“You’re doing this for the Crown Prince’s own good.” Jiang Mingyun patted the Empress’s hand. “Don’t worry, I will handle this matter. After I discuss it with the Prime Minister, I will definitely give you a satisfactory answer, Zitong.”
The saying "different people, different fates" applies perfectly to Jiang Yuanqing as well.
Xu Nian put her hand down on his pulse and then pulled it back several times, her brows furrowing more and more, until finally she truly believed that she had not misdiagnosed him.
Jiang Yuanqing could tell from her complexion that the situation was not good, but he had become accustomed to the sighs and lamentations of the imperial physicians over the years.
Instead, he had time to comfort Xu Nian, saying, "You don't need to be like this. I know my own body well. I've only been barely clinging to life. I'm lucky to have had these past few years."
Xu Nian shook her head. Jiang Yuanqing's illness was not simply a matter of congenital deficiency.
"What happened today must not be known to anyone other than the two of us."
The imperial physicians in the palace were no pushovers. If she could diagnose it, why hadn't those people said a word all these years? Prescribing only mild tonics for Jiang Yuanqing was completely ineffective!
After thinking for a moment, to be absolutely sure, she raised her hand and used a talisman to create a barrier around her. "Qingming, you are not born with a deficiency. Someone must have planted a Gu worm in you since you were a child. That's why your body is so weak. In winter, the Gu worm will reduce its activity when it feels cold, which is why your body shows signs of improvement."
Jiang Yuanqing was stunned, his pupils flickered, and even his breathing became rapid.
He tightened and loosened his grip on the cup holder slightly, recalling the events of the past few years, and glanced towards the door. "Xu Nian, are you sure this talisman can keep the sound from being heard by outsiders?"
How dare you question yourself?
Xu Nian raised her eyebrows, looking confident. "Of course."
"Then, are you confident that you can remove this poison from me?" The Second Prince didn't even think about it. In his current situation, apart from Xu Nian, there was no one else he could trust.
Don't you guys think that this second prince seems to have obtained a divine mandate to change his fate and become emperor?
[I've wanted to say this for a long time; that's how it's always written in novels. The male lead's frailty and sickliness are all a facade; he's actually a strategist who eventually overcomes his illness and becomes emperor!]
But who could poison him? A prince should have many people around to take care of him after his birth, right?
“There are plenty of people who can poison someone,” Xu Nian thought to herself. “Those wet nurses or guards who keep watch over the princes at night, or even the concubines who come to visit occasionally, could all be potential culprits.”
She really wanted to be friends with Jiang Yuanqing. His good looks were one thing, but more importantly, he treated her with much more sincerity than the Third Prince and the Crown Prince.
Approaching him, after the initial wariness, brings a comfortable feeling of being bathed in a spring breeze, knowing when to advance and when to retreat.
Therefore, she agreed to Jiang Yuanqing's request without much thought. "If I wasn't sure, I wouldn't have told you all this."
Just as Xu Nian was about to offer her solution, there was a knock on the tightly closed door of the front hall. "Princess, the Emperor has summoned you."
At this time?
The two exchanged puzzled glances. It was already lunchtime, so their hurried manner couldn't mean that something major had happened in the palace again.
"I'll send someone to take you there." Knowing the emperor's temperament, Jiang Yuanqing got up, opened the door, and without a moment's delay instructed the steward to prepare a carriage.
Xu Nian didn't refuse and followed Jiang Yuanqing to the gate. "Don't see me off. If someone sees us, they might spread rumors about me. It won't be good for your reputation. Let's stay here."
"Okay, be careful on the road."
Once the carriage began to move forward, Jiang Yuanqing turned and returned to his residence. His expression was no longer the gentle and casual one he had shown when facing Xu Nian. As soon as he closed the door, a dark figure followed him into the study.
"Has the matter between the Imperial Concubine and that guard been investigated?" Jiang Yuanqing asked in a deep voice in the dimly lit room.
The man bowed respectfully, "Your Highness, the matter has been investigated." He then took a letter from his sleeve and handed it to Jiang Yuanqing, "Your Highness, is this Princess Fu'an truly trustworthy?"
He had heard everything clearly; they had known about the Gu poison in Jiang Yuanqing's body for a long time.
Unfortunately, despite secretly seeking out divine physicians from the Xuan Dynasty and even foreign tribes over the years, Jiang Yuanqing had no solution. He was almost ready to give up, focusing on how to seize the last opportunity to fight for power and deal with his enemies.
Now that this seemingly out-of-the-way Princess of Fu'an claims she can cure it, it's hard not to be skeptical.
Jiang Yuanqing remained silent for a while, then finished reading the letter and burned it. His eyes reflected the flickering flames, and his voice wavered, "She's just not trustworthy. Besides her, who else can we trust?"
At that time, Xu Nian had already arrived at the outside of the Imperial Study, led by the eunuch, without looking to the side.
Hearing the shrill voice inside beckoning her to come in, she left Liuyun outside the hall and, lifting her skirt, went up the steps to the Imperial Study.
"Greetings, Your Majesty. May Your Majesty be well."
"Rise." The Emperor put down his pen, picked up a piece of paper, blew on it, and handed it to Eunuch Wang. "These are the birth dates and times of the Crown Prince and Wan Ting. Fu'an, calculate them and see if they are compatible."
Jiang Yuanling and Wan Ting?
Xu Nian paused for a moment after taking the paper, glanced at the vigorous handwriting, and began to do calculations with her fingers.
After a while, her expression changed slightly, and a happy smile appeared on her face. "Your Majesty, the horoscopes of His Highness the Crown Prince and Wanting are a match made in heaven, destined to grow old together."
"really?"
Unsure whether the emperor wanted or didn't want them to get married, she simply pretended not to understand and replied, "Really?"
Jiang Mingyun nodded upon hearing this and gave Eunuch Wang a look. "The Nine Lotus Golden Crown that the foreign tribe presented as tribute a few days ago, after much consideration, I still think it suits you best, Fu'an."
This is an attempt to silence her with money.
Xu Nian glanced at the crown; although it was made of gold, it wasn't heavy. The openwork carving was also adorned with small, bean-sized rubies.
The craftsmanship and design are so exquisite that you can hardly find many like it even in Beijing.
She bowed respectfully, her mind perfectly clear. "Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty. Then, Your Majesty, I await the good news regarding the bestowed Wan Ting and the Crown Prince."
"You silly girl, it just so happens that Anqing is here today. Why don't you have lunch in the Empress's palace before you leave?"
The emperor greatly admired Xu Nian's quick wit. After lunch, he spent half a day in the empress's palace, chatting with the two girls for a while before getting up to leave.
Xu Nian left the palace with An Qing as dusk approached. "Isn't this my second brother's carriage? You came here in it today?"
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