"What?!"
When Chu Li threw down his chopsticks and rushed over, the imperial hospital and concubines were already gathered there. Many important ministers and princes received the news and were also rushing into the palace in a hurry.
"What's going on?"
"Why is the Emperor vomiting blood for no reason?"
"Your Majesty has always been in good health..."
"Has the imperial physician found out?"
Everyone was speaking in a hurry and talking at the same time, and the Yangxin Palace was in a state of chaos.
Chu Li strode to Concubine Wen's side and asked in a low voice, "Mother, what's going on?"
Concubine Wen shook her head:
"Tonight, the Emperor had a meal alone in the Yangxin Palace. While he was eating, he vomited blood and fainted. Only Eunuch Fu was there at the time, so I don't know the details."
Chu Li said, "How could you vomit blood while eating? Could the food be poisonous?"
Concubine Wen held her hand and lowered her voice a little.
There are so many people around and everyone has their own opinions, so you can't just say some nonsense.
"President Wei has already checked and the food is not poisonous."
Chu Li frowned, confused for a moment, and could only look inside worriedly. As there were too many people, the Queen ordered that only the Imperial Physician was allowed to serve in the palace, and everyone else had to wait outside.
She couldn't get in either.
I don't know who said this:
"The emperor has always been in good health. However, he recently summoned the fifth prince back to the palace and spent a few days with him, and then he became like this..."
Chu Li turned his head and saw the old minister who was speaking. He said coldly:
"The Emperor not only met with the Fifth Prince, but also met with you ministers every morning during the court session."
The old minister said:
"You can't say that, Ninth Prince. Everyone knows that the Fifth Prince's mother died during childbirth and passed away after giving birth to the Fifth Prince. He also broke his legs when he was young, so he was raised outside the palace to avoid disaster. This shows that..."
The fifth prince is an ominous person.
Not only did he kill his biological mother, he also killed himself, and now he has returned to the palace to kill the emperor.
When everyone heard this, they had different expressions, but no one refuted because they all felt that this made sense.
Chu Li's voice turned cold:
"Just because of speculation, you ignore the facts. Do you all rely on speculation when you work? If you don't use your brains, what's the point of taking the imperial examination?"
The old minister choked and was obviously dissatisfied.
"Don't be upset, Ninth Brother," Chu Yuanchi said, "Disputes are secondary. Father's health is more important. I know you are worried about Fifth Brother, but you can't ignore Father."
"When did I ever disregard my father? What the eldest brother said is controversial. It makes it seem like I am deliberately favoring the fifth brother."
Chu Yuanchi frowned, and the others also had different expressions.
When did the relationship between the Ninth Prince and the Fifth Prince become so good?
He is so protective of me.
With the help of the Ninth Prince, it’s no wonder that the Fifth Prince dared to return to the palace so openly. It turns out that he has a backer.
Chu Yeli pulled the corner of Chu Li's sleeve and said, "If I stay here, I can't help much. Instead, it will cause everyone to argue and disturb the peace of the emperor. I will go back first. If there is any news about the emperor, I will send someone to report it."
Why did he leave?
Just because he didn't grow up in the palace and didn't go along with these people, he is an outlier?
The young eunuch pushed the wheelchair and took the fifth prince away.
When crossing the threshold, a hand suddenly pushed the young eunuch, and the eunuch accidentally let go of the wheelchair, which got stuck on the threshold. Chu Yeli immediately fell forward and fell to the ground.
Being in public, he looked extremely embarrassed.
Dragging his crippled legs and lying on the ground, this scene caught the eyes of everyone and many people laughed in private.
"Fifth Brother!"
Chu Li rushed forward and saw Chu Yeli clenching his palms tightly, his nails almost digging into his palms. At this moment, he felt as if he was stripped naked and being laughed at by everyone. His body trembled slightly as he endured the tremendous humiliation, and the hatred in his eyes was like a raging fire.
Chu Li hurriedly helped him up.
Chu Jinglin snickered and said, "You can't even push a wheelchair. Come on, drag this little eunuch away and beat him to death with sticks."
The young eunuch was so scared that he knelt on the ground and begged for mercy.
He didn't mean it.
It's not his fault.
Just now, it was clearly the Seventh Prince who pushed him...
But how could he dare to betray Chu Jinglin? He didn't dare to take the blame, so he could only kowtow and beg for mercy, until his forehead bled.
"Your Highness, please spare me. I didn't mean to do that. Please spare me, Your Highness!"
Chu Yeli lay on the ground, supporting himself with his hands, which were already stained with dust. Listening to the snickers and looking at their mocking faces, it was like a knife stabbing into his body.
Every blow draws blood.
"Fifth Brother, get up!"
