Everyone from the Imperial Medical Academy was summoned, but when they looked at Huo Baichuan's injuries, they all shook their heads. No one was confident that they could remove the bullet from his chest and keep him alive.
Everyone else looked grief-stricken, but Huo Baichuan himself wore a smile. Although his face was pale, his exquisitely handsome features still gave people an uplifting feeling when he smiled.
Zhao Shu stayed by his side, and he always smiled and said things like, "Don't be discouraged," he would say. "Go and summon the Emperor."
It was clearly a final farewell, yet it felt like an ordinary meeting, the tone light and indifferent.
Now, Zhao Shu really didn't want him to see anyone and wanted him to rest well, but she still ordered someone to call Zhao Yi.
When Zhao Yi came over, his eyes were also red. Huo Baichuan was an elder brother and a mentor to him. Although he was not officially recognized, no one could replace him in terms of importance.
“My lord…” he said, his voice choked with emotion.
Huo Baichuan nodded, gesturing for him to sit down. Zhao Yi didn't sit down, but instead squatted in front of the bed, tears welling up in his eyes. Everyone has a few people they hold dear in their hearts, and Huo Baichuan happened to be one of them.
"Your Majesty..." Huo Baichuan patted the back of his hand, "I can no longer assist you in creating a prosperous era. You must live well in the future and be a good emperor." His words were earnest, like an elder giving his final instructions.
Zhao Yi nodded with tears in his eyes, unable to say anything. Without Huo Baichuan, he felt flustered, uneasy, and lacked confidence. It was as if all the burdens had suddenly fallen on his shoulders, making it difficult for him to move forward.
"Bring me paper and pen. I'll tell you, and you write this down. Many people are capable of being reused, many can only be treated well but not reused, and some must be eliminated..." he said slowly, as the blueprint he had laid out in his mind slowly unfolded, allowing Zhao Shu and Zhao Yi to see what the future court would look like.
Paper and pen were quickly brought over, and he said, "Your Majesty, after my death, the reforms should be postponed. We should adopt a policy of appeasement and not be too hasty, nor should we back down." As he said this, he began to pant, and it took him a long time to finish a sentence.
"Your Majesty..." He stared into Zhao Yi's eyes and said sternly, "Your Majesty, look into my eyes... Promise me, promise me one thing!"
Zhao Yi was startled by his sharp words and stared blankly into his eyes. Those eyes, like sharp swords, were forever etched in his heart. Even when he was the emperor, able to deal with all kinds of people with ease, and no longer needed anyone to guide him, he still remembered them.
"Promise me, may the Emperor Emeritus rest in peace!"
Zhao Yi was shocked upon hearing this, and fell to the ground in fright. His face was pale and flustered. "I...I...My lord...why is this?"
"For no reason! If you don't do this, you'll regret it in the future!" Huo Baichuan said decisively, giving Zhao Yi no time to consider, and then said sternly, "Your Majesty! Agree to my request!"
Zhao Yi looked at Zhao Shu helplessly, hoping she could give him some advice, but he was disappointed. Zhao Shu was sobbing with her head down, not saying a word.
"Don't look at her. You must promise me you'll protect her!" Huo Baichuan said sternly.
"Your Majesty!" He was anxious when he didn't get a reply from Zhao Yi. In his anxiety, he would pull at his wound, and the blood would stain the gauze red again.
Zhao Yi's heart was pounding like a drum. Huo Baichuan's words were like a thunderbolt, leaving him unable to think.
Startled by the sudden call, he hurriedly lowered his eyes and nodded, "Yes, Your Majesty!"
Upon receiving Zhao Yi's response, Huo Baichuan seemed to have lost all his strength and breathed a sigh of relief. He lay on the bed like a clay figure, his jade-like face evoking endless pity.
"Bai Chuan..." Zhao Shu murmured, thinking that he had left, and her heart was filled with sadness.
"Don't cry, I don't want to see you one last time, you're crying," he said weakly, his voice much older than before.
"Call Little Fatty and Duozi over here," he said, his words filled with boundless tolerance, as if nothing else mattered to him. He was very accepting of death, like a lamp going out.
Zhao Yi stood up dejectedly, his feet feeling as if they were weighed down by a thousand pounds of iron, each step incredibly difficult. He walked out the door and said to Xiao Pang and Duo Zi, who were waiting outside, "My lord, he's calling you."
Little Fatty and Duozi had cried countless times, but when they heard their master summon them, they immediately rushed in and knelt down in front of the bed with a thud, "Young Master!"
"Alright, stop crying, everyone. Little Fatty, you're a man, why are you crying too?" he said with a smile.
When Little Fatty and Duozi saw him smiling, they cried even harder, "Young Master..." They choked up and couldn't speak.
When has this once spirited young master ever looked so haggard? Even when he was injured last time, he wasn't this ashen-faced. I've followed him for over twenty years and never imagined he would be defeated.
The god-like young master now lies helplessly before them.
"Young master, I'm sorry, it was my fault for not protecting you. Please punish me, I beg you to be alright!" The chubby boy kowtowed repeatedly.
Huo Baichuan reached out his hand, wanting to gesture for them to get up, but he was too weak, and his outstretched hand could only hang limply at his sides.
Zhao Shu quickly went to help her up, pleading, "You talk too much, please talk less, okay?"
“If I don’t speak up, I’ll never have the chance again,” he said reassuringly, then looked at Little Fatty and Duozi, “Their marriages will require your help.”
“Young Master…” Little Fatty and Duozi broke down in tears. Even at the very end of their lives, they still remembered their little things. To have such a master in this life is a blessing from heaven.
“Okay, I will definitely make sure it’s a grand and successful event for them,” Zhao Shu said, her voice choked with emotion.
"From now on, you will be free," Huo Baichuan said to Xiaopang and Duozi at the end.
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