Chapter 109 The Sickly and Tyrannical Crown Prince 7
Chaos reigned inside Chongming Hall.
"It's all your fault! If anything happens to my son, I won't live either!" The Empress cried, lying by the bedside.
The emperor was even more anxious than she was, turning around and roaring, "What are you all standing there for? Go and fetch the imperial physician!"
Fortunately, the Crown Prince was in poor health, so most of the imperial physicians had already moved from the Imperial Hospital to the Eastern Palace to live permanently. They arrived shortly with their medicine chests and skillfully took Xie Rong's pulse.
“Your Majesty and Your Majesty need not worry,” the imperial physician said, his expression softening slightly as he carefully placed the crown prince’s wrist back under the covers.
"Your Highness has been suffering from emotional distress for a long time. Today, you vomited up the stagnant blood, which is actually beneficial to your health. I will prescribe a mild tonic, and you will be able to get out of bed again in a few days."
"Then I am relieved," the Empress said, regaining her composure and glancing at the Emperor. "It would be better for Your Majesty to visit the Eastern Palace less often in the future."
The emperor chuckled, "I was just worried and confused. I was afraid he would go astray. After all, he will inherit my empire in the future. How can he be as unruly as he was when he was a child?"
The Empress snorted coldly, wiped the cold sweat from Xie Rong's forehead with a handkerchief, and then tucked the blanket around him. Her eyes welled up with tears again.
"Then I'll be going now," the emperor asked tentatively. Seeing that she ignored him, he turned and left.
The Empress's face turned cold as she waved everyone away. "In my opinion, he has no real intention of coming to see my son."
Granny Xu whispered, "His Majesty's sudden attack today doesn't seem like mere rumors; it's more like someone is sabotaging us. Your Highness, you should..."
“My son has grown up and always has his own ideas. I can’t always be with him, so let him handle this matter himself.”
After Empress Xue finished speaking, she waited until Xie Rong woke up in the night and watched him obediently drink the medicine before leaving.
As soon as Empress Xue left, Xie Rong's smile vanished, replaced by a gloomy expression.
"Summon all the servants of the Crown Prince's Palace to me."
Knowing that the accounting was about to begin, Eunuch Gao dared not delay and hurriedly led several eunuchs to call for help.
After a cup of tea, the palace servants knelt on the ground in a huge crowd.
"I'll give you all a stick of incense. Whoever said something they shouldn't have outside, step forward. Otherwise, all of you," Xie Rong said, sitting on the edge of the couch in a fox fur cloak, lightly kicking the charcoal brazier beside him, "will each receive a piece of red charcoal."
The head maid said calmly from the side, "This red charcoal is a good thing. Not only does it burn brightly, but it is also difficult to extinguish when it comes into contact with water."
At first, no one spoke up. Xie Rong's patience ran out, and he casually pointed to someone he didn't like, "Let's start feeding him."
Two palace guards stepped forward, pried open the eunuch's mouth, and were about to stuff charcoal inside.
"Your Highness! Your Highness, spare me!" the eunuch cried out in terror. "Last night I saw Xiao Anzi sneaking out of the room. He must have colluded with other palace officials to slander Your Highness!"
The eunuch named Xiao Anzi turned pale and began to accuse others.
Chaos erupted in Chongming Palace, with eunuchs and palace maids dragging out a whole host of people.
Xie Rong ignored these people and instead ordered someone to bring forward a eunuch who had remained quiet throughout.
"Your Highness, this servant has always been law-abiding!" The eunuch was clearly somewhat astonished.
"Who gave you permission to remain untainted in my Eastern Palace?" Xie Rong said coldly, "If even one of these people betrays him, then none of them can be trusted. I would rather kill the innocent than let the guilty go free."
The eunuch's screams echoed throughout the entire hall.
Being exposed means being fed charcoal, and being too well-behaved also means being fed charcoal. At this moment, the remaining palace maids and eunuchs all rushed to recount in detail everything they had done in the past few days, including when they stole a dumpling from the imperial kitchen, when they poured a basin of water on another palace servant's bed, and when they slacked off while on duty.
