Chapter 388 Especially Clingy (Second Update)
On the other side, the emperor spent an extremely conflicted night. Eunuch Wei did not dare to urge him until the morning court session was approaching. Only then did Eunuch Wei muster up his courage and enter the study, whispering, "Your Majesty, it's time for the morning court session."
"Um."
The emperor responded in a deep voice.
Eunuch Wei dared not speculate on the struggles the emperor had gone through that night, but simply followed the emperor without looking to the side, to the palace to serve the emperor as he washed, changed, and donned his dragon robe.
Having not slept all night, the emperor had large dark circles under his eyes, which were noticed even from a distance by the ministers in the front row.
The Minister of Revenue, holding his official tablet, glanced at Grand Tutor Zhuang beside him and lowered his voice, asking, "What's wrong with Your Majesty?"
Grand Tutor Zhuang said in a low voice, "Perhaps he is overworked with state affairs."
"Is it about matters concerning the border?" the Minister of Revenue asked.
Prince Ning and Tang Yueshan went to suppress bandits and discovered that the border of Chen was stirring up trouble. On the surface, the King of Chen was going to appoint a new queen to attract the attention of other countries, but who could say that Chen would not secretly send troops to Zhao?
Without waiting for Grand Tutor Zhuang's reply, the Minister of Revenue clicked his tongue and said, "The hostage prince of Chen is still in Zhao, and they are already so eager to send troops. Aren't they too inconsiderate of the life and death of the hostage prince of Chen?"
Grand Tutor Zhuang thought to himself, wasn't Prince An also a hostage in Chen when Marquis Xuanping led his army to attack Chen?
Thinking about it this way, weren't His Majesty and Marquis Xuanping too inconsiderate of Prince An's life and death back then?
However, the Marquis of Xuanping fought such a brilliant battle that he not only sent people to protect Prince An in advance, preventing him from falling into the hands of the Chen Kingdom and becoming a hostage on the battlefield, but also went straight to the heart of the enemy and almost overturned the Chen Kingdom's palace.
I wonder if the State of Chen has any generals who are both wise and brave.
There was nothing special about the morning court session today, except that a certain censor from the lineage of Grand Tutor Zhuang impeached a trusted minister of the emperor on the grounds that the minister frequented brothels, thus disgracing his official position.
Frankly speaking, it's very difficult to bring someone down on charges of visiting brothels. Only censors who can't stand anything would do this, as everyone thought the emperor wouldn't take it seriously.
Unexpectedly, the emperor waved his hand and ordered the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review to severely punish the man.
The ministers were all dumbfounded.
This...this works?
"Your Majesty!" The Minister of Works stepped forward. Even he, an outsider, couldn't stand it anymore. Who would actually be impeached for visiting brothels? If that were the case, how many times would Marquis Xuanping have been stripped of his official hat by now?
"This man was disrespectful to the Empress Dowager and even dared to criticize her in front of me. Such a rebellious minister should be severely punished. My mind is made up, and my ministers need not discuss this further." After the emperor finished speaking solemnly, he turned his head and glanced at Empress Dowager Zhuang behind the curtain, his eyes slightly excited, as if to say, "Praise me! Praise me!"
Empress Dowager Zhuang ignored him.
After the court session, the emperor caught up with Empress Dowager Zhuang's imperial carriage.
Empress Dowager Zhuang, with the spirit of sacrificing five candied fruits, patiently stepped out of the imperial carriage and looked at him with a kind and gentle expression: "Does the Emperor have something to discuss with me?"
The emperor said, "I have something I'd like to discuss with the Empress Dowager in private."
In the past, he would refer to himself as either "朕" (the imperial "I") or "儿子" (his son), which carried a hint of mockery. However, Empress Dowager Zhuang only cared about her five candied fruits and did not understand the deeper meaning behind his self-reference.
Empress Dowager Zhuang dismissed the servants, and the Emperor also dismissed Eunuch Wei and the others, leaving only the mother and son standing on the long path.
The emperor struggled with the decision all night before finally telling Empress Dowager Zhuang everything. She was one of the victims of the incident and had the right to know the truth.
However, his thoughts were still very confused, so his words were somewhat incoherent. Fortunately, Empress Dowager Zhuang understood and realized that her silly son had been tricked by Xiao Liulang, that little black sesame dumpling.
However, the truth is the truth, and Xiao Liulang did not distort the facts.
"...I didn't expect Consort Jing to do that either...but Mother, rest assured, I have destroyed the imperial edict..."
He wasn't sure if he had expressed himself clearly enough; the Empress Dowager's expression was too calm, and he suspected she hadn't understood.
He continued, "And my relationship with the Empress Dowager all these years... it was actually a misunderstanding... I've been wrong all these years..."
"So you don't need to act anymore?"
Empress Dowager Zhuang interrupted the emperor.
The emperor was slightly taken aback.
Uh... is this the main point?
No more acting means no more five candied fruits.
Without the filter of candied fruit, the emperor instantly lost his appeal, and Empress Dowager Zhuang's smile vanished. She turned away with a look of disgust: "I'm leaving!"
emperor:"……"
Did he just offer a meaningless explanation?