Only Chu Li used her frail body to hold him under the armpits and supported him with great effort, "Get up!"
My legs were completely numb beneath my body, like a pair of discarded, useless burdens that I could never get rid of.
Sit back in the wheelchair.
He looked at the young eunuch, "You can leave now."
The young eunuch was so frightened that he lost his mind and luckily escaped with his life by crawling away.
Chu Li pushed him away, and there were many whispers behind him:
"How can a disabled person who has trouble even getting around be employed?"
"Are you going to make the whole world laugh at me? Do you think I have no one left in the Chu State?"
"Your Majesty, this is a foolish move."
"I heard that the fifth prince was eager to seize power, so he attacked the emperor, causing him to vomit blood and faint..."
"Fifth brother, don't listen to their nonsense. I have heard such words since I was a child. Master Jiang scolded me all the time, saying that I was a useless person, but I have been living like this for so many years, haven't I?"
Chu Li pushed Chu Yeli back to his palace.
The man looked gloomy and forced a smile: "I'm sorry to have worried Xiaojiu. I've gotten used to it over the years. It's okay."
The palm of his hand tightly gripping the armrest betrayed his inner feelings.
Because he was trying so hard to hold it back, the veins on the back of his hands popped out.
He is enduring.
Everyone has self-esteem, let alone an adult man. Humiliating him with legs is like rubbing salt into his most painful place.
How can such embarrassment, awkwardness and shame displayed in public be brushed aside in a few words?
Chu Li tried her best to comfort him, but there was no such word as empathy in the world. No matter how much she advised, it was just verbal.
"Xiaojiu."
He gently covered the back of her hand, "Don't worry about me."
"I have lived outside the palace since I was five years old. At that time, there were many children of my age around me. They were young and naughty and liked to climb up the wall and secretly use slingshots to hit me."
There were still marks on the back of his hand from the slingshot.
"When I was older, there were two brave boys who caught a snake and let it in. I watched helplessly as the snake crawled towards me, but I couldn't get away."
Chu Li's breathing tightened:
"Fifth Brother!"
"That snake is not poisonous. Although they are bad, they know how to catch non-venomous snakes. If I die, they can't escape."
He spoke of the old events so lightly.
If it were her.
She can't do it.
There was no way I could just sit there motionless and watch the snake crawl over and bite me.
How terrifying and helpless this process must be.
He was only a few years old back then!
Chu Li felt unhappy. "It's all in the past, Fifth Brother. As long as I'm here, no one will bully you anymore."
"Xiaojiu, aren't you afraid of being criticized for being with me?"
"Even when they are with their brothers, they are still being talked about. These people are not worthy of being human beings. It is best to pray that they do not get seriously ill or old one day. Otherwise, their end will be a hundred times more miserable than this!"
Chu Yeli laughed and looked at her soft face. Her pair of clear eyes were extremely beautiful, like gems reflecting the sunlight, dazzling and sincere.
At this moment, all the hatred in my heart was calmed down like a spring breeze.
Feel redeemed.
"Xiaojiu, I want to drink some wine."
-
Hall of Mental Cultivation.
After more than two hours of waiting, Emperor Chu finally woke up, struggled to sit up from the bed, and looked at the people in the room.
Imperial doctors, concubines, princes, important officials, palace maids...
A huge crowd.
"Am I going to die? Why are you all gathered here?"
The Queen's expression suddenly changed. "Your Majesty is in the prime of life, how can you say such unlucky words? The judge of the Wei Court said that you have a hidden disease from the wars when you were young, and you have been overworked recently, which has caused liver fire to stagnate and internal blockages, so you vomited blood."
Chu Yuanchi stepped forward, "Father, please take care of your health."
Chu Xiling said: "I hope Father will take care of himself."
The Emperor Chu's eyes were cloudy as he scanned them one by one, sneering:
"How can I take care of myself if no one is doing well?"
Several princes looked gloomy.
Is it because they are not up to the task that the emperor summoned the fifth prince back to the palace? Does the emperor think that the fifth prince is more up to the task than them?
But the Fifth Prince was raised outside the palace since he was young and had no special education. How could he compare with them in all aspects?
Concubine Xin gently advised, "Your Majesty, please worry less. If things get worse, we still have the Ninth Prince."
Concubine Wen: "?"
The Emperor is scolding all the princes and pushing the Ninth Prince out. Isn't this bringing hatred upon her?
Concubine Wen was unwilling to be left behind and said:
"Your Majesty, the Eighth Prince has been working hard recently. I heard from Master Jiang that he has made great progress in his studies. I'm sure he is anxious to share your worries."
Concubine Xin was stunned.
No matter how hard the Eighth Prince tried, he could not withstand the pressure from so many princes above him.
