Slant
"Come in."
He walked in with courage and stopped in front of the dark purple curtain, waiting for someone to speak.
"Has the White Tiger Doctor cured him?"
"The other injuries have been treated, except for one that was shot in the eye by an arrow. I'm afraid it won't heal. After it regained consciousness, it frantically tried to escape from the cage, so we didn't dare to go up."
"Bring it here," said Liu Che.
Jiang Chong was a little hesitant. "This... now that the anesthetic has worn off, I'm afraid it will become even more frantic. What if it breaks out of the cage and hurts you..."
"Won't."
Jiang Chong heard a rustling sound inside, and then Liu Che came out with his hair loose.
"What's the result?" Liu Che asked.
"They...they are guests of the East Palace."
Jiang Chong carefully looked at Liu Che's face. He pursed his lips and no expression could be seen. He just supported his head with his hands and rubbed his hair with his fingertips.
"Take these two people to the Eastern Palace and hand them over to the Crown Prince. Ask him to give me a reasonable explanation."
Suddenly there was a loud thud in the room, and the incense burner was knocked to the ground and rolled out. The charcoal fire made contact with the curtains, giving off a burnt smell.
Liu Che and Jiang Chong both looked over there. He brought a pot of tea and poured it on the curtain, while putting out the flames with his sleeves.
Liu Che looked at her impatiently, "What exactly do you want to do?"
A Jiao threw another sachet over, hitting Liu Che in the face. He had a splitting headache. Her escape and the spies from the Eastern Palace made his already drowsy body even more uncomfortable.
He strode towards her. Before he could get angry, she straightened her neck and looked at him coldly, "What? Your Majesty is going to punish me again? Will you depose me? Or punish me with a caning? Or even banish me to the cold palace?"
When she aggressively brought up the past, his arrogance subsided. He was exhausted, very exhausted. He turned his gaze to Jiang Chong, "Keep an eye on her. If she runs away, you'll be the only one to blame."
"Where are you going again! I want to go out! I don't want to stay here!"
The incense in the room gave her a headache. She was just one step away from leaving, but... she was tripped by that idiot prince!
She ran towards Liu Che, grabbed his sleeve, and tore him apart like a child without any care.
Jiang Chong hurried to stop him, "Your Majesty, His Majesty is very weak right now, please stop making trouble!"
“Who’s making trouble?”
"You're the ones making trouble! I told you I don't want to stay in this cold, desolate place. I don't want to be here facing this aging face every day. I want freedom. I want to live my own life. I don't need anyone to control me!"
"Then where do you want to go? To find Jiang Chong?" Liu Che's patience was reduced to the limit by the pain in his head. "He's not old or ugly, and he doesn't control or control you? All under heaven belongs to the king. The whole world belongs to me, including my people, including you..."
"Gillian, we don't have much time left, why do we have to go to this extent?"
"That's your choice. No one can regret the path you choose."
"That's why I have to make it up to you."
"I don't need it!" Gillian sneered, "Are you trying to make it up to me? You're just satisfying your own selfish desires. You're already the emperor, with military and financial power in your hands. You already have more than enough, and I'm the one who has nothing. You can't have everything."
"I said I would give you..."
"I don't need it! Liu Che, how many times do I have to tell you before you understand? I don't want those fancy things you give me. To me, they are not worth as much as a willow branch by the lake outside the capital. What I want is freedom, to do whatever I want, to be happy and at ease. As long as I am by your side, in this palace, I will never get these."
She tried to persuade Liu Che, but he wouldn't listen. "Happily and freely? Doing whatever you want?"
He thought it was ridiculous. "Isn't it enough to be the queen, second only to the emperor and above everyone else, to do whatever she wants? I'm old..."
He walked towards the glass mirror with disheveled hair. The person reflected in the mirror suddenly frightened him. Was that man with gray hair and wrinkles around his eyes? He was thinner and shorter. When did he become so frail?
He looked back at Gillian again. She was still so young and looked so beautiful even when she was angry. Even though her face was different from before, her spirit and radiance were still the same as before.
No wonder she didn't want to be around him... He touched his face, his eyes feeling a little hot.
No one likes weak things.
When he was a child, his mother did not like him. It was not until he married A Jiao, became the crown prince, and then the emperor that his mother began to like him again.
Now, he's showing signs of aging, and Gillian doesn't like him, so much so that his son is trying to test him, hoping to oust him and take his place. They're all hoping he'll die soon...
He beckoned to Jiang Chong, "Go, search the Crown Prince's palace and see what he's up to. Is he plotting with someone to take my throne?"
"Hehehe, my good son... my good queen..."
She felt that Liu Che had gone crazy, as if he had gone completely mad overnight because of a slight cold, because of those two people, and because of a few words from her.
At first, she smashed things around in the house like crazy, using anything she could get her hands on to smash the house. The house was a mess. As soon as the door opened, she would ram outside. If the door didn't open, she would continue smashing. When there was nothing left in the house, she would hit herself with her head.
Liu Che had her hands wrapped and tied to the bed. When the palace maids fed her food, she would spit it out and bite the maids' hands. He simply mashed the food into a paste and fed her. Every day she looked disheveled and lost a lot of weight, but this time Liu Che did not give in.
