Chapter 144 Unexpected
As evening approached, Rong Si indeed came to pick up Li Xiaoxiao. Li Xiaoxiao was dressed in men's clothing, and after putting on the armor, she looked incredibly dashing. She was extremely satisfied with this outfit.
Upon entering the East Palace, the Crown Prince was not there, but the Crown Princess and Aze were already waiting for her. Aze immediately transformed from the dignified and composed Prince into a chatterbox, chattering incessantly while pulling Li Xiaoxiao along, as if they hadn't seen each other for years.
You should know that they only met at Meng Liniang's wedding.
The three of them ate a meal together, and under her influence, Aze unknowingly ate two more bowls of rice and drank a bowl of soup.
He is now fully recovered, with a rosy complexion and bright eyes. What's remarkable is that the weight he gained outside did not diminish after entering the palace, but he didn't become exaggeratedly fat either; on the contrary, he looks very healthy.
The Crown Princess is now even advising him to eat less, worried that eating too much will cause indigestion.
The Crown Princess sighed, "In the past, the nannies would always beg him to eat one more bite with a bowl in hand. I never thought there would be a time like this when they're worried he'll overeat."
Li Xiaoxiao said, "Raising children can't be like raising orchids. If you're afraid of this and that, the children raised that way are often very fragile. You have to raise them a little rougher and more down-to-earth. Like our Rui Rui, when he was just learning to crawl, we often took him to climb the earthen slopes of Zimu Peak. It's okay if he gets a little dirty, he can just wash himself clean."
Look how well Rui Rui has grown up.
The two chatted for a few more minutes about everyday matters before the Crown Prince returned.
Li Xiaoxiao relayed Meng Guanqi's words to him, and the Crown Prince smiled slightly, his eyes showing approval: "There's no need to wait three days. I will arrange for people to transport the charcoal out of the imperial estate tomorrow."
Li Xiaoxiao exclaimed in surprise, "But what if Pang Shi doesn't repair the road in three days?"
100,000 catties of charcoal seems like a lot, but there are just too many people in the capital.
The Crown Prince said, "I have given him a death order. He will do everything in his power to clear the entire road within three days."
Just as Meng Guanqi said, the charcoal coming from Jinzhou City will be directly transported to the Imperial Estate to replenish the portion he consumes. This batch of charcoal will then be completely laundered and become the charcoal newly brought in this year. It will then be perfectly reasonable for him to take it out and use it.
After finishing his conversation with Li Xiaoxiao, the Crown Prince immediately returned to his study, wrote two letters, and ordered his guards to send them out of the palace that very night.
Wan Quan came to find Li Xiaoxiao: "His Highness will be attending court early tomorrow. He usually travels with two eunuchs and six guards. General Pang is not here, so his position will be filled by Deputy General Niu. Miss Li only needs to dress up and blend in with those six people. Generally speaking, no one will pay attention to you."
But he also knew that Li Xiaoxiao had a somewhat eccentric personality and often said surprising things, so he couldn't help but give her a detailed reminder of the rules she had to follow in the palace.
Li Xiaoxiao listened reluctantly and tried her best to write it down.
Keep a low profile, keep a low profile, keep a low profile~
Since she's only temporarily assigned to this job for a few days, she should be able to just coast along, right?
At dawn the next day, she indeed mingled with the guards and went to court with the Crown Prince. After the Crown Prince went in, she followed the guards and stood outside the Taiji Hall, bored and enjoying the cold wind.
Emperor Jian'an was quite considerate; after the court session began, the doors of the main hall were closed, so the officials could no longer feel the cold wind. However, those left outside had nowhere to go and could only stand at attention in the cold wind.
Standing like this really makes me sleepy!
Li Xiaoxiao tried her best to look like the guard next to her, but her eyelids drooped, and she looked like she was about to fall asleep while standing.
On her first day, she blended into the group unnoticed. After the Crown Prince finished his court session, she followed him back to the East Palace. The Crown Prince didn't go out, so she didn't need to go out with him to protect him. Therefore, she spent half a day instructing Aze in wrestling techniques.
Mastering this skill can not only improve physical health, but also protect one's safety in critical situations. Aze is currently very powerful among the imperial grandsons, largely because of his outstanding wrestling skills, which allow him to defeat Li Huai, who is four years older than him, through his technique.
The next day, she mingled in the procession as usual, accompanying the Crown Prince to court. Just as she was dozing off, she suddenly heard a voice from afar:
"Report!"
