Chapter 82 The Prodigal Brother (Twenty-Two): A Merchant's Son's Counterattack Against a King of a Different Surname...
At this moment, Qifeng Courtyard was quiet, with only the rustling of leaves on the branches in the breeze.
Gu Tingxuan was bending over to feed the fish in the pond when Guan Mao, who was standing nearby, heard the noise at the door and looked up. He saw Prince Ding leading Yang Yan, who was smiling, into Qifeng Courtyard with a slightly solemn expression.
"Master, Eunuch Yang has arrived."
Upon hearing this, Gu Tingxuan's lips curled up slightly, revealing a faint smile. It seemed that everything was going smoothly for Song Ce in the palace; otherwise, why would this close attendant of the emperor have come in person? Thinking this, Gu Tingxuan quickly composed himself and strode forward to greet him.
"I was unaware of Eunuch Yang's arrival. I apologize for not greeting you properly. I hope you will not take it to heart," Gu Tingxuan said, bowing respectfully to Yang Yan.
"Oh! Prince Yeling, what are you saying! Just now I heard from Prince Ding and the Consort that you were ill, but now I see that you look much more energetic. It is truly a blessing from heaven and the ancestors!" Yang Yan said with a smile.
Upon hearing this, both Prince Ding and Consort Yan looked embarrassed.
"Prince Yeling, this is a gift bestowed by His Majesty. His Majesty instructed me to personally deliver it to you! In the future, if Prince Yeling has any important matters to report to His Majesty, you can use this jade token to move freely within the palace." Yang Yan smiled and handed the tray in his hand to Gu Tingxuan.
On the tray lay a square jade plaque, its surface translucent and intricately carved, radiating a warm glow in the sunlight.
Upon hearing this, Gu Tingxuan's expression turned solemn. He immediately knelt down and bowed, accepting the jade tablet with both hands. He then said respectfully, "Your Majesty's kindness is something I will never forget. From now on, I will do my utmost to share Your Majesty's burdens and serve the court, even at the cost of my life."
“Good, good, good! I will convey Prince Yeling’s heartfelt words to His Majesty without missing a single one.”
Prince Ding, watching this scene unfold, felt a mix of emotions. This… this child, whom he had once considered a lifelong disgrace, had actually reached this point through his own efforts. He took a deep breath, trying his best to maintain his usual composure, but the slight trembling of his hands beneath his sleeves betrayed the turmoil within him.
Compared to Prince Ding's composure, Consort Yan was no less composed. A complex and unfathomable emotion flashed briefly in her eyes before disappearing, replaced by a beaming smile. However, that smile, too, did not reach her eyes.
Behind them, Gu Tingxun bit his lower lip, his eyes filled with resentment and jealousy, his hands unconsciously clenched, his fingertips sinking deep into his palms.
Yang Yan exchanged a few more pleasantries with Gu Tingxuan before taking his leave with the group of eunuchs.
As soon as the group respectfully saw Yang Yan off from the Prince's residence, Prince Ding's face immediately darkened.
“Xuan’er, since your imperial grandfather has treated you so well, you must not let His Majesty down. This is both an honor and a heavy responsibility for you. From now on, you must be extremely careful in your actions and never do anything improper or immoral due to a moment of impulse,” Prince Ding said with a cold snort.
Gu Tingxuan bowed his head and replied, "I will remember your teachings, Father. I will certainly live up to your grace in the future."
Seeing this, Consort Yan stepped forward and said gently, "Young Master, your father is absolutely right. I've noticed that you seem to have lost a lot of weight lately, so I specially instructed the kitchen to stew a nourishing soup for you. I'll have a servant deliver it to you later. You should take good care of yourself."
Upon hearing this, Gu Tingxuan bowed slightly and said calmly, "Tingxuan thanks Your Highness, Consort."
Seeing Gu Tingxuan's cold attitude towards his mother, Gu Tingxun couldn't help but snort and said sarcastically, "Now that my elder brother has been granted the title of Prince by the Emperor, he has suddenly acquired the air of a Prince. It is true that you are working hard for His Majesty, but don't neglect one thing for another. Don't forget that you are still a member of the Prince Ding's Mansion."
