Chapter 188 Getting a Minor Illness
"Won't!"
The system's resolute voice interrupted Hongzhao's reverie.
While Hongzhao was still in a daze, he repeated the prompt in his usual cold tone, "No, it will."
"You should be able to see that this world has a certain degree of repair function. The emperor's death is a predetermined timeline node. Even if you used the health-preserving pill produced by the system on him, he still has to leave when the time comes. It's just a matter of whether he leaves quickly or painfully."
If the system said that, then Hongzhao's burden immediately vanished.
He moved his legs slightly, and Xiao Dezi understood. He put away the ointment, straightened his clothes, and stood up. Hongzhao looked at Su Peisheng, who had been waiting quietly by his side, and made a decision in his heart. "I understand what you have to say, Father. Uncle Thirteen will naturally not make any mistakes in his work. However... after all, he is working for Father Emperor, so he cannot be careless."
He straightened his clothes and stood up—"Please, sir, find a way for me to meet with that Taoist priest and ask him a few questions, so that I can put my mind at ease."
"Of course, Your Highness is so filial, this servant will certainly live up to your expectations."
Hongzhao nodded in satisfaction. "There were fewer tribute oranges sent this year, so I received more than I expected. I'll have Jinxi deliver a basket to you this afternoon so you can have a taste of the fresh oranges."
Su Peisheng placed Jinxi by the Crown Prince's side without expecting that the incredibly intelligent Crown Prince wouldn't see through his ulterior motives. By finding Jinxi a good place, he was also clearly handing over his own weakness. If you want to do something for the Crown Prince, you have to make him feel at ease, right?
Therefore, upon hearing Hongzhao's words, he did not feel apprehensive, but instead smiled and bowed to express his gratitude—"This servant thanks Your Highness the Crown Prince."
After saying that, he turned around and walked out of the Shouhuang Hall with light steps.
As the door closed again, Xiao Dezi walked in and asked in a low voice, "Your Highness, should we tell Young Master Lü Jia about Princess Wenyi...?"
Hongzhao shook his head – “What’s there to reveal? Father and Grandfather didn’t say much, and there’s no need for Cousin to know so early. Besides, Cousin is indeed getting on in years, but Wenyi is the same age as Hongzhou, and there are still many years before she gets engaged and married.”
Both Amur and Jiusi are her cousins, whom she knows well and whose character is well-known. It's not a bad match for them to be with her two younger sisters... right?
Hong Jin still felt a little wronged, and Hong Zhao clenched his fist indignantly as he thought about it.
War waits for no one. Since the plan is to strike while the iron is hot, and the commanders and deputy commanders have been appointed, the army will naturally be assembled as quickly as possible.
These past few days, the meetings in the small court have lasted for most of the day, and finally, with Hongzhao's persistent efforts, the most basic and essential guidelines for this meeting have been formulated.
"If we're talking about familiarity, none of us here can compare to Uya Zhaohui, who has penetrated deep behind enemy lines. If we break into their heartland, we must listen to his advice on how to proceed; we cannot exclude him."
After all, Hongzhao initially chose to send Zhaohui to the Dzungar Khanate, which meant to "flatten the wheels" and eliminate any potential threats.
However, before the Empress Dowager's funeral was fully over, there was a series of court assemblies, both large and small, keeping Hongzhao extremely busy. If his father, the Emperor, had been more considerate and mindful of his growing body before he turned ten, then ten seemed to be a threshold. That year, Yinzhen changed his approach and treated Hongzhao like a sponge that could absorb water indefinitely.
He only hoped that Hongzhao could learn more, learn faster, and learn more thoroughly. Now, it's hard to say that such feelings weren't also due to his deteriorating health over the past year.
Just then, before the army even set out, some people in the court were already causing trouble.
"Your Majesty, I have a memorial to present. I wish to impeach the Governor-General of Zhili, Lü Jiawenzhong, for failing to live up to the Emperor's favor. He has been in office but has failed to fulfill his duties, speaking wildly and acting recklessly. He has truly betrayed the Emperor's trust and cultivation."
Right there in the court, half the people looked at the governor, whose gaze was firm and seemed to be bursting with raging anger, while the other half looked at the crown prince, who was still standing upright at the front, completely unaffected.
Yinzhen squinted and looked down. Because the person impeaching him was standing too far back, it took him a lot of effort to recognize who it was.
If he remembered correctly... he was among the people Xiaxiazi mentioned who were sternly rejected by Lü Jiawenzhong. It seemed that someone was holding a grudge and had used him as a pawn.
"Utter nonsense!" He flicked his sleeve and fiercely refuted the man. Yinzhen knew he hadn't seen things clearly, but to others, the Emperor's silence spoke volumes. Even though the Emperor had severely reprimanded the impeacher, those few seconds of hesitation were undeniable.
You know, if someone had targeted the Crown Prince in court before, they would have really been incredibly audacious, as the Emperor would have dragged them out before they could even finish speaking. This time, however, they hesitated!
What this means is obvious!
Holding the mind-reading device, Hongzhao couldn't help but chuckle as he watched the wildly imaginative scenarios unfolding in their minds. But this also gave him a rare and daring opportunity for a vacation.
It's getting cold; I should probably get myself a minor, non-fatal illness.
Due to the Empress Dowager's passing, Hongzhao's birthday banquet could not be properly held this year. On the morning of his birthday, he was unable to get out of bed and developed a high fever without any warning.
"How is the Crown Prince?" Yinzhen rushed back to Yangxin Hall from Chunxi Hall. He was already dressed in his court robes. Last night, Consort Ye had served him, so he should have gone directly to court from Chunxi Hall. However, before he could even get into his sedan chair, Xiaxiazi came running in, covered in sweat, to report that the Crown Prince was ill.
Hongzhao had always been healthy since childhood, and he had only been sick a handful of times, most of which were due to being framed by others. When he suddenly heard this today, Yinzhen panicked and skipped the morning court session, heading straight to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Zhou Qi adjusted his hat and replied, “Your Majesty, the prince did not act without warning. A few days ago, it was freezing cold. The prince is young and frail, and kneeling for a long time made him feel unwell from the cold. After that, he was busy with many matters, which was very tiring. In addition, he has been thinking too much these past two days, which is why he suddenly vomited all of this.”
Yinzhen's mind was bombarded with too many terms at once, and he needed to sort them out little by little.
He caught a chill... that must have been when he was in the Shouhuang Palace. During those days, he was so preoccupied with his own grief that he only remembered that the child had taken good care of the Shouhuang Palace for him, keeping everything in perfect order without any trouble. But he hadn't taken care of his own health.
It took a lot of effort... Yinzhen recalled that since the Empress Dowager's passing, he had seen Hongzhao talking and thinking almost every day. He always seemed to be full of energy and vitality, and the ideas he came up with were always refreshing. Such ideas were certainly not something that could be come up with on a whim.
That makes it easier to understand why he's overthinking things. Besides the rumors about Lü Jiawenzhong, what else could he be thinking about these past two days that he doesn't dare to ask me directly?
After much thought... Yinzhen silently clenched his fist.
It seems that Hongzhao's illness this time is entirely because of him.
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