Chapter 30 Golden Terrace Can’t Wait
When the young eunuch brought the imperial physician back to the Purple Palace, Zhao Yan was already lying on the bed, fast asleep.
The young eunuch had no choice but to go over and open the bed curtains, and gently shook Zhao Yan: "Your Highness, wake up, Your Highness? The imperial physician is here."
Zhao Yan's body was as red as a cooked shrimp, and his palm-sized face was covered in sweat. His brows were furrowed, his mouth was pursed, and his hair was stuck to his face. He mumbled in his sleep, "Brother Lan, yes, I'm sorry..."
Upon seeing this, the imperial physician immediately came over with his medicine box. "Eunuch, the young prince's Qilin blood has been stimulated. The Empress has already instructed us to prepare an antipyretic ointment."
As he spoke, the imperial physician took out a small white porcelain bottle from the medicine box, poured out some mint-flavored ointment, and applied it to Zhao Yan's forehead, temples, palms, and soles of his feet.
Zhao Yan, who was dreaming on the bed, woke up. Zhao Yan didn't know what was wrong. He felt that he was awake, but he couldn't get up. It wasn't until his body suddenly became icy cold that he struggled to sit up: "Oh my god..."
Zhao Yan raised his hand and looked at the sticky substance in his palm: "What is this?"
"I'll give you some medicine to relieve your fever," the old doctor explained to Zhao Yan. "Your Highness has been feeling unwell these past few days. Just apply some ointment on your forehead to suppress the heat in your body."
Zhao Yan washed the things off his hands and asked, "So awesome?"
What about all those herbal remedies he drank in Qingshui Village? Did it mean he could endure hardship?
Since it can be used as an antidote, then Brother Lan's poison—
"Thank you very much." Zhao Yan's eyes rolled, and he remembered something. He called out to the imperial physician who was packing up and preparing to leave: "Please wait a moment, imperial physician."
Zhao Yan's expression turned serious. "Xiao Zhouzi, go close the door. I have something important to discuss with the imperial physician alone."
Imperial Physician: "Yes."
…
The next morning, Zhao Yan got up early and asked the eunuchs to clean the Zichen Hall inside and out. He also soaked watermelons in cold water in advance and asked the people in the imperial kitchen to prepare rice noodles.
After finishing all these things, it was time for lunch. Zhao Yan originally wanted to have a meal in his own palace and was about to think about how to explain to his brother Lan tomorrow. However, Hu Fu, the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department, came with a few young eunuchs and said that his father and mother were hosting a banquet in the Imperial Garden and asked him to go over for dinner.
"Okay," Zhao Yan agreed quickly, "Eunuch Hu, you go first. I'll change into some cool clothes and go."
"yes,"
Zhao Yan changed into a breathable Confucian robe and put on a veil hat. He asked Xiao Zhouzi to stay in the Zichen Hall to continue cleaning, while he took a sedan chair to the Imperial Garden.
When they were almost at the Imperial Garden, Zhao Yan noticed a number of young eunuchs guarding the archway. He stopped and asked, "What are you all doing here? Where are Father and Mother?"
A young eunuch replied, "Seventh Prince, His Majesty and His Majesty are enjoying the scenery on a boat in the garden. You can simply go to the pavilion in the middle of the lake and wait. His Majesty has issued an edict today prohibiting outsiders from disturbing the Imperial Garden, so we servants are guarding here."
"Alright," Zhao Yan nodded. "It's been a while since I last saw my father and mother. I won't bother them anymore. I'll go in and play for a while."
Not long after Zhao Yan went in, Zhao Cheng came over, supporting the sick concubine Shu.
Concubine Shu has been in poor health in recent years, all due to the illness she suffered after kneeling in the snow that year. The end of July is the time when others find the heat unbearable, but she feels just right.
Just after the banquet, Zhao Cheng resigned from his position in the Ministry of Personnel, and his daily duties were limited to reviewing memorials in the Taiji Hall. Zhao Cheng was a filial son, and with more free time, he decided to go out with his mother.
