Chapter 116 116 Disappeared
Chapter 116
As Qi Jingyan finished speaking, Yi'er immediately clenched his fists, stood upright beside the wheelchair, and his clear childish voice resonated loudly in the hall: "My brother is the crown prince. The throne should have been his!"
Although Mu Yun and others standing nearby did not say anything, they nodded heavily with determination in their eyes. Yes, this Daxing Kingdom should have belonged to their Highness.
Emperor Kangwen's cloudy eyes were fixed on Qi Jingyan, and then his gaze slowly moved down to Qi Jingyan's legs.
Qi Jingyan followed his gaze to his legs, gently stroking his knees with his slender fingers. His tone was as calm as water: "It doesn't matter. Even if these legs are broken, I can still be a more competent emperor than Your Majesty."
He raised his eyes to meet Emperor Kangwen's, his gaze calm, but his tone laced with undisguised sarcasm: "At least, I won't be so blind and incompetent as to misjudge people, ultimately leading to the separation of my wife and children, the destruction of my family, and even leaving myself vulnerable to manipulation."
These words stimulated Emperor Kangwen's emotions again. His whole body was shaking violently. His skinny hands were raised and lowered repeatedly on the dragon bed. He whimpered like a trapped animal in his throat, and his cloudy eyes almost popped out of his sockets.
Qi Jingyan looked at Emperor Kangwen's frantic and miserable appearance, a hint of sarcasm crossing his lips. "Your Majesty, it would be best if you calm down and cultivate your energy. If your energy and blood flow backward, I'm afraid there's really no cure."
Emperor Kangwen stared at Qi Jingyan, his chest heaving violently, his eyes like poisoned daggers, and he wished he could cut him into pieces.
Qi Jingyan remained calm and unmoved.
After a long time, Emperor Kangwen's rapid breathing gradually calmed down, leaving only a pair of bony hands still trembling slightly.
The candlelight in the hall flickered, illuminating Qi Jingyan's profile in half light and half dark. He did not urge him, but just stared at Emperor Kangwen silently.
It was unknown how long it had been, but Emperor Kangwen finally nodded very slowly and seriously, his fingers clenched and loosened weakly, as if he had used up his last bit of strength.
When Yi'er saw Emperor Kangwen nod, his eyes suddenly lit up and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but rise up. He was so happy that he almost clapped and cheered.
But when he looked up and saw his brother's calm face, he had to restrain his expression, put his hands behind his back, stand up straight, and try hard to imitate his brother to look calm and dignified.
Qi Jingyan then turned around and nodded to Divine Doctor Tang, who was standing quietly beside him. His tone was gentle and respectful: "Divine Doctor Tang, I'll trouble you to treat His Majesty."
Doctor Tang nodded in agreement, took out a silver needle from his medicine bag, walked to the bedside, and first acupunctured and bled Emperor Kangwen's ten toes.
He saw dark blood oozing from the tip of the toe, and when it gradually turned deep red, he easily stopped the bleeding and removed the needle. He then acupunctured the important acupoints all over the body in turn, and finally took out a black pill and fed it to Emperor Kang Wen's mouth.
Doctor Tang was busy all the time, and everyone did not leave. They waited a few steps away, quietly watching Emperor Kang Wen.
After half an hour, Doctor Tang withdrew the needle and walked away.
Emperor Kangwen's face, which was originally as pale as paper, actually showed a hint of blood color. Although he was still weak, he finally had some breath of life.
"Raise your hands." Doctor Tang's voice was flat, without any fluctuations.
From beginning to end, Doctor Tang's expression remained indifferent. There was no trace of the awe that should be shown to the emperor between his brows. Instead, there was a hint of subtle coldness.
Emperor Kangwen clearly felt the disrespect and offense, but he did not dare to express the slightest dissatisfaction.
During the years when he was bedridden and in a coma, when he was occasionally lucid, he had actually guessed that he was being plotted against. But even if he had thousands of suspicions, what could he do now that his hands and mouth were disabled?
At this moment, this miracle doctor was the last straw he could grasp at in his dying moments. Even if he faced even a little indifference, or even worse humiliation, he had no choice but to accept it all, even feeling a genuine sense of gratitude. At least at this moment, he was grateful.
