him: "Take this to Aunt Nuan. It's a congratulatory gift I prepared for her."
"Yes." An Dehai was somewhat relieved: "Physician Jiang has always thought of His Highness. He must be delighted to receive the carefully prepared gift from His Highness."
"You're right, I must hold on tight!" Xuan Ting said suddenly after a moment of stunned silence.
When An Dehai looked over, Xuan Ting rubbed his fingers together and looked out the window.
"Xiao Yuanshan has trusted confidants, why can't I?"
His eyes gradually cleared, and he said seriously, "How many days has it been since the court abolished the policy of allowing criminal slaves to take the imperial examinations? How much longer until Li Junping arrives in the capital?"
(End of this chapter)
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