The Fourth Prince and Longkodo entered Chunhui Hall one after the other. Chunhui Hall seemed to be isolated from the outside world. The palace servants and eunuchs all bowed their heads and even their bows were very low, as if they were afraid of disturbing someone.
As they walked further in, Fourth Master gradually heard a sound of crying.
Fourth Master slowed his pace, but not because of the crying. He hissed softly, and his expression changed slightly.
Seeing that the Fourth Prince was falling behind him, Longkodo waited a while before looking back. When he saw that the Fourth Prince's expression was not right, he quickly turned around.
Su Peisheng had already stepped forward to help his master up.
Longkodo noticed the wound on Fourth Master's abdomen, and he was suddenly shocked, gasping, "This was the injury you sustained in the water? You've been dragging this out for so long, you really are..."
Longkodo hurriedly beckoned his attendants to fetch the imperial physician.
The Fourth Prince kept his distance from Longkodo: "Uncle, go see Father Emperor. Yinzhen, go to the side hall first..."
Before he could finish speaking, he instinctively leaned back and fainted.
Longkodo was truly terrified. Remembering the matter of avoiding suspicion, he had his attendants and Su Peisheng help the Fourth Prince to the side hall.
Longkodo reminded him, "Don't go to the east side hall."
Those were all young princes and grandsons, and they were all in a panic. When they saw the Fourth Prince go in covered in blood, there would be more trouble.
Longkodo slapped his sleeves, as if he had just come to a realization.
It was the Fourth Prince who first suggested checking if any had escaped. Since the Prince Zhi was not present and the other princes had not spoken, the Fourth Prince went with the Imperial Guards.
Although we can't fawn over His Majesty directly, it's still a roundabout way.
Yinreng fell into the water along with His Majesty and is currently in the side hall. I heard he hasn't woken up yet either.
The Third Master himself was unharmed, but several of the eunuchs around him were injured.
The one crying by His Majesty's bedside right now is the Third Prince. The Fifth Prince is also there, but he is mostly comforting the Empress Dowager who rushed over upon hearing the news. The Ninth Prince is also there.
The Tenth Prince was also by the Emperor's bedside, but when Longkodo came in, the Tenth Prince and the imperial physician were walking out.
Only the Eighth Prince is not here. Oh, Longkodo remembers now. The Eighth Prince was stabbed by an assassin while saving His Majesty from falling into the water. Fortunately, he was not seriously injured, but he is still being looked after by the imperial physician in the side hall.
Apart from Prince Zhi, who was far to the north, Longkodo entered from outside Chunhui Hall and looked at His Majesty's princes as if he were watching a grand drama.
Each and every one of them, whether they were present or not, was probably calculating in their minds even more shrewdly than the officials in the Ministry of Revenue.
In this light, it seems that the Fourth Prince's decision not to stay by His Majesty's side to serve him was quite astute, and his current fall is perfectly reasonable, leaving no room for criticism.
Longkodo sighed inwardly. Being unconscious at this moment was better than being unable to do anything but cry in front of the emperor.
Longkodo bowed to the Empress Dowager and told her that the remaining assassins had been wiped out. He then went in to visit the Emperor.
His Majesty is still not awake.
Longkodo didn't say much to the Third Master, but cupped his hands in greeting and left Chunhui Hall.
With such a big incident, Longkodo couldn't afford to relax.
Since His Majesty is still unconscious, this matter must not be spread. We must suppress the rumors, otherwise who knows what trouble might ensue if word gets out.
Furthermore, today's events clearly indicate that someone behind the scenes wants to kill His Majesty.
Liang Jiugong nearly lost his life. The blow that Eighth Prince blocked didn't seriously injure him, but Longkodo also heard from the imperial physician that His Majesty was injured after falling into the water, and that he had even hit his head...
Longkodo dared not linger before the emperor and went to interrogate the assassin as soon as he left Chunhui Hall.
It wasn't his place to arrange things like suppressing the news; Longkodo glanced back.
This matter is far more complex than the boundless pool outside Shouxuan Spring.
He himself was afraid of getting his hands dirty and ending up taking the blame for others.
At this time, fortune is found in danger, but it is also... to stay as far away as possible.
...
Tonight is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the moon overhead seems exceptionally bright and round.
When Li Chenjiao woke up again, it was already past midnight. She was jolted awake, her dream filled with blood-stained swords and blades aimed at her...
Li Chenjiao patted her chest to calm herself down. The two guards on night watch outside heard the noise and quickly went inside.
Li Chenjiao drank a bowl of hot ginseng soup, while Green Bamboo spoke softly beside her.
"Thinking that the master might be too weak to handle the tonic, I used ginseng rootlets to make ginseng soup..."
"By the way. The Fourth Prince has been sent back by the Master. Don't worry, Master, the Fourth Prince is perfectly fine. He ate a bowl of vegetarian noodles and went to sleep after returning. The Second Princess is also asleep, but Granny Chen said that she seems to have a fever, so the nannies are keeping an eye on her right now."
Green Plum added, "I heard that the imperial physicians accompanying the princess are all busy right now. Fortunately, Granny Zhong from the main hall brought all sorts of herbs this time, and she has already decocted some herbs and fed them to the Second Princess."
Li Chenjiao put down her empty bowl and leaned back again: "You've all worked hard... Let Granny Zhong go and check on the eldest princess as well. She must have been terribly frightened after what happened."
Li Chenjiao finally felt a bit more energetic after taking a nap.
Both girls agreed.
Li Chenjiao asked again what time it was.
Green Plum answered, while Green Bamboo took the empty bowl and withdrew. "Now that our master is awake, we should prepare hot water."
“It’s past midnight, Mid-Autumn Festival has already passed…” Li Chenjiao murmured.
Last night felt like a dream to Li Chenjiao, but she never wanted to experience that nerve-wracking or terrifying experience again.
She leaned back for a while before remembering about taking a bath, and then she thought that the Fourth Master might be injured...
"Have you heard any rumors from ahead?" Li Chenjiao was helped off the bed. She lowered her eyelids and asked Lümei in a low voice.
After sleeping so soundly, all the hairpins and ornaments in Li Chenjiao's hair had long since disappeared, and her black hair was slightly messy, but this messiness was actually more reassuring.
Green Plum silently shook her head: "The places we enter and exit from here have all been surrounded by people from the Imperial Household Department. Everyone who enters or exits has to be questioned. We've tried to find out what the situation is like outside, but we can't find out anything."
Li Chenjiao hummed in agreement and then stopped asking.
If we can't find out, it means the situation over there is probably not good right now; someone doesn't want what happened last night to be revealed.
Li Chenjiao took a deep breath and relaxed: "Tell your sister Qiu Hu and the others to keep their mouths shut about what happened last night. Don't say a word if anyone asks. Just say they were too scared to see anything..."
Green Plum only knew that something had happened outside. Now, after hearing her master's instructions, she solemnly replied, "We servants dare not speak carelessly."
Li Chenjiao hummed in agreement again, and without letting Lümei serve her, she went into the clean room herself.
Everything in the west wing was quite different from the east courtyard of the mansion. Li Chenjiao had been a little dazed when she woke up earlier. Now, leaning against the bathtub, she took another deep breath.
"This is going to cause some trouble..."
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