He Wenqing hadn't expected the girl to be in so much pain; it seemed she truly believed him.
As Shen Mingzhuang thought of the empire that Jiang Wang had worked so hard to build, the dreams he had once expressed, the wolves and tigers eyeing the court, and her young, anxious son, her back gradually straightened and her eyes became more determined.
In such a critical moment, one must not be hasty. During the five years she was unconscious, Jiang Wang steadfastly guarded and protected her. Now that he could no longer hold on and collapsed, it was her turn to stand up and protect him.
Shen Mingzhuang felt that she was, after all, the mother of the nation. If she collapsed at the slightest thing, what right did she have to sit in this position, and what right did she have to receive the world's offerings?
She called Tan Yonglin over loudly. Tan Yonglin ran over, his steps a little unsteady, and knelt before her, saying, "Your Majesty, what are your orders?"
"Tan Yonglin, who else knows about His Majesty's coma? Has the news been kept under wraps?"
Upon hearing this, Tan Yonglin felt relieved. It seemed that the Empress had not lost her composure. Thinking that at this critical juncture, the Empress would probably have to take charge, Tan Yonglin became even more respectful and replied in a respectful voice, "Your Majesty, the news has been blocked. However, two days have already passed. This old servant has only told the outside world that His Majesty has a cold and will be taking three days off from court. At most, it will be hidden until tomorrow. His Majesty has been diligent and conscientious in recent years and has never taken a day off from court for a minor illness. I'm sure some people have already guessed it."
Just moments before, he was filled with anxiety about how to handle the situation if His Majesty didn't wake up by tomorrow and the Empress didn't return. He wondered how he would explain things to the outside world. But unexpectedly, Shen Mingzhuang returned.
"You handled this matter very well."
Shen Mingzhuang praised Tan Yonglin, then instructed, "Go and invite the Duke of Rongguo and his wife, as well as Lord Shen, to the palace. Tell them that I am ill and wish to invite my family to the palace for a reunion."
The voice was firm and resounding, making Tan Yonglin tremble. He felt as if he had found his pillar of support, and he immediately agreed, turning around to order someone to invite the Duke of Rongguo's mansion and Lord Shen to the palace.
Shen Mingrong watched as the wet nurse he had found was nursing the baby. Lu Yan wanted to see her younger sister, so she tugged at her mother's sleeve and pleaded, "Mother, please let me see my sister a little longer!"
"Yan'er, your little sister is eating right now. Once she's full, she can play with you!"
Shen Mingrong gently coaxed his daughter to sit under the grape trellis to cool off. The May wind wasn't too hot yet, just a little warm. Sitting in the shade of the trees made it much cooler.
The child had only been in the manor for a day or two, but he looked much more energetic. Seeing this, Shen Mingrong's mood improved considerably, and he even ate more these past two days.
These past few days, His Majesty has been on leave from court, and the Crown Prince is attending to his illness. His daughter, Lu Yan, is also staying at home. The mother and daughter are eating snacks and chatting under the tree. Don't underestimate this little girl because of her young age; she has a lot on her mind.
Before she entered the palace, she would always insist on sleeping with her mother, just so she could chat with Shen Mingrong. These days, she goes to the palace every day to accompany her mother in her studies, and she has less interaction with her mother. Whenever she has a spare moment, she immediately goes to her mother's side and chatters away.
Although her daughter was a bit noisy, Shen Mingrong still loved having her around, and she could tolerate the noise.
She was amused by her daughter's smug expression when she heard her cousin, the Crown Prince Jiang Xuan, secretly bring her delicious snacks but not Shen Xingtai. She thought her daughter's mind was full of strange and wonderful things every day. As the mother and daughter were talking, they heard that the Empress had invited them from the palace, which made her a little puzzled.
Shen Mingzhuang came looking for her as soon as he came out, and she really had no idea when he returned to the palace.
Moreover, the eunuch said: Her Majesty the Empress invites you to the palace to reminisce.
They'd only met a few days ago, so how did they end up catching up? And why did they have to invite Lu Chengye along? These perplexing points made her realize that this was no ordinary matter.
No, no, this whole thing seems suspicious. She went to Lu Chengye's study.
Lu Chengye had just received the news and was about to go find her when he saw her coming, so he smiled and helped her up.
"How is the child?"
Shen Mingrong nodded, feeling very grateful that her husband always put her first. She thought about how she had brought Shen Ming'e's daughter back to raise without discussing it with her husband, but he didn't blame her at all. He was so good to her.
Feeling a tenderness in her heart, her tone of voice involuntarily softened.
"Chengye, I find it rather strange that Her Majesty the Empress summoned us to the palace."
Lu Chengye was just about to say the same thing, and nodded slightly upon hearing this, "I also feel something is strange. Could it be that something happened in the palace?"
Because of the Emperor's three-day suspension of court, rumors have already spread, and many people are speculating that something bad might have happened to His Majesty, which is why he suspended court.
Shen Mingrong, who knew all this, was also very uneasy.
Shen Mingzhuang said that His Majesty's health wouldn't last more than three to five months. But it's only been a short time; he shouldn't be unable to hold on. Shen Mingrong was a little unsure. Going to the palace was definitely necessary, but before going in, it would be best to come up with a plan first, so as not to be caught off guard once inside.
Lu Chengye thought for a moment and said to Shen Mingrong, "Don't speculate on this matter. Let's go to the palace first. If His Majesty is really incapacitated, we can discuss it further. Although I am the Duke of Rong and currently in charge of eight thousand soldiers in the capital, if something serious happens, these few men won't be enough. However, we still have to have one principle: we must stand on the Empress's side in everything."
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