A military officer strode swiftly from outside the hall, his voice carrying for ten zhang even before he entered: "Good news!"
Li Xiaoxiao shuddered in fright, all her sleepiness vanished, but she couldn't help but prick up her ears to listen carefully to what good news it was.
The palace doors immediately opened from the inside. The military officer sheathed his sword, strode into the palace, knelt on one knee, and reported: "Your Majesty, the snow road to Jinzhou has been repaired. A large amount of charcoal that was stranded in Jinzhou has been transported in through the repaired road. I have discovered that the first charcoal cart has appeared less than five miles from the capital, followed by dozens of identical carts that stretch as far as the eye can see. Congratulations, Your Majesty, the charcoal shortage crisis in the capital has been resolved!"
Emperor Jian'an was overjoyed: "Is this true?"
The military officer clasped his hands and said, "It is absolutely true. I ran all the way into the palace. The carts carrying charcoal should be able to reach the city gate in less than an hour."
Emperor Jian'an excitedly patted the armrest of the dragon throne: "Good, good! The charcoal and firewood that were stranded in Jinzhou have finally arrived. Order the city gate officials that all vehicles transporting charcoal into the city within three days be exempt from taxes and allowed to enter directly for the people to purchase."
The military officer accepted the order and left.
The tense atmosphere in the hall immediately eased. The most urgent problem had been solved, and the officials couldn't help but beam with joy. One of the sycophantic officials immediately began to flatter: "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Your Majesty mentioned yesterday that you wanted to go to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to pray for the ancestors to bless the snow to melt as soon as possible. I didn't expect that your wish would come true today. It must be because Your Majesty's sincerity moved the ancestors that such good news came so early in the morning."
Other officials echoed this sentiment, praising Emperor Jian'an for working tirelessly day and night to address the charcoal and firewood shortage in the capital, even developing blisters on his lips. They expressed their wish to take his place, earnestly hoping that His Majesty would take care of his health, as they would serve His Majesty for another thirty years. At the height of their excitement, the most exaggerated official even broke down in tears and collapsed in front of the palace, making it seem as if Emperor Jian'an was about to die from a blister on his lip.
Because the main hall door wasn't closed when the military officer left, Li Xiaoxiao, with her excellent hearing, heard everything clearly. The cold wind of February hadn't even made her shiver, but this actor-level minister really made her hair stand on end.
Emperor Jian'an seemed to enjoy this performance, and even gently comforted the official, then had the eunuch beside Liang Qisheng help him to wash his face and tidy his appearance.
Li Xiaoxiao glanced at her colleagues standing next to her out of the corner of her eye, and sure enough, she saw that they all had expressions of disgust on their faces. She instantly felt better.
The conversation seemed to get more and more animated, and then someone suggested that Emperor Jian'an go up to the city gate to personally witness the grand scene of charcoal carts entering the city and the people lining up to welcome them.
Emperor Jian'an was in high spirits and readily agreed upon hearing this. Liang Qisheng immediately ordered someone to arrange a sedan chair, but Emperor Jian'an waved his hand and said, "It's still early. I'll just go up the tower with my beloved ministers. There's no need to prepare a sedan chair."
Thus, Emperor Jian'an took the lead, with the Crown Prince on his left and Grand Secretary Yang Shimin on his right, followed closely by numerous officials of different ranks, and the large group headed towards the city gate.
However, Emperor Jian'an seemed to have underestimated the distance from the palace to the city gate. Every day, the officials had to get off their sedan chairs and walk into the palace, which had long since given them strong legs. Even Yang Shimin, who was over sixty years old, could walk for an hour without panting. But Emperor Jian'an was the one who walked the least in the palace. He always traveled by sedan chair or carriage and had almost no opportunity to walk. Now, on a whim, he put down his sedan chair and walked with the officials. However, after only the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed.
In addition, he was wearing a heavy dragon robe and a tall crown on his head, which made him even heavier when the wind blew. But they had already traveled halfway, so they couldn't just send the sedan chair back.
Besides, he'll only be fifty years old after the New Year. How come he can't even walk such a short distance from Taiji Hall to the city tower? If we send a sedan chair now, where will he put his face?
Emperor Jian'an could only force himself to maintain his dignity as an emperor, trying his best to appear to be striding forward with great momentum, but in reality, his soles were aching and his calves were sore and painful. He wished he could find a place to sit down and rest before continuing.