Empress Dowager Zhuang's cold reaction was a heavy blow to the emperor. The emperor naturally did not think that it was because he had lost his value as candied fruit. He stubbornly believed that Empress Dowager Zhuang was angry with him for hurting her all these years.
Some things can be understood in the blink of an eye.
However, some of these chasms spanned more than twenty years.
The emperor visited Bishui Hutong again.
Xiao Liulang guessed that the emperor would be frequently visiting Bishui Hutong in the next few days, so he specially asked for leave from the Hanlin Academy and stayed at home to "take care" of Gu Jiao.
Gu Jiao sat on the bed, enjoying delicious food and drinks while admiring her husband's stunning good looks.
Xiao Liulang sat on a stool by the bed and peeled an orange for her.
He had well-defined joints and long, slender fingers. He did manual labor, but he was naturally handsome, like a piece of fine jade.
Gu Jiao kept glancing at his face and then at his hands.
Even though Xiao Liulang was used to her blatant scrutiny, he couldn't help but feel a little puzzled.
Is it really... that good-looking?
He was a cripple, a cripple who might never fully recover, forever dragging his disabled body along. If she were with him, she would always be the subject of gossip.
"Gu Jiao, I am a cripple."
Without realizing it, he blurted out what was on his mind.
Gu Jiao said, "Oh, I know."
Xiao Liulang continued peeling the orange in his hand: "Are you really not bothered? I might... not get better. You saw it yourself, I've been working very hard on my rehabilitation, not missing a single day, but I just can't walk... like you guys."
She must have had expectations of him, hoping that one day he would be able to walk like a normal person.
But he probably really can't do it.
When her patience runs out, will she still see him the same way?
Feelings are a very subtle thing; the more you care, the more insecure you become.
He used to think that having a limp was no big deal. He figured life was all darkness anyway, and nobody could see it, not even himself. He would pretend that what he could see, he couldn't see either.
But one day, she suddenly lit a lamp, illuminating the path beneath his feet and revealing his disheveled state.
Gu Jiao gave him a strange look. Didn't he not care about his leg? When he performed the surgery, Feng Lin was scared half to death, but he didn't care at all.
Why are you suddenly starting to care?
Gu Jiao couldn't figure out what he was thinking for a moment. After thinking for a while, she pointed to the birthmark on her face and said, "Would you mind if I'm so ugly?"
She didn't know that the mark on her face was a virginity mark, and thought it would stay with her for the rest of her life.
Xiao Liulang opened his mouth.
fool.
How could he possibly mind?
Besides, this thing will disappear.
When you become so perfect, will you still think that someone as flawed as me is worthy of you?
Gu Jiao didn't understand his sudden mood. After thinking about it seriously, she asked, "Is something bothering you? Is it because of what I said last night? You don't want me to watch you take a shower?"
"No." That's not it at all.
Gu Jiao's big eyes lit up: "So you want me to watch you take a shower?"
Xiao Liulang: ...How did things become so unclear?
The voices of Eunuch Wei and the Emperor could be heard from outside the door.
Gu Jiao quickly lay down.
Xiao Liulang was about to put the peeled orange on the table when she reached out her little hand, took the orange, and hid it under the blanket.
“Mine,” she said.
...
Xiao Liulang met the emperor in the main hall.
The emperor inquired about Gu Jiao's condition, and Xiao Liulang replied that she was better than yesterday, had been awake all morning, and only rested after lunch.
The emperor felt he had come at an inopportune time; he had come to inquire about medicine.
"Where does Your Majesty feel unwell?" Xiao Liulang asked. If it was a minor illness, the doctor at the clinic could be called to treat His Majesty. If it was a serious illness, then Jiaojiao would have to "wake up" again.
The emperor hadn't slept all night and looked extremely haggard, indeed resembling someone who was seriously ill.
The emperor said, "I would like to ask if there is an antidote for the black medicine? I... cough." He cleared his throat and continued, "My mother and I have been at odds for many years, mostly due to the effects of this medicine. Now that the truth has come to light, I would like to ask about the antidote."
Xiao Liulang looked at him, puzzled.
You keep calling her "Mother Empress," do you really still need the antidote?
Gu Jiao had said that the effects of the medicine in His Majesty's body were already minimal; otherwise, Consort Jing would not have risked administering the medicine to His Majesty again.
Now that the truth has come to light, the shock of the truth may have caused the last bit of the medicine's effect to disappear.
But Xiao Liulang is no longer the innocent boy he once was. He has his own thoughts, his own schemes, and even the cunning of an official.
He lowered his eyes and sighed: "Originally there was no antidote, but Jiaojiao once made a pill that specifically counteracts sleeping pills, so it should be somewhat effective."
"Is this true?" The emperor's eyes lit up instantly.
Xiao Liulang said, "I will fetch it for His Majesty to try. Jiaojiao's medicines are all safe. Even if they don't work, they won't harm your health."
The emperor said with delight, "If it really works, I will remember your merit."
Xiao Liulang said, "The medicine was made by Jiaojiao; it is Jiaojiao's achievement, not mine."
