Chapter 26
Wait until Emperor Chongzhao left.
Qu Dubian pretended to make a fuss for a while, and then he calmed down. Ye Banban put him on the dragon couch, and he didn't make a sound.
I feel a little sleepy.
My cheap dad didn't sleep all night, and he almost didn't sleep all night either, at most he had a light sleep.
However, judging from the situation at night, his stepfather was more tolerant of him than he had imagined. Even though they didn't have much of a father-son relationship, he could still personally take care of him the whole night because of his mother and his fever.
Qu Watanabe carefully reviewed what happened yesterday and today.
He used a prank dream to let his cheap father know in advance that he had a fever, then used the missing note to stimulate his guilt, and finally exposed the fact that he had an overdose of drugs and someone had drugged him.
Then his image changed slightly from an unlucky fetus to a victim who was wanted dead.
There are a lot of tricks to figure out here.
As a victim, when did he start to be victimized?
The change in his stepfather's attitude towards him was also due to this - perhaps, there was also the factor of his grandmother. He heard what his grandmother said last night, but he was not sure how important his grandparents were in the emperor's heart.
Another key point is the fire.
He was being held by someone at the time, and heard someone come to report to Emperor Chongzhao. He vaguely heard that there was a fire in the Observatory, and the word "lie" was burned out on the ground.
He didn't know whether it was the work of the political enemies of the Astronomy Department, or his grandparents' people or someone else who was secretly helping him. Qu Watanabe truly felt that the fire was a stroke of genius!
Although it is straightforward and crude, but adding all the things together, the Astronomical Observatory will certainly arouse the emperor's suspicion.
After all, according to what they said, his evil power is very strong now. If the emperor pays attention to him, or gets too close to him, bad things will happen.
He is now living in the Purple Palace, closest to the emperor, so even greater disasters should have occurred in various parts of the palace. However, one incident after another has made the emperor furious, and the palace has been under martial law. If he takes action again, the possibility of being caught will greatly increase.
The final result could only be that he lived in the Purple Palace, but the turmoil in the palace remained calm.
I don’t know how the person who hurt him will explain, and how he can avoid this disaster?
Before going to bed, Doctor Yang came to take my pulse again.
Ye Banban's questioning voice rang in his ears.
"Your Highness still feels hot when touched. When will the temperature go down?"
"It kept coming back all night. I can only take medicine to suppress it temporarily. The excessive amount of medicine I took earlier affected the absorption of the subsequent medicines. I'll just have to wait and see."
Doctor Yang responded one by one.
"If he makes it through safely, he will be fine, but he needs to be taken good care of in the future. Your Highness's body is not as healthy as other children of the same age right now, but it doesn't matter. He can catch up in the next few years..."
Qu Dubian relaxed his mind and gradually fell asleep.
-
Ganji Palace.
The court officials were well-informed and had heard something about what happened last night.
No matter what they were thinking, they all behaved very well today, for fear of angering the emperor who was already in a bad mood.
Emperor Chongzhao sat on the dragon throne, listening to the reports from the ministers below, but what flashed through his mind was the weak appearance of his youngest son with a red face.
You won't keep crying since he left, right?
Emperor Chongzhao sighed.
The Minister of Works, who was finally about to receive the funds from the Ministry of Revenue, was presenting the next silver plan. Upon hearing the sigh, he paused and said, "Your Majesty, is there something wrong with what I said?"
"No, keep talking."
Minister of Industry: “…Yes.”
Emperor Chong Zhao frowned. His temperature had finally dropped a little. Would he cry during his absence? It was so difficult to feed him medicine. It was far from the same as his brothers and sisters.
Another sigh.
The Minister of Works knelt down with a thud, "Your Majesty, I am loyal and devoted! I have absolutely no intention of embezzling any money! Not a cent of the money will be wasted, and it will all be used where it should be used!"
Emperor Chongzhao: “…”
Before he could wail, Emperor Chongzhao quickly said, "My dear, I didn't mean that."
The Minister of Works stopped howling abruptly, patted his clothes, stood up and continued to report.
The other ministers exchanged glances. They were all smart people, so they put aside all the non-urgent matters and did not mention them. Today's court meeting ended half an hour earlier than usual.
After the court session, Emperor Chongzhao went straight to the Purple Palace.
In front of the palace, I saw Zhang Fanming kneeling at the gate. He looked extremely haggard, with bloodshot eyes. When he saw Emperor Chongzhao, he knelt forward and said, "Your Majesty! I have something to report!"
Although the officials of the Astronomical Observatory are also officials, they cannot go to court according to the rules passed down by their ancestors.
Eunuch Yu glanced at him.
Tsk, this boss knelt here last night. After such a long time and it was so cold, his knees must be seriously injured.
Emperor Chong Zhao did not stop, as if he did not know that he had come last night, and said lightly, "It just so happens that I have something to ask you."
