Chapter 24
The palace is extremely lively tonight.
But the queen didn't want any of this excitement.
Madam Hou handed in her business card to the palace. She had to go through her, the head of the harem, so she naturally had no reason to refuse. When they met, Madam Hou didn't say much and asked her to take it to see His Majesty.
And now the only one who could take her to Ju'an Palace was her, the queen.
The Queen had no choice but to bring the old lady of the Marquis to Ju'an Palace. It was considered appropriate for her, the nominal Queen Mother, to come here late at night with the Seventh Prince's grandmother.
Emperor Chongzhao came out of his bedroom and met them in the side hall.
He politely asked Madam Hou to take a seat.
Not only because Madam Hou was Concubine Yun's biological mother, but also because of the friendship between her and Marquis Zhijian who was far away in the northern border and supported each other.
However, Madam Hou did not overstep the mark. She performed the formalities first and then sat down at the lower seat, sitting upright.
The queen stood beside the emperor and poured him a glass of water.
Emperor Chongzhao pinched his brows and said, "Mother-in-law, what are you doing here?"
The words "mother-in-law" and "mother-in-law" which were no different from those of ordinary people seemed to indicate that the mother of this old lady Hou, Concubine Yun, was different from the maternal families of other concubines in the harem.
This was not quite right, especially in front of the Queen, who just glanced and pretended not to hear anything.
Madam Hou stood up and bowed deeply.
Emperor Chongzhao: "What are you doing?"
Madam Hou: "Your Majesty, I know that the Seventh Prince was given a fate by the Astronomical Bureau, and I also know that you plan to send the child to the temporary palace."
"If it were in the palace, I wouldn't say a word. But the palace is remote, and it's the coldest time of winter. If the servants don't take good care of the child, the child will die. He is my only daughter's desperate child. When Yueqing passed away, I almost followed her. It was because of the thought of having a grandson that I stayed alive, wanting to see how the child would grow up for her."
She bowed deeply.
"Your Majesty, the Seventh Prince is a prince, I know that. But please, for the sake of Yueqing and the Marquis, don't send that child to the palace—"
"Mother-in-law, please get up quickly." Emperor Chongzhao felt a throbbing pain in his head and helped her up personally.
After hearing that the Seventh Prince had been found, Madam Hou calmed down a lot and her words and actions were just right so as not to make the Emperor feel forced or unhappy, while also making him feel her seriousness.
Emperor Chongzhao: "I..."
Eunuch Yu hurried in from the main hall's bedroom, looking anxious and panicked.
Madam Hou was interrupted before she could finish her words. Emperor Chongzhao was also interrupted and asked in annoyance: "What's the matter?"
Eunuch Yu: "Your Majesty! The young prince is not well!"
"What?!"
Madam Hou, who had been calm just now, took a few quick steps and tightly grasped Eunuch Yu's arm, "My...what happened to the Seventh Prince?"
"Come with me to take a look first." Emperor Chongzhao walked quickly in front with a stern face.
Eunuch Yu followed behind them and quickly recounted what had just happened.
A few minutes ago.
The imperial physician came into the bedroom holding two bowls of medicine. The one on the left was made from the current prescription, and the one on the right was made from a previous prescription.
Eunuch Yu: "Which of these two bowls do you want to drink?"
"I smelled it and found that the ingredients in both bowls of medicine are correct. They are prescriptions for reducing fever. It's just that the former is milder, while the latter is stronger."
"Both?"
"Yes."
Ye Xiaoyuan: "Your Highness?"
Of course Qu Dubian chose to drink the one on the right. He moved closer to Ye Xiaoyuan's hand, pretended to drink a little, then took a sip and spit it out.
It seemed like he drank it, but in fact he vomited almost all of it.
After finally feeding a bowl of medicine, not only was Ye Xiaoyuan sweating profusely, but Eunuch Yu also inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief.
Qu Watanabe turned on the simulator.
[Host selected, overdose simulation begins.]
[The host has been selected, the time is one day.]
[Simulation starts, I wish you a pleasant experience! ]
What does it feel like to overdose on drugs? Very nauseous.
My whole body started to tremble and everything went black before my eyes.
Qu Watanabe only experienced it for a few seconds before immediately turning the true value to zero.
He closed his eyes completely and squeezed Ye Xiaoyuan's palm. After this, he must calm Ye Banban down. Then he let his body tremble and shiver, and fell into a half-sleep.
"Your Highness?"
“Your Highness!!!”
There was a loud scream in the bedroom.
Eunuch Yu realized that something was wrong and crawled over to report to Emperor Chongzhao.