Gu Tingxuan looked at Gu Tingxun and smiled gently: "There's no need for Brother Xun to trouble himself with that."
After saying this, Gu Tingxuan bowed to Prince Ding again and said respectfully, "Father, I wonder if my confinement order has been lifted? After all, I will be entering the palace soon to personally thank my grandfather for his grace."
Upon hearing this, Prince Ding stared at him with a cold gaze, then snorted and turned away.
"Your Highness, what's wrong with Father? Do I have to stay home for a few more days?" Gu Tingxuan asked innocently.
Consort Yan forced a smile upon hearing this: "Young Master, you are overthinking it. Perhaps His Highness has been too busy lately and hasn't had time for you. We are family, what talk of being confined or not? His Highness was just saying it casually in the heat of the moment, so please don't overthink it."
Upon hearing this, Guan Mao immediately turned to face the servants guarding Qifeng Courtyard and said loudly, "Did you few who are good at judging the situation hear what the Consort said? Why don't you get out of the eldest son's courtyard right now?"
"You despicable servant, what is the purpose of this veiled attack? Could it be that you are acting on someone's orders to take this opportunity to criticize the Consort and me?" Gu Tingxun asked sternly.
"Second Young Master! This subordinate had absolutely no such intention!" Guan Mao bowed in alarm. "I beg Your Highness to investigate!"
Upon hearing this, Consort Yan looked coldly at Gu Tingxuan and said, word by word, "Young Master, please rest well. We won't disturb you any longer! Xun'er, let's go."
"Yes, Mother." Before leaving, Gu Tingxun didn't forget to glare fiercely at Guan Mao.
When the mother and son returned to Consort Yan's courtyard, Gu Tingxun's face flushed red, and he slammed the teacup on the table to the ground.
"Mother, can't you see? This was all meticulously planned by Gu Tingxuan! He knew I was the one who invited the divine physician Xinglin Chun first, yet he still interfered, taking the physician to Grandfather the Emperor to claim credit. I was only one step too late, just one step! Otherwise, the honor of being granted the title of Prince would be mine today!"
Upon hearing this, Consort Yan's expression instantly turned icy cold: "The eldest son has only been granted the title of two-character prince, and you're already so impatient?"
Gu Tingxun was taken aback by Consort Yan's words. He sat down on the wooden chair with a dejected look on his face and gritted his teeth, saying, "Mother, you know what I've been worried about! Gu Tingxuan is the eldest son of the legitimate wife and was named the heir apparent at birth. Now that he has gained power, will there still be a place for us, mother and son, in this palace?"
Consort Yan frowned. She looked at Gu Tingxun, who was full of resentment, and after thinking for a moment, she said softly, "Xun'er, come forward."
"Mother?"
"What your mother is about to say must not be mentioned to any third party. Do you know why your father dislikes Gu Tingxuan so much, even though Gu Tingxuan is your father's first child?"
Gu Tingxun was taken aback by what he heard. He stared blankly at his mother's solemn expression, his heart pounding. He had a strong premonition that his mother was about to tell him a shocking secret.
Sure enough, Consort Yan held Gu Tingxun's arm and said softly, "Xun'er, you don't need to always think about comparing yourself to the eldest young master, because... the eldest young master is not your father's child at all."
"What?"
Gu Tingxun's eyes widened upon hearing this. He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a word for a long time.
Seeing her son's shocked expression, Consort Yan sighed slightly and continued, "Those who knew the inside story have probably all been dealt with by your father. Back then, your father was drunk in my courtyard and accidentally mentioned this matter, which is how I glimpsed some of the truth."
"Mother...this...this is far too shocking," Gu Tingxun said in disbelief.
"Back then, not long after your father and queen were married, the border war became urgent, and your father was ordered to go to war with the army. During the time he was away, something happened in the palace, and it was during that time that the eldest son became pregnant. When your father returned, he found that the queen was pregnant. Your father was shocked and furious, and immediately placed the queen under house arrest. After the queen gave birth to the eldest son, she died from postpartum hemorrhage."
"Then... what exactly happened?" Gu Tingxun asked anxiously as he regained his composure.
"This... I don't know either. Your father only murmured a few words before falling into a deep sleep. The specific reason is probably only known to your father," Consort Yan said solemnly.
