Chapter 145 Fifteen Jin of Charcoal
In addition to Physician Xiao, the Empress also summoned two highly skilled physicians from the Imperial Hospital to examine Emperor Jian'an, one of whom was Physician Liu, who was proficient in traumatology and orthopedics.
He was specifically instructed by Physician Xiao to be summoned so that he could determine whether Emperor Jian'an had a skull fracture.
Physician Liu carefully touched Emperor Jian'an's skull with a silk handkerchief through his hand, gently tracing around the wound: "There is no obvious displacement or depression, which is good news, but a bone fracture is unavoidable."
With so much blood lost, it's definitely not just a simple injury to the skin.
If it is intracranial hemorrhage, the situation could become very serious. Doctor Xiao used acupuncture to stop the bleeding for Emperor Jian'an, but the acupuncture has a time limit and must be removed when the time comes.
The next step is to see if Emperor Jian'an's head will absorb the blood inside on its own. If it can absorb it all, he may regain consciousness; if it cannot, he may remain in a coma.
The imperial physicians inside were completely focused on saving Emperor Jian'an, while the empress, the crown prince, and the officials all stood guard in the outer hall, not daring to disturb the physicians' work.
The Empress's tears never dried. She already knew the whole story, and she really wanted to drag out and behead the officials who suggested going to the city wall to watch the charcoal carts because of this accident involving Emperor Jian'an.
But Emperor Jian'an was still undergoing emergency treatment, and this wasn't the time to discuss this. She didn't know how long the imperial physicians would need to stay inside. She glanced at the bloodstains on the Crown Prince and couldn't help but sigh, "Chengming, go back to the palace and change your clothes before coming back. The imperial physicians probably won't be able to treat your father's injuries so quickly..."
Because he had been holding Emperor Jian'an's head, the Crown Prince's body was inevitably stained with a lot of blood, and his face was also very pale. The worry in his eyes was no less than that in the Empress's eyes.
Yang Shimin nodded to the Crown Prince: "Your Highness, please go. Your Majesty and I will stay here and guard you."
The Crown Prince stood up and walked out of the hall. He glanced at Li Xiaoxiao out of the corner of his eye and then gestured for the six guards to follow him.
Back at the East Palace, the Crown Princess greeted him with a worried expression: "I heard that Father Emperor fell from the city wall, and I was just about to go see him. You—"
She stared in astonishment at the bloodstains on the Crown Prince's body. Could this be the Emperor's blood?
The Crown Prince instructed her: "Go and find me a set of casual clothes. Everyone except Li Xiaoxiao, please leave."
The guards obeyed and immediately filed out. The Crown Princess glanced at Li Xiaoxiao, knowing that the Crown Prince had something to say to her, which was why he wanted her to find him clothes. She also tactfully withdrew.
The Crown Prince looked at Li Xiaoxiao with a deep gaze: "Did you see Father Emperor fall?"
Li Xiaoxiao's heart sank, but a look of surprise appeared on her face at just the right moment: "Yes, everyone saw it."
The crown prince stared at her, his eyes bloodshot: "Tell me honestly, if you had given it your all, could you have saved him back then?"
Li Xiaoxiao vehemently denied it: "Does Your Highness know where I am standing? I am standing behind the Imperial Guards, and in front of me is the eunuch next to Eunuch Liang. His Majesty is practically falling from the top of the city wall. We are so high and far apart, and there are so many people in front of us. How could I possibly reach him?"
There is absolutely no way that Li Xiaoxiao would admit that she could save Emperor Jian'an.
He sighed deeply and let himself sit down on the stool helplessly: "I'm sorry, I was just being presumptuous. I always thought you were incredibly strong and that there was nothing in this world that could stump you."
But only he knew that his feelings were complicated. He felt a sense of relief, a sense of contradiction, and a hidden sense of satisfaction that he was unwilling to admit, all because Li Xiaoxiao was unable to save Emperor Jian'an.
He immediately shook his head to banish the inappropriate thought. He was the crown prince, and also a son. He must not let such thoughts occupy his mind, lest others see through his disguise.
Looking at the Crown Prince, who seemed to be caught in a deep dilemma, Li Xiaoxiao couldn't help but ask, "Is Your Highness regretting it?"