Doctor Tang instructed him to raise his hand, and he did so. He was pleasantly surprised to find that the hand that had only been able to lift an inch and then drop instantly was now tremblingly raised above his body. Although it was still shaking, it managed to maintain this position for several breaths without falling. Emperor Kangwen's facial muscles trembled slightly with excitement, and hope ignited in his pale eyes.
This genius doctor Tang only gave me a few acupuncture treatments, yet they had such miraculous effects! If I could get his full attention, a complete recovery would be just around the corner.
He made an urgent whimpering sound in his throat and turned towards Qi Jingyan, his eyes full of relief at having survived the disaster. He wanted to share his joy with the son he once valued the most.
But he found that Qi Jingyan's expression was as calm as a deep pool. He did not show any joy for his improvement, as if everything in front of him had nothing to do with him.
Looking around again, Mu Yun and others were still standing there quietly with expressionless faces, Yi'er also had a tense face, and everyone looked indifferent, as if it had nothing to do with them.
The forced smile on Emperor Kangwen's lips suddenly froze, and he suddenly remembered Qi Jingyan's previous casual words, "Maybe it can remove a little of the poison."
I see!
Even if this genius doctor Tang had extraordinary medical skills, they would never allow him to fully recover. All they needed was a puppet that could sit up and hold a pen, a cover to maintain respectability.
Originally, he thought that the poison was too strong and that Dr. Tang’s medical skills were limited and he couldn’t cure it, but he didn’t expect it to be like this.
The eagerness that surged in Emperor Kangwen's heart quickly cooled in this stagnant silence. He was wrapped in coldness and couldn't help shivering.
He suddenly woke up and realized that he had just escaped from a wolf's den and entered a tiger's den.
The man sitting in the wheelchair in front of him is no longer the gentle and filial prince of the past.
He came back to collect a debt.
Qi Jingyan took in every subtle change on Emperor Kangwen's face. A barely perceptible curve crossed the corners of his lips, and he turned to Divine Doctor Tang: "Thank you."
Doctor Tang waved his hand and said calmly, "It will take another ten days or half a month for Your Majesty to be able to sit up and write."
Qi Jingyan nodded slightly: "That's enough."
---
A side hall of the Cining Palace.
Meng Yuning and Cai Yuezhao leaned on the couch and talked in private. They hadn't seen each other for a long time, and the two sisters had endless things to say.
Nanny Tao's gentle voice came from outside the door: "Miss Meng, Miss Cai, the Empress Dowager invites you two to come over and talk."
"I'll be right there." Cai Yuezhao responded quickly. The two smiled at each other, stood up quickly, helped each other straighten their slightly wrinkled collars, and straightened the pearl hairpins in each other's hair. Then they walked towards the main hall hand in hand.
The Queen Mother was leaning against the pillow with her eyes closed, resting. Although she looked tired, her brows were relaxed and peaceful, and there was a faint smile on the corners of her mouth.
The two men stepped forward and saluted. The Queen Mother opened her eyes, smiled, and beckoned, "Come here quickly."
His eyes fell on Meng Yuning, and he said teasingly, "That girl, Ah Zhao, keeps repeating in my ears, 'Ah Ning is so good,' 'Ah Ning is so good,' all day long. My ears are almost callused. Today, I want to take a good look at what kind of lovely girl she is."
Meng Yuning's ears felt slightly hot after hearing what she said. She quietly raised her eyes to look at Cai Yuezhao, her eyes full of gratitude. It turned out that without her knowing, Sister Zhao had already said so many good things about her in front of the Queen Mother.
Cai Yuezhao laughed out loud, took Meng Yuning's hand affectionately, led her to the bed, and gently pushed her to sit beside the Queen Mother: "Queen Mother, please take a closer look, is our An Ning all right?"
The Queen Mother smiled as she grasped Meng Yuning's hand. Her loving gaze lingered on her face, deliberately examining her for a long moment before nodding and smiling, "Leaving aside other considerations, just this appearance and bearing alone is truly exceptional."
