More guesthouses have sprung up nearby.
However, the room rates were also very high, and Zhou Wan managed to get a standard room after some haggling.
Once inside, everyone was exhausted and lay down to rest. Soon after, the waiter brought water for washing their faces and food. The fragrant food was delightful, and everyone ate and drank their fill before starting to rest.
Meanwhile, upon learning of the Emperor's illness, Qi Guze rushed to the capital almost without stopping.
Imperial Capital.
Qiankun Hall.
The Emperor had just finished a routine court meeting. He had forced himself to come to court despite his illness. By the end of the meeting, the Emperor was almost unable to hold on any longer. He was about to get up and go to the warm pavilion to rest when suddenly his vision went black and he nearly fainted.
This startled the old eunuch Fusheng who was standing by.
Fu Sheng hurriedly moved closer.
With quick reflexes, he helped the emperor up.
"Your Majesty, shall we ask Liu Songnian to take a look at you?"
Liu Songnian was the chief steward of the Imperial Medical Academy. He had served as a court physician for many years and possessed extraordinary medical skills. In fact, Liu Songnian was indeed very capable.
But this very person, who could bring the dead back to life with his miraculous healing skills, was powerless to cure the emperor's illness. Some time ago, Liu Songnian and the emperor had a rather frightening conversation.
"Am I not going to live much longer?"
"Long live the Emperor," Liu Songnian said, "Mental illness requires mental medicine. Your physical illness may not necessarily destroy you, but your mental illness is particularly serious, almost to the point of... If you continue like this, it will only get worse in the future."
How to treat it?
The Emperor looked at Liu Songnian.
Liu Songnian coughed and stroked his beard: "It's simple. Just get some rest, don't overthink things, maintain a regular lifestyle, and eat a light diet."
"I understand, you may leave."
Everything else is something Your Majesty can do, except for preventing wild thoughts, which is something Your Majesty absolutely cannot do.
Liu Songnian also knew that the matter of the Crown Prince had become a sore spot and source of pain for the current emperor. Seeing the emperor's state of mind, Liu Songnian did not say much.
At this moment, inside the Qiankun Palace, the Emperor was not in good spirits. Just as he was about to go to the warm pavilion to rest, someone outside reported that the Regent had returned.
He was like a lifeline to the emperor, who was overjoyed and stood up with a smile, saying, "Quick, quick, let His Highness in."
In a short while, Qi Guze, dressed in a light fur coat and loose belt, entered the Qiankun Palace.
Just as he was about to bow, the Emperor stood up and said, "Rise quickly. Why do we need so many formalities?" But Qi Guze still bowed and then looked up to examine the Emperor.
Seeing that the emperor's eyes were extremely dull, Qi Guze asked, "How is Your Majesty's health?"
"Ahem," the Emperor coughed, looking dejected. "It's the same as always. I'm not going to die, but I'm not going to get better either."
"We've consulted the imperial physician, but what did the imperial physician say?"
“It’s just an old problem. He said, ‘A heart ailment needs a heart remedy.’” The Emperor’s tone was filled with an unspeakable pain. Qi Guze took a deep breath and stared at the Emperor. “Along the way, I have indeed investigated quite a few clues.”
His Majesty was overjoyed and felt that his illness had been greatly cured.
He hurriedly waved to Fusheng.
"Step back, all of you step back."
The group filed away.
The palace was now completely silent; you could hear a pin drop.
The Emperor lowered his gaze to Qi Guze and pressed, "Is there any progress regarding the Crown Prince?"
"It's pretty close to the truth." Qi Guze looked at the Emperor, intending to reveal everything, but behind the great hope lay great despair. It would be good to make the Emperor happy now, especially since his investigation was indeed pretty close to the truth.
Happy today.
His tone was even more hurried than before, "What's going on?"
"Take a look at the portrait," Qi Guze said, slowly approaching the Golden Palace. He took out a piece of paper from his sleeve. It was a painting drawn by someone, a one-to-one replica of that little guy, Ah Qi.
The emperor, clutching the crumpled paper, nearly collapsed. "It's him, cough cough cough... It's him, it's him! Where did you find him?"
"Near Wuming County."
"Is it alright?" The Emperor's questions came one after another, like a rapid-fire arrow. "Why didn't you bring him to the palace?"
Qi Guze then answered the question, "Your Majesty, after careful investigation, I found that he is ten years old, from Qingshui Village, and both his parents are deceased."
"Both parents deceased?" The Emperor looked dejectedly at Qi Guze.
So it seems that this child wasn't born after his death.
But Qi Guze continued, "I saw that he looked almost exactly like you, so even though I knew that Aqi's parents were dead, I still started an investigation. The results of this investigation were shocking."
"Speak quickly."
"His adoptive parents died a violent death, but judging from the clues, someone entrusted him to this kind couple when he was about three years old. Most importantly, I also found a seal on him."
"stamp?"
The Emperor was greatly pleased. "Tell me quickly, what is that seal?"
"Those who share the same ideals are united."
This signifies shared ideals and beliefs, and is a gift bestowed upon the late Empress by the current Emperor. Upon hearing this, the current Emperor's illness was almost completely cured. "I will summon him to the palace immediately for a blood test to confirm kinship."
"He has forgotten most of his previous memories. Now, due to his exile, he has become tainted with a violent aura and needs to be tempered. Your subject will naturally make arrangements, but we cannot rush things, otherwise we may frighten him."
"Yes, yes, yes," the Emperor nodded, "we must not be too hasty."
That's how things were settled.
Since learning of the Crown Prince's news, the Emperor has been beaming with joy, and his illness has indeed improved considerably.
There are two sides to the story.
Meanwhile, Jiang Mingfu, Zhou Qionghua, and Jiang Shixu set off. After leaving Chang'an County, they left furtively. Once they were far away from the others, Zhou Qionghua sneered, "Eating my food and using my things? Do you think I'm some kind of nouveau riche? What are you thinking?"
How could Zhou Qionghua, who is so stingy, possibly arrange their food and lodging?
Therefore, they left Chang'an County and entered Wannian County in one go, arriving at a distance much faster than the others, and are now very close to the capital.
They could see a steady stream of people heading to the capital to seek their fortune, and these people were all as unremarkable as they were.
They could also see a group of farmers and workers leaving the city every evening. These people were exhausted from a long day's work, and almost none of them wanted to say a word as they passed by.
Jiang Mingfu hurriedly went over to pay his respects, then pointed with a fawning grin at the city gates behind him, "Is this Chang'an?"
"Yes," the man replied weakly.
"What does Your Excellency do?"
"There are many trades and professions in the capital, and I am a bricklayer."
Immediately afterward, Jiang Mingfu saw a carpenter, a blacksmith, and a manure carrier. Before the manure carrier even got close, a sour, pungent stench hit him.
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