Chapter 120 Summons
"Summon the Crown Princess...to the palace immediately to attend to the patient!"
Lin Xiaoshu's voice was filled with tears, which sounded particularly harsh in the quiet study.
The blood color on Shen Yanzhi and Song Qingyuan's faces faded instantly.
Late night, cold, headache, summons to the Crown Princess. These words strung together exude an unusual and eerie atmosphere.
The emperor has always been in good health. Even if he occasionally feels unwell, the Imperial Medical Bureau is fully responsible. Has there ever been a precedent of him bypassing the empress and the Imperial Medical Bureau and directly summoning the Crown Princess to "attend to his illness" in the middle of the night?
This is against the rules and even more against common sense.
"What are you panicking about?" Shen Yanzhi's voice became deep, and no emotion could be heard from it, but it calmed down the panicked Lin Xiaoshu instantly.
He looked at Song Qingyuan, his eyes filled with an unwavering solemnity. "Besides Chief Steward Fu, who else heard this oral order?"
"Your Highness, Manager Fu came directly to the gate of our palace, and I...I went to pick him up, and only a few of us heard it," Lin Xiaoshu replied.
"Got it. Go prepare the car and call Bai Zhi and Jing Zhe. Also, have Chen An bring a team of Jinwu Guards to follow, saying they are here to protect the Crown Princess' safety along the way." Shen Yanzhi gave his orders clearly one by one.
He turned to Song Qingyuan and held her cold hand: "Don't be afraid, I'm here."
Song Qingyuan held his hand in return, his palm having regained its composure and warmth. "I'm not afraid. I just find it strange. Father's actions don't seem like he's sick, but rather like he's...sending some signal."
"Whatever the signal is, it means something's happened in the palace." Shen Yanzhi smoothed out her hair. "This journey will be dangerous and unpredictable. Just go and adapt to the situation."
Remember, no matter what you see or hear, your first priority is to protect yourself. If you can't do anything, try to delay until I get in."
Song Qingyuan nodded, having already made up her mind. She was no longer the woman who had just entered the palace and needed his advice in everything.
She whispered, "Don't worry. You must also be on guard here at the East Palace. Since Chief Steward Fu was able to pass on the message to our door unhindered, it means that the guards of the Palace and the Imperial City, at least along the route he passed, acquiesced. It's hard to say who is behind this."
This sentence awakened Shen Yanzhi. Yes, from the Imperial Palace to the East Palace, the layers of guards along the way seemed to be useless. This meant that either it was the Emperor's instruction, or a force they had not yet perceived had infiltrated the core of the Imperial Guard.
The couple looked at each other and saw the same answer in each other's eyes - Duke of Wei, or a being even more terrifying than Duke of Wei.
Song Qingyuan changed into a simple palace dress and brought only Baizhi, who was well-versed in pharmacology, and Jingzhe, who was the most skilled. The carriage sped through the night, its wheels rolling over the bluestone road, making a monotonous and oppressive sound.
Along the way, Song Qingyuan lifted the curtain of his carriage and looked out at the patrolling imperial guards. They were heavily armored, their faces expressionless, but the austere atmosphere was ten times thicker than usual. The night in the capital seemed to be shrouded in an invisible net, making it difficult to breathe.
Outside the Emperor's chambers, the atmosphere was oppressive to the extreme. Only a few young eunuchs stood outside, their heads bowed and their voices trembling with fear. Not a single maid from the palace was in sight. Fu, the chief steward, waited at the entrance, his face pale as paper in the light of the lanterns.
"Your Highness, you're finally here." Steward Fu's voice was hoarse as he bowed and led her in. "His Majesty...His Majesty...has a severe headache and has dismissed everyone."
Song Qingyuan calmly entered the palace. The air was thick with the aroma of ambergris, mingled with a faint hint of medicine. She passed through the outer hall and arrived before the beaded curtain of the bedroom. Steward Fu stopped and gestured, "Your Majesty, please. His Majesty permits only you to enter."
Baizhi and Jingzhe were stopped outside. Song Qingyuan gave them a soothing look, took a deep breath, and walked in alone, lifting the beaded curtain.
The inner hall was dimly lit, lit only by a single floor-length palace lantern. The emperor half-reclined on the dragon bed, his bright yellow quilt covering only his waist, revealing his undergarment at the slightly open collar. His eyes were closed, his brow furrowed, a damp cloth covering his forehead, and his breathing was heavy.
"Your Majesty, your son, pays homage to His Majesty." Song Qingyuan knelt down and saluted.
The emperor on the bed slowly opened his eyes. His eyes, usually sharp as an eagle's, now seemed a little cloudy and tired. He stared at her for a long moment before speaking hoarsely, "Here it comes."
There wasn't a hint of "splitting headache" in his voice, only a weariness that went deep into his bones.
"Your Majesty is not feeling well, why don't you summon the imperial physician?" Song Qingyuan walked closer and asked with concern.
"Imperial Physician?" The emperor's lips curled into a sarcastic arc. "If I had truly believed them, I'd probably be a cold corpse by now."
Song Qingyuan was shocked.
The emperor struggled to sit up straighter and pointed to the embroidered cushion beside the bed. "Sit down. Fu'an, go guard outside. No one is allowed to approach. Anyone who disobeys my order will be executed."
"Yes." Steward Fu retreated quietly and closed the door of the palace.
In the huge bedroom, only the father-in-law and daughter-in-law were left.
"Yanzhi's memorial to the 'Huang Entai' will be submitted tomorrow morning, right?" The emperor suddenly asked an irrelevant question.
Song Qingyuan was stunned for a moment, then reacted and replied respectfully, "Yes. His Highness said that the court's grace must be truly implemented."
"What a practical move!" The emperor chuckled softly, his voice filled with sadness and self-mockery. "Does he think Wei Yande is just hiding some illegal salt and ironware business? He underestimates his uncle, and he also underestimates... me."
Song Qingyuan lowered her eyes and didn't answer. She knew that now was the time for her to listen, not speak.
"I know about the Wei family's web. I knew it from the first day it was woven."
The emperor cast his gaze out the window at the dark night, as if gazing upon a distant past. "I even... knitted a few stitches for them myself. An overly powerful prince needs to be balanced. A wolf in a cage is always easier to control than a pack of wild dogs that appear out of nowhere."
Song Qingyuan felt a chill run down his spine. The emperor's mind was truly unfathomable. He had actually used the Duke of Wei's mansion as a whetstone, to sharpen the Crown Prince and balance the court.
"However, I didn't expect that this wolf has been fed too fat. It is no longer satisfied with the rotten meat in the cage, and it has begun to covet... the owner who feeds it." A terrifying murderous intent flashed in the emperor's eyes.
"The death of Shopkeeper Qian was not caused by Wei Yande. Wei Yande didn't have the ability to make someone commit suicide so flawlessly under the noses of the clan officials. There must be someone behind him."
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