But this isn't the Imperial Garden, so where can we rest? Besides, he's leading such a large group of people behind him, and no one dares to walk in front of him. He can't slow down either, otherwise, if he slows down, people will immediately realize that he's struggling.
Emperor Jian'an couldn't help but regret it. He shouldn't have been so stubborn as to push away the sedan chair. Who was he? He was the most noble person in the world, not one of these ordinary people. Besides, they had to walk such a long way to court every day and were used to it, while he couldn't even remember when he had walked such a long way.
The Jian'an Emperor, unwilling to admit his age, gritted his teeth and persevered for almost two incense sticks' time until they finally reached the city gate!
He was jolted awake, exhaling a puff of white breath. He wanted to lean against the wall to rest, but he couldn't; there were still nearly sixty steps to climb from the base of the wall to the city wall itself.
Fortunately, a hand reached out from the side and supported his arm: "Father, the road is slippery in the snow, let me help you up to the city."
Emperor Jian'an breathed a sigh of relief. The Crown Prince had finally remembered his father. How wonderful!
He unconsciously put half of his strength into the Crown Prince's body. The Crown Prince's expression remained unchanged, but he was slightly shocked. Had his father already become so tired after walking such a short distance?
He quickly increased his strength, practically lifting Emperor Jian'an up.
With the help of the Crown Prince, Emperor Jian'an finally climbed the city wall. By then, it was already broad daylight. Standing on the city wall, he could see almost half of the capital. On the wide avenue that led directly from the palace gate to the city gate, which could accommodate four carriages side by side, carts carrying charcoal were slowly lining up to enter the city. The roadside was crowded with people. When they saw the charcoal carts entering the city, the crowd cheered loudly.
Someone said, "The Emperor is on the city wall!"
And so, the news spread like wildfire, and the crowd surged toward the city tower, unconsciously kneeling down and shouting "Long live the Emperor!"
Upon witnessing this magnificent scene, Emperor Jian'an couldn't help but feel immense pride and a touch of smugness, feeling that all the hard work he had put in these past few days had been worthwhile.
More and more people rushed to the scene after hearing the news. Yang Shimin frowned slightly. Emperor Jian'an had seen the magnificent scene he wanted to see, and it was time for him to leave.
If news of his presence spreads widely and everyone tries to come and pay their respects, the roads will be slippery in the snow, and a stampede could easily occur if people gather in large numbers.
He couldn't help but gently advise, "Your Majesty, we have already witnessed the magnificent sight of charcoal carts entering the city. The capital's charcoal shortage has been resolved. The wind is strong on the city wall; Your Majesty's health is paramount. Please descend the city wall as soon as possible."
Emperor Jian'an, having enjoyed the view enough, smiled and said, "As you wish, I am very pleased to see such a magnificent sight today."
The officials couldn't help but shower him with praise again, and Emperor Jian'an finally stepped down from the city wall with satisfaction.
The Crown Prince and Liang Qigong quickly followed, each taking one side to help him down.
Emperor Jian'an felt he had rested enough after standing on the city wall for a while. In addition, the stairs were not very wide, and it was not as convenient for the two of them to go down side by side as it was to go up. So he pushed them away and pretended to be angry, saying, "Don't help me. Am I so old that I can't even go down these few steps?"
The prince had no choice but to let go.
As soon as Emperor Jian'an pushed away the Crown Prince's hand and took a step forward, his left calf suddenly cramped up. In the pain, he couldn't help but cry out "Ouch!" and his leg went limp. His ankle twisted on the stairs, and he fell headfirst forward.
The crown prince and his officials, who witnessed the scene firsthand, were horrified: "Father!"
"His Majesty!"
In his haste, the Crown Prince lunged forward and reached out to grab Emperor Jian'an, but Emperor Jian'an lost his footing and instinctively raised his hand to the sky to maintain his balance, just missing the Crown Prince's fingertips by less than an inch.
Emperor Jian'an lost his footing and, in an instinctive struggle, took three steps forward with his other leg to try and steady himself. However, he was falling too fast, and his twisted ankle couldn't keep up with his balance. He could only watch helplessly as he completely lost control, crashing heavily onto the hard steps and tumbling down the stairs.
Everyone, from the Crown Prince and his officials on the city wall to the guards below, was stunned. After they came to their senses, they rushed towards Emperor Jian'an, and the scene immediately descended into chaos.