After all, the road to the south had been opened, and he had arranged for the coal from Jinzhou to enter the city. However, he never expected that it would cause Emperor Jian'an to fall from the city wall.
The crown prince was startled, thinking that his secret had been discovered, and couldn't help but look up at her.
Li Xiaoxiao said, "It was just an accident. Who would have thought that His Majesty would personally climb the city tower to see it at the urging of his officials? Moreover, the distance from Taiji Hall to the city tower is not short. His Majesty didn't even take a sedan chair and climbed up the tower. Who would have thought that he would slip and fall?"
The Crown Prince immediately recalled the scene when he helped Emperor Jian'an up the city wall, and said in a low voice, "Actually, that stretch of road must have been very difficult for Father. I helped him up the city wall, but after we got up there, the people came to pay their respects, and he was probably so happy that he forgot that his legs were too weak..." That's why his legs went weak when he came down the stairs and he fell down.
He knew that Emperor Jian'an's fall was an accident, but this accident also seemed somewhat reasonable; he should have thought of it sooner.
Li Xiaoxiao said, "Your Highness doesn't have time to be sad and upset here. You need to think about what to do next immediately. What if His Majesty wakes up? What if His Majesty doesn't wake up?"
The Crown Prince closed his eyes, took a long breath, and when he opened them again, his eyes were much more determined: "There is nothing I can do now, the only thing I can do is to stay by Father's side without sleep until he wakes up!"
Li Xiaoxiao was stunned. That's it?
The Crown Prince said, “If you don’t understand this, you might as well go out and ask your young master. While things are still in a mess and the people around Father haven’t reacted yet, you should hurry out of the palace and deliver a message to Pang Shi: everything should be done according to my previous arrangements, and don’t act on your own.”
With the emperor unconscious, everyone's attention will be focused on him, especially those around Emperor Jian'an, who will pay close attention to his every move, and he can do nothing.
Li Xiaoxiao was a little worried: "Will this affect the imperial examination?"
The Crown Prince gave her a deep look and said firmly, "I assure you, absolutely not. Rong Si will leave the palace under the pretext of going out to buy supplies. Change into inconspicuous clothes and go out with him. After you leave, do whatever you need to do. Don't go near the East Palace unless necessary. We'll talk about everything after everything has settled down."
Li Xiaoxiao agreed. Soon after, the Crown Princess brought out the Crown Prince's everyday clothes, and Rong Si also brought her a palace maid's outfit. After changing, she and another palace maid followed behind Rong Si and secretly slipped out of the palace.
The crown prince changed into clean clothes and immediately returned to guard outside the Taiji Hall.
Li Xiaoxiao returned the day after entering the palace, which surprised Meng Guanqi: "What happened? Why did you come back early?"
Li Xiaoxiao pulled him back to the courtyard, then stood by the wall and said, "Wait a moment, I'll pass on a message to Madam Pang first." As soon as she finished speaking, she kicked twice on the wall and leaped over it like a light swallow into the Pang residence.
Before half a cup of tea could be brewed, she leaped back from the other side of the wall. Meng Guanqi covered his head and said, "Couldn't you have used the front door?"
Who would just rummage through someone else's house like that? That's incredibly rude.
Li Xiaoxiao pulled his hand and led him into the house: "The matter is rather urgent, and I don't know if anyone is watching me, so it's better if I don't go through the main gate of the Pang residence."
Meng Guanqi asked in surprise, "What happened?"
Li Xiaoxiao pulled Meng Guanqi into the house with a serious expression: "Did you hear about the Emperor climbing the city tower this morning to watch the coal carts from Jinzhou enter the city?"
Meng Guanqi said, "I heard that too many people rushed to the city gate, and there was almost a stampede. Later, the yamen runners from the Jingzhao Prefecture came out to maintain order and brought the situation under control."
Li Xiaoxiao said in a deep voice, "After the Emperor finished watching the charcoal carts enter the city, he fell down the city wall."
Meng Guanqi was taken aback: "What?! Was the fall serious?"
Li smiled and said, "It wasn't a light fall. He hit his head, and judging from the way he fell, his knees probably aren't good either."
Meng Guanqi was stunned for a long time. With the imperial examinations just around the corner, how could such an accident have happened to the emperor?
