The ship sailed on and off for more than a month.
Ji Huan was seasick in the cabin, but her symptoms were much better than before. According to the imperial physician, she should be able to get used to it by the time they returned.
Although Ji Huan doesn't appear outside, she knows quite a bit about what's happening outside. For example, she knows that the grand show arranged by the Empress is about to begin.
The boat docked at the shore, and the group disembarked and stayed in a nearby residence. Emperor Qianlong heard that the Empress was not in good health, so he came to visit her.
Empress Fucha was pale, but when she saw him coming, her face regained some color.
"Your Majesty, I will give this to you..."
Emperor Qianlong helped her up: "Shuhe, as I've already said, there's no need for such formalities between us."
"Very well, Your Majesty. The scenery here is quite beautiful. Why don't you accompany me for a walk? I don't know when I'll be able to see such beautiful scenery again."
Emperor Qianlong was not unaware of her physical condition, and upon hearing this, he nodded in agreement: "Alright."
It was already dark, which shouldn't have been a good time to go out, but the moonlight was beautiful and bright that night.
Empress Fucha exclaimed, "Such a full moon should symbolize completeness."
"Shuhe, you and I will be as perfect as this full moon."
Empress Fucha smiled: "Your Majesty's words are auspicious. It will be, it will be a perfect outcome!"
After saying that, the two continued walking, without exchanging many words, but the atmosphere was quite pleasant, and Qianlong felt a rare sense of ease and comfort.
Just then, a sudden conversation came from another path through the artificial hill and bushes.
Did you bring the items?
“I brought it, but it’s a deal. If anything goes wrong, you’re not allowed to expose me. Otherwise, my family won’t let your family off the hook. My family has Consort Jia as our backer.”
"Don't worry, the Fifth Prince will suffer from acclimatization issues during the tour. The Emperor won't stop for him. Once the Emperor's entourage leaves first, what happens to the Fifth Prince in the end is up to us."
“Take it easy, Seventh Prince. What you did was really unwise. Why don’t you wait a little longer? Seventh Prince only died a few months ago. If Fifth Prince is gone, the harem will be full of princes born to concubines. If the Emperor becomes suspicious, it will be hard to explain.”
"What's there to be afraid of? The Emperor won't care about these things..."
Just then, Empress Fucha's expression suddenly changed, and then she fainted with a thud.
Emperor Qianlong shouted directly, "Li Yu, summon the imperial physician. Also, arrest those two men and prevent any leaks."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
When the emperor and empress traveled, even late at night, they were still accompanied by many people, whose angles were just right to conceal the dim lanterns.
Emperor Qianlong personally carried Empress Fucha back to her residence, and the imperial physician also arrived.
"Your Majesty, the Empress is so angry that she has become ill. She was already depressed and ill, and now she has been so angered that she is at her last gasp. I am incompetent and beg Your Majesty's forgiveness."
"You are incompetent, Li Yu. Summon all the imperial physicians who accompanied you. Also, find all the famous doctors in the vicinity. I want the Empress to be safe and sound."
...
The next day, news spread that Empress Fucha was on the verge of death, and Ji Huan went to wait for news with a pale face.
The crowd gathered in Empress Fucha's courtyard, looking at each other without speaking, afraid of saying the wrong thing and provoking the enraged Emperor Qianlong.
One group of imperial physicians and folk doctors went in, and they all came out with pale faces. It wasn't until the afternoon that Empress Fucha finally woke up thanks to the efforts of the imperial physicians, but it was only a brief moment of lucidity before death.
Qianlong looked at her, his eyes filled with reluctance: "Shuhe..."
Empress Fucha smiled and said, "Your Majesty, I know my own health. Please keep me company and let me speak with you alone."
"good."
Emperor Qianlong dismissed everyone, leaving only the Emperor and Empress in the room.
Empress Fucha relaxed a lot: "Your Majesty, I have never regretted marrying you. It's just that my child is really innocent. However, the conversation between those two is really strange. Consort Jia is usually kind and gentle. She may not have such a big guts."
"I fear I will never know the truth. Your Majesty is wise and mighty. If the truth is ever discovered, please send someone to my grave to inform me, so that I may die knowing the truth."
Emperor Qianlong's eyes reddened. Although he didn't have the deep affection for Empress Fucha that he showed, his feelings for her weren't entirely fake.
Empress Fucha was definitely the woman he loved most.
He was a womanizer, but his grief over his wife's impending death was genuine.
"Shuhe, it will be alright, don't talk nonsense."
"Your Majesty, please don't try to comfort me. It would be my honor to die in Your Majesty's arms. By the way, there is something I just discovered. I originally wanted to wait until I found out before telling Your Majesty, but now I have no choice but to tell Your Majesty."
Your Majesty, currently only the Fifth Prince is born to a concubine who was selected from among the imperial concubines. The other concubines either cannot conceive for a long time or cannot give birth even if they do.
"To be honest, this is also my dereliction of duty. I was unaware of the details, but since it concerns the fate of the nation, I have dared to speak out."
Emperor Qianlong hadn't paid much attention before, but he liked to elevate the banners of his concubines. Now that I think about it, almost all of his children were born to his concubines who were bondservantes.
It wasn't that they came from lowly backgrounds; many of their fathers and brothers were high-ranking officials. It's just that, how should I put it, the bondservants were closely related to the Imperial Household Department, which was responsible for the royal family's food, clothing, housing, and transportation.
This is rather chilling to think about.
Emperor Qianlong was a suspicious emperor to begin with, and after being reminded by Empress Fucha, he quickly began to think about many issues.
"Shuhe is always thinking of me. Don't worry, I will find out the truth."
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