Since the beginning of winter last year, Emperor Wende has felt increasingly heavy.
After the spring, there was still no improvement.
I often feel lack of energy and incapable of doing things.
In the past, he could sit in Xingqing Palace for four or five hours straight to handle memorials without feeling tired, and he still had the energy to favor the concubines in the harem.
Now, after being busy for an hour, I have to stop and rest.
Emperor Wende used to disdain the health-preserving soup prescribed by the imperial physician, but now he must take it three times a day on time.
After drinking the health-preserving soup, my body feels warm.
The cold, hard wooden chairs are too harsh and unfriendly. My back aches after sitting on them for too long.
So there was an extra soft couch in Zhengyang Hall.
The couch is soft enough that once you sit on it, your whole body sinks into it and your whole body is relaxed all at once.
Emperor Wende let out a comfortable groan.
He asked Chang En, "Am I old?"
"Your Majesty is in the prime of life."
"Twenty years ago you said I was in my prime, and twenty years later you're still using the same rhetoric. You don't even know how to change it."
"The old slave is stupid."
Emperor Wende waved his hand and slowly closed his eyes.
Chang En served carefully.
He looked at Emperor Wende's gray beard, gray hair, loose skin, layers of orange peel on the back of his hands, and age spots that had already appeared.
Emperor Wende is indeed old.
This is an indisputable fact.
No one, no matter how high you are as an emperor, can escape birth, old age, sickness and death.
"I want to live another twenty years."
Emperor Wende said in a low voice, and only Chang En heard it.
Chang En bowed his head, feeling uneasy.
Emperor Wende said softly, "I feel my vitality slipping away. I am truly old."
"Your Majesty is simply exhausted. You've fought for so many years and have worked hard. Now that the battle is over, why don't you go to the palace and relax?"
Emperor Wende nodded repeatedly, "Since I ascended the throne, I have never visited the palace to relax. I remember the hot springs there were extremely comfortable."
"Shall I arrange the travel arrangements right away?" Chang En asked tentatively.
Emperor Wende was silent for a moment. "It's feasible! Can we set off in half a month?"
There is only half a month to prepare, which is a bit tight.
Chang En still agreed, "We can set off in half a month. Go and prepare! Also, send someone to call the Princess of Qin. I have something to tell you."
"As you wish!"
…
Emperor Wende summoned Gu Jiu, and he did not dare to delay and rushed to the palace as soon as possible.
Emperor Wende was not in good spirits and did not want to force himself to stay awake, so he continued to sit on the couch.
He has been holding on for many years.
First there were natural disasters and man-made disasters, and then war broke out in the north.
My nerves have been tense all these years.
It was not until this year that the war in the north was settled and the weather was good, so we were able to catch our breath.
"Come on, sit down and talk."
Gu Jiu bowed in thanks and sat on the small round stool.
In Gu Jiu's eyes, Emperor Wende was clearly older. He had lost weight, and the skin on his face made him look even older.
People really can't stand getting old.
As if overnight, Emperor Wende went from prime youth to old age, his health declining day by day at a visible rate.
"I wonder what instructions His Majesty has for calling your daughter-in-law into the palace?"
"Did Liu Zhao write to you? Did he say when he would arrive in the capital?"
"Your Majesty, I just received a letter from him yesterday. He left directly from the camp and will be in the capital in about half a month."
Emperor Wende laughed. "That's quite a coincidence. In half a month, I plan to go to the temporary palace to recuperate. You can take the child with you. When Liu Zhao returns to the capital, have him go directly to the temporary palace."
"Your Majesty is going to the temporary palace?" Gu Jiu was surprised.
Emperor Wende nodded and said, "I have worked hard for many years, and it is time for me to recuperate for a while."
"I understand, daughter-in-law. What does Your Majesty want me to do?"
"Where is Brother Yu?"
Gu Jiu bowed slightly and said, "The last letter was sent from the southwest border. He said in the letter that he was planning to go to the northwest next."
"Why do you want to go to the northwest?"
"I want to see the magnificent mountains and rivers of the Great Zhou Dynasty."
"Hahaha……"
These words obviously pleased Emperor Wende.
After laughing, Emperor Wende said, "Now that the war has subsided, it's time to travel to the northwest, see the prairie, and see the grandeur of the border."
"Your Majesty is right."
Emperor Wende looked at Gu Jiu, "You can contact Brother Yu, right?"
Gu Jiu nodded in agreement. She had always been keeping an eye on Yu Ge'er and Heng Ge'er's whereabouts, fearing that something might happen to the children.
Emperor Wende said, "Let him return before the Mid-Autumn Festival."
Gu Jiu was surprised, but still bowed and responded, "Daughter-in-law obeys your order."
"After you come back, don't go out for a while. It's time to go to the court to gain some experience."
Gu Jiu frowned, "Your Majesty, Brother Yu is not even twenty years old yet, isn't it too early?"
"No problem! With his talent and knowledge, I believe he can handle it well."
All right!
Since the emperor has spoken, Gu Jiu can only obey.
Emperor Wende said meaningfully, "I leave the refugees of the Great Zhou to you. I hope you will not disappoint me."
"His Majesty?"
Gu Jiu was surprised.
Although she has been working on resettling refugees, Emperor Wende has never said anything like that.
She was not a court official, but Emperor Wende said that all the refugees of the Great Zhou were handed over to her, which was obviously a trust.
