Chapter 338 Wei Yanwan 78
"It's been two days, why hasn't the emperor woken up yet?"
The Queen Mother looked at the imperial physician kneeling below her, her face filled with anxiety. Jiang Yebin knew that the Queen Mother's patience was running out. If they couldn't come up with an accurate explanation, their lives would be in danger.
Thinking of his wife and two young daughters at home, Jiang Yebin gritted his teeth and said, "The Emperor stayed in the fire for too long that day, causing the fire poison to invade his skull and heart, and burn his lungs. That's why he fell into a coma."
"Now, if we want the emperor to wake up, the only option besides fate is..."
"What can I do? Tell me now!"
"We have no choice but to resort to drastic measures."
The hall fell silent. Having spent years in the palace, the Empress Dowager knew what the Imperial Physician meant. She pondered for a long time before slowly asking, "If strong medicine isn't used, will the Emperor be unable to regain consciousness?"
"Your Majesty, you should understand that as doctors, we can only do our best and leave the rest to fate. The Emperor's current situation is the result of our best efforts."
"If it is used, will the emperor definitely wake up?"
"But the probability is fifty percent."
The Queen Mother was silent again. This matter was of such importance that even she couldn't easily issue an order. She had no choice but to let the imperial physician treat the patient with all his heart.
However, the situation did not allow the Queen Mother to hesitate. The country could not be without a king for a day, let alone in such a dire situation.
Although Yongqi is now the regent, that cannot last forever. After all, the emperor suddenly fell into a coma and he had not been appointed as regent before. However, he bravely rushed into the fire to save the emperor and had the support of several ministers.
But Yongqi's court was not a one-man show. After just three or two days, he felt the unrest below.
The Queen Mother also understood that she could not hesitate any longer.
Finally, on the fifth day, the Empress Dowager personally gave an order, and Jiang Yebi and several imperial doctors carefully considered the matter, and finally at midnight that day, the Emperor was successfully revived.
"Yong-qi——"
Hongli only felt that he had a very deep sleep. When he woke up and ran towards the light curtain, he found that it was just a faint candlelight.
Turning around, the first thing he saw was the worried look in the eyes of the Empress Dowager. When she held his hand in surprise and tears streamed down her face, Hongli's heart couldn't help but be touched: "Empress Dowager... I'm sorry to have made you worry."
He spoke each word with great difficulty, but the Empress Dowager was all smiles. "Now that the Emperor has awakened, I have nothing to worry about. Your Majesty, Yongqi and the Imperial Noble Consort were very worried about you during the days you were unconscious."
Hongli nodded slowly: "Where is Yongqi?"
"He's right here. The Imperial Noble Consort, despite her illness, is guarding you. I felt sorry for her and just now persuaded her to go get some food. Yongqi also went with her. I'm afraid he'll rush over as soon as he hears that you've woken up."
The Empress Dowager's words came true. As soon as she finished speaking, Yongqi appeared at the door, supporting the Imperial Noble Consort.
Hongli smiled and waved at them. Before Yongqi could react, his mother shook his hand away. He watched as his mother, with a pale face, ran to the emperor's bedside:
"Your Majesty, you are finally awake."
Wei Yanwan suppressed her voice, tears streaming down her cheeks, she was crying with joy.
Listening to her sincere concern, Hongli's eyes turned red and he started coughing repeatedly due to the excitement.
"Royal Concubine, you are not well yet, please don't get too excited."
The Queen Mother patted Yan Wan's shoulder gently and called for someone to help her up.
"I am fine. Please let the imperial physician take a look at the emperor first."
Wei Yanwan coughed twice as she spoke, then quickly covered her mouth with a handkerchief as if to hold it back.
The Empress Dowager and the Emperor, the royal mother and son, naturally thought that the Imperial Noble Concubine was showing off.
The Queen Mother said with emotion: "Royal Concubine, you are too foolish."
She had used these words to evaluate the Empress and Concubine Shu before, and now she was also using them on the Imperial Noble Concubine. After the Empress Dowager said this, she was filled with emotion.
Jiang Yebin had been waiting nearby. Upon hearing the empress dowager's order, he immediately stepped forward, kneeling beside the emperor's bed to carefully feel his pulse. As his expression grew increasingly solemn, the joyous atmosphere of the emperor's awakening froze.
"Jiang Yebin, how is the emperor's health?"
"...Although the Emperor is now conscious, he is already on the verge of collapse. I'm afraid..."
At times like this, the person involved is actually the calmest.
Hongli nodded calmly, and asked in a hoarse voice, "If I use all my strength to treat him, how much time do I have left?"
"No, less than three months."
A bewildered look appeared on the man's face as he kept muttering, "Three months...three months. I never thought I'd only have three months left."
Before anyone could offer their consolation, he struggled to sit up and grabbed Jiang Yebin by the collar. "Since that's the case, from today on, I'll leave the rest of my life in your hands. No matter what, you must give me three months to survive. Make sure I look like a normal person."
"I obey your order."
Jiang Yebin secretly groaned in his heart, but when he looked into the emperor's eyes, he clearly understood that he had no room for refusal and could only agree.
Hongli looked deeply at the three people beside his bed and took the empress dowager's old hand, "Mother, I am an unfilial son and cannot take care of you in your old age. In the future, let the queen and Yongqi take care of you on my behalf."
The meaning of his words was clear, but the Queen Mother didn't care about these things. Hearing the word "mother" that she hadn't heard for a long time, the Queen Mother's eyes were filled with only motherly concern and heartache.
This child was also raised by me bit by bit. Now I am about to see him die before me. How can I not feel sad?
Wei Yanwan also shook her head repeatedly and pulled Yongqi, refusing to accept it.
Hongli ignored the mother and daughter's refusal and directly issued an edict to make the imperial concubine the queen.
Everyone had a vague premonition of what this meant, and the entire Forbidden City was about to be in turmoil.
Three days later, the emperor finally appeared before his courtiers. Although he still looked a little weak, he was full of energy. As soon as he entered the court, he severely reprimanded the Sixth Prince Yongrong and Prince Hongzhou, who were near Jiuzhou Qingyan on the day of the fire. He also issued three consecutive directives to make rectifications on the management omissions of the Old Summer Palace.
Now, the group of people who originally wanted to show off immediately became obedient.
The next three months completely became a show for the royal family of four. Hongli expressed high praise for Yongqi's behavior of saving his father in the fire that day, and out of love for Yongqi, he ordered the Ministry of Rites to participate in the ceremony of conferring the empress.
Regardless of their abilities, the ministers who have survived Hongli's time all have at least one common characteristic, which is obedience.
The emperor, who had escaped death, became more violent than before. The ministers did not dare to express any opposition at all. They did whatever the emperor said.
Even so, the content they prepared was rejected by the emperor again and again. Except for the Ministry of Rites, everyone in the court and the harem had to face this increasingly picky and difficult emperor.
The desperate ministers and servants soon had an epiphany amidst the great terror between life and death.
Although they had never communicated, they learned the same operation:
Shake people.
Prince Rong is in the front court, and Princess Hexiao is in the harem. No matter how angry the emperor is, your life will be guaranteed.
Finally, in the second month after the emperor and empress's wedding, after successfully helping his son and the empress establish enough prestige in the former court and the harem and winning over enough connections, Hongli completely collapsed late one night.
That night, the queen was still by his side.
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