Chapter 389 Possession (First Update)
Inside the carriage, Empress Dowager Zhuang's reaction was no better than that of Gu Jiao, Xiao Liulang, and the old Grand Master of Ceremonies. In particular, she had just sat down and hadn't even settled in properly when she was so frightened that she almost fell out of the carriage!
What kind of trouble is this silly son up to now?
Consort Jing has already been exposed, so what's the point of acting?
Or maybe he took the wrong medicine, or maybe his head got caught in a door!
Empress Dowager Zhuang sat up again, her skin crawling with goosebumps, the floor creaking even without her feet.
"Come on! What are you standing there for!"
She said impatiently.
If he wants to go crazy, he can go crazy himself; she's not going to go with him!
The coachman was about to raise his whip when he received the order, but the emperor strode forward and fearlessly blocked the carriage.
No matter how much the coachman listened to the Empress Dowager, he wouldn't dare to actually drive the carriage over the Emperor. The coachman was dumbfounded and didn't know what to do for a moment.
The emperor didn't make things difficult for him for long, and quickly boarded the carriage.
His movements were so swift that even Eunuch Qin couldn't stop him.
When Empress Dowager Zhuang saw the emperor suddenly rush in, her first reaction was to protect the jar of candied fruit in her arms. She had already taken several more candied fruits. Could this silly son be coming up to snatch the candied fruit from her?
She frowned: "What are you doing?"
This question baffled the emperor. Yes, what was he doing? Who was he? Where was he?
I understand, it's the medicine's effect!
He took three antidotes, but the effect was too great. Even a king couldn't withstand such terrible side effects. It's over, he's doomed!
He wants to get off the bus!
He wants to regain his dignity!
"Get out of the carriage," Empress Dowager Zhuang said calmly.
"No!" The emperor plopped down on his seat!
Empress Dowager Zhuang couldn't really kick him down, mainly because it would hurt her foot. She was too lazy to deal with him anymore. Anyway, he wasn't there to take the candied fruit from her, so she decided to turn a blind eye.
Eunuch Wei also sat in the outer seat of the carriage.
The two most powerful eunuchs in the palace looked at each other, their eyes flashing with unreadable meaning.
On the way back to the palace, Empress Dowager Zhuang closed her eyes to rest, and the emperor did not dare to disturb her.
Only after entering the palace and alighting from the carriage, where Empress Dowager Zhuang's phoenix palanquin came to greet them, did the Emperor finally muster the courage to speak: "I didn't want this either, I am..."
Empress Dowager Zhuang interrupted him impatiently: "What is it? Did you take the wrong medicine? Or did you eat too much and get full?"
The emperor was completely dumbfounded. As expected of his mother, she could even guess this!
"snort!"
Empress Dowager Zhuang snorted and boarded the phoenix carriage.
Then the emperor shamelessly boarded the imperial carriage.
Empress Dowager Zhuang looked at him with a puzzled expression. He coughed lightly and said, "...I'm tired and don't want to walk."
Empress Dowager Zhuang watched as the imperial carriage darted away to hide behind the artificial hill not far away: "...What exactly is going on with you? What are you plotting?"
The emperor asked doubtfully, "What could I possibly be plotting?"
Empress Dowager Zhuang said coldly, "Whose official position does the Emperor want to promote or dismiss? He can just say it directly. There's no need to beat around the bush and resort to this deception."
"Am I that kind of person? I just..." He wanted to say that he was simply being filial to his mother, but when the words reached his lips, he felt that the words were not very credible. Not to mention that Empress Dowager Zhuang would not believe it, he himself did not believe it either.
Finally, he decided to tell the truth: "To be honest, I took an overdose of the antidote, and these are all the effects of the medicine."
Empress Dowager Zhuang: "..."
The medicine was too potent, even more potent than Xiao Liulang had described, at least that's what the emperor thought. Although he had returned to Huaqing Palace, his heart was still wandering to Renshou Palace.
Although they had dinner in Bishui Hutong, the Empress Dowager didn't seem to eat much, and it's unclear whether she was hungry at this hour.
"Your Majesty, the midnight snack is here."
Eunuch Wei presented a steaming plate of duck soup noodles.
Looking at the fragrant duck noodle soup, the emperor suddenly realized he didn't have much of an appetite: "I don't want to eat."
Eunuch Wei hurriedly replied, "His Majesty has only eaten a few bites of dinner."
The main reason was that when she heard that she had swallowed three antidotes, she was so frightened that she couldn't sit still and couldn't eat anything.
The aroma of duck soup and scallions made him quite hungry, but he didn't want to eat the bowl in front of him.
"The duck noodle soup at Huaqing Palace is not good," he complained.
Uh... does this mean that the other late-night snacks at Huaqing Palace are better, or that the duck soup noodles at other palaces are better?
After pondering for a moment, Eunuch Wei, relying on his exceptional intuition, chose the latter: "Then... which palace's duck soup noodles would Your Majesty like to eat?"