"The Ninth Prince is still more hardworking. In recent days, the Ninth Prince has been with the Fifth Prince every day. The two brothers working together can achieve great success."
Concubine Wen gave her a cold look.
The King of Chu looked at the two of them, and his gloomy mood improved a little.
It’s still these two who are willing to pay attention to him.
-
Yufeng Palace.
The two sat opposite each other, drinking cup after cup of wine. Perhaps they were a little drunk, Chu Li hugged Chu Yeli and cried:
"Fifth Brother, you are so pitiful!"
Hearing him talk about his childhood experiences, she was already in tears of sympathy.
"Those beasts, beasts! I'm going to kill them!"
Chu Yeli's eyes were stained with alcohol, the corners of his eyes were wet and red, and his voice was slightly choked: "As long as Xiaojiu feels sorry for me, it's all worth it."
"Fifth brother is kind-hearted, but any normal person shouldn't do such malicious bullying."
Some people are born vicious and it's ingrained in their bones.
Chu Li was unwilling to give in.
But, as I was talking, I couldn't help but think about my own situation. How could it be any better?
She felt so pitiful herself.
In a sense, she felt that she and her fifth brother were the same kind of people. Both had their own limitations, were controlled by others, and had so much helplessness and reluctance.
Even if you are a prince, your life will not be smooth sailing, let alone the common people below you who have a harder time.
Hold the wine glass and drink it all.
Chu Yeli held the wine cup and murmured in a low voice: "Xiao Jiu is the first person who is willing to drink with me, and the first person who is willing to be close to me."
He was also someone who often came to visit him.
He couldn't help but think of the past when he sat alone in a wheelchair in the yard, sitting there all day long, unable to go anywhere. A little black head poked out from the top of the wall, lying on it, looking at him curiously.
He thought it was the kid next door who came to laugh at him and bully him again.
But after looking at it for a while, she actually gave him a parrot.
The parrot can talk and can entertain people.
Later, he found out that this was his ninth brother who was five years younger than him.
I heard that the ninth younger sister was very naughty. She jumped up and down all day long and didn't like to study. This gave her father a headache, but he couldn't do anything about it.
But every time she sneaked out of the palace, she would pass by his Qingfengju and often bring him some cakes, snacks, or other things.
She was too lively and active. Every time she came to Qingfengju, she could not stay for more than a quarter of an hour. She would run away before she even had time to sit on the bench.
Is he too boring?
Make her feel bored.
However, she was so bright and sunny, so full of vitality, no matter spring, summer, autumn or winter, day or night, she was like a happy bird, full of energy, which made him look at her with concern.
Drink till night.
The young eunuch came to report that the emperor had woken up and wanted to see the fifth prince. Chu Yeli had to go there, and Chu Li returned to Zhaolan Palace alone.
"I'll let Ayu take you there."
"No, I'm not far back and I know the way."
She was a little drunk, but not unconscious.
When leaving, he stumbled.
At night, my steps stagger.
As they passed the Imperial Garden, the young eunuch's urgent voice pierced through the night: "Oh no! The Ninth Prince has fallen down the stairs!"
On this side, the emperor vomited blood and just woke up half a day ago. On the other side, the ninth prince was drunk and fell on the stairs, and fainted from his injuries.
Accidents happened one after another within one day.
There were more whispers in the dark:
"This fifth prince is a disaster."
"Now, even the Ninth Prince has been defeated. Let's see if the Ninth Prince dares to stand by him again, unless he doesn't want to live anymore."
"Anyone who gets close to the Fifth Prince will not have a good ending..."
Zhaolan Palace.
The imperial physician has already come to see him. He has broken his bones. After treatment, he will need at least three months of rest.
Concubine Wen sat in front of the couch and stayed there all night. She looked at Chu Li's sleeping face, her eyes red with worry.
How did he fall down the stairs?
Li'er has been a strong and brave boy since he was little, jumping around all the time. How could he have fallen so badly?
"Someone, call for the imperial physician!"
Soon, Judge Wei came with a medicine box on his back. The ceremony was only halfway through when Concubine Wen called out, "It's already been a whole night, why hasn't the Ninth Prince woken up yet?"
Judge Wei stepped forward to feel the patient’s pulse.
He stroked his graying beard and examined the patient three times before saying, "Don't worry, madam. The Ninth Prince is asleep."
"?"
She was so worried that she didn't sleep all night, and finally told her that Chu Li had fallen asleep.
He also started snoring.
"Your Majesty, the Ninth Prince drank too much. When I was adjusting his bones last night, he didn't make a sound. I guess he was very drunk. Now that he is a little drunk, he is sleeping soundly. He will wake up when he sobers up."
Concubine Wen pursed her lips, not knowing what to say for a moment.
I worried for nothing.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