"The Imperial Garden is just ahead," Concubine Shu recalled. After Emperor Yuanwu conquered the empire, he said she looked like a peach blossom and wanted to plant a few peach trees in the garden. "It's a pity that now isn't the season for peach blossoms. My son, accompany your mother to the garden to pick some peaches."
Zhao Cheng supported Concubine Shu and said, "Mother, what peaches do you want to eat? There are no peaches. The peach trees in the imperial garden are for viewing when they bloom, not for eating."
Concubine Shu shook her head and said with a smile, "How could Mother not know that the fruit you sent was the best? It's just that the peach tree in the garden was planted by your father. Mother hasn't seen your father for a long time. Since I can't see him in person, seeing the fruit is also good."
When Zhao Cheng heard this, his face darkened slightly. He knew that his father had never had his mother in his heart. If his mother had not become pregnant with him at first sight, his father might have forgotten who his mother was.
But he did not refute Concubine Shu, and followed him obediently: "Okay, since mother likes it, I will pick some fruit for you later."
The two walked to the archway of the Imperial Garden, one in front of the other, and saw Hu Fu, the chief eunuch beside Emperor Yuanwu, waiting at the door. "Eunuch Hu, is your father admiring the flowers?"
Hu Fu laughed bitterly: "Oh, Madam Shufei, you are not feeling well, why are you still going out?"
"The wind is very strong here. Your Majesty has been worried about your health. May I take you back?"
Zhao Yan, who was picking fruit in the garden, heard someone talking outside, so he went out of the garden with a few peaches in his arms. Seeing Zhao Cheng and his mother, his face lit up with joy: "Your Majesty the Concubine? Your son greets Your Majesty the Concubine!"
As he spoke, Zhao Yan trotted out, picked out the largest peach he had picked, and gave it to Zhao Cheng: "Brother, eat a peach, this peach is so good!"
Shufei's face immediately darkened. Hu Fu saw that the atmosphere was not right and quickly took the peach from Zhao Yan's hand.
Zhao Yan felt that Hu Fu was baffled, so he snatched it back and ran to Zhao Cheng. He tilted his head and presented it to him with both hands: "Brother, why are you unhappy?"
"No," Zhao Cheng suppressed his temper and took the peach, chuckling: "Thank you, Yan. I've almost picked the person you're looking for and will send it over tomorrow."
"Thank you!" Zhao Yan chuckled twice. At this time, the eunuch in the imperial garden came over and called him, "Seventh Prince, the Empress and His Majesty are urging you to come over for lunch!"
Zhao Yan: "I'll be right there!"
After Zhao Yan finished speaking, he smiled and said goodbye to Zhao Cheng and his mother: "Brother, Madam Shufei, I'm leaving first."
After Zhao Yan left, Hu Fu looked at the prince and his mother, whose faces were ashen, and asked awkwardly, "Your Majesty, Your Highness..."
Concubine Shu took the peach from Zhao Cheng's hand and forced a smile: "Let's go, Your Majesty has no time to look at an old woman like me now."
The veins on Zhao Cheng's hands clenched beneath his sleeves, and he followed Concubine Shu back: "Mother, it's all because of my uselessness that you've been wronged."
"What grievances has your mother suffered?" Concubine Shu Shu looked down at the sweet peach in her hand and casually gave it to the young eunuch beside her: "Son, you have been the crown prince for more than ten years. It's time to change your seat."
Zhao Cheng was startled and looked at his mother in confusion: "Mother, don't talk nonsense. Go back to the palace first."
…
When Zhao Yan rushed to the pavilion in the center of the lake, Emperor Yuanwu and Empress Nangong were already talking in the pavilion.
The two saw Zhao Yan walking towards them and smiled at each other, "Our Ah Yan has grown up so fast. You have worked hard over the years."
"It's not that I've worked hard, it's His Royal Highness the Crown Prince who's worked hard," Empress Nangong patted the hand Emperor Yuanwu placed on hers. "Your Majesty, I've returned to the capital this time for two reasons: first, I want to see you, and second, for my position as Empress... The Crown Prince is already grown up, you need to make plans for him in advance. Concubine Shu is not in good health either, so why not hold the ceremony to crown Concubine Shu as Empress in the next few months?"
