Chapter 56 Revealed
Outside the palace gate, there were many carriages parked.
Towards the end of the year, it was snowing heavily and I felt the bone-chilling cold as soon as I got out of the carriage.
Dengzhi hurriedly put a cloak on Mrs. Xu and then wrapped the young lady in another layer.
The women in each mansion all looked worried, and had no intention of asking the ladies around them for news.
Your Majesty is the Queen Mother’s biological son and is the most filial son, as everyone in the world knows.
"It's so cold." Several old officials sniffed. They were already old, and standing in the snow and ice was even more unbearable.
"Madam, please bring a hot water bottle." Yingxue handed over a hot water bottle that could be hidden under the sleeve.
At this moment the palace gates were wide open.
The ladies were arranged in order according to their status.
Although the Xu family is of high status, Xu has already married into the Lu family, and the Lu family is just a middle-class family in the court and is of no importance.
As soon as the palace gate opened, an old maid came out with a smile on her face.
This is the wet nurse beside the eldest princess, and she is quite proud of herself.
She jumped over the ladies step by step and came to Xu's side: "Madam Xu, Chaochao is young and it is snowing heavily, so the princess specially asked you to ride in the sedan chair into the palace." Sure enough, the princess's guard of honor followed behind her.
Everyone was shocked, as the eldest princess attached great importance to rules.
At this moment, he actually broke the rules and invited Xu to ride in his sedan chair?
Xu looked down at Lu Chaochao who was sucking her fingers and said, "Well, it's all thanks to the girl."
She and the eldest princess have been friends for twenty years, and the eldest princess has never broken the rules.
"Then I would like to thank you, Madam, for your concern." Xu expressed her gratitude and then carried Chao Chao into the sedan chair.
Palace servants were constantly sweeping the snow in the palace, but there was still a thin layer of snow.
The further they went in, the colder Xu felt.
Many palace people coughed slightly and looked unhappy.
Her heart skipped a beat.
After passing through the palace wall and arriving at Kunning Palace, I could smell a strong smell of medicine before entering the main hall.
"How's the Queen Mother?" Xu carried Chao Chao down from the sedan chair.
The nanny's eyes were red. "The Queen Mother had a good constitution and rarely caught a cold this year. But it's the end of the year, and maybe it was the heavy snow and the temperature dropped, so she got seriously ill. She has a high fever and a constant cough. This morning, she couldn't even breathe."
"Your Majesty even stopped the morning court session and stayed by the Queen Mother's side."
"All the doctors in the Imperial Hospital have arrived at Kunning Palace, but the fever is still high."
If it weren't for the fact that His Majesty still had some sanity left, I'm afraid the Imperial Medical Bureau would have lost its head.
[It’s a lung disease, it’s a lung disease!] It is contagious, and the symptoms are like those of a cold, but they gradually worsen in the later stages, with persistent coughing and high fever, followed by death from organ failure. 】
Lu Chaochao lay in Dengzhi's arms, her eyes sparkling.
Xu felt a chill in her heart.
"Your Majesty is still in Kunning Palace?"
The maid nodded: "Yes, His Majesty has never left."
Xu's face was as gloomy as water.
"Where is the eldest princess?" Xu couldn't help but worry when she thought of the eldest princess.
"The eldest princess was originally going to come, but the Empress Dowager had issued an imperial decree before she fell into a coma. The eldest princess's pregnancy was extremely difficult, so she was not allowed to enter the palace." She had waited for more than ten years for this pregnancy, so how could they dare to let her enter the palace.
Xu breathed a sigh of relief.
"Go...go..." Lu Chaochao knew what her mother was thinking and immediately started making a fuss.
Xu was helpless. She knew there was something strange about her, but she was also worried.
However, if something happens to your majesty and the prince, I am afraid that the country will be in chaos.
She calmed down and personally carried Chaochao into Kunning Palace.
The door was closed. When I opened it, the house was filled with a strong smell of medicine.
It can't be dissipated completely.
The emperor knelt in front of the bed with a frown on his face and red eyes, glaring at everyone.
"The entire Imperial Medical Bureau can't even cure the common cold? What's the point of me keeping you around?!" The emperor was so angry that his fingers were shaking.
The Queen Mother was of humble origins, and after giving birth to him, the two of them had an extremely difficult life in the palace.
The two depended on each other, and the emperor valued his mother very much.
The Imperial Physician knelt on the ground and trembled.
There were already a group of ladies of honor standing in the room. After Xu bowed, she stood beside them.
These are all people who come to take care of the sick.
"Cough cough..." The Queen Mother had fallen into a semi-comatose state, had a high fever, and her face was red, but she was still coughing violently.
The emperor was deeply distressed when he saw this.
He held the Queen Mother's hand tightly and refused to let go.
The house was filled with a sickly smell.
From time to time, a suppressed, shallow cough could be heard.
Xu was horrified.
[Oh, it is indeed a lung disease.] 】
[The neighboring southern country has been at war for a long time, with countless casualties. The corpses are piling up and bacteria are breeding, so some people are burning the corpses. After the burning, a heavy rain polluted the water source, causing many people in the south to suffer from lung disease.
[However, due to the blockade by the Southern Kingdom’s imperial court, there is no news to the outside world yet. 】
Lu Chaochao hugged his mother's neck, thinking about how to remind her.
"Go away." The emperor waved his hand.
Xu took a deep breath, stood up and knelt in the middle: "Your Majesty, I have something to report."
Just at this moment everyone retreated.
Xu Yiting frowned and looked at his sister worriedly.
The emperor looked at her deeply.
He had an impression of the Xu family.
Xu Shiyun, the eldest daughter of the Xu family. More than ten years ago, she married Lu Yuanze, the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery.
Some time ago, because the Minister of Rites, Mr. Chen, had a mistress, he took the opportunity to investigate the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery.
This investigation revealed a lot of things.
Lu Yuanze was well-known in Beijing for his loyalty. During his investigation, he discovered that Lu Yuanze had another family and was deeply in love with another woman.
In his eyes, Xu was confused.
I have been deceived by men for nearly twenty years, and I am ignorant and stupid.
At this moment, even Lu Chaochao was carried away.
Only the emperor and Xu were left in the room.
Xu took a deep breath, knelt on the ground and said, "Your Majesty, I'm afraid the Queen Mother is suffering from an epidemic."
"The South has been at war for a long time, with countless casualties and corpses piling up. Disease has spread throughout the South."
"But the Southern Kingdom has blocked the news. If Your Majesty sends someone to investigate, you will know."
When the emperor heard about the epidemic, his heart sank.
But then I started to have some doubts. How could Xu, a woman who never left the house, know about the epidemic in the south?
Xu's palms were sweating profusely, and she didn't know how to explain to the emperor.
But the emperor asked nothing.
He just waved his hand and the chief eunuch Wang came in.
"Send the message to the Lord Protector of the Country."
"Yes." Eunuch Wang summoned Lord Protector Li outside the palace gate.
"Duke Protector of the Country, has there been any unusual movement in the Southern Kingdom recently?" The atmosphere in the hall was solemn. Xu Shi had already broken out in a cold sweat on his forehead and was even trembling slightly.
The Duke of Protectorate is already old, but after years of fighting, he looks energetic and extraordinary.
"Your Majesty, the last war in the South was three months ago. But recently, it has been too quiet. All cities have closed their gates, and our spies have not come out since they went in." Lord Protector Li replied.
The emperor's eyelids twitched slightly.
"Perhaps it's because of the winter, they are storing up food and medicinal materials outside. I'm afraid they need to rest and recuperate."
The emperor stood up suddenly, feeling dizzy.
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