The palace maid had just finished scrubbing her body and quickly added three times the amount of calming incense to the incense burner. She was unable to move and leaned on the couch, allowing the palace maid to massage her to remove the bruises.
Jiang Chong walked in, looked at her and sighed.
"I remember that Your Majesty was originally afraid of dogs and beasts, but in order to get the hydrangea back for Your Majesty, I reluctantly reached out. After that, we took care of it every day together and entertained Bai Tuan. At that time, I only felt that Your Majesty and Your Majesty's relationship was destined to be long-lasting and full of love and happiness."
Jiang Chong recalled the past with an infinite tenderness in his tone, as if he were there himself. Ah Jiao sneered, "Yes, it's a pity that he can't be the prince for life, and I can't be the princess for life."
"You have seen His Majesty's love for you. He risked his life and blood, using magic to get you back. Why can't he just be with His Majesty?"
"In my previous life, he expelled me from the palace and poisoned me to death in a fire after I was forced to drink a cup of poisoned wine by Wei Yun. I have a deep hatred for him. What do you want me to do?"
"But Your Majesty never imagined this would happen. Back then, Your Majesty had just ascended the throne, with the Xiongnu outside eyeing him covetously, and two major relatives of Your Majesty fighting for power within, trying to manipulate Your Majesty as a puppet. He had no time to care for you, which allowed Empress Wei to take advantage. Now that you've returned, His Majesty has already drafted the decree to depose the Empress. Once you give birth to a prince, the decree to depose the Crown Prince will also be immediately finalized. Everything will return to the way it was before, and His Majesty will only treat you better than before. Why can't you understand?"
Ah Jiao no longer wanted to argue with him about who was right and who was wrong. Jiang Chong was Liu Che's man, and everything he did was from Liu Che's perspective. If Liu Che made a mistake, he wouldn't dare speak out. If Liu Che changed, that would be a great blessing to her. But why? She wasn't a stone-cutter. She wasn't happy when he wanted her to be happy, or sad when he wanted her to be sad. She didn't revolve around Liu Che alone.
"Jiang Chong." She suddenly looked up at Jiang Chong, her eyes filled with emptiness and darkness.
"Were those people sent by the prince? They wanted to kill Liu Che while he was sick."
Jiang Chong was horrified when he heard this, "They just saw that Your Majesty hasn't summoned your ministers for a long time and are worried about Your Majesty's safety, so they sent people to investigate." Although the emperor trusted her and he knew her true identity, he still knew what to say and what not to say after living for so many years.
Seeing his expression, Ah Jiao knew her guess was about 70% correct. She couldn't help but sneer, "Ganquan Palace is full of His Majesty's people, what is he worried about? On the contrary, His Majesty is ill, so shouldn't he be the one he should be most worried about?"
Jiang Chong said, "Your Majesty and His Highness are father and son after all. His Highness has always been kind and gentle, and he strictly abides by etiquette. Even if there are some differences, it will not lead to a fight between father and son."
"Really? Then did you know that the Crown Prince painted a portrait of me when I was Madam Huo, and it's still hidden in a secret place in his Eastern Palace. Later, the Crown Prince's concubine, whom he cherished very much, was executed by His Majesty because of her resemblance to Madam Huo."
When Jiang Chong heard this, he felt cold all over. What exactly did she want to say?
"You've been by Liu Che's side for decades, but do you still remember who brought you into the palace?"
Jiang Chong pondered for a moment, his thoughts drifting back to when he was thirteen. It was a year of famine, and his family of seven had starved to the point of starvation, leaving only him, his mother, and a younger brother. Facing a room filled with corpses, his mother, too weak to move them, slept among them for the night. The next day, she sold the clothes of her father and sisters for the money, and used her connections to secure his services in the palace. The woman holding his hand was an aunt from the same hometown, who fed him a bowl of millet porridge and a white pancake. He drifted off to sleep on her shoulder, and when he awoke, he found his body cold.
The wooden chair in the torture chamber had been used for years, spattered with countless blood. He remembered it was summer, and the thick stone walls blocked out most of the sunlight. Several gloomy faces gathered around him, staring at him like a piece of pork waiting to be slaughtered. He tried to escape in fear, but his hands and feet were bound. Their faces were expressionless. As the knife came down, he screamed in agony, yet he didn't faint. This was the worst part.
After the palace maids were castrated, they were not allowed to serve the nobles immediately. They were locked in a small room and only given water and white bread. There was no doctor or medicine. He was wearing tattered clothes and watched the blood flowing from his body. At first, he was terrified, then numb. The pain made him accustomed to this strange feeling. He was detached and looked at the sun shining through the window. He had no beautiful fantasies. He smelled the stench of decay on his body and thought of the ditch at home where his biological father drowned after getting drunk. His mother remarried a farmer from the neighboring village and gave birth to four children. As the eldest son, he lost his education early. He had to take care of his younger siblings since he was a child. When he was strong enough to work, he went to the fields to farm. He was dark and short, and was laughed at by the villagers. He always thought that he at least had his mother and younger siblings. They were the people closest to him and whom he could rely on the most.