Even so, the emperor remembered the contributions of both of them.
He caused Empress Dowager Zhuang to be wronged for many years, and she herself had forgotten some of the things. Perhaps if she took the medicine, she would remember everything.
Furthermore, there seemed to be something between him and Empress Dowager Zhuang that prevented him from moving forward. He guessed that it must be the effect of the black medicine.
If Xiao Liulang knew what he was thinking, he would definitely tell him, "That's just your awkwardness as a son, Your Majesty!"
Xiao Liulang quickly retrieved the pills, three in total.
It's actually for Gu Chenglin's hair growth, and it has no side effects.
Even emperors, in their middle age, suffer from hair loss, and taking some hair growth pills is a good solution.
Xiao Liulang handed the hair growth pill to the emperor and said without changing his expression, "In theory, one pill should be enough. If the effect is not enough, take another one."
The implication is that three is more than enough.
"Will it really work?" the emperor asked.
"Your Majesty must trust Jiaojiao's medical skills," Xiao Liulang said.
"That's true." The emperor paused, then, as if remembering something, asked, "What happens if one eats too much? Will the effect be doubled or will it have the opposite effect?"
Xiao Liulang gave the emperor a deep look and said, "Let's double the effect, it might become..."
"How has it changed?" the emperor asked anxiously.
"Extremely clingy."
"ah……"
The emperor was frightened.
He doesn't want to be like that. He is the ruler of a country, the supreme emperor. How can he become like that?
One.
One is enough!
The emperor suddenly felt the urge to urinate, so he temporarily placed the medicine bottle on the table in the main room and got up to go to the urinal.
The old priest secretly came out of the kitchen. Zhuang Jinse had come over today and was playing cards next door. He was making brown sugar glutinous rice cakes for Zhuang Jinse.
He asked, "Is there really an antidote?"
Xiao Liulang said, "It's fake, it's a hair growth pill."
The old chief priest: "..."
When the emperor came out of the latrine, the old chief priest had already gone back to the kitchen to cook. The emperor planned to take the antidote back to the palace, but unexpectedly, Empress Dowager Zhuang came over after finishing her mahjong game next door.
The mother and son unexpectedly met at the door.
The emperor tensed up: "Mother..."
Empress Dowager Zhuang didn't even glance at him, just snorted and walked past him.
"Your Majesty, shall we return to the palace?" Eunuch Wei asked.
The emperor hesitated for a moment, then said, "No, I... I'll stay here for dinner and return to the palace with my mother later."
The emperor insisted on staying for dinner, and no one dared to say anything.
None of the little men in the family are here today. Gu Yan and Gu Xiaoshun went to learn their skills, and Xiao Jingkong went to Xu Zhouzhou's house to play.
At the dinner table were only Empress Dowager Zhuang, the Emperor, Madam Yao, the old Grand Master of Ceremonies, Xiao Liulang, and Gu Jiao, who had "woke up from her afternoon nap."
The pills Gu Jiao gave me were a bit too big to swallow; I had to dilute them with water.
Before the meal, the emperor gave the medicine bottle to Eunuch Wei.
Eunuch Wei brought over a bowl of dark, murky medicine. The emperor endured the unpleasant smell, gritted his teeth, and drank it all in one gulp.
The emperor said with disdain, "Why is it so bitter? How many did you put in?"
Eunuch Wei asked in bewilderment, "Aren't there only three in total?"
The emperor's expression changed: "You...you released them all?"
Eunuch Wei was even more astonished: "You were the one who ordered me to release them all!"
The emperor had absolutely no recollection of it!
Eunuch Wei wasn't lying; he did ask, and the emperor did indeed grunt in response. However, the emperor was preoccupied with Empress Dowager Zhuang's affairs at the time and didn't hear what Eunuch Wei said at all.
Thinking of the "extremely clingy" effects of the medicine that Xiao Liulang had mentioned, the emperor felt terrible.
"Your Majesty, what's wrong?" Eunuch Wei asked worriedly.
The emperor took a deep breath: "It's alright, I... I am the supreme ruler, I wouldn't do something so shameful... I can endure it... I'm very rational..."
After Empress Dowager Zhuang finished her meal, it was time for her to return to the palace. She got up and walked out.
The emperor clutched his chest.
Is the drug taking effect? Why do I suddenly feel so compelled to chase after them?
"His Majesty?"
Oh no, my heart is racing!
"His Majesty?"
Empress Dowager Zhuang boarded the carriage with the help of Eunuch Qin.
No, we can't chase after them!
The drug is too strong; who knows what he might say in a moment!
The emperor held back with all his might!
Eunuch Qin lowered the curtain for Empress Dowager Zhuang, removed the footstool, and sat on the outer seat of the carriage.
The wheels started moving slowly.
The emperor's heart tightened, and he suddenly reached out towards the carriage: "Mother! Don't you want your little Hong anymore?!"
Everyone in the room spat out their tea.
Um, should they tell His Majesty that the medicine is fake...?
Psychological suggestion is terrifying 23333
(End of this chapter)
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