Li Xiaoxiao lowered her head and blended in with the guards, trying her best to make herself look no different from the other guards.
In fact, she had already heard Emperor Jian'an twist his ankle. If she had rushed forward with all her might to save him then, she should have been able to stop him from falling.
But just as she was about to take a step, Aze's face flashed before her eyes, along with the three poor children of the Crown Prince who had died innocently.
He was the emperor of the Great Wu, but also a monarch who had lost his justice. She helped the crown prince find the murderer who killed his three children, but the person in front of her wanted to use her life to threaten the crown prince and force him to let go of the sixth prince.
Does such a person deserve her saving?
Before she could make up her mind, Emperor Jian'an began to fall even faster. If she rushed out to save him at this moment, it would be too conspicuous, since she was currently mixed in with the Crown Prince's guards, and Emperor Jian'an's personal guards were ahead of her.
They were standing closer to the stairs, and even they didn't realize what was happening. If she were to reveal her true abilities in front of everyone, she might face endless trouble in the future.
So for those few seconds, she didn't move, watching helplessly as Emperor Jian'an fell down the stairs and lay on the ground, his life hanging in the balance.
The scene was in complete chaos. Everyone who witnessed the scene was terrified. The Crown Prince was the first to rush to Emperor Jian'an, who had rolled down the wall, and tried to help him up, but Lu Ke, the commander of the Imperial Guards beside him, grabbed his hand.
The Crown Prince was startled and was about to reprimand him when Lu Ke said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, please forgive us. His Majesty's condition is currently unclear, and he must not be moved before the imperial physician arrives."
As a military general, Lu Ke naturally knew better than anyone else present how to treat external injuries. Under his insistence, no one dared to touch Emperor Jian'an. At Lu Ke's command, the Imperial Guards separated everyone except the Crown Prince and himself, with their bodies facing outwards and backs inwards, firmly blocking everyone's view.
Grand Secretary Yang and several ministers were also kept outside, but even though they were stopped, they still stood on the inner side closest to the Imperial Guards so that they could know the news as soon as the imperial physician arrived.
The crowds outside the city wall, who had been shouting "Long live the Emperor!", had not completely dispersed, but no one knew that the emperor, who had been greeting everyone just moments before, would fall off the city wall and his fate was unknown.
The Crown Prince was pale and breathing rapidly. Just a moment ago, he offered to help Emperor Jian'an down, but Emperor Jian'an said it wasn't necessary. The next moment, he watched helplessly as his father fell off the city wall. If it weren't for the many officials who witnessed Emperor Jian'an's refusal, people would probably think that he had pushed him!
This is far too sensitive.
Lu Ke held the scene in check, preventing anyone from moving, and he dared not move either. Then he watched as thick blood gushed from Emperor Jian'an's forehead, and even Lu Ke lost his composure.
A head injury is no small matter; if the bleeding isn't stopped in time, it could be fatal.
The Crown Prince immediately took out a handkerchief from his sleeve, carefully picked up Emperor Jian'an's head, and covered his wound with the handkerchief.
The blood quickly stained a white handkerchief red.
Lu Ke immediately took out a handkerchief from his pocket: "Change it."
The Crown Prince glanced at Lu Ke, took the handkerchief, and pressed it back onto the handkerchief.
The sound of horses' hooves came rapidly from afar. In order to rescue Emperor Jian'an, Lu Ke sent his deputy general to ride directly into the Imperial Hospital and snatch Physician Xiao out.
This was the first time that Physician Xiao had ever ridden a horse in the palace, despite having served there for decades.
Hearing that His Majesty had fallen from the city wall, his heart felt as cold as the north wind.
As Emperor Jian'an's most trusted imperial physician, only Physician Xiao in the entire Imperial Medical Academy truly understood Emperor Jian'an's health.
He appears healthy on the surface, but in reality, his body is very weak. He doesn't like to move around and stays up late every day. He's like a window that leaks everywhere, which can only be repaired slowly. He can't withstand any hardship. Now that he's said to have fallen off the city wall, can his body withstand such a fall?
The lieutenant rode his horse swiftly and brought Physician Xiao over in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. Physician Xiao was astonished to see so many people at the scene!
But he had no time to say anything. He was practically dragged and squeezed into the guards' encirclement, where he immediately saw Emperor Jian'an, whose forehead was being covered by the Crown Prince.