The hall on the east side of the Purple Palace.
All the palace servants were driven out, and only Eunuch Yu stood behind the table like a transparent person.
Zhang Fanming knelt in the middle of the hall.
Emperor Chongzhao stood in front of the pavilion, his fingers stroking a decorative scimitar.
"Zhang Aiqing, do you have anything to say? Yesterday, a fire broke out. The Astronomical Observatory left a message on the ground, which read: 'lie'. What do you think this word 'lie' means?"
Zhang Fanming held his breath.
"I came here for this very reason," he kowtowed, "I beg Your Majesty to look into this matter. The Astronomical Observatory has absolutely not deceived Your Majesty about anything, and has certainly not lied to Your Majesty about anything!"
"The fire last night was clearly caused intentionally by someone, and has put me in an unjust situation."
"Oh? Who wants to frame you and why?"
Zhang Fanming bowed his head: "I don't know."
"It's not that you don't know, you just don't say it. I know you doubt it. But my youngest son is alone in the palace, a child of more than two years old. Who will help him? Who has the courage to burn the stone tablet of your Observatory?"
"minister……"
Suddenly——
The cold light came out of the sheath, and the cold blade pressed against Zhang Fanming's neck.
"I moved Xiao Qi to Ju'an Palace and have been keeping an eye on you for two years."
Zhang Fanming's heart stopped beating and his pupils contracted suddenly.
Emperor Chongzhao was holding a scimitar, looking down from above, with a frosty look in his eyes. Zhang Fanming's throat seemed to be strangled by someone, and his fingertips instantly became cold.
The air in the hall seemed to be sucked out in an instant, and a feeling of suffocation overwhelmed him. The hair on Eunuch Yu's back stood up.
"You know me. When I first ascended the throne, I killed many people."
Zhang Fanming was having a slight shiver.
Emperor Chongzhao: "Did you have anything to do with Concubine Yun's incident? Is the prophecy that the child was born out of wedlock true or false?"
He bent down, grabbed Zhang Fanming by the collar, and forced him to look directly into his eyes. His voice was low and fast, with a hint of a storm.
"I know something, Lord Zhang. If you have any hidden secrets, please tell me. I will not punish you severely for your contributions to your ancestors. You killed Concubine Yun, slandered the prince, and now you want to move the prince out of the palace. What is your intention?"
"Your Majesty!" Zhang Fanming rushed forward, letting the blade brush past his neck, blood gushing out. He slammed his head heavily on the ground, and blood instantly came out.
"This is exactly what I calculated. I have never lied to Your Majesty!"
His eyes were filled with tears and his voice was trembling. "I was only hesitant about letting the young prince move to the temporary palace a few days ago, so I didn't tell you everything. If there is any lie in the rest, I will be killed without a burial place! I have worked diligently and never thought of causing your majesty to be suspicious. If this is the case, I might as well die to prove my loyalty!"
After he finished speaking, a look of determination appeared in Zhang Fanming's eyes. He suddenly turned around and ran towards the pillar in the hall!
With a thud, he fell to the ground.
Anyone who sees it would say it is fierce.
The smell of blood filled the hall. Emperor Chongzhao slowly stood up and waved.
Eunuch Yu immediately stepped forward to check and said quickly, "Your Majesty, he has fainted. Doctor Yang is right here, should we call him?"
"Call him."
Doctor Yang came quickly and after giving Zhang Fanming two injections, he woke up with severe pain in his brain.
Emperor Chongzhao: "What have you hidden from me? Tell me clearly."
Zhang Fanming had a splitting headache. After a long while, he crawled to the feet of Emperor Chongzhao in a panic. "It is true that the little prince has great evil power, but there is no need to move the palace. There is another way, but this method is not in line with the etiquette and is harmful to the country."
"continue."
Zhang Fanming: "The position of the Empress is used to suppress evil spirits. Conferring the title of Empress Yun posthumously can resolve this situation. However, according to etiquette, if a deceased concubine has a son, she cannot be conferred the title of Empress posthumously. That is why I did not mention it."
"When you were fortune-telling, was there anyone else around?"
"They are all new officials. I, I have never paid attention to them!"
After hearing this, Emperor Chongzhao did not respond to him, but threw the knife to the ground.
"Pick it up and put it in the scabbard."
Zhang Fanming gritted his teeth, stood up tremblingly, held the knife in both hands, and respectfully put it back into the scabbard on the shelf.
"Zhang Fanming, the director of the Astronomical Bureau, concealed the truth and did not report it. He was regarded as deceiving the emperor and was punished with 100 strokes of the cane and ten steps of nailed road."
Zhang Fanming knew that after being beaten with a hundred sticks and having to walk ten steps on the nail-paved road, his legs would probably be completely broken. He closed his eyes deeply.
"I thank your majesty for the reward."