Cai Yuezhao leaned halfway out from behind Meng Yuning's shoulder, her eyes flickering with a hint of playfulness. "That's right! I was saying that with Ah Ning's appearance and character, who else in the world could be so well-matched with Your Highness?"
The Queen Mother glanced at her with feigned anger and said, "You are always so talkative. Can't I see for myself?"
Cai Yuezhao smiled and slumped down on the couch: "Yes, yes, the Empress Dowager has a keen eye and can see it clearly."
As the two of them laughed and joked, the strangeness and restraint in Meng Yuning's heart slowly disappeared, and she smiled happily with her eyes curved.
The Queen Mother gently patted the back of Meng Yuning's hand and sighed softly, "Back then, I allowed you to accompany Yan'er to Lingnan. To be honest, I was ashamed. There were both selfish motives and a bit of anger towards you because of the Meng family's actions. I didn't consider whether you, a girl with fine clothes and delicious food, could endure the journey and the suffering of the malaria in Lingnan. I was inconsiderate."
Meng Yuning was slightly startled. In her past understanding, figures like the Emperor and the Empress Dowager always spoke with sincerity, and their thunder and rain were all blessings from heaven. Was there ever a precedent for them admitting their mistakes?
Listening to the Queen Mother's words, which were almost an apology, Meng Yuning was surprised and felt mixed emotions.
Although she is safe and sound now, the poor girl "Meng Yuning" is indeed dead because of that trip to Lingnan.
But she couldn't say anything, so she just smiled and said something polite: "Your Majesty, you are too kind. It is my honor to be able to accompany Your Highness."
The Queen Mother gently squeezed her hand, her palm warm. "Good child, let's let bygones be bygones. From now on, just stay with Yan'er and take good care of Yi'er. I will definitely not treat you unfairly."
Just now on the way to Chengming Palace, Yan'er had solemnly told her that he would definitely marry Aning. Yi'er held her hand and nodded continuously, saying that he would be with Aning forever.
Looking at the empress dowager's sincere gaze, Meng Yuning felt a warm feeling in her heart. She had thought it would take some time to gain the empress dowager's approval, but she hadn't expected it to be accepted so easily. She was delighted, her eyebrows curved and she nodded, "Your servant will remember the empress dowager's teachings."
The Queen Mother asked again, "I heard from Yan'er that you and the Meng family will no longer have any contact in the future?"
Meng Yuning: "Yes, since the Meng family has been so unkind, I can only choose to be unjust."
The Queen Mother gazed at her unyielding demeanor, her eyes revealing undisguised approval: "Good girl, you are clear about gratitude and resentment. This is exactly the kind of courage you should have."
As she spoke, she nodded slightly to Nanny Tao. Nanny Tao understood and respectfully presented her with a red gold token.
The Queen Mother gently placed the token in Meng Yuning's palm and said, "Seeing this token is like seeing me. Take it. From now on, whether inside or outside the palace, if anyone dares to offend you, you will deal with them according to the rules."
Meng Yuning did not refuse and took the heavy token with both hands, "Your Majesty, thank you for your grace."
Qi Jingyan will be very busy for a while and won't be able to look after her all the time. She might have to confront those people from the Meng family later, and there might be some people with ill intentions who deliberately make trouble for her. She has no rank, so having this token can indeed save her a lot of trouble.
The Queen Mother continued, "This token is not only for protection. I am now old and can no longer manage the mess in the palace. Now that you have returned, and Yan'er is in charge of the front court, you can help me share some of the trivial matters in the harem."
Meng Yuning was stunned when she heard this, and subconsciously handed the token back to the Queen Mother: "Your Majesty, I am truly unable to take on such a heavy responsibility."
---
In the study of the Third Prince's Mansion, candlelight flickered.
With a loud "crash", the third prince suddenly swept all the pens, ink, paper and inkstone on the rosewood desk to the ground.
He stared intently at the kneeling guard, murderous intent surging in his eyes. "Where's the account book? How could it disappear from such a heavily guarded secret room?"
"And who leaked the news about the dragon robe?"
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The author has something to say: My dear friends, Happy Mid-Autumn Festival, and all the best to you [fireworks][fireworks][fireworks]
There will be red envelopes dropped when leaving a message in this chapter, muah~
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