Emperor Wende waved his hand, obviously not wanting to say more, "Step back!"
Gu Jiu stood up and said goodbye, with something on his mind.
It's a rare opportunity to visit the palace, so naturally I have to pay my respects to Weiyang Palace.
Empress Pei was in good spirits and well-maintained, looking like she was in her early forties.
In comparison, Emperor Wende's condition is what he should be like at his age.
She had something to say that she had to get out, so she started chatting with Gu Jiu.
"Your Majesty is obviously old and unable to do what he wants. You came here from Xingqing Palace. Do you think His Majesty has aged a lot?"
"It's true that I've aged a lot."
"Your Majesty is in poor health. The imperial physician is trying to nurse him back to health, but the results are lacking. It's said he's overworked. In my opinion, the root cause is his recent indulgence in women, which has damaged his health."
Gu Jiu coughed twice. She was his daughter-in-law, so it was inappropriate to discuss this topic.
Empress Pei smiled and said, "There's nothing to be embarrassed about. The facts are before us, and everyone knows it. According to my opinion, all the young and infertile concubines in the harem should be expelled from the palace. While they are still young, they can still go home and marry. If they stay in the palace, their lives will be ruined."
"The Queen Mother has a compassionate heart."
"It's just against the rules." Empress Pei sneered, "The rules of this palace are nothing. When I was in the palace, I would let a group of people out every few years. But in the palace, it's not allowed."
Gu Jiu reminded: "That is the Son of Heaven, the Emperor."
How many men dare to marry a woman the emperor has slept with?
For thousands of years, the idea of imperial power has been deeply rooted in people's hearts and engraved in everyone's bones, blood, and genes.
Since she is the emperor's woman, she must be treated with respect.
Most people think this way.
Empress Pei sneered, "They will regret it one day. They don't even consider your Majesty's age, yet they're still trying their best to get into the palace."
Gu Jiu casually asked, "Is the harem not peaceful lately?"
Empress Pei laughed. "When has the harem ever been peaceful? Your Majesty is getting older day by day, and those concubines with children are all restless and daydreaming. They don't even know how to look at themselves and see how much they are capable of. When Liu Zhao returns to the capital, ask him to help the fourth brother. Fathers and sons fight in battle, and brothers fight like tigers. At this time, the two brothers must work together sincerely to achieve their goal."
Gu Jiu lowered his head and smiled, "Why not wait for Liu Zhao to return to the capital, and then let the Queen Mother speak to him in person. He will listen to the Queen Mother."
This is so shameless.
For so many years, Liu Zhao has never listened to Empress Pei.
Empress Pei's face darkened. "Eldest brother's wife, are you unwilling to help the fourth brother?"
Gu Jiu asked back: "How can I help?"
Empress Pei was dissatisfied, "Don't you have any ideas?"
Gu Jiu said, "The Fourth Prince has a wife and children, is wealthy and well-connected, and serves in the court, enjoying the approval and support of many officials. I simply can't think of any area in which the Fourth Prince would need assistance. If your mother is referring to assistance in another way, I'm sorry I can't help you."
Empress Pei was furious. "Since you married into the Liu family, you have never once obeyed my orders. You always go against me. You are extremely unfilial."
Gu Jiu coughed lightly.
Filial piety or unfilial piety is a topic that has been talked about for a long time.
There was never any conclusion to the talks, but Empress Pei enjoyed it.
It’s just because Empress Pei has too few chips in her hand, and filial piety is the only thing she can use.
She said, "Your Majesty, why don't you first ask the Fourth Prince what he thinks. He may not be willing to accept Liu Zhao's help."
"Why is he unwilling? What reason does he have for not wanting to do so?" Queen Pei thought Gu Jiu was talking nonsense.
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "We are not the worms in the Fourth Prince's stomach. I think it's better to ask him what he is thinking. Otherwise, it will be like doing something bad with good intentions, and it will cause a lot of complaints."
"absurd!"
"Whether it's absurd or not, you'll know once you ask. By the way, I wonder if Queen Mother has received the news. His Majesty will be leaving for the temporary palace to recuperate in two weeks."
"What?"
Empress Pei hurriedly looked towards Eunuch Wen.
Eunuch Wen shook his head repeatedly, "Your Majesty, I haven't received any news yet."
Empress Pei was dissatisfied, "Why don't you go out and find out who His Majesty has chosen to accompany him?"
Eunuch Wen took the order and left.
Gu Jiu reminded Empress Pei, "Your Majesty is unwell and is going to the temporary palace to recuperate. He will probably only bring a few concubines with him."
"You don't understand what's going on in the harem." Queen Pei denied Gu Jiu's statement with just one sentence.
She was now thinking about the palace and had no time to care about Gu Jiu. "You should go back first. When Liu Zhao comes back, I will talk to him in person."
Gu Jiu stood up and said goodbye. After taking a few steps, he turned back and said, "Given your majesty's current physical condition, it is unlikely that you will allow your concubine to become pregnant."
Empress Pei was stunned.
He came to his senses in a flash and asked sharply, "How did you know?"
Gu Jiu answered irrelevantly, "Even if a concubine with extraordinary talent becomes pregnant, it will not pose any threat to Your Majesty. Your Majesty can rest assured. With Liu Zhao and the Fourth Prince, nothing will go wrong."
"What if? What if something goes wrong?"
Gu Jiu looked outside the palace gate and muttered softly, "Everything will be strangled, so there won't be any accidents."
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