Seeing the Empress being so considerate, Emperor Yuanwu didn't know what to say for a moment: "It's really hard for you, my lord. I'm more than twenty years older than you. I wasted your time and now I can't even keep you as Empress."
Queen Nangong chuckled, "I never married Your Majesty for the position of empress. Back then, the Xian Dynasty massacred my Nangong clan. If Your Majesty had not sent troops to protect us, our Nangong clan would have long since vanished into thin air. I have no way of repaying such a kindness."
Zhao Yan arrived in front of the pavilion and jumped down from the boat. "Father! Mother! Do you want to eat peaches?"
Queen Nangong wiped away her tears and said, "Child, your father asked you to come to dinner, but you went to pick peaches?"
Zhao Yan walked up to Queen Nangong and said, "I don't want to disturb the world of two people, father and mother, okay!"
Upon hearing this, Emperor Yuanwu burst into laughter: "You are such a clever kid."
…
The next afternoon, Zhao Yan prepared the outfit for "Chen Yan" early in the morning and even found a young eunuch with a similar body shape to pretend to be him. However, he was preparing too early, as there were still two hours before their agreed time of Youshi.
Zhao Yan couldn't wait any longer, so he asked the eunuch from the Purple Palace to go to the palace to deliver a letter, urging Brother Lan to hurry up.
At that time, Yong Shaolan was waiting for someone in the mansion, and the letter from Zichen Palace arrived first.
Wen Quan hurriedly handed the letter to Yong Shaolan: "Your Highness, the Seventh Prince said that he has prepared the person you want and asked you to go there in advance."
"..." Yong Shaolan had been suffering from the poison in his body for the past few days, and he couldn't see a single word clearly, so he asked Wenquan to read it word by word. After reading, Yong Shaolan frowned and asked Wenquan to give him the letter.
Yong Shaolan: "Just say that my eye disease has relapsed and I'm completely blind. Please wait patiently, Your Highness."
The eunuch in the Purple Palace had no choice but to return home. At this moment, a familiar voice rang out from the backyard of the palace: "Sir, what have we done wrong? You want to bring me here from home tonight?"
"I still have to go up the mountain to collect herbs."
Wen Quan reminded Yong Shaolan, who was lying on the small couch, "Your Highness, the person you are looking for is here."
"Well," Yong Shaolan pinched his eyebrows, which felt like they were filled with lead, stood up, and slowly walked outside.
Outside the courtyard, a middle-aged man in a coarse cloth shirt immediately dispelled his fear upon seeing Yong Shaolan: "Sir?"
"So it was you, Mr. Xiao, who was looking for me," Daniu never expected that Mr. Xiao was so powerful and actually belonged to the Regent Palace. "Sir, are your eyes still not healed?"
"Well," Yong Shaolan gestured for everyone around him to leave. "Brother Daniu, I'm sorry to bother you, but I have something very important that I need your help with."
Daniel: "Hey, sir, why are you so polite? Is there anything I, Daniel, can help you with? Oh, by the way, why don't you meet Brother Shen?"
Yong Shaolan pursed his lips: "He, is lost."
"Ah?" Daniu asked worriedly, "Lost? How could such a big and pretty boy get lost?"
"This is a long story," Yong Shaolan invited Daniu in, then gestured to Wenquan to fetch the portrait of the Seventh Prince Zhao Yan and handed it to Daniu: "Brother Daniu, can you help me see if the person in this portrait is Brother Shen?"
“Okay,” Daniu drank his tea carelessly and picked up the beautifully painted portrait. He recognized it at a glance without even looking at it carefully: “Yes, isn’t this Brother Shen?”
Daniel: "But..."
Yong Shaolan's heart almost jumped out: "How?"
Daniel commented seriously: “Although the painting is beautiful, Brother Shen himself is much more beautiful than the portrait.”
“Sir, do you want to draw a portrait and post a notice looking for Brother Shen?”
Yong Shaolan's eyes darkened: "Yeah."
-----------------------
The author has something to say: I sent it by mistake... [burst crying][burst crying][burst crying]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