"Mother, if this is true, then Gu Tingxuan is not qualified to be the heir of my Prince Ding's Mansion, much less be granted the title of Second-Rank Prince!" Gu Tingxun couldn't help but imagine, "If this were to be spread..."
"Xun'er! Absolutely not!" Consort Yan grabbed Gu Tingxun, interrupting him, and said sternly, "Now that the eldest son has the Emperor's favor, if you act rashly, you will only alert the enemy and may even anger your father. This matter must be handled at a suitable time, and you must strike decisively! Otherwise, I'm afraid it will backfire."
Although Gu Tingxun was unwilling to accept this, he understood that his mother was right. He had no choice but to suppress his impulse and honestly said, "Mother, rest assured, I understand."
Seeing this, Consort Yan sighed, poured Gu Tingxun a cup of tea herself, and said earnestly, "Xun'er, calm down. The most important thing right now is to think about the one who just entered the palace."
Gu Tingxun frowned slightly. "Is Mother referring to that divine physician?"
“Exactly. Xun’er, this so-called divine doctor must be one of the eldest young master’s men. We must think of a thorough way to sever this arm of the eldest young master.” Consort Yan pondered for a long time before speaking softly.
"What Mother Consort means is..."
Just as Consort Yan was about to speak more bluntly, Xi Yue rushed in from outside, looking flustered. She knelt down with a thud and said in a trembling voice, "Consort, Second Young Master, something terrible has happened! I just heard from the people in the Prince's courtyard that an urgent report came from the palace that His Highness the Crown Prince was hunting deer in the outskirts of the capital when he accidentally startled his horse and fell off!"
"What?" Consort Yan suddenly stood up. "How is His Highness the Crown Prince now?"
"I heard from the little eunuch who delivered the message that His Highness the Crown Prince's leg... I'm afraid the situation is not good," Xi Yue said, her forehead touching the ground, trembling with fear.
Consort Yan and Gu Tingxun exchanged a glance, a dark glint flashing in their eyes. The Crown Prince was the heir apparent; his injury would surely cause a huge uproar both inside and outside the palace. Consort Yan quickly calculated in her mind, then waved her hand to signal Xiyue to leave before whispering, "Xun'er, this might be an opportunity. Go to your father's residence immediately and go with him to the palace to visit the Crown Prince."
Gu Tingxun understood immediately, nodded quickly, and then strode out.
Meanwhile, in the palace.
Upon learning of the Crown Prince's injury, Emperor Hongjing was so shocked that he staggered back two steps before managing to regain his balance. He said in a deep voice, "Yang Yan, immediately summon all the imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital to treat the Crown Prince!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Soon, all the imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Academy gathered at the Eastern Palace. However, after examining each of them, they all shook their heads helplessly.
His Highness the Crown Prince's leg injury was extremely serious. Not only were the bones broken and dislocated, but the violent impact of falling from his horse had also caused varying degrees of damage to his internal organs. For a moment, the imperial physicians looked troubled, and none of them dared to step forward to report the Crown Prince's injuries to the enraged Emperor Hongjing.
"Imperial Physician Li! You tell me! What is wrong with the Crown Prince?" Emperor Hongjing suddenly stood up and roared.
"Your Majesty... His Highness the Crown Prince... His injuries are quite severe. Even with our best efforts to treat him, I'm afraid... I'm afraid he will still be left with a limp," Physician Li said, kneeling down with a thud.
Upon seeing this, Emperor Hongjing angrily rebuked, "You bunch of quacks! The Crown Prince is the heir apparent of the nation, how can he be in poor health? If you cannot cure the Crown Prince today, I will hold you accountable!"
Upon hearing this, the imperial physicians were so frightened that they all knelt down, sweating profusely, and repeatedly begged His Majesty to spare their lives.
Just then, Yang Yan, who was waiting nearby, suddenly spoke up: "Your Majesty, do you still remember the little miracle doctor who treated your headache? He's still in the palace right now!"
Upon hearing this, Emperor Hongjing's eyes lit up, and he quickly said, "You're right! Quickly! Summon Physician Song here!"
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Author's Note: I lost a little weight today~ because I'm writing the next story, I'll definitely be super fat tomorrow~ (flower-sucking wall slam) (evil smile)
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