Chapter 239 Three Days
As it turned out, her fears were justified.
This year, Beijing has been experiencing continuous rain since the beginning of July, with the sun rarely seen for days on end. Yet, the summer heat shows no signs of abating, making the Forbidden City feel like a sauna.
As was already sensitive to heat and in poor health, Yinzhen unsurprisingly fell ill again.
To be honest, he's been plagued by illnesses, both major and minor, throughout the year. This latest ailment, if traced back to its source, is heatstroke. After all, Yinzhen was still using a charcoal brazier and wearing autumn clothes as summer was approaching. But unfortunately, the usual treatments for heatstroke are no longer effective for him.
Setting out two ice basins and serving several bowls of herbal tea? That would mean you don't need treatment for heatstroke, you need to save your life first.
Even a slightly stronger medicine would cause an adverse reaction in the emperor's body.
The imperial physicians were now scratching their heads, not knowing what to do. Was it really true that they couldn't find even the slightest solution?
No, that's not the case.
There are a few imperial physicians skilled in this area, but how to prescribe the medicine? What dosage? What if they worsen the emperor's illness, especially since his health is so weak now? If something were to happen, who would dare take responsibility? Wouldn't the heads of nine generations of one's family be enough to warrant execution?
Currently, apart from prescribing some harmless medications to maintain their health, they can't do anything else.
It was quite surprising, to be honest.
Although the Emperor was plagued by illness, his mind remained clear. The only imperial edict he issued was not about everyone attending to his illness or ministers listening to his pronouncements, but rather that the Crown Prince must remain by his side every day. He could not easily leave except when attending court, and even ordered the Thirteenth Prince and Fourteenth Prince to take turns accompanying him.
Outsiders who heard this simply said, "The Emperor and the Crown Prince's affection is indeed deep; at this moment, he wants to stay by his son's side at all times."
But Hongzhao knew that his father wanted to prevent him from using blood as medicine as before.
After telling lies for so long, I almost started to believe them myself, that my blood really had such miraculous effects. Unfortunately, it was a "fake".
At this moment... he really wished he had that ability.
Yinzhen was very thin on his sickbed. Although he was not emaciated, he was indeed very thin. He often needed to take a long breath before speaking, but the breath would dissipate after only a few words. After a few sentences, he would be short of breath, and night sweats and nightmares accompanied him every day.
Hongzhao saw all of this, and his face grew more gloomy day by day. He could only manage a forced smile in front of his father to make him laugh. When he went out, the heavy aura of depression on his body made people afraid to get close to him.
Although Yinzhen is now lying in bed, how could he not know what his son is thinking? Besides, there are eyes everywhere outside. Seeing Hongzhao's deep thoughts, he couldn't help but feel gratified, but at the same time, he couldn't help but worry.
That day, just as Hongzhao came over again with a stack of memorials, his face bearing a smile even uglier than cool, intending to read them to him, Yinzhen, for the first time ever, refused him.
He turned his head away and deliberately closed his eyes. "I'm tired. These trivial matters are annoying me. I don't want to hear them anymore."
If there's one good thing about this illness, it's probably that Yinzhen no longer has to deliberately make his voice sound cold and harsh. His persistent low-grade fever has made his voice sound like it's been cut by a razor blade, and it's so hoarse that his original tone is unrecognizable.
Hongzhao paused, then casually closed the memorial he had just read a couple of lines of, nodding in agreement. "Yes, Father is right. This person's writing is poor; we might as well not read it. I also brought the travelogue you were halfway through reading. I haven't read that book either; let's take a look together, father and son."
He opened the travelogue that he hadn't flipped through many times, but before he could find the one his father had seen last time, he heard that rough, hoarse voice say again, "Most travelogues describe the beautiful landscapes. I'm in such a state now that I need help to get out of bed. Reading them will only add to my troubles."
Hongzhao's breath hitched, and the forced smile on his face gradually faded, eventually turning into a bitter look between his brows.
When Yinzhen heard the child behind him suddenly fall silent, he closed his eyes heavily in frustration.
He didn't mean to say that, but being ill for a long time, his words carried a hint of sarcasm.
He couldn't help himself after all. He turned his head back and met Hongzhao's gaze. Hongzhao's eyes were downcast, his mouth turned down, and he just stared at him without saying a word.
His heart softened immediately, and he put aside all thoughts of setting an example and giving final instructions.
This scene inexplicably reminded him of the first time he intended to lose his temper with Hongzhao. At that time, he wanted to teach that fearless brat a lesson, so he deliberately ignored him and remained silent on the way back with him.
It was the same back then. Before anything even happened, I couldn't hold back anymore and softened. Young Hongzhao, oblivious to everything, slept soundly in my arms, and even my one and only outburst of temper went unnoticed.
Looking at Hongzhao, who was gazing at him with sorrow and grievance, Yinzhen hoped that he could quickly grow into a ruthless and calm emperor, and not show such obvious emotions and desires to others. At the same time, he wondered why people had to be born, grow old, get sick and die. Wouldn't it be happier to always be a child in his arms?
Thinking this, he slowly stretched out his heavy arm and, taking advantage of the height of Hongzhao kneeling on the footstool, snorted twice on the top of his stubble head.
"Alright, you're the Crown Prince, this isn't proper. Is this how your father taught you?"
Seeing that Hongzhao refused to speak, Yinzhen didn't mind and continued speaking to himself: "A ruler should not easily let others see through his thoughts. He should not eat more than three meals a day, and he should not show his joy, anger, sorrow or happiness on his face. This is the right way. Otherwise, if others find a handle or weakness, you will be the one who suffers."
Hongzhao, at his age, had also had similar temperaments. He recalled the late emperor's assessment of him: "Unpredictable in his moods, harsh and ungrateful."
This gradually shaped him into the cold-faced Fourth Master in the eyes of others.
The process was undeniably painful, but the benefits were also quite obvious.
He couldn't bring himself to say the same things to Hongzhao so that he would "make a firm decision and repent," so he could only try to reason with him, even with his hoarse voice.
“Hongzhao, you have always been the one I am most proud of. You are doing much better than I was back then. But being the ruler of a country is not easy. If there were more time, I could have held on for you for a few more years. I have never wanted to force you to learn anything. It’s a pity that time is too short…” A soft sigh, the voice as light as a feather brushing against people’s hearts.
Yes, the time was too short.
Hongzhao raised his head, the crimson in his eyes and the constantly bobbing Adam's apple revealing the turbulent inner world beneath his silent exterior.
How come there are only three days left?
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