He immediately said, "Tell me in detail what exactly happened?"
So Li Xiaoxiao then recounted in detail how she heard the military generals announce good news while standing outside the Taiji Hall, and how Emperor Jian'an was persuaded by his sycophantic officials to go up to the city tower to watch the charcoal carts line up to enter the city and the people line up to welcome them.
After listening, Meng Guanqi remained silent for a while: "This is truly an unexpected surprise."
However, this unexpected event was closely related to the Crown Prince, and it was he who offered the plan to the Crown Prince. Doesn't this mean that he indirectly caused this tragedy?
But who could have imagined that Emperor Jian'an would personally climb the city wall to watch the charcoal carts enter the city? And who could have imagined that with so many people protecting him, he would still fall from the city wall?
Meng Guanqi asked, "How is the Crown Prince?"
Li smiled and said, "The Crown Prince told me to hurry out and inform Pang Shi not to act rashly, and that there's nothing he can do right now..."
Meng Guanqi interjected, "He really can't do anything right now. He can only be a dutiful son. Before His Majesty wakes up, he won't get involved in any state affairs, and he won't even continue making arrangements for the things he used to handle. So, in a hurry, he could only send you out to deliver a message to Pang Shi, just in case Pang Shi is unaware of the situation and ruins his plans."
Li Xiaoxiao frowned: "Why is that? The emperor is unconscious, shouldn't the crown prince be overseeing the country?"
Meng Guanqi looked at her intently and said in a low voice, "If His Majesty is not well, why should he worry about not being able to oversee the country? If His Majesty is well, then everything he did while His Majesty was ill will become a sharp blade aimed at him, making him feared by the monarch. The Crown Prince's status is already sensitive. When the emperor is ill, he can do nothing but attend to his sick father without taking off his clothes, lest His Majesty settle scores with him after he wakes up."
Li Xiaoxiao's forehead throbbed as she listened, and she suddenly sighed, "Life must be so tiring for you guys~"
Even though they are already extremely wealthy and have no worries about food and clothing, why do they still have so many endless troubles?
Just like the Crown Prince, he was clearly second only to the emperor, but what she saw was that he was constantly restrained, targeted, and plotted against, his heart torn and bleeding, yet he still had to pretend that nothing was wrong and maintain the qualified image of a "successor." She was exhausted just watching him.
Seeing the displeasure in her eyes, Meng Guanqi recalled her carefree and unrestrained nature. She had always longed for a free and unfettered life, but because she had to be with him, she had to endure people and things she disliked. He couldn't help but step forward and hug her tightly. "Throughout history, crown princes have had to go through numerous selections and tests to reach the top. The current crown prince's life is so difficult because he has a capricious and suspicious father who wants him to be good, but also hates him for being too good. He always tries to use his power to check him and can't stand to see him living a good life. That's why his situation is so difficult."
Sensing the low spirits of the person in his arms, he gently kissed her hair and sighed, "If you don't like hearing this, then let's not listen, okay? Anyway, the Crown Prince can't do anything now, and we're far outside the palace walls. You can just stay home and have fun these days. After the imperial examination results are released, we'll pick the closest day to get married~"
Li Xiaoxiao was overjoyed and looked up, saying, "Really?" She really didn't have to worry about the Emperor and Crown Prince's troublesome affairs anymore?
Meng Guanqi laughed and said, "Of course, I won't care anymore."
Li Xiaoxiao smiled broadly, but when she thought of the seriously injured Emperor Jian'an, her smile suddenly vanished. She nestled sullenly in Meng Guanqi's arms and said, "Actually, when the Emperor fell from the city wall, if I had given it my all, I could have saved him..."
Meng Guanqi froze, staring at her in surprise. But then, remembering the grudge she had with Emperor Jian'an because of him, he instantly understood: "It's because the Emperor used your life to blackmail the Crown Prince into sparing the Sixth Prince. You must still be upset about that, right?"
Li Xiaoxiao nodded without hesitation. Who was she? She was the savior of the entire Eastern Palace. She had saved the Crown Prince three times, and she had also saved the Crown Princess and Aze. Otherwise, the Eastern Palace would have been destroyed by the Sixth Prince's scheme long ago.