Another soaked handkerchief lay on the ground.
This amount of bleeding...
Physician Xiao's heart sank. After checking Emperor Jian'an's pulse, he immediately took out needles to stop the bleeding.
Emperor Jian'an's head was soon covered with needles. The officials could not see what was happening inside, but the atmosphere was suffocating.
After Xiao Yizheng finished inserting the needles, he took out a medicinal pillow and had Lu Ke help Emperor Jian'an lie on his back to observe the injury on his forehead. The bloody and mangled appearance made him feel horrified. Such a serious wound could not be treated here, and he had to return to the palace as soon as possible.
The acupuncture administered by Physician Xiao quickly took effect, and Emperor Jian'an's bleeding decreased, indicating that his condition had stabilized. While waiting for Liang Qisheng to find a bed to carry him, Physician Xiao carefully examined other parts of Emperor Jian'an's body and found that, apart from a sprained left ankle, his right kneecap was almost shattered, likely caused by a hard impact from a hard rock when he fell face-first.
His complexion was beyond description; the word "ugly" was insufficient to describe it.
Such a severe injury would be difficult to treat even for a young person, let alone Emperor Jian'an, who was already fifty years old. In particular, the bone spurs in his right kneecap had pierced through the flesh...
Liang Qisheng rushed over and brought over the prepared soft couch as quickly as possible, with the anxious Empress following behind him.
Upon seeing the Empress arrive, the guards immediately made way. The Empress was so frightened by the Emperor's condition that she nearly fainted. She sternly demanded, "How have you served the Emperor? Why did you let him fall like this?"
The eunuchs and guards, including Liang Qisheng and Lu Ke, knelt on the ground.
The Empress was trembling with rage and immediately ordered, "Hurry up and carry His Majesty to the soft couch and back to my palace—"
Liang Qisheng dared not disobey and gestured for the soft couch to be brought forward. The Crown Prince and Lu Ke carefully lifted Emperor Jian'an and placed him on the couch.
Just as the Empress was about to order the sedan chair to be moved, Yang Shimin had no choice but to step forward: "Your Majesty, please calm down. It would be better for His Majesty to be carried back to the Taiji Palace for treatment."
The Empress's face changed drastically: "Lord Yang, what do you mean by this?"
Yang Shimin said, “His Majesty is unwell, which concerns the affairs of the state. Officials of the third rank and above must take turns attending to him. If Your Majesty were to carry His Majesty back to the inner palace for treatment, it would be very inconvenient. Please understand.”
A country cannot be without a ruler for a day. It would be best if Emperor Jian'an could be saved. If he cannot be saved, the affairs of the country will still have to be handled by the officials.
The Empress was so angry that her face turned purple, but Yang Shimin spoke up, and the six ministers followed suit. The Empress's word was no longer valid.
Emperor Jian'an was not only the empress's husband, but also the ruler of the world.
His clarity of mind is crucial to the future of Da Wu.
The Empress looked at the Crown Prince: "Crown Prince, what do you think?"
The Crown Prince, covered in Emperor Jian'an's blood, was equally worried: "Mother, Father's injuries can be treated in the same way in the Taiji Hall. If you are really worried, why don't you move to a side hall of the Taiji Hall so that it will be easier to take care of Father?"
A pang of heartache and disappointment flashed in the Empress's eyes; even the Crown Prince was not on her side.
Since the incident involving the sixth prince, the relationship between the mother and son has never been the same again.
With the emperor currently unconscious, the only ones who hold real power in the court are Yang Shimin and several ministers of the cabinet, and even the empress has to back down.
Emperor Jian'an was carried back to his sleeping quarters in the Taiji Hall. Yang Shimin left only a few ministers to guard the scene and instructed the remaining servants to return to their posts and not to spread rumors about what happened today.
Seeing the emperor fall and get injured like that, even if they didn't say it openly, they would secretly gossip about it behind his back.
But in such a troublesome place, everyone would rather stay as far away as possible.
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Author's Note: I just realized that taking leave from JJ isn't so easy. To maintain full attendance, I not only have to make up for the lost word count, but I also have to write an extra 20,000 words. Oh my god, I'm not taking leave anymore; I'll have to stay up all night to update [crying emoji]. I won't be able to update at midnight tomorrow; it'll probably be around 3 or 4 AM. I'll resume midnight updates after I finish cleaning up my house.
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