After he was dragged away for execution, Emperor Chongzhao was too lazy to stay in the bloody hall.
Eunuch Yu asked, "Your Majesty, do you still want to investigate the cause of the fire at the Astronomical Observatory?"
"I just tricked him, you should have seen through it," said Emperor Chongzhao.
"Your Majesty did not intend to kill Lord Zhang."
Emperor Chongzhao shook his head and asked, "How is the Imperial Hospital's investigation going?"
"There are some clues, but we are still investigating."
"The news spreads too fast inside and outside the palace," Emperor Chongzhao said, "Clear a group of them out. Also, pass the order to each palace to strengthen patrols. If there is another incident like the past few days, I will chop off their heads."
"Yes." Eunuch Yu slowly figured out what was going on.
He was wrong just now. His Majesty clearly wanted to kill Lord Zhang, but Zhang Fanming's decisive and life-threatening behavior in His Majesty's mind actually created a way for him to survive. If he had hesitated for a moment, it would have been more than just wasting half his life.
Throwing the knife to the ground was also His Majesty's reminder to Lord Zhang not to forget that the power of the Astronomical Observatory came from His Majesty.
Your Majesty, if you can give, you can also take.
-
Astronomy Department.
Zhang Fanming was lying on the bamboo board, his lower body was covered in blood, and there were tiny bloody holes on the soles of his feet caused by nails. Bright red blood was dripping from the cracks in the bamboo board.
When he reached the stone tablet of the Astronomical Observatory, he shouted in a hoarse voice: "Stop."
The two eunuchs carrying the bamboo boards stopped. Zhang Fanming looked up at the stone tablet. The ancestral precepts engraved on the stone had been burned black, and one had to look carefully to see the words engraved on it.
"Uncle doesn't look well."
Zhang Chansi walked closer and looked down at the miserable state of this blood relative.
She signaled the two young eunuchs to put Zhang Fanming down. After the people left and there were no outsiders here, she squatted down and sighed, "Uncle, how many times do you have to read the Zhang family's ancestral precepts before you can remember them thoroughly?"
Zhang Fanming coughed up blood, his tone full of self-mockery and ridicule.
"Who do you think brought you the good life in the Star Observation Department these years? If it weren't for me, the Star Observation Department would still be an insignificant existence in the palace. Respect? Ha... Who would respect? What kind of official is he if he is not even qualified to attend the court?"
"As a stargazing family, we enjoy hereditary official positions, but our descendants are not eligible to participate in the imperial examinations and cannot climb up. What is the difference between this and a cage? We are just birds kept at home by the royal nobles for fun. Your Majesty can kill us whenever he wants. Even if one of us dies inexplicably, the previous dynasty will not react, and they may not even know about it."
He fought hard to survive this time.
Zhang Fanming is gambling.
He was quick-witted and suggested to the emperor a second solution, which was to posthumously confer the title of empress on Concubine Yun. Moreover, he did not avoid the presence of the new officials when he was divination.
Then this news might reach the ears of other people.
If the posthumous title is successful, the Seventh Prince will become a half-legitimate son according to the clan system and etiquette. According to the etiquette passed down from the previous dynasty, since the current queen has no children, he naturally has a superior status.
There are definitely many people who don’t want to see this scene.
Therefore, Your Majesty will, to a certain extent, associate these three consecutive fires and recent events with a struggle for power.
Zhang Fanming still feels a lingering fear when he thinks back on it now.
His Majesty actually sent someone to watch him for two years before he completely trusted him. When he heard that sentence just now, he felt as if a tiger was biting his neck, and his hair stood on end. Fortunately... otherwise, he probably wouldn't have the chance to live to this day.
He grabbed Zhang Chansi's robe.
"Good niece, tell someone to carry uncle in. Once uncle is cured, the good days of the Astronomical Bureau will continue."
There were more bloody fingerprints on Zhang Chansi's light blue dress. Her light eyes contained a little pity, "Since uncle is sick, you should take good care of him. I remember there is an empty house in our house, which is the most suitable for recuperation. Uncle will definitely get better if he stays there for a while."
Zhang Fanming couldn't believe it, "You...you want to put me under house arrest?"
"No, you want to take advantage of this opportunity to replace me!"
Although his lower body was numb, he felt as if he had fallen into an icy cave. Staring at his niece's indifferent and cold face, Zhang Fanming suddenly felt extremely absurd.
He escaped from the jaws of death in the Purple Palace, but was stabbed in the back by someone in his family.
Zhang Chansi: "My uncle taught me that people should climb up. There is nothing wrong with climbing up, and there is nothing wrong with wanting power, but my uncle has taken the wrong path and made a very bad move. Taking this opportunity to withdraw, there may still be a glimmer of hope. If he continues on this path, sooner or later his family will be destroyed."
She pulled at the hem of her clothes little by little.