Emperor Jian'an was ruthless enough to threaten the Crown Prince with her life to stop pursuing the Sixth Prince's wrongdoing. But the Crown Prince couldn't learn his cruelty and immediately yielded. She was safe, but she couldn't swallow her anger. She figured she'd never have the chance to confront Emperor Jian'an directly in this lifetime, but seeing him in trouble, she was just trying to smother him; why would she be expected to save him?
She was never some saint who repaid evil with good.
She was depressed for a long time because she hadn't been able to get revenge. When she saw him fall from the city wall, her kind nature stirred for a moment, and she hesitated whether to save him. But after reflecting on his actions, she realized that he was not worth saving at all!
So when she saw him fall like that, she only had one thought in her mind: This is karma...
Your son's life is precious, but those three innocent children are also your own grandchildren. How could you possibly betray your conscience to do something like protecting the sixth prince?
Meng Guanqi said in a low voice, "You didn't tell the Crown Prince that you could have saved him, did you?"
Li Xiaoxiao glared at him: "I'm not stupid!"
Meng Guanqi couldn't help but reach out and ruffle her hair, saying softly, "Yes, of course our Xiaoxiao isn't stupid. You're the smartest and most capable one in the whole family. You even know that you can't tell anyone else about this, you only told me. But there's one thing: you can't mention it to anyone except me, understand? Otherwise, we'll have countless troubles."
Li smiled and said, "Of course I know. I wasn't planning to tell you before I met you."
If only I could keep this from him too, this silly girl.
Looking across the world, who dares to openly admit to having a grudge against the emperor? And whose grudge is so great that they wouldn't even want to help him if they saw him fall down right in front of them?
But she was completely devoted to him and told him everything.
Li Xiaoxiao stopped paying attention to Emperor Jian'an's affairs, but rumors had begun to circulate that Emperor Jian'an was ill, and the Crown Prince was taking care of him day and night, even fainting several times. Currently, political affairs were being decided by several cabinet ministers.
The imperial examinations were fast approaching, and over five thousand candidates had gathered in the capital. They anxiously awaited the temperature to rise, but their spirits grew lower with each passing day. Then, on February 18th, a notice was suddenly posted in front of the examination hall:
Given the unusually high temperature this year, which is the worst in thirty years and cannot be adequately protected by a few thin layers of clothing, the Cabinet and the Ministry of Rites have decided that candidates will be allowed to purchase 15 catties of charcoal for each examination session for heating purposes. Apart from this, all other rules for this year's examinations will remain the same as usual.
The announcement caused an uproar throughout the capital. The candidates spread the news with great joy: "We're saved! We're saved! Finally, we have charcoal to keep warm!"
Several older scholars, recalling the cold wave thirty years ago, couldn't help but shed tears: "If His Majesty had been so lenient back then and allowed the scholars to use charcoal for warmth, those exceptionally talented scholars wouldn't have frozen to death in the examination hall."
Many candidates had heard of this incident, but some, less informed, had never heard of it before and quickly came forward to inquire: "Did many candidates freeze to death thirty years ago?"
The old scholar nodded gravely: "More than ten people froze to death on the spot, and more than three hundred suffered frostbite. Although it was called frostbite, many of them couldn't be saved even after being sent to the clinic. No one knows the exact number of people who actually froze to death..."
Another old scholar sighed, "Among the dozen or so people who froze to death, there was a pair of brothers who were the most tragic. The elder brother was Zheng Chuyang, who was the most famous scholar in the country, and the younger brother was Zheng Fuyang, who followed closely behind. The two brothers were already famous throughout the country when they were scholars, and they came from the prestigious Zheng family. They participated in the spring examination together. I heard that the Zheng family had already prepared a celebration for the two scholars from the same family. In the end, the two brothers were fine in every way except that they were a little weak. They couldn't withstand the cold wave and had a high fever for three days and three nights. They both passed away before the first round was over..."
It's tragic, so tragic. The Zheng family lost two geniuses because of a cold wave. The Zheng family was greatly affected and it took them more than ten years to raise their next Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination). He was the son of the elder brother, Zheng Chuyang, who has now become the Provincial Governor of Shanxi. He is also a person of extraordinary talent.
The old scholar exclaimed excitedly, "If the imperial court had been like it is this year, allowing us to buy fifteen catties of charcoal for warmth, that tragedy would not have happened."
