Chapter 175 Cold Enters the Body
Because the Emperor had not yet descended from Lingyun Peak, the planned day trip had to be postponed. With the day growing increasingly late, Lü Jiaying arranged for several clean rooms to be prepared. This would allow her to decide whether the Emperor would stay or leave upon his return.
The Emperor hadn't returned yet, so naturally no one could rest. Everyone in the hall waited quietly. Lü Jiaying and Consort Jing exchanged a glance, both understanding the deeper meaning in each other's eyes. Even Consort Nian, who had been cultivating her character for the past two years, was irritably tugging at her sleeves, her annoyance evident. It wasn't until completely dark that two figures, one tall and one short, slowly appeared before everyone, surrounded by the Imperial Guards. All three had served the Emperor since his time at the Prince's residence, and they could generally gauge his mood from a distance. Seeing their tense demeanor, it was likely that he had already lost his temper.
"Greetings, Your Majesty."
"Greetings, Your Highness."
Although she didn't know exactly what had happened, Lü Jiaying glanced at the emperor's eldest son beside him and received a slight shake of the head. She gradually got the gist of it.
She straightened her posture with a composed expression, a hint of worry in her eyes, and went to greet the emperor from afar. "Greetings, Your Majesty. I have finished leading everyone in the prayers and have ordered several rooms in the meditation hall to be prepared. It is late and the dew is heavy today, so it is not good to travel. Why don't we rest here for now?"
Yinzhen nodded slightly without saying anything. He was in no mood to speak at the moment, and his brows had been furrowed tightly ever since. "The Empress has thought things through. Just make the arrangements as you see fit. Don't delay tomorrow's court session."
After saying this, he led Hongzhao straight past the crowd. Everyone thought that the emperor was in a bad mood and was particularly cold to the empress, but who would have thought that the emperor would just walk through the crowd of people bowing and pay their respects without anyone even getting a glance from him. This made everyone at Ganlu Temple clearly understand a principle.
Even though the Emperor was in a bad mood and didn't want to talk, he still managed to give the Empress a few gentle words of advice. This shows the Empress's position in the Emperor's heart. Not to mention the Crown Prince, who was always by the Emperor's side. He was truly the Emperor's most cherished son, and you can see that no matter how angry the Emperor was, he never let him go.
Now, who in the entire capital and the entire Qing Dynasty doesn't know that the current Crown Prince is the Emperor's darling, no less so than the late Emperor and the deposed Crown Prince?
That very night, the path leading to Lingyun Peak was blocked by several guards brought by the Emperor, and no one was allowed to take another step there. As for the deposed Consort Zhen, who resided there, a gag order was issued to everyone at Ganlu Temple.
"From now on, just pretend that this person never existed at Ganlu Temple. If anyone spreads any rumors, they'd better watch their tongue."
Perhaps it was anger that triggered his anger, or perhaps it was the sudden chill of the mountaintop that invaded his body, but not long after returning to his room that evening, Yinzhen developed a low-grade fever. Since Su Peisheng was not around, it was Hongzhao who first noticed.
"Xiao Dezi, go and inform Mother that Father is ill. It is really inconvenient outside the palace. Let's go back to the palace tonight."
He raised his hand to feel the temperature of his father's forehead. It wasn't very hot at the moment, but he was worried that if it was delayed any longer, it would become a full-blown fever. The worry between his brows became more obvious, and his voice was filled with urgency—"Hasn't Physician Zhou arrived yet? The carriage of the Emperor must be sealed tightly. Not a single breath can get in. You all need to be careful in your work."
At this point, Yinzhen only had a low-grade fever; his temperature had just risen and he wasn't feeling too unwell yet. Seeing how anxious Hongzhao was, he couldn't help but raise his hand and gently press his forehead twice, his voice noticeably hoarse and nasal. "Alright, it's just a cold; I'm fine."
He had been tense and his suppressed emotions made people afraid to approach him, but his illness had softened his expression considerably. "You are the Crown Prince. If I were to fall ill, I would need you to oversee the affairs of state. How can you be so impatient?"
Although he said that, the softened lines of his face and the large hand gently resting on Hongzhao's shoulder clearly showed that he was in a good mood and quite pleased with Hongzhao's performance just now.
Hongzhao did not relax at all upon hearing this. Instead, he moved closer, took his father's hand, and, imitating the imperial physician's actions last time, found an acupoint and began to massage it. He was extremely serious and did not look up. He pouted and said stubbornly, "Father is not that sick. You still have the mood to tease your son. What do you mean by being reasonable or unreasonable? After you go back, take your medicine, and sleep, Father will be much better."
It was rare for his son, who was usually very good at being teased, to get angry after a few words of teasing. Yinzhen even looked at him with a strange smile. It seemed that only his son, You'er, could make him forget his worries and be happy.
The father and son were talking when a sudden commotion at the door interrupted their warm conversation. Two strong eunuchs lifted Zhou by his feet and carried him to the door of the emperor's meditation room.
His eyes were half-open and hazy, and his medicine box was hanging askew on his body. Even so, he didn't dare to delay for a moment, quickly bowed and stepped forward to take the emperor's pulse.
Just like Hongzhao's guess, Zhou Qi also said that judging from the pulse, Yinzhen was suffering from anger and a cold. He only needed a prescription to take it every day, and as long as he didn't get a high fever, he would get better in a few days.
"Yes, I understand." Yinzhen lay back on the bed, knowing his own body well. Apart from feeling dizzy and weak, he had no other symptoms. Seeing this, he suddenly remembered something, put on a stern face, and solemnly instructed Hongzhao.
"You brat, did you hear what Physician Zhou Qi said? I'm fine, just two doses of medicine will do." Yinzhen's dark eyes held a threatening glint—"If you do anything foolish again, I will absolutely not let you off easily!"
Seeing his worried expression, Hongzhao leisurely patted his father's arm to comfort him, "Father, don't worry, as long as you get better soon, your son is also very afraid of pain."
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