"How would I know?" the emperor said irritably.
"The direction is right," Wei Gonggong breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "This servant heard that a new chef has come to Yongshou Palace. Why don't we go and try their duck noodle soup?"
Yongshou Palace was the residence of Consort Zhuang.
The emperor snorted: "The food prepared by the chefs at Yongshou Palace is absolutely awful. I never want to eat it again after just one meal!"
"Then... what about Changchun Palace?" His Majesty hasn't visited Consort Shu for some time.
The emperor refused without hesitation: "The food at Changchun Palace is too bland."
Eunuch Wei said, "What about Kunning Palace? Shall we go and see the Seventh Prince while we're at it?"
The emperor said calmly, "Little Seven has been too naughty these past few days. I don't have the energy to deal with him."
Eunuch Wei then listed several other concubines who were considered favored, including Consort Yu, the mother of the Third Prince, and several other concubines who had recently gained favor, but all of them were rejected by the Emperor.
Eunuch Wei was able to serve the emperor for so long not because he lacked discernment, but because the emperor neither went here nor there, clearly indicating that he had no interest in the three thousand beauties in the harem.
His eyes flickered, and he said, "This servant heard from the little divine physician that the chefs at Renshou Palace cook excellent dishes, and their duck soup noodles are especially delicious."
Sure enough, the emperor straightened his back: "Little Divine Doctor, do you really say that?"
Of course not, how could the little miracle doctor possibly discuss this with him?
But there is a truth that the emperor wants. Eunuch Wei smiled and said, "Yes, that's what the little divine doctor said. This servant cannot be mistaken!"
The emperor cleared his throat and said with a helpless expression, "In that case, let's go to the Empress Dowager's palace."
So, Empress Dowager Zhuang, who was about to retire for the night, saw her foolish son again.
"I've heard that the duck soup noodles in the Empress Dowager's palace are delicious," the Emperor said shamelessly.
Anyway, it was the effect of the medicine that caused it, not his intention. He's figured it out, so there's no need to be embarrassed!
Empress Dowager Zhuang said with a dark face, "There is no duck meat in Renshou Palace today."
The Emperor hurriedly said, "There are some at Huaqing Palace! Eunuch Wei, go and bring the ducks!"
"yes!"
Eunuch Wei summoned a nimble-footed eunuch to bring over a live duck. With all the ingredients in place, the cooks at Renshou Palace had no choice but to bite the bullet and start cooking.
After finishing a bowl of duck soup noodles, the emperor patted his round belly contentedly. The little divine doctor was right, the duck soup noodles at Renshou Palace are indeed delicious!
Then he still wouldn't leave.
Empress Dowager Zhuang's face darkened completely: "What? Are you still going to stay overnight at Renshou Palace?"
The Emperor, without moving, asked, "Has the Empress Dowager reserved a room for Xiao Hong?"
Ah! Kill her!
Empress Dowager Zhuang went berserk!
She decisively kicked the person out of Renshou Palace!
The emperor stumbled and fell over the threshold, nearly tripping. He steadied himself and turned to Empress Dowager Zhuang, saying, "Well..."
Bang!
The door slammed shut in front of him mercilessly!
The emperor touched his nose sullenly and finished speaking: "Let's go to court together tomorrow."
Eunuch Wei simply couldn't bear to look.
After enjoying a bowl of duck soup noodles at Renshou Palace, the emperor felt refreshed and said, "I think I could review memorials all night long tonight!"
As a result, he returned to his palace, slumped onto the dragon bed, and fell asleep!
Eunuch Wei: "..."
This is what it means to fall asleep instantly.
I slept soundly and had no more nightmares.
The next day, before dawn, Eunuch Wei woke the emperor: "Your Majesty, it's time for the morning court session."
"Hmm." The emperor did not have the habit of staying in bed. After being woken up, he quickly washed up, changed his clothes, and put on his dragon robe. "Prepare the carriage for Renshou Palace."
It's all because of this damned medicine! He wants to go to court with his mother!
Eunuch Wei vaguely sensed that the medicine's effects were a bit off, but he figured that the little divine doctor and Lord Xiao wouldn't lie to His Majesty, so His Majesty had really returned to his childhood and become that clingy little snotty-nosed child?
That's right, the emperor always had a runny nose when he was a child.
Although he had never seen it with his own eyes, he had heard Grandpa He talk about it.
She was always clinging to the Empress Dowager, to the point that she was even competing with Princess Ning'an for the Empress Dowager's favor.
Alas, the past is too painful to recall!
"Ah, Your Majesty." Eunuch Wei suddenly remembered something important. "Eunuch He came by earlier and asked Your Majesty how to deal with Consort Jing."
After the emperor broke with Consort Jing, he placed her under house arrest in a nunnery, where she was secretly guarded by Eunuch He.