The remaining scholars were speechless with sadness. After this tragedy, Emperor Jian'an regarded it as a major mistake after his ascension to the throne and did everything he could to prevent the historians from writing it down truthfully. As a result, no major formal publishing houses could find this history. On the contrary, the scholars who personally experienced it in the second year of Jian'an left a few notes on the event, which did not spread widely.
But now that the new policy of subsidizing charcoal and firewood has been introduced, this matter can no longer be kept secret. The elderly scholars who had heard about the case came forward and recounted the events of that year in detail.
But the scholars who had frozen to death could never return. Now, with a cold wave that only comes once every thirty years, this year's scholars were undoubtedly lucky to witness the court's corrective action after thirty years. Many knelt and kowtowed towards the direction of the palace, saying, "Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty!"
"Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty!"
But some well-informed and influential candidates spread new inside information: "I heard that it was His Highness the Crown Prince who suggested to the cabinet that we be allowed to buy charcoal. The snow in the capital is not melting for a long time, and there is a shortage of charcoal and firewood. He spent a lot of money to purchase 100,000 catties of charcoal from Jinzhou for us to keep on hand, and he persuaded the cabinet and the Ministry of Rites to allow us to light charcoal in our cells to keep warm..."
"It's the Crown Prince!"
"It really is him! We've long heard of the Crown Prince's wisdom and virtue, and now he's truly done us a great favor!"
The news spread like wildfire, reaching every scholar in the capital within a single day.
Standing by the inn's window, Headmaster Gu nodded in satisfaction: "The Crown Prince's move is excellent. This generation of scholars will surely respect him. It's truly a good thing!"
Meng Guanqi picked up the small red clay stove that was bubbling loudly: "It's cold outside, sir, why don't you come in and have some tea?"
Headmaster Gu smiled slightly, walked over and sat down opposite him: "In such cold weather, you went out wearing only two thin layers of clothing. Aren't you afraid of catching a cold and affecting tomorrow's exam?"
Meng Guanqi extended his hand: "Sir, please pinch my arm."
Headmaster Gu was taken aback, and as instructed, he reached out and squeezed it. He felt its firmness and asked in surprise, "It's been three months. Have you developed an iron body?"
Meng Guanqi laughed heartily: "Although it's not that exaggerated, it's not far off. The students have really put in a lot of effort to resist the cold before we can see the results."
Headmaster Gu said with relief, "It's good that you're prepared. Although the examination hall can buy charcoal, there are only fifteen catties. If you keep burning it, it may not last until the third day. The best way is to burn it at night while you sleep to make sure you don't catch a cold when you fall asleep."
Having learned his lesson, Meng Guanqi brought up another topic: "I wonder if the teacher is satisfied with the answer sheet submitted by the Crown Prince this time?"
Headmaster Gu looked at Meng Guanqi, a look of disbelief suddenly appearing in his eyes: "You didn't teach him this, did you? You schemed against your teacher?"
Meng Guanqi laughed and said, "I wouldn't dare. I was just making a suggestion. It's difficult to actually do it, but it's clear that His Highness the Crown Prince has already submitted his answer. Regardless of how he achieved his goal, we'll only look at the result."
Headmaster Gu shook his head: "You know, although I've known for a long time that you have a connection with the Crown Prince, the world still belongs to His Majesty. Why are you so biased towards the Crown Prince?"
Meng Guanqi lowered his eyes. He supported the Crown Prince only because the Crown Prince was sincere and trustworthy, a man to be relied upon. As for Emperor Jian'an, he wasn't a true villain, but he was a complete hypocrite.
The things a hypocrite does, at best, are trivial matters within his own family; at worst, they are major events that can affect the entire nation.
In fact, just like Li Xiaoxiao, if he had been there that day and seen Emperor Jian'an fall in front of him, he wouldn't have reached out to stop him.
However, although he had such thoughts, he could never say them aloud.
After Li Wenkui's death, the Crown Prince had been suffering for too long and needed a strategist like Master Gu to advise him. However, he was too young, and the Meng family did not support him. Even if he joined the Eastern Palace Chamberlain's Office, the impact of his actions would be limited.
So he decided to proceed step by step, according to the established procedures.
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