Chapter 58 Respect and Filial Piety
As soon as Li Yuanzhao stepped out of Hongwen Hall, Ru Mo immediately came forward to greet him.
During this period, Chen Yanqing was so badly injured by the fifty lashes that he was bedridden.
Li Yuanzhao was very considerate and specially granted him leave so that he could take good care of his health.
Therefore, the only person attending to him at this moment was Ru Mo.
Ru Mo whispered, "Your Highness, His Majesty just sent someone to summon you to the Yan Ying Hall for an audience immediately."
Upon hearing this, Li Yuanzhao paused slightly.
After returning from the hunting grounds, his father seemed to be terrified and did not attend court for ten days.
The memorials submitted by cabinet ministers were all blocked outside the palace gates, with the excuse that "the headache is getting worse and he needs to rest."
Not only did he refuse to see any officials from outside the palace, but even the imperial concubines and several favored ladies-in-waiting in the inner palace who wanted to attend to him were turned away.
During these ten days, she temporarily handled almost all the affairs of the court, and her father never summoned her.
Now, why are you suddenly summoning me?
Has something new happened at the hunting grounds?
Or was it that Prime Minister Cui and others were up to something behind the scenes, arousing the Emperor's suspicion?
Or perhaps... he noticed my recent actions of planting people in the court and wanted to give me a warning?
"Understood," Li Yuanzhao replied indifferently. "Prepare the sedan chair."
When Li Yuanzhao stepped into Yanying Hall, a strong smell of medicine hit her, causing her to frown imperceptibly.
Her gaze pierced through the layers of gauze curtains and landed on the couch in the side hall.
The Emperor was leaning against a cushion, his face pale, with a handkerchief soaked in medicine covering his forehead.
Grandpa Xu carefully held the bowl of medicine and fed the patient spoonful by spoonful.
Seeing this, Li Yuanzhao hurriedly stepped forward and took the medicine bowl and spoon from Eunuch Xu's hands, saying, "Eunuch Xu, let me do it."
She sat down on the edge of the couch, scooped up a spoonful of medicine, and gently blew on it with her lips to make sure the temperature was right before bringing it to the Emperor's lips.
His movements were meticulous and appropriate, just as respectful and filial as ever.
After the Emperor finished the last sip of his medicine, she took the tea offered by Eunuch Xu and personally helped him rinse his mouth before speaking.
His words were full of genuine concern: "Father, are you feeling better? These past few days, I have been worried sick day and night, unable to eat, and I am truly anxious."
The Emperor shook his head, his breath weak, and forced a smile: "Much better, it's just an old ailment flaring up, nothing serious."
Li Yuanzhao frowned slightly. "Your headache has dragged on for so long and still hasn't gotten better. These quack doctors in the Imperial Hospital are so helpless; they really deserve to be punished."
Upon hearing this, the Emperor sighed softly: "Never mind, this is a family ailment that all members of the Li family suffer from. Your grandfather and great-grandfather were both plagued by this headache for many years. The imperial physicians did their best, so we can't blame them."
Li Yuanzhao re-soaked the medicine cloth and gently applied it to the emperor's forehead. "Father, rest assured, I have sent people to search for renowned doctors throughout the land. The world is vast, and I do not believe we cannot find a divine physician who can cure your illness."
The Emperor patted her hand, "Your filial piety is enough for your father..."
As he was talking, he suddenly started coughing violently. Li Yuanzhao quickly patted his back to help him catch his breath.
Once His Majesty was feeling better, he continued, "But you must also take care of your health and not overwork yourself, lest you fall ill with this disease at such a young age, like I have."
Li Yuanzhao lowered his eyes, concealing the fleeting sarcasm in them.
You don't need to worry about that, Father.
She wasn't of the Li family bloodline, so this so-called "family disease" naturally had nothing to do with her.
On the surface, she remained as docile as ever, saying, "Your subject understands and will take good care of his health so as not to worry Father. But Father, you must also take care of your health, for the world still awaits your rule."
Looking at her "filial and sensible" appearance, the Emperor seemed to have a complex emotion flash in his eyes.
During this period, although he stayed at home under the pretext of recuperating from illness and did not meet with court officials, the spies in the palace and the secret reports from the cabinet never stopped.
Using the assassination attempt as a pretext, Li Yuanzhao followed the clues and dealt with a group of veteran officials.
Those parasites who had long relied on powerful families and were deeply entrenched in their connections were thorns in his side and should have been removed long ago.
So he was happy to sit back and watch, turning a blind eye and letting her do whatever she wanted.
He was aware that she was taking the opportunity to place her own people in the vacancy.
However, those positions were mostly minor officials of the fifth or sixth rank, unable to cause any significant trouble; it was merely a small favor to her.
After all, in his eyes, no matter how resourceful his daughter was, she could never escape his control.
However, the only thing he cared about was the news he had just received this morning.
The Emperor's gaze suddenly darkened, and he asked seemingly casually, "How is the matter of the assassin being handled?"
Li Yuanzhao felt a slight chill run down his spine.
The results of the investigation into the assassination case and the subsequent handling had been compiled into a book and presented to her father, the emperor, three days earlier. He approved it with his imperial seal and had no objections whatsoever, which gave her the confidence to proceed with the follow-up.
Why are you asking this so abruptly now?
But she remained respectful as always. “Your Majesty, the matter has been investigated. The mastermind is indeed a remnant of the Tibetans who harbored resentment after their defeat in battle and used a hunting trip as an excuse to sneak into the capital to seek revenge. All the assassins involved in the assassination have been brought to justice, and even the officials who neglected their duties have been dealt with. Those who unfortunately died have all been properly taken care of.”
The Emperor listened, his face remaining expressionless. After a long while, he gave a noncommittal "hmm," as if he were pondering something.
Seeing his expression, Li Yuanzhao remained calm and continued, "However, Father, there is one person whose fate still needs your decision."
The Emperor slowly raised his eyes, his gaze falling on Li Yuanzhao's face with a hint of scrutiny: "Oh? Didn't I say that this matter was entirely your responsibility? Why are you asking me again?"
Li Yuanzhao replied, "It is General Xiao Duo. He was dismissed from his post as commander of the Imperial Guards by imperial decree earlier because he was drunk and delayed in escorting the emperor. He is still detained in the Ministry of Justice prison. Your son dares not act on his own and awaits your decision."
As she spoke, she suddenly lifted the hem of her dress and knelt down on the cold floor tiles with a "plop".
The Emperor, seeing her sudden action, raised an eyebrow and asked, "What are you doing?"
Li Yuanzhao prostrated himself on the ground, saying, "General Xiao has always been loyal and devoted, guarding the capital for many years and protecting the stability of our Great Qi. His contributions are invaluable. Moreover, I also bear responsibility for this matter. I only learned afterward that it was my guards who were ignorant and forced General Xiao to drink with them, which led to the disaster. I have already punished that guard according to military law as a warning to others."
She raised her head, her voice earnest, "Therefore... Your Majesty, I implore you to forgive General Xiao's crimes in consideration of his past merits and allow him to be reinstated to his original position and resume command of the Imperial Guard."
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