Fourth Master did indeed catch a cold, but it was his turn to take care of him during the day, and given his nature, he naturally wouldn't refuse.
Last night, the Fourth Prince returned home before attending to His Majesty's illness, and today it is his turn to attend to the sick again, so he should not refuse.
There were only a few princes accompanying the emperor north this time. The other princes were not capable of attending to the emperor's illness. So, it was only the Prince Zhi, the Third Prince, the Fourth Prince, the Fifth Prince, and the Eighth Prince who took turns keeping watch and attending to the emperor day and night.
When the Fourth Prince arrived before the Emperor, he was still feeling a bit dizzy. Fearing that he might have caught up in the illness, he kept his distance from the Fifth Prince. However, before he even entered his father's tent, the Fifth Prince grabbed him.
"Fourth Brother, Father is furious inside. Don't go in and provoke him."
Fifth Master noticed Fourth Master's gaze fixed on his wrist, and he reluctantly withdrew his hand, secretly annoyed.
He was so engrossed in talking to his fourth brother that he forgot about his brother's aversion to being touched by others.
As he was muttering to himself, he noticed out of the corner of his eye that Fourth Master had taken a few steps back after he let go of his hand.
Fifth Master immediately worried whether Fourth Brother would be displeased by this.
"What's wrong?" Fourth Master asked, stepping back slightly and covering his mouth.
Fifth Master then seemed saddened once more: "I heard it was a letter from the capital saying that Second Brother is not fit to be regent." Fifth Master did say the last half of the sentence with a lowered voice out of caution.
As he spoke, he moved closer, but was quickly pushed away by Fourth Master.
"If you don't want to go in, then go and see if the medicine you prepared for Father Emperor is ready. I've caught a cold, so stay away from me."
After hearing what the Fourth Prince said, the Fifth Prince suddenly understood and smiled broadly. However, he then thought of his sick father, the Emperor, inside, and his smile faded.
He obediently went to check if his father's medicine was ready, but before he walked away, he couldn't help but mutter to himself.
"With Father Emperor's illness, the Empress Dowager will definitely be worried, and that brat Ninth Prince might also be in danger."
Among the princes who accompanied him this time, apart from the older princes, the Ninth Prince was accompanied only by himself and the Thirteenth Prince from then on.
The Ninth Prince often went to the Empress Dowager's palace to fulfill his filial duties and was always favored by her. The Thirteenth Prince was allowed to stay because His Majesty cherished him and always showed him more affection after his mother's death.
For several days, the atmosphere in front of the emperor was gloomy, and everyone was too afraid to even breathe loudly because of the emperor's illness.
On the day of the Khorchin Mongols, the Emperor finally showed some smiles.
His Majesty's illness had already fully recovered several days ago, and since the Fourth Prince is younger and stronger, his cold will heal even faster.
His cold recovered quickly, and apart from the servants around the Fourth Prince, only the Fifth Prince knew about it because the Fourth Prince himself had mentioned it.
Even the Third Master, who always claimed to be considerate and meticulous, didn't notice it. Whether others noticed it or not is unknown.
However, the fact that this matter eventually came to public attention was largely thanks to Fifth Master's big mouth.
There was a banquet with Mongolian princes at night, with bonfires blazing brightly. The north wind howled through the night, making the bonfires burn even more fiercely.
The emperor sat at the head of the table, and the women who served him fine wine and delicacies were all dressed in very light clothing.
The Third Prince felt uncomfortable being stared at. Even though it wasn't his first time traveling north with the Emperor, he was still not used to the unrestrained nature of the grassland women.
At this moment, all those present were royalty and nobles; there were no women present.
The Fourth Master seemed to be surrounded by an invisible chill, so no one dared to approach him even a little bit. Although no women dared to get close, some would still secretly send him flirtatious glances.
Most of the people of the grasslands are bold and unrestrained. What is said to be a flirtatious glance is actually more like a look that is about to devour the Fourth Master.
Fourth Master remained unfazed, but when he grew impatient, he gave Su Peisheng a look.
After understanding, Su Peisheng stepped forward, took the roasted meat, and began to shoo people away.
Fourth Master wasn't in a very good mood at the moment, so he drank a bit too much.
The Crown Prince oversaw the country and handled everything exceptionally well, but the Emperor was clearly very dissatisfied with it.
It was only because the Crown Prince had not informed his father, the Emperor, of all this beforehand.
The Fourth Prince has always known that rulers are prone to suspicion, but in the past year, this feeling has become increasingly alarming.
How long would it take to get here from the capital? Even a messenger on an urgent 800-li journey would have to wear out a good horse and go without sleep for several days to make the trip.
How can the people in various places afford to wait for such a long journey?
Fourth Master didn't want to say much, he just drank in silence.
This time, the Emperor suddenly mentioned going north, naturally to give a warning to the Khorchin tribe, which had recently shown ambition, and the Dzungar tribe, which had been subjugated two years ago and had a new leader.
Sure enough, after a few rounds of drinks, Prince Zhi was the first to stand up and fight the Mongol warrior.
Fourth Master knew his own limitations; he glanced at the man twice and then looked away.
Fifth Master saw this from the side and immediately remembered that Fourth Brother was not good at riding, archery and martial arts when he was in the Imperial Study and had been scolded a lot. He couldn't help but speak up to comfort him.
"Fourth Brother, you caught a cold a few days ago and it's not advisable for you to fight. Let me show you my skills first."
Fifth Master was a very easygoing person, and Fourth Master reacted very quickly, but he still couldn't stop Fifth Master when he raised his hand.
He watched helplessly as Fifth Master stood up and said that he, as the older brother, was feeling unwell.
Fourth Master raised his hand, clenched his fist, and coughed softly to remind Fifth Master, but this action only seemed to confirm that he was unwell.
Fourth Master rarely felt like he couldn't explain himself, and for a moment he was neither able to stand nor sit, feeling extremely helpless.
The Fourth Prince paused for a few seconds before standing up: "Reporting to Father Emperor, I am perfectly healthy."
At Fourth Prince's age, it would be embarrassing for him to catch a cold while caring for someone in need; he still cares about his reputation.
Furthermore, he didn't want to gain his father's sympathy through this.
However, just as the Fourth Prince stood up, His Majesty raised his hand to gesture for him to sit down: "Of all my sons, the Fourth Prince is the most steady and honest. Look, he even kept his illness a secret."
Fourth Master hurriedly stood up and said he dared not, for deceiving the emperor was a grave crime.
The Emperor gestured for him to sit down, then abruptly changed the subject, asking about the Mongolian Prince Urjingalap.
"I heard that you have a princess. I remember seeing her when she was little. She must have grown into a beautiful young lady by now."
The Prince of Urjingala, who was called upon, quickly stood up and could only reply that he was right.
The Emperor suddenly fell silent for two seconds, seemingly lost in thought, while the dancers stopped dancing at some point.
“My tenth son is about the same age as your princess.”
Once His Majesty uttered these words, who could possibly not understand what he meant?
Is His Majesty about to arrange a marriage?
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