-
As soon as Emperor Chongzhao came in, he saw his youngest son trembling all over and curled up in the quilt like a dying cat.
His expression darkened, and he quickly came over to sit beside the bed, holding his youngest son's hand.
Soft and hot.
For a moment, it overlapped with the scene in his dream where the child gradually died in his arms.
The imperial physician knelt on the ground.
Emperor Chongzhao took a deep breath, clenched his palms lightly, and said angrily: "What's going on? Didn't I just take the medicine?"
The imperial physician who came to deliver the medicine was sweating profusely. After Imperial Physician Qiu and another imperial physician took turns diagnosing the patient's pulse, they came to a hesitant conclusion: "Poisoned...?"
Emperor Chongzhao: "Poisoned?"
The imperial physician kowtowed repeatedly: "Your Majesty, the young prince's pulse is strange, it seems like poisoning, but it also doesn't seem like..."
Emperor Chongzhao kicked him away and said, "Send the imperial physician."
The imperial doctors took turns to feel the pulse, and some checked the bottom of the medicine bowl for poison, but there was no response. Suddenly, someone exclaimed, "Eunuch Ye, do you still have the medicine bag for the young prince?"
Ye Xiaoyuan: “Yes!”
He had received that medicine package from the Imperial Medical Service. At that time, he wondered why the hospital was so generous. He was worried that the prince would get sick again in the future, so he hid it happily.
It still remains until now.
He immediately took out all the hidden medicine bags and opened them one by one for the imperial physicians to check.
"Just looking at the types of herbs, the prescription is absolutely fine. It's a proper prescription for reducing fever, but..." Doctor Yang, who first suggested looking at the medicine package, frowned, "Is this medicine package cooked all at once?"
Ye Xiaoyuan: "Yes, when I received the herbs, I was told to give them one pack at a time, and boil them until they are thick enough for Your Highness."
Doctor Yang was surprised: "Cook it all?"
Ye Xiaoyuan said nervously, "That's right. I never dare to be careless when it comes to matters concerning His Highness. I asked several times and it is indeed the case. Is there anything wrong with this medicinal material? But Xiaochun in the palace also had a fever at the time, so drinking this will cure it."
Doctor Yang bowed to Emperor Chongzhao and said, "If it were an older person, drinking this medicine would be fine, but Your Highness - the little prince is less than three years old. If the medicine is overdosed and then boiled to a concentrated state, it will no longer be medicine, but poison."
"If he had drunk two or three doses, the little prince would have died long ago!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Ye Xiaoyuan's face turned pale.
"Someone is trying to harm the young prince..." He suddenly reacted and said to Emperor Chongzhao, "Your Majesty! Someone is trying to harm the young prince! If the young prince hadn't refused to drink the bitter medicine, you probably wouldn't be able to see him today!"
Ye Xiaoyuan didn't care whether it was a taboo or not: "Since then, your Majesty has finally shown mercy to your Highness, but rumors have spread again--"
"Ahem!" Eunuch Yu interrupted him.
But the words have been said and it doesn't help.
Emperor Chongzhao's face was as cold as ice, but it was not directed at Ye Xiaoyuan.
He spoke word by word: "Investigate the Imperial Hospital! Find out for me who prescribed this medicine!!"
Emperor Chongzhao lowered his head, looked at his youngest son's thin little face, and finally gently touched it with his palm. No matter what, this child should not be harmed by others.
The imperial doctors immediately got busy, prescribing new medicine and putting cold cotton cloth soaked in water on the child's forehead.
Those who want to induce vomiting do so, and those who want to give acupuncture do so.
After struggling for a long time, the Seventh Prince finally showed some reaction, which was just crying softly.
Emperor Chongzhao frowned so hard that a fly could be pinched to death: "What's going on?"
Doctor Yang said, "Induce vomiting. He should be fine soon, but the little prince seems to be hysterical since a while ago. He only feels better when he stays in the arms of Eunuch Ye and Eunuch Yu. Eunuch Ye's soothing effect is the best, but the little prince still cries quietly like this."
Ye Xiaoyuan is Xiaoqi's personal eunuch who grew up with her. It's normal for her to feel safe when she smells his scent, but Yu Decai... ?
Emperor Chongzhao looked at Eunuch Yu.
Is this old guy born with the ability to comfort children?
Eunuch Yu said embarrassedly, "I thought about it, and it might be because I helped him punish the evil guy in front of the young prince in the kitchen before, so he treats me a little...specially." At that time, the young prince even gave him a hug.
Emperor Chongzhao: "You didn't say that I asked you to go?"
Eunuch Yu: "You didn't tell me to reveal it, didn't you?"