But in the end, his mother left his young, incapable brother behind and sent him to the palace. He had once believed that the cold stares and scolding were just a facade to protect him while he lived under his stepfather's thumb. But there was no need to hide it anymore. The truth was laid bare before him, as disgusting and stinking as the body he now was.
He was a useless thing, always had been, and even more so now. He was thrown in here like an object, and no one cared whether he lived or died...
He was lost in thought, just wondering how long it would take for him to die and how much longer he would have to suffer.
There was a loud bang from somewhere, and the whole house shook. Then half of the wall broke open and fell on him. He was covered in cold sweat and forced himself to move to the corner.
A child came in, all black, like he'd just crawled out of a stove. The first thing he saw was his spot. He instinctively shrank back, covering it with his sleeve, a look of shame and pain on his face. The child, however, didn't show disgust, but rather a frown, as if he felt a little guilty.
"You are injured, why are you bleeding so much?"
It was a girl's voice. He didn't dare to look up and whispered, "Get out quickly. Someone will be here soon."
"No one will come. The building of the Observatory next door has collapsed and everyone is busy putting out the fire." As she spoke, she took out a bunch of bottles and jars from her arms, picked out a porcelain bottle and handed it to him.
"This is a wound medicine. It's very effective in stopping bleeding. Please apply it quickly."
Jiang Chong didn't move, but just curled up on one side like a hedgehog, refusing to look up at her.
The girl glanced at him and curled her lips. "What's there to be shy about? The palace is full of eunuchs. I've seen at least ten of them, if not a hundred." As she spoke, she was about to pull his clothes, but he coldly pushed her away. He became a little angry and said, "Go away! Mind your own business!"
"You're about to die and you don't want anyone to take care of you. What's wrong? Don't you want to live anymore?"
Jiang Chong turned his head away, his expression cold. The large movements had strained the wound, causing him to shiver in pain and sweat. The girl ignored his temper and simply reached out to pull him away, sprinkling the powder on him. He paled instantly, gritting his teeth to prevent a cry.
The girl glanced at him and said, "You have to live even if you don't want to. Nothing in this world is more important than life. If you can't make it, just sleep. Sleep for a day, a year, ten years. There will always be a time to get through it. You are still so young, don't walk into a dead end."
The irritation from the powder and the wound made Jiang Chong's teeth chatter. It took a long time before he felt the pain subside. He looked at the girl, "You are younger than me. Do you know what life and death are? Do you know what it means to be heartbroken?"
"Although I'm young, I'm older than you in terms of seniority. I entered the palace at the age of four. My brother and I were confiscated and sent to the palace because a member of our clan committed a crime. He used to have everything he wanted, but like you, he was sent to the palace, suffered great humiliation, and then died. We agreed to support each other as brothers and sisters, but in the end, I was left alone..."
“So you’re not doing well…”
She shook her head. "Not bad. I'm on duty at the Stargazing Pavilion and in charge of the alchemy room. I have quite a lot of free time."
"So you don't have to be like this. I've changed your brother's medicine many times. He was so desperate to die that he died of depression. You're stronger than him, so you'll definitely make it."
"I can't tell you much more. The princess asked me to get the matching key for her from the front yard. Here's the medicine for you. Take good care of your injuries! When you're better, come find me at the Stargazing Pavilion."
As the girl spoke, she stuffed the medicine into his hand, brushed his hair back, and then quickly slipped out.
His injuries gradually healed, and he passed the test successfully, and was sent to the palace of the King of Jiaodong to serve as a eunuch. He was honest and loyal, and he was trusted by the young master. He grew up to become the eunuch closest to him. He went to the Star Observation Pavilion to look for her, but did not see a similar face.
Gillian suddenly took out a porcelain vase from the box. It was a red lotus vase with the word "Ru" engraved on the bottom. Jiang Chong was stunned and his eyes were a little dazed.
"The lotus porcelain bottles produced in Runan can store medicinal powders to maximize their shelf life. When I was young, I loved refining elixirs in the Stargazing Pavilion. That little palace maid was very much my cup of tea. I asked her to keep these bottles and jars for me, and later I simply asked her to serve me."
"Her name is Shen Rujun."
Shen Rujun...
Jiang Chong silently repeated the name in his mind, and the girl's face appeared before him.
"Where is she now?"
"Dead."
Ah Jiao said, "When the Changmen Palace was on fire, she and the dozen or so palace maids who followed me were burned to death inside, leaving only a pile of bones."
Jiang Chong's eyes darkened. Ah Jiao said, "The prince is her son. Do you really believe that he is as kind and gentle as he appears to be?"
"As far as I know, even after you rose to prominence, you never returned home to support your mother and brother. You hate them, your brother, and your mother. But the Crown Prince doesn't understand your hatred. He has a mother who loves him and a father who has high hopes for him. His kindness is so shallow that he can't tolerate the slightest difference. Can such a crown prince be called truly benevolent?"
Jiang Chong was silent for a moment, "What do you want me to do?"
Gillian took out a doll from the sewing box and handed it to Jiang Chong, "There is something I want you to return to the prince."
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