Chapter 197 The Princes Hold On...
"Your Majesty, things have come to this point; it would be best to make plans as soon as possible!"
This was when Emperor Hongren, in a daze, went to the Empress Dowager's palace to pay his respects. The Empress Dowager dismissed all the other servants, leaving only the two of them, and spoke these earnest words to him.
"...Only I dare to speak these words to the Emperor now. No matter how Heaven ultimately protects you, you must have a clear understanding of the situation. I've heard you haven't been attending court lately?"
Emperor Hongren was reluctant to hear this topic and answered absentmindedly, "I sealed off the palace walls and found many palace servants infected with the disease. They are still being taken care of. The six ministers and my uncle are keeping an eye on things, so it will be fine for a short time."
He came to his senses, realized what his mother meant, and his expression softened slightly: "I understand, but my princes... if they are not blessed by Heaven, then commoners have no right to dream of great responsibilities!"
This was a revelation to the Empress Dowager.
Even if all of Emperor Hongren's princes perished in this smallpox outbreak, he would not reluctantly choose the third prince; that was his bottom line.
The Empress Dowager slightly opened her eyes, her lips moved slightly, and she was extremely surprised. She hadn't expected that the Emperor's dislike for his third son had deepened so much without her realizing it.
But... if only one son is left in the future, and the third prince is not chosen, is the emperor expected to give birth to one of the concubines in the harem who always mysteriously receive blessings? Or should he choose from the grandsons of the emperor? Then only the lineage of the first prince will be left.
There's no other reason than that, from the Second Prince down, they are all still unmarried, perhaps due to the Emperor's considerations! Perhaps the Third Prince had offspring while he was imprisoned, but that lineage is clearly no longer viable.
The Empress Dowager understood what had happened. She still felt heartbroken and worried about her beloved sixth son, but because she had confided in the Emperor, she felt more at ease for the time being.
Emperor Hongren emerged from the Empress Dowager's palace, accompanied by the old imperial physician who had previously examined her pulse. As he strode forward, his gaze swept to the side, and he asked with a stern face, "What did the Imperial Medical Academy say? Haven't they found any records yet?"
There have only been two small-scale smallpox outbreaks recorded since the beginning of this dynasty, both dating back to the time of our ancestors. Before that, they mostly occurred during the wars at the end of previous dynasties. This has resulted in vague and unclear records, mostly describing prevention and treatment methods, with few successful and well-developed cures.
...It is precisely because smallpox has disappeared in recent years that the royal family has not been willing to force the princes to undergo so-called "anti-pox vaccination".
It's important to understand that this preventative smallpox vaccination method only works on seven out of ten people; the rest either die or are maimed. This method was already quite successful, but the royal family had few heirs! Only Emperor Hongren, through his diligent efforts, produced a relatively large number of offspring. However, even Emperor Hongren couldn't make up his mind about it initially.
He had many princes, but princes were precious. Who would have thought that several children would suddenly die or be injured because of a vague guess?
Now, let's not talk about it anymore; Emperor Hongren is so regretful he's practically green with envy.
But if he had to do it all over again, he probably wouldn't be able to bring himself to force the prince to get vaccinated against smallpox.
Under the emperor's intense gaze, the old imperial physician's forehead was almost beaded with sweat. He stammered, "Most of the records exist, but... but how to diagnose and treat it varies from one ancestor to another..."
There are few successful examples, but many conflicting medical methods. How could Physician Ye dare to make a definitive statement?
"This old minister still requests Your Majesty to recruit renowned doctors from among the common people..." Imperial Physician Ye couldn't help but shift the blame, or rather, he had heard from the Empress Dowager's palace about a very skilled folk doctor. He had long admired that Doctor Bian when he treated the Second Prince's poisoning, but unfortunately, he had never had the chance to meet him.
"How could I not know?" Emperor Hongren's face was clouded with gloom. "The decree to recruit talent was issued long ago, but whether we can recruit anyone... is hard to say!"
The physician who had once served the emperor was now working in the impoverished southern regions. Emperor Hongren had sent people to find him long ago, but that was too little, too late; it was merely a hope.
During the days the princes were ill, the court and the harem were in an uproar. Consorts with princes were devastated, while those without were filled with anxiety. Ministers, disregarding kinship ties, were now beyond saving, each recommending doctors they knew. Emperor Hongren was desperate, treating everything as a last resort.