"I'm helping you, uncle."
Zhang Fanming slammed his hand unwillingly on the cold ground, and under the cold gaze of Li Si Shi Bei Zhi Xun, it was stained with ashes from the fire.
-
Purple Palace.
Qu Watanabe woke up at about nine o'clock.
Ye Xiaoyuan stayed by his side the whole time, touching his head from time to time to feel the temperature.
Qu Watanabe's fever was simulated. Even if he took medicine, he would soon have a fever again. He raised his hand and touched the cooling cotton cloth wrapped with ice on his head, "Ye Banban."
The throat is hoarse and the voice is small.
Qu Watanabe was relieved. At least his voice didn't sound like a crow's voice anymore, but became a little better.
Ye Xiaoyuan remembered what Doctor Yang said, and was worried that his prince would become a fool due to the fever. When he saw that he had woken up, he immediately asked nervously, "Your Highness, are you feeling unwell?"
Qu Dubian pointed to his head, then to his throat, and finally to his stomach. He chuckled, "I'm hungry!" He sat up, put his arms around Ye Xiaoyuan's neck, and hung himself on him, "Let's eat."
He was not feeling uncomfortable, just a little affected. He felt weak and had no energy. He tried to be more lively so as not to make Ye Banban worry.
Ye Xiaoyuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and asked someone to prepare some food.
"Banban, where is this?" Qu Dubian knew he was in the Purple Palace, but others didn't know he knew. He looked around, showing a child's curiosity.
"It's so big, much bigger than Ju'an Hall."
He touched the quilt, the bed curtains, and the bedposts curiously.
Eunuch Bao brought out the food prepared by the palace servants. These were all prepared by Ye Xiaoyuan last night because he knew Qu Watanabe's taste.
"Your Highness, the place where His Majesty lives is of course big." Eunuch Bao smiled and placed the wooden tray with dishes on the kang table next to the window, patted the brocade cushion on it, and said, "Eunuch Xiaoyuan, bring Your Highness here."
It was not cold in the hall as the heating was at full blast. Qu Dubian was wearing a thin coat and was carried upstairs by Ye Xiaoyuan.
There is also a bottle of yellow plums on the small kang table, with a faint fragrance.
Qu Dubian took a small bowl for himself. His hands were too small to use chopsticks, so he usually used a small spoon to eat. Ye Xiaoyuan only helped him pick up some food occasionally.
"Why is Xiaochun not here?"
"In the main kitchen, they are investigating the arson case." He paid attention to the little prince's mood. When he heard "This is where His Majesty lives", there was no big fluctuation.
He became quietly concerned.
The little prince left a note when he was sick and disappeared for an entire afternoon just to see Your Majesty. How come he is so calm now?
Qu Dubian also thought of the fire in the Stargazing Bureau. He took a bite of the steamed bun and said, "Xiaochun is so obedient, I know it has nothing to do with him. Ye Banban should ask him to come back early." His throat was still swollen and he had difficulty swallowing.
Ye Xiaoyuan said calmly, "Yes, Your Highness is right."
A master and a servant, saying a few words from time to time, so disharmonious.
Emperor Chongzhao stopped behind the screen, not knowing what he was thinking for a moment, and did not go in.
It was Eunuch Bao who noticed him and came back to his senses from the cute state of the little prince eating. He hurried over to greet him, "Your Majesty."
Emperor Chongzhao paused, stepped in, and his eyes fell directly on Qu Watanabe who was having a meal in front of the window.
The child had chubby cheeks and was still chewing something. He had a pair of bright and clear eyes, and looked 90% like his mother. His face was thin, and he sat there like a stunted, deflated bun.
You can't tell at all that she was so clingy when she was sick last night. She couldn't leave him at all.
Emperor Chongzhao thought to himself that when this child came to stick to him again, he would have to say something to him. How could the father and son of the royal family be the same as the father and son of ordinary people?
Qu Dubian was still holding a crystal bag in his hand, and his chewing movements slowed down.
Ye Xiaoyuan bowed: "Greetings, Your Majesty."
Emperor Chongzhao cleared his throat and said, "Hmm."
The youngest boy in front of the desk finally moved. He swallowed the food in his mouth, and his clear eyes vaguely revealed some of the intelligence that Master Fang had mentioned.
Qu Watanabe looked at him like this for several seconds.
Then he said, "Greetings, Your Majesty."
It’s Your Majesty, not Father.
Just like the unspoken "father" that night when he reached out for a hug, he would never easily say it again. There was no hope and expectation at all when they first met, only a quiet moment.
Qu Dubian gently hid the hand holding the crystal bag behind his back.
Even his sitting posture became a little cautious, as if he was in a stranger's home, and he quietly explained: "I only eat here because I'm hungry, I won't..."
The child paused slightly and lowered his voice.
"I won't leave... bad things here."
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