The emperor's gaze turned cold: "I haven't decided how to deal with her yet. Although she has committed a grave mistake, she is still my mother. I raised her under her name, so she is my birth mother. Can I kill my own mother?"
Yes, no matter what crimes she committed, she was still the emperor's mother. The people of the world could condemn her, but the emperor could not end her life himself.
Eunuch Wei muttered, "Tsk, show that same ruthlessness you had towards the Empress Dowager back then!"
"What did you say?" the emperor asked, looking at him.
Eunuch Wei was startled and covered his mouth, saying, "It's nothing."
I slipped up again, how annoying!
The emperor rolled his eyes at him and said, "What do you think I sent He San to guard the nunnery for?"
Eunuch Wei was taken aback: "Your Majesty is..."
The emperor said with a complicated expression, "I want to know if she has been planning this all these years by herself, or if she has any accomplices. We should catch them all in one fell swoop."
The Emperor's feelings for Consort Jing could not have faded away in just a few days. He was still heartbroken when Consort Jing was mentioned, but he no longer showed any sympathy for her.
Some beliefs collapse overnight, and can never be rebuilt.
The emperor said in a deep voice, "Send someone to keep an eye on the Yong'an Marquis's residence as well."
The Yong'an Marquis's family was the maternal family of Consort Jing, so the emperor didn't really suspect them. The Yong'an Marquis's sons were all incompetent, and even the Yong'an Marquis himself was a mediocre talent.
However, since Consort Jing is currently under house arrest, if she truly has accomplices, the Yong'an Marquis's residence might be the only opportunity to get close to her.
The emperor paused, then said, "There is one more thing I don't understand."
Eunuch Wei said, "Your Majesty, please speak."
The emperor asked in bewilderment, "I gave her four Dragon Shadow Guards back then, how come there's only one left? Where did the other three go? Have someone keep an eye out for that too. I really don't want to ask her myself; I no longer believe a word she says. I also don't want to... see her again."
"Yes," Eunuch Wei replied.
...
In Bishui Hutong, after the family had breakfast, Gu Yan and Gu Xiaoshun went to Qinghe Academy, the old chief priest took Xiao Jingkong to the Imperial Academy, and Gu Jiao sent Xiao Liulang to the Hanlin Academy.
Xiao Liulang felt a moment of disorientation, as if he had returned to the days when she sent him to Tianxiang Academy in the countryside.
He also remembered one time when there was no extra room on the oxcart, so she walked more than ten miles on foot to prevent anyone from bullying him or kicking him off the oxcart.
"We've arrived," Gu Jiao said to Xiao Liulang.
Xiao Liulang's gaze fell on her cheeks, which were slightly flushed from walking. Fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, and Xiao Liulang raised his hand to wipe them away.
Gu Jiao opened her arms and gently moved closer to him, hugging his waist, which was without an ounce of fat.
His body stiffened slightly: "You..."
"Didn't you want a hug?" He even reached out his hand.
Xiao Liulang opened his mouth.
That was to wipe your sweat.
"...Hmm." The words he was about to say turned into an admission, and he himself didn't understand why he was being so pathetic.
Gu Jiao straightened up from his embrace, looking at him with her clear and bright eyes: "I'll pick you up after your shift ends."
"……good."
I still can't refuse.
Gu Jiao smiled and said, "You can go in now, I'm leaving."
"Mmm." Xiao Liulang responded softly, but didn't go in. "Jiaojiao."
"Hmm?" Gu Jiao turned around, looking at him with her clear eyes.
"Ning Zhiyuan's family came to the capital and invited us to his home."
"Okay," Gu Jiao said. "When are we going?"
Xiao Liulang thought for a moment: "The next day off? At the end of the month."
"Okay." Gu Jiao readily agreed without the slightest hesitation.
Silly girl, do you know that you went out this time as my wife? It will be hard to clear your name later.
Gu Jiao waved her sleeve and left.
Xiao Liulang stared at her retreating figure, watching her disappear at the end of the street before turning and walking into the Hanlin Academy.
Whether by coincidence or not, Prince An was standing at the entrance of the Hanlin Academy, and it was unclear how long he had been standing there, but he was looking in the same direction as Prince An.
"Editor Zhuang," Xiao Liulang greeted him casually.
Prince An showed no shame at being caught red-handed. He calmly withdrew his gaze and looked at Xiao Liulang: "Xiao Xiuzhuan."
A cold glint flashed in Xiao Liulang's eyes, but his face remained calm and composed: "Congratulations, Editor Zhuang."
Prince An frowned strangely: "Congratulations on what?"
"engagement."
"With my sister-in-law."
"I heard it was an imperial decree bestowed upon them, and the date has already been set."
"Your sister and I will be attending the ceremony."
Wishing you a long and happy marriage.
Prince An clenched his fist.
He only stole a few glances at Gu Jiao before Xiao Liulang mercilessly pierced his heart like a sieve.
Is this man's possessiveness really that terrifying?
(End of this chapter)
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