The young prince regards him as a hero for chasing away the bad guys, and he admires him a bit. It has nothing to do with him. This is all your Majesty's order!
Emperor Chongzhao was inexplicably depressed.
Doctor Yang put away the needle and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, the prince is feeling a little better, but his emotions are still unstable. Now no matter who it is, we just hope that the little prince can calm down."
"If you continue to cry and feel restless at night like this, your breath will be stagnant, and the heat and toxins in your body will not be able to be cleared. If you have another convulsion and cause a high fever, I'm afraid it will be really difficult to deal with."
Eunuch Yu: "What can we do? Even Eunuch Ye can't appease him."
Emperor Chongzhao looked around, and the imperial doctors all made way for him. His eyes fell on Old Madam Hou, who had been waiting anxiously in the outer circle.
"Do you...want to hug him?"
Madam Hou, who came in with them, was kept outside by the imperial doctors.
Ever since Madam Hou came in, she had been smelling the smell of medicine. When she heard the weak, kitten-like cry, she immediately clenched her sleeves.
Now that the people who were blocking her view had moved aside, she could immediately see the appearance of her grandson.
At a glance, the face that looked like her daughter's when she was little made her freeze on the spot, tears welling up. Poor little girl, how could she be so small? Even her mother was not so thin when she was young.
Old Madam Hou forced herself to suppress the urge to rush over and hug her grandson, because she could see the emperor's hesitation.
The emperor himself did not realize that he actually wanted to hug the child. Life is only fifty or sixty years long. How long can she and the old man live? When they are gone, the grandson will still rely on the emperor.
If the emperor had no sympathy or care for the child, she would not hesitate at all and would just hug him.
But now it seems that this child still has a place in the emperor's heart.
For the sake of the long-term, she could not waste the emperor's kindness because of her own selfishness.
Madam Hou said, "Your Majesty is his father, go and hug him."
Emperor Chong Zhao thought of what had just happened and said hesitantly, "I...I can't. He won't let me hold him."
Eunuch Yu: "Your Majesty, please try again. If it doesn't work, let the old lady come."
Emperor Chongzhao then came to the bedside, replaced Ye Xiaoyuan, half-hugged Qu Dubian, and patted him to comfort him with his other hand in an unfamiliar manner.
The Seventh Prince, who had been sobbing quietly, actually stopped crying gradually. His face was hot and wet and he looked uneasy. His eyelashes were soaked with tears and stuck together, looking pitiful.
A small hand stretched out from the quilt and gently grasped Emperor Chongzhao's big hand.
The child came closer and rubbed his face gently, and his breathing gradually became stable.
Eunuch Yu was surprised: "The young prince and His Majesty are truly blood father and son. As soon as you came over, the prince stopped crying... Just now the prince was angry with you."
Emperor Chongzhao remained silent. Perhaps there really was some mysterious connection, otherwise he would not have dreamed that the child had a fever.
Doctor Yang breathed a sigh of relief: "It should be stable now."
The Seventh Prince's condition has stabilized, but there are still some issues that have not been resolved.
Emperor Chongzhao waved his hand, and Eunuch Yu immediately cleared out all the imperial doctors present, along with the palace servants, leaving only a few necessary ones.
"Give Madam Hou a seat."
Eunuch Yu was very sensible and moved two stools. Emperor Chongzhao took a look and said, "The Queen, please sit down too."
The bench was moved not too far away, just the right distance for discussing things.
"What happened today is due to my failure to govern the palace strictly."
Emperor Chongzhao was referring to the overdose that turned into poison. The secret and dirty method was seen by Old Lady Hou, so there must be an explanation.
Queen: "It's my fault for not discovering it in time."
Madam Hou said slowly, "Your Majesty, have you thought about what to do next? Since this has happened, you can no longer stay in Ju'an Palace. You have to move to another place."
Move? Where?
When Eunuch Yu heard the words "move place", he couldn't help but prick up his ears.
After all, the Astronomical Bureau said some time ago that the young prince cannot live too close to His Majesty, and Ju'an Palace is the farthest place. If he moves now, where will His Majesty agree?
It's really a difficult problem.
Madam Hou: "Since Your Majesty wants to send His Majesty to the temporary palace, why not give him to my mansion to raise him? I will take him away, the farther away from the palace the better, so that no evil spirits will disturb him here again."
Qu Dubian pricked up his ears and listened to the words of his grandmother, whom he had never met, with a little surprise. This was a retreat to advance. Even if they were relatives, the Sword-wielding Marquis was still a foreign minister in terms of etiquette. He was a prince, and the emperor was still alive. How could he be supported by a minister? Wouldn't it be a disgrace if it got out?
As expected, the Queen said, "What are you talking about, Madam Hou?"
