Chapter 189 Keeping Vigil
Looking at Hongzhao's rosy face as he slept, Yinzhen sat quietly by the couch, his hands on his knees, occasionally reaching out to check the temperature of his forehead. Su Peisheng noticed a hint of helplessness in the usually imposing emperor.
"That guy at the morning court the other day..." Yinzhen suddenly remembered something, and waved to Su Peisheng in a whisper, but only managed to say half of what he wanted to say.
Seeing the Emperor's expression, Su Peisheng's mind raced, and he tentatively asked, "Does Your Majesty wish to ask about Minister He, who impeached Governor-General Lü Jia of Zhili?"
Yinzhen truly didn't remember the person at all. Only after Su Peisheng finished speaking did he recall that the person's surname was He. He turned back and stared intently at Hongzhao, who was still sleeping restlessly. When he spoke again, his voice was hoarse, "Su Peisheng, go and inform the Sticky Rod Office to have them gather some pretexts and hand them over to Censor Zhang Lin."
Zhang Lin was the same old censor who had previously received a beating from Prince Dun and then had the Crown Prince personally come to apologize. He was a smart man, and having gained such benefits, Yinzhen believed that he would understand what to do if this matter were entrusted to him.
Su Peisheng noted it down, then glanced carefully at the Crown Prince who remained unresponsive on the bed. He took a step closer to the Emperor and said, “Your Majesty, the Chief Astrologer of the Imperial Observatory, Lord Ji Weisheng, just requested an audience. He said he observed the stars last night and discovered something that he needs to report to Your Majesty in person.”
The Imperial Observatory... Yinzhen remained silent for a long while. Hongzhao was asleep, and his bedside was not a good place to discuss matters.
He stood up and tiptoed out of the inner hall, then sat down on an embroidered stool in the outer hall—"Bring him in."
Before long, a thin middle-aged man tiptoed in. Before entering, he had been instructed by Eunuch Su, so he spoke in a low voice: "Your subject, Ji Weisheng, the Chief Astrologer of the Imperial Observatory, pays his respects to Your Majesty."
Yinzhen did not speak, but raised his chin to indicate that he would continue.
Ji Weisheng remained kneeling, not rising until he received the Emperor's order. He continued kneeling and recounted all the celestial phenomena he had observed the previous night and his various calculations for the day.
"Your Majesty, I observed the stars last night. The star Tianji was as bright as ever, but suddenly it was obscured by dark clouds, making it dim. Such a celestial phenomenon is a sign of illness and misfortune. Within the palace, it coincides with the Crown Prince's sudden illness. I urge Your Majesty to take this very seriously. Otherwise, if the starlight is completely obscured, it will be extremely unfavorable for the main star!"
The more Yinzhen listened, the faster the ring in his hand spun; the pile of things was giving him a real headache.
"I raise you not to listen to your vague and ambiguous words. Tell me in detail what the cause is and how to resolve it."
Ji Weisheng was able to climb to the position of chief envoy by getting in touch with the Empress, so he was naturally not someone who couldn't understand what was being said. He could tell that the Emperor's tone was already full of impatience, so he quickly changed to the most concise language: "In my opinion, the constellation points to the northernmost part of the Imperial Garden, where there must be someone who is in conflict with His Highness the Crown Prince."
Northernmost side...
Ji Weisheng didn't look up at the Emperor's expression, but kept saying with his eyes down, "This person must have been in the palace for a long time, but recently he received the Emperor's favor and was tainted by the Emperor's dragon aura, which is why he has gained momentum in the stars and is pointing directly at the Crown Prince. If he is not controlled, he may also affect the Ziwei star."
Yinzhen's brows furrowed more and more, and he tensed up even more as Ji Weisheng finished speaking. "The northernmost part of the Imperial Garden...that's Shou'an Palace, Chunxi Hall..."
Su Peisheng chimed in with his analysis, “Shou’an Palace is no longer inhabited and has been empty for a long time. In Chunxi Palace, Consort Ye is currently residing, and today she has caught the Emperor’s eye quite a bit.”
Yes, the scope is only so big, so Yinzhen couldn't possibly not have figured it out. Over the past year, Ye Lanyi, who was as cold as ice, seemed to have finally been melted by him, becoming more and more gentle and charming, making him absolutely enamored with her. If there's anyone who has been brimming with imperial aura these days, it's none other than her.
If it were just a matter of discussing astrological clashes with others, their opinions might vary, but Yinzhen was different. Hongzhao had accurately predicted just how superstitious his father was at that moment. After all, he was the kind of person who could predict fortunes and have other people's eldest sons adopted out; he was easily swayed by such things.
However, the actual results were surprisingly good. Not only did Yinzhen believe Ji Weisheng's words without a doubt, but he even began to use them to illustrate other points.
He had been showering Ye Lanyi with affection since the beginning of the year, but his health had never truly recovered since then, and then one thing after another came up. Whether it was personal matters or national affairs, nothing was without its worries and anxieties.
Could it be that she caused trouble in the palace?
Hongzhao lay peacefully with his eyes closed, but when he heard the mind-reading device read this sentence, he almost burst out laughing. To be honest, Father Emperor, you have discovered the truth to some extent.
The more Yinzhen thought about it, the more he felt that all these symptoms matched up perfectly, and it really was true!
"How do you suggest we resolve this?" His posture had changed from being completely still to leaning forward, clearly indicating that he had been persuaded.
"As long as this person stays in the palace, he will absorb the Emperor's dragon energy. His Highness the Crown Prince is a young dragon whose energy has not yet fully developed, so he will be the first to be affected. After that, his sword will be aimed at the Purple Star."
In other words, if she doesn't leave the palace, neither of you will be alright.
On such matters, Yinzhen would not hesitate for a moment. After all, he only regarded Ye Lanyi as a plaything he was particularly interested in, and he had been pampering her because he was interested in her. But now that he knew that she was the "culprit" threatening the Crown Prince and himself, the choice was not difficult at all.
"Su Peisheng, go and convey the imperial decree. The Empress Dowager favored Consort Ye greatly during her lifetime. Now that the Empress Dowager has passed away, I have made a special exception and allow Consort Ye to keep vigil for the Empress Dowager. Tell her that I will grant her the rank of Noble Lady."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I'll go right away. As for the birthday banquet you prepared for the Crown Prince today, I wonder..."
Today happens to be the birthday of Hongzhao and Hongjin. Because of the Empress Dowager's matter, the palace cannot hold a grand celebration. Yinzhen had already ordered that a small family banquet be prepared and celebrated indoors. However, seeing Hongzhao's current state in the inner palace, having been unconscious all morning and not yet awake, it was clear that they would not be able to enjoy the banquet.
"Send it to Yongshou Palace and let the Empress and the children eat it. Also send it along with Hongjin's birthday gift. Tell them not to worry too much. I will take care of Hongzhao. Tell the Imperial Kitchen to make some soft and easy-to-digest food and serve it to Hongzhao when he wakes up."
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