Even Shen Shuzhi from the former Third Prince's faction and the former Minister of Rites sent people, at least to make the irritable Emperor Hongren look at them with more respect.
"How is the Prince Rui's residence?"
Zhao Fuman dared not be negligent. He had been keeping a close eye on things during this time, and now it came in handy: "After His Highness Prince Rui's accident, the head steward of the Prince's residence sent several trusted servants to take care of him, and His Highness Prince Rui's wet nurse also volunteered to go. But... His Highness Prince Rui rejected them all."
"Nonsense!" Emperor Hongren roared in fury, finally finding an outlet for his pent-up anger. He shouted, "At a time like this, you're still listening to that rebellious son's nonsense?! What is the head steward of the Prince's mansion good for? If he can't do his job, he should be dismissed and sent away!"
"Yes, yes." Zhao Fuman bowed slightly, not daring to directly confront the emperor's anger. After agreeing, she carefully observed the emperor's expression and said, "His Highness Prince Rui anticipated this and sent me to plead with the emperor. Look, this is a golden ruyi cake that Prince Rui's mansion gave to me."
Emperor Hongren's expression softened slightly: "Take what's given to you."
He'd been so anxious these past few days he hadn't been sleeping well. This brat had such a serious illness, yet he still had the energy to worry about this and that. Emperor Hongren felt somewhat relieved and deliberately asked with a cold smile, "Oh? I'd like to hear what he has to say to convince me."
"Sigh!" Zhao Fuman responded, seeing that the emperor's mood had finally calmed down, and deliberately put on a affected tone, "His Highness Prince Rui said that he doesn't lack personal eunuchs to serve him inside. On the contrary, these few people... are all the close palace maids that Your Majesty bestowed upon him back then, and they are his mother's maids. If they are injured or punished, he will have to worry about them for no reason while he is ill, wouldn't that be even worse? It's just that Father Emperor dotes on them, so I'm asking you to help take care of them!"
Emperor Hongren almost laughed in anger.
"That's sophistry!"
He walked silently along the deserted Imperial Garden after it was sealed off for a while, then sighed deeply. In the end, he didn't insist, but a deep disapproval appeared on his face. He said heavily, "Chengming is too sentimental. That's not good."
"It is precisely because of Your Majesty's benevolence that Prince Rui has learned to have the people in his heart!" Zhao Fuman boasted, knowing full well what Emperor Hongren valued and why the Second Prince had gained the emperor's favor.
"I'm afraid he's too soft-hearted!" Emperor Hongren said bluntly, annoyed that the old man was deliberately playing dumb and going around in circles instead of getting to the point.
Wise and benevolent, with skillful means, such a prince is capable of shouldering great responsibilities. However, if he is too soft-hearted—doting on even his own servants and unwilling to let them take risks—isn't that putting the cart before the horse? If he is chosen to ascend the throne in the future, will he be unable to see through the true nature of the people and be led by the nose by his servants?
Emperor Hongren made a mental note of this matter, his expression unreadable.
He always needed to find an opportunity to properly test his two sons. If it turned out to be a fatal flaw, he would have to punish them severely and teach them to correct it. After his two sons returned to the capital, Emperor Hongren realized that perhaps his sons were too close to the common people, excessively friendly. This was a good thing, but when taken to extremes, it became a huge problem!
"..." Emperor Hongren thought again. This child he had the best hopes for was still struggling on the brink of life and death. Let alone the flaws and shortcomings that he disapproved of, he had to save him first before he could think about what would happen next.
Emperor Hongren immediately deflated, his face darkening again, and strode back to his palace.
His mood had been erratic these past few days, and he often lashed out at and beat the palace servants. Seeing this, Zhao Fuman quickly lowered his head, slightly suppressing the smile on his lips to avoid drawing attention, and followed closely behind.
"It's been almost ten days! How's the investigation into the origin of smallpox going?!" As soon as Emperor Hongren returned to his palace, he threw a dragon ornament to vent his anger, causing the palace servants to kneel on the ground and quickly retreat. Only then did he catch his breath and ask in a harsh tone.
The old eunuch, who had been operating silently in the shadows, no longer had the calm expression he initially displayed; instead, a bitter look appeared on his face. He knelt and prostrated himself, replying, "Your Majesty… it was truly an accident! Everyone in that manor has been questioned repeatedly. It was other manor managers who went to deliver New Year's goods who came into contact with Xiao Dongzi's father, and only later…"
As for the village head, he had already died of illness. The Imperial Guards investigated his background and concluded that he had probably come into contact with unclean people on the way to the capital... because his original village was still peaceful, but most of the people who were escorting him on the way had died.
