In the capital city, before dawn, the ministers who were preparing to attend court were already fully dressed and ready to go.
The emperor has been working very hard lately. He reviewed so many memorials yesterday that he didn't go to bed until very late.
The next morning, the eunuch who was to attend to the emperor saw that the emperor was still asleep, so he came to the bedside and spoke softly.
"Your Majesty, the morning court session is about to begin; it's time to get up."
In the past, at this time, the emperor would get up as soon as the eunuch called out, and the eunuch would help him change his clothes.
But today, after the emperor was awakened, he struggled to open his eyes, glanced at the eunuch, and then closed them again.
"I'm too sleepy. Let me sleep a little longer. Wake me up in a quarter of an hour."
The eunuch had no choice but to step back and let the emperor sleep for a while, then return in a quarter of an hour to help him get dressed.
Time passed quickly, and the eunuch quietly approached the bedside. The emperor was still fast asleep. He bent down, preparing to wake the emperor.
Suddenly, the eunuch was startled. He noticed something wrong with the emperor's mouth and quickly leaned closer to take a look. Sure enough, the emperor's mouth was crooked, and even his eyes were slanted.
The eunuch was taken aback, nearly dropping the oil lamp in his hand, and quickly spoke.
"Your Majesty, what's wrong? Wake up!" the eunuch began to call out urgently.
After being called a few times, the emperor woke up, looked at the eunuch, drool dripping from the corner of his mouth, and tried to speak, but couldn't utter a single word.
The eunuch was terrified and rushed to find the imperial physicians. Soon, several physicians arrived and, upon seeing the emperor's condition, knew that he had suffered a stroke.
The imperial physicians rushed to the emperor's aid, knowing that once a stroke occurs, the patient is essentially ruined, but if the treatment is timely, he might be able to live for a while longer.
At this moment, the emperor was still unable to speak, half of his body was paralyzed, and his eyes were filled with despair and fear.
The emperor suddenly fell ill, alarming the inner palace. This was a matter of great national importance and needed to be kept secret for the time being; the matter must not be spread.
It was broad daylight, and the officials were still waiting to attend court. Usually, the emperor would be sitting on the dragon throne by this time, but what was going on today?
At this moment, a eunuch came to the court and told the officials that the emperor was unwell and the morning court session was canceled.
The ministers looked at each other in bewilderment. Since the emperor was unwell, they decided to adjourn the court session.
The Fourth Prince was also about to leave when the eunuch stopped him and said:
"Your Highness, please wait."
The Fourth Prince stopped in his tracks, sensing something was wrong from the eunuch's eyes.
"What's wrong with His Majesty? Is he ill? Is it serious?"
The eunuch looked around, and seeing that no one was there, he spoke softly:
"His Majesty's condition is very bad, Your Highness, please come with me."
The Fourth Prince immediately tensed up and followed the eunuch to the Emperor's bedroom.
At this moment, the palace was filled with panic, as if a great calamity was about to befall them, and all the important members of the royal family had arrived.
Upon seeing this, the Fourth Prince was greatly surprised; it seemed that the Emperor was seriously ill.
The Fourth Prince arrived at the Emperor's bedside. The imperial physician was feeding the Emperor medicine, while the Empress and Consort stood by, wiping away tears.
At this moment, the emperor's mouth was crooked and his eyes were slanted. The fourth prince was shocked to see this.
At this moment, an imperial physician pulled the Fourth Prince aside and said:
"Your Highness, the Emperor has suffered a stroke, a chronic illness that no one throughout history has been able to cure. Moreover, the Emperor is already weak, and the illness has come on suddenly and is very difficult to cure."
The only thing the Imperial Medical Academy can do now is alleviate the emperor's symptoms. If the emperor can speak and walk again, that would be a great blessing.
The Fourth Prince nodded. He knew the risks of stroke; an old minister in the court had suffered a stroke and died a few days later.
"Since the imperial physicians are powerless, then let's search the whole country for renowned doctors to treat His Majesty," the Fourth Prince said.
Thus, the Imperial Medical Academy treated the emperor's illness while sending people out to search for renowned doctors. Although they knew the chances of success were slim, they still had to do it diligently.
After two days of treatment, the emperor's condition improved slightly. Although he was able to speak, his speech was still unclear.
News of the emperor's illness spread quickly, and all the civil and military officials in the court knew that the emperor had suffered a stroke and that his condition was critical.
The ministers knew that the emperor's stroke was incurable, and the next step would be to establish a new emperor. Li Guang's ascension to the throne was a foregone conclusion, and they, as his ministers, should be prepared.
The emperor suffered a stroke, leaving half of his body paralyzed, but his mind remained clear. He knew his time was up and he had to hurry to finish what he had left unfinished.
At this point, the emperor was able to speak. He summoned several trusted ministers to his side, made his will, and then began to entrust his affairs after his death.
After completing these tasks, the emperor immediately issued an edict ordering Li Guang to return to the capital.
To avoid worrying Li Guang, the emperor simply said that there were important matters in the court that required Li Guang's return to handle.
Next, the emperor began to wait for Li Guang to return to the capital. He wanted to see Li Guang ascend the throne so that he could be completely at ease.
This time, the imperial court did not send an urgent message, but instead dispatched an ordinary messenger to Shuixian Town, instructing the messenger not to reveal the emperor's illness.
This would mean it would take Li Guang a month to reach the capital, and the emperor hoped he could hold out until then and watch Li Guang ascend the throne.
During this period, Li Guang had a lot to do. Spring plowing had already begun, and many agricultural matters required Li Guang's attention. In addition, the construction of the imperial palace had reached a critical stage, which required his personal supervision.
In addition, Li Guang recently obtained a small wooden box, and he will spend some time studying it to figure out what happened.
Li Guang was busy that day when he suddenly learned that a messenger from the imperial court had arrived, instructing him to return to the capital immediately to help the court handle important matters.
Li Guang didn't think much of it. Since the court had important matters for him to handle, he decided to return to the capital.
Upon returning to the capital, Li Guang, as usual, brought many novel items, including new agricultural products and commodities developed by Zhao Xian.
To everyone's surprise, Li Guang's return to the capital was a one-way trip, and he did not return until many years later.
At this time in the capital, the imperial physicians were doing their best to treat the emperor's stroke, but the emperor's condition was fluctuating, sometimes better and sometimes worse.
Since the emperor was partially paralyzed and unable to walk, it was virtually impossible for him to get out of bed and walk around all day.
When the emperor suffered a stroke, the fourth prince was extremely anxious. Seeing that the emperor's condition was not improving, he pinned his hopes on finding a renowned doctor.
That day, the imperial physician who had gone out to seek out a famous doctor returned. Although he did not find a famous doctor, he did find a miraculous medicine.
This miraculous medicine is a pill, a gift from a wandering Taoist priest. According to the priest, taking this pill will cure any illness, even stroke patients who are unable to move.
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