After a long pause, Zhou Jin asked in a deep voice, "How many days do I have left to live?"
Upon hearing this, An Yi lowered his head even further: "Your Majesty, it could take a year at most, or as little as three months."
Zhou Jin couldn't believe it. He never expected that he only had three months left to live. Three months!
Only then did he realize that his days were truly numbered.
Then, Zhou Jin thought of Bai Lingxi, who was pregnant, and wondered if she was alright: "An Yi, is Consort Rong's pregnancy serious?"
An Yi: "Consort Rong should be alright. This Gu can only be administered into food before it fully forms. The conditions for refining and administering Gu are extremely demanding, which is why the technique was lost."
Zhou Jin's heart was still pounding: "Wait, come with me to Luanxi Pavilion. I can't let anything happen to her."
Zhou Jin waved his hand, and seeing that the Emperor's expression was not good, he also withdrew.
The Taiji Hall fell silent once more. The empty hall chilled the emperor's heart to the bone, and his heart sank inch by inch until it reached the very bottom.
As darkness fell, Li Mu quietly entered the main hall, intending to light a lamp for the emperor.
He glanced up at Zhou Jin, and was almost shocked at the sight. He had never seen the emperor, who was so high and mighty, so vulnerable. He lowered his head even further, lit the candles, and quietly left the hall.
"Li Mu, convey my decree to Consort Rong: State affairs are pressing, I will be resting in the Taiji Palace tonight; let her get some rest."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Li Mu didn't know what had happened in the Taiji Hall. He knew that the royal family had its own secret guards, and perhaps the emperor had heard some news that caused this.
Zhou Jin barely slept a wink all night. He needed to ensure that the throne would be passed on to someone, and that the Bai family would protect Bai Lingxi and her child. He had to be worthy of the ancestors of the Zhou family. After thinking it over all night, he finally came up with a foolproof plan.
As dawn broke, Li Mu entered to attend to the Emperor, only to find him standing before the desk in a thin nightgown, barely warm to the touch. "Your Majesty," he said, "your health is of utmost importance. Is it alright today?"
Zhou Jin raised his arm, gesturing for Li Mu to change his clothes: "No need, the morning court will proceed as usual today."
Li Mu knew that the emperor was a man of his word, so he had no choice but to help him change his clothes.
——————
In the imperial court.
Upon his arrival, Zhou Jin immediately issued two decrees: first, he bestowed the title of Prince Jing upon the seventh prince, Zhou Changling, granting him the authority to assist in governing the court; second, he reinstated the Bai family father and son to their official positions, allowing them to resume attending court starting the next day.
The two imperial edicts caused an uproar in the court. The officials were all unsettled, whispering among themselves, and the court fell into chaos.
The seventh prince was the first to step forward and kneel before the emperor: "Your subject receives the decree."
Seeing that the Seventh Prince himself had no objections, the many court officials who belonged to the Seventh Prince's camp also shut up.
Only Prime Minister Zhao was dissatisfied. He had been suppressing the Bai family for years, and their dismissal was related to him. Now, they seemed poised to make a comeback, and he was bound to clash with them again. Meanwhile, Consort Rong was so favored in the palace, while his own daughter had been banished to the Cold Palace. It was obvious where the Emperor's heart lay.
Zhao Chengxiang gave a look to his men, signaling them to come out and refute him.
"Your Majesty, the Bai family has committed grave sins and should not be reinstated!" Imperial Censor Zhang stepped forward to remonstrate.
"Oh, what crimes has the Bai family committed? I'd like to hear your explanation." Zhou Jin's voice was devoid of emotion, but his imperial authority was overwhelming, and Imperial Censor Zhang was so frightened that his legs went weak.
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