Later, when the owner of the manor realized something was wrong, he sealed off the manor overnight in an attempt to curb the spread of smallpox and also reported it to the prefect of the capital. But no one expected that Xiao Dongzi's sister was ignorant and unaware of the dangers of the epidemic. In her anxiety, she only knew to run to her younger brother, who worked in the palace, to cry and seek refuge.
The old eunuch and his spies had investigated for so long, but it all seemed to be just a coincidence. Yet, even with a bitter expression, he knew perfectly well—how could the Emperor possibly be satisfied with such a result?
As expected, Emperor Hongren slammed his fist on the table in a rage, his voice booming like thunder: "An accident?! What accident! A mere coincidence could have infected all my princes with the disease! Could it have happened so quickly, in the time it takes to eat a meal?!"
"Your Majesty means..." The old eunuch, too afraid to raise his head after being scolded, trembling as he asked for the emperor's instructions.
"...Investigate the restaurant! Investigate if the Third Prince's men have made any unusual moves! And..." Emperor Hongren's face suddenly darkened, and he said in a low voice, "Investigate when the Seventh Prince acted strangely, and when he tried to contact his brothers."
The old eunuch was startled, kowtowed heavily on the ground in response, and dared not utter another word.
...
Qi Chengming lay listlessly on the couch, watching another dramatic scene through the surveillance camera.
After everyone else from Prince Rui's residence was sent back, Xiao Chengzi anxiously volunteered to come and serve him. It was impossible for a prince to be without anyone to attend to him. He immediately knelt beside the couch with concern and asked, "Your Highness, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell or bored? Shall I read you a book?"
This highlights the benefits of Xiao Chengzi learning to read. Song Gu sent people over several times, bringing all sorts of thoughtful and useful items into the private room. Curtains, bedding, teacups and bowls, toiletries, even the bulky toilet and bath tub were brought over regardless of their usability. Naturally, His Highness's intellectual nourishment was not overlooked—a box of books personally selected by Lady He from outside sources.
The entire private room was furnished as if the person were still in their own home.
Qi Chengming was indeed bored, but he had been able to watch the surveillance footage every day for the past few days, so he was able to keep up. He politely declined, saying, "No, I'm tired. I'd rather just sit here and daydream. You should stand a little further away. Make sure you wear your mask properly, as I told you."
Xiao Chengzi was worried, but he could only agree.
Over the next few days, the princes were suffering from fever and rashes. The eldest prince was the worst off, having fainted several times due to the fever and reportedly experiencing malaria. The eunuch sent by Consort Shu to question them was constantly on edge. Their princes, however, had the mildest symptoms, only complaining of headaches and body aches, and their fevers subsided quickly.
The imperial physicians were out discussing the case; they'd been having long, agonizing discussions every day for the past few days. Seeing that no one was around, Qi Chengming lowered his voice and chatted curiously with Xiao Chengzi: "Do you think... Father will still dislike Third Brother in the future?"
Forming cliques and embezzling grain are indeed serious crimes, but if all the sons were to die, leaving only one heir, would the emperor still be so disgusted? Just now, after hearing Emperor Hongren's hint that the final results of the princes' illnesses were not yet available, he wanted the old eunuch to shift the blame to the third or seventh prince because he could not find the real culprit who had caused the princes' smallpox.
Does this mean they have absolutely no affection for the Third Prince? Do they really believe that the brothers can still get out alive?
Is the old emperor really not afraid of the worst-case scenario?
However, he certainly wouldn't try to use the pills on any of the princes; it's all up to them to see how it goes. If they survive, it's luck; if they don't, then they've lost a competitor, and they shouldn't blame him for being ruthless.
Qi Chengming pondered this carefully in his mind.
Considering the previous incident where he was poisoned and Emperor Hongren angrily punished the seventh prince without any consideration for political balance, he actually felt that Emperor Hongren was... a bit of a willful emperor.
Sometimes, I'd rather go along with his own wishes.
If you can accurately detect this pulse, things will be much easier afterwards.
Qi Chengming thought to himself, and couldn't help but let out a weak groan.
...Sigh, having smallpox is really awful!
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