Since they all work in the Eastern Palace, it's impossible for one person to be alone. Whether they spoke or not, the truth will be revealed once they exchanged words.
A palace maid cried and said, "Last night I lingered in the bedchamber for a while, but actually I stole Your Highness's jade hairpin while you were asleep."
He then presented a jade hairpin with both hands.
Eunuch Gao examined it for a moment, then bowed and presented it to Xie Rong, saying, "It does indeed resemble His Highness's hairpin."
Xie Rong extended her pale fingertips and slowly stroked the pure white orange blossom on the jade hairpin.
It has a cool and smooth feel, and is translucent and lustrous. It is a top-quality Hetian jade without any flaws.
"Little Gao, do you remember when my fifth brother used to imitate me and wear the same clothes as me?" Xie Rong suddenly asked.
Eunuch Gao bowed and said, "Of course I remember. Later, His Highness cut off the Fifth Prince's clothes and burned his hair. To this day, the Fifth Prince still dares not step into the East Palace."
Xie Rong curled her lips and met the palace maid's nervous gaze. "You're lying."
"I will reward you with two pieces of charcoal."
After another scream, Eunuch Gao noticed his expression and ordered his men to drag the already dead palace maid up.
Xie Rong bent down, pinched the jade hairpin, and inserted it into the maid's mouth. "Send it to the Fifth Prince. This is my first time giving a gift, and I hope he will like it."
"As for you," Xie Rong said, "you will be dealt with according to palace rules."
Having suddenly escaped death, the palace rules stipulated that at most they would receive a few strokes of the cane. The palace servants were overjoyed and kowtowed to express their gratitude.
"Where is the West Wind?" Xie Rong asked, turning his head.
"Does Your Highness want to watch the beast fights again?" Eunuch Gao asked with a smile.
"Which of those slaves hasn't had a turn yet?" Xie Rong asked.
Eunuch Gao hesitated and said, "Only Ah Chou is left. I'm afraid his injuries haven't healed yet, and he might spoil Your Highness's mood again."
“His injuries haven’t healed because he’s useless,” Xie Rong said coldly. “I don’t care. I want to see.”
Once Xifeng defeats this group of northern warriors, he will appoint Xifeng as a general and lead him to fight on the frontier!
Xie Rong became more and more excited as he thought about it. These warriors from the northern frontier, who couldn't even beat a dog, were no match for Xifeng!
In front of the sleeping quarters, a man and a dog faced off.
Lu Yuanju remained expressionless, while the mastiff bared its teeth, poised to strike.
Xie Rong sat by the charcoal brazier, holding a hand warmer. Although his lips were still bloodless, a faint blush of excitement rose on his cheeks.
"Your Highness, here's your ball." Eunuch Gao presented a embroidered ball.
Xie Rong took the ball, glanced at the person and the dog, and said, "Whoever can snatch the embroidered ball from my hand gets the bone, understand?"
"Woof!" The mastiff wagged its tail.
Lu Yuanju stared at the bone, unable to believe that his companions had fought with a dog for so many days over a bone that was considered insulting.
He's not that stupid dog, who would want a bone?
If it weren't for the sake of the reputation of the northern frontier, he wouldn't have bothered participating in this competition at all.
Lu Yuanju casually rolled up his sleeves, tightened his belt, and glanced at the embroidered ball in Xie Rong's hand.
I've only ever heard of throwing an embroidered ball to marry off a husband, I've never seen anyone throw an embroidered ball to tease a dog. Could this be another deliberate hint to him?
Lu Yuanju scoffed and tried to look away, but then he saw Xie Rongyi's legs move slightly.
The scene of him being forced to please the sickly prince that day uncontrollably reappeared before his eyes, and the cloying sweetness that he had washed away countless times swept back to him.
Lu Yuanju's face darkened.
They have no shame whatsoever.
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