She pondered for a moment and took the initiative to say, "I can bring His Majesty the Seventh Prince to Fengwu Palace and I will take care of him myself. Your Majesty can send someone to help take care of him."
Seeing that Emperor Chongzhao didn't say anything, she continued, "If Fengwu Palace doesn't work, there are other palaces a little further away. If that doesn't work, there is the residence of the prince in the palace when he grows up, but that place hasn't been completely cleaned up yet..."
Emperor Chongzhao: "No need."
The queen sighed and said that she had tried her best, but there was nothing she could do if His Majesty did not agree.
Emperor Chongzhao looked at Madam Hou for a few seconds and said, "Let him live with me in Zichen Palace for a few days."
The Queen's eyes widened slightly.
Including Eunuch Yu, everyone around looked at each other, and no one dared to speak for a moment.
Only Madam Hou was not surprised.
Emperor Chongzhao ordered: "Yu Decai, go and prepare."
"yes."
In just a few words, the matter was settled.
Eunuch Yu winked at Ye Xiaoyuan, and the latter followed him out. Only when they were outside did they dare to speak in a normal voice.
He gave Ye Xiaoyuan his badge and said, "Go and prepare. Pack up all the things that the little prince needs on a daily basis and take them away later. If you need someone, just use them directly. The badge will make it easier for you. We have to go back to the Purple Palace first and prepare all the necessary items."
Ye Xiaoyuan took the badge and said, "Got it. Thank you, Eunuch Yu."
Eunuch Yu patted him on the shoulder.
"It will get better later."
After he left, Ye Xiaoyuan went to pack up. He first went to the back hall of Ju'an Hall. There was no one there. After waiting for a while, a faint sound of footsteps was heard.
A thin shadow came in through the unopened side door.
Ye Xiaoyuan said: "I guess it's time for you to come back."
Wen Xiaochun paused and looked sideways.
"You know?"
Ye Xiaoyuan: "I guessed it when the news came."
Wen Xiaochun: "Your Highness has been found, how is the situation?"
Ye Xiaoyuan was silent for a moment. "Your Highness's affairs cannot be explained in a short time. His Majesty wants to take Your Highness to live in Zichen Palace. Everything will be discussed after he is settled."
He sniffed at Wen Xiaochun and frowned slightly, "Why is the smell not cleaned up?"
Wen Xiaochun had no choice but to suppress his desire to meet Qu Duanbian and confess everything: "I didn't have time to do that. I took something from the kitchen and left. After the manure cart was finished, I hadn't changed my clothes yet."
"Has the mess in the main kitchen been cleaned up?"
"It's basically clean, but it's lacking oil. If someone is interested, they might find something."
"Well, change your clothes and come with me to the kitchen," Ye Xiaoyuan raised the badge given to him by Eunuch Yu, "and tell them that you are going to prepare some food that the young prince likes. I will be waiting there, and you go to the warehouse and replenish the oil that is missing from multiple places."
Wen Xiaochun nodded.
The two of them acted according to the plan, and the events of tonight were known to the entire palace. Because of Eunuch Yu's badge and His Majesty's title, the kitchen quickly began to prepare the things that Ye Xiaoyuan mentioned.
Wen Xiaochun quickly went to the warehouse, patched the hole, and cleaned up the mess.
After confirming that the missing oil was not caused by him, the two of them hurried back with their lunch boxes and packed up all the things at Qu Duan's place.
After they had packed up, Eunuch Yu also sent someone to say that the Zichen Hall was ready.
Emperor Chongzhao went out carrying his young son, who was wrapped tightly in his arms.
Old Madam Hou followed the Queen and went out together.
Emperor Chongzhao in front of him suddenly stopped, tilted his head slightly, and asked, "Mother-in-law entered the palace so quickly, why didn't you have time to consider the proposal of the old marquis's second brother to adopt an heir?"
Madam Hou said, "My relatives have long since become estranged and no longer have any contact with me. I am also old."
Emperor Chongzhao shook his head: "You and the old marquis are just too stubborn."
After he finished speaking, he said no more and carried Qu Dubian into the sedan chair.
Madam Hou stood there, and the Queen glanced at her, "Madam Hou, you don't look well."
Madam Hou bowed and said, "It's a cold night in late winter, it's just a little cold."
The palace maids carried the sedan chair in a grand procession.
Ye Xiaoyuan and Wen Xiaochun turned back at the same time, glanced at the Ju'an Hall hidden in the darkness, and then looked at the surrounding quiet palace roads and towering palaces.
Deep in the palace, there is cold wind and lingering snow.
They lowered their heads and followed the imperial carriage.
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