WK Chapter 24

The imperial palace was extremely lively tonight.

 

But the Empress didn’t want this liveliness at all.

 

The old Marchioness had sent her name card into the palace, requesting to see His Majesty through her, the mistress of the inner palace. Naturally, she had no reason to refuse. Upon meeting, the old Marchioness didn’t engage in much courtesy, asking her to lead the way to see His Majesty.

 

And now, only she, as the Empress, could bring her to Ju’an Hall.

 

The Empress had no choice but to lead the old Marchioness to Ju’an Hall, rationalizing that as the nominal mother and the Seventh Prince’s maternal grandmother, coming here late at night could barely be considered appropriate.

 

Emperor Chongzhao came out from the bedchamber to meet them in the side hall.

 

He politely invited the old Marchioness to sit.

 

Not only because the old Marchioness was Consort Yun’s birth mother, but also because of her mutual support with the Sword-Holding Marquis, who was still far away in the northern frontier.

 

However, the old Marchioness didn’t overstep at all, first paying her respects before sitting properly in the lower seat.

 

The Empress stood beside the Emperor, pouring him a cup of water.

 

Emperor Chongzhao pinched the bridge of his nose, “Mother-in-law, do you have some matter?”

 

The use of “mother-in-law,” a term no different from ordinary families, seemed to indicate that this old Marchioness, Consort Yun’s birth mother, was different from the families of other consorts in the inner palace.

 

This wasn’t quite proper, especially in front of the Empress. But the Empress only glanced down, pretending she hadn’t heard anything.

 

The old Marchioness stood up and bowed deeply.

 

Emperor Chongzhao: “What are you doing?”

 

The old Marchioness: “Your Majesty, this humble woman knows that the Seventh Prince’s fate was criticized by the Astrology Bureau, and also knows that you plan to send that child to a detached palace.”

 

“If it were within the imperial palace, this humble woman wouldn’t say a word. But the detached palace is remote, and it’s the dead of winter. If the servants are careless, that child won’t survive. He is the child my only daughter gave her life to birth. When Yueqing passed away, as an elder burying the young, I almost followed her. It was only the thought of my grandson that kept me alive, wanting to see this child grow up on her behalf.”

 

She performed a deep bow.

 

“Your Majesty, the Seventh Prince is a prince, this humble woman knows. But please, for the sake of Yueqing and the Marquis, don’t send that child to the detached palace—”

 

“Mother-in-law, please rise.” Emperor Chongzhao’s temples throbbed with pain as he personally helped her up.

 

After hearing that the Seventh Prince had been found, the old Marchioness’s emotions had stabilized considerably. Her words and actions were perfectly measured, not making the Emperor feel pressured or displeased, yet conveying her sincerity.

 

Emperor Chongzhao: “I…”

 

Head Eunuch Yu hurriedly entered from the main bedchamber, his expression both urgent and flustered.

 

The old Marchioness’s unfinished words were interrupted, as was Emperor Chongzhao, who was somewhat displeased: “What is it?”

 

Head Eunuch Yu: “Your Majesty! The young prince has taken a turn for the worse!”

 

“What?!”

 

The old Marchioness, who had appeared composed just moments ago, lost her composure and quickly took a few steps forward, tightly grasping Head Eunuch Yu’s arm, “My grand… What happened to the Seventh Prince?”

 

“Come with me to see.” Emperor Chongzhao’s face was tense as he strode ahead.

 

Head Eunuch Yu followed behind them, quickly recounting what had just happened.

 

A few minutes earlier.

 

The physicians brought two bowls of medicine into the bedchamber, the left one decocted from the new prescription, the right one from the previous prescription.

 

Head Eunuch Yu: “Which of these two should he drink?”

 

“This humble servant has smelled them, both bowls contain the correct herbs for reducing fever. However, the former is milder, while the latter is stronger.”

 

“Both are acceptable?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Ye Xiaoyuan: “Your Highness?”

 

Qu Dubian naturally chose to drink from the right bowl. He leaned towards Ye Xiaoyuan’s hand, pretending to take a sip, then drinking and spitting out repeatedly.

 

It seemed he was drinking, but he actually spat out most of it.

 

After finally finishing the bowl of medicine, not only was Ye Xiaoyuan sweating profusely, but Head Eunuch Yu also inexplicably felt relieved.

 

However, Qu Dubian opened the simulator.

 

[Host has chosen, simulating drug overdose.]

[Host has chosen, duration one day.]

[Simulation begins, enjoy your experience!]

 

What does a drug overdose feel like? Very nauseating.

 

The whole body begins to shake, vision darkens.

 

Qu Dubian only experienced it for a few seconds before immediately setting the real value to zero.

 

He closed his eyes completely, squeezed Ye Xiaoyuan’s palm, thinking that after this, he must properly comfort Ye Banban. Then he let his body shake and shiver, falling into a half-sleep state.

 

“Your Highness?”

 

“Your Highness!!!”

 

The bedchamber erupted in startled cries.

 

Head Eunuch Yu realized the situation was dire and rushed to report to Emperor Chongzhao.

 

–

 

As soon as Emperor Chongzhao entered, he saw his young son shaking all over, curled up in the blanket like a critically ill cat.

 

His expression darkened as he quickly approached, sitting on the bed and grasping his young son’s hand.

 

It was soft and burning hot.

 

For an instant, it overlapped infinitely with the scene from his dream where the child gradually lost his breath in his arms.

 

The physicians all knelt on the ground.

 

Emperor Chongzhao took a deep breath, his palm gently tightening as he angrily asked: “What exactly happened? Didn’t he just take the medicine?”

 

The physician who had brought the medicine was sweating profusely. After Imperial Physician Qiu and another physician took turns checking the pulse, they reached a hesitant conclusion: “Poi… poisoning…?”

 

Emperor Chongzhao: “Poisoning?”

 

This physician kowtowed repeatedly: “Your Majesty, the young prince’s pulse is strange, it’s like poisoning, yet not quite…”

 

Emperor Chongzhao kicked him away, “Bring another physician.”

 

The physicians took turns checking the pulse, some testing the bottom of the medicine bowl for poison, but there was no reaction. Suddenly, someone exclaimed and asked: “Eunuch Ye, do you still have the medicine package used to decoct the prince’s medicine?”

 

Ye Xiaoyuan: “Yes!”

 

He had received the medicine package from the Imperial Hospital. At the time, he had wondered why they were so generous, and worried about the prince falling ill again in the future, he had happily hidden it away.

 

He still had it until now.

 

He immediately brought out all the hidden medicine packages, opening them one by one for the imperial physicians to examine.

 

“Just looking at the types of herbs, the prescription is absolutely correct. It’s a proper fever-reducing formula, but…” The physician Yang who first suggested checking the medicine package frowned, “Was this package cooked all at once?”

 

Ye Xiaoyuan: “Yes, when I received the herbs, I was told it was one package per use, to be cooked completely and decocted thickly for the prince.”

 

Physician Yang was surprised: “All cooked at once?”

 

Ye Xiaoyuan nervously said: “That’s right, regarding matters concerning the prince, I never dare to be careless. I asked several times, and it was indeed so. Is there a problem with these herbs? But at that time, Xiaochun in the hall also had a fever, and he got better after drinking this.”

 

Physician Yang bowed to Emperor Chongzhao and said: “For an older person, drinking this medicine would naturally be fine, but the prince — the young prince is not yet three years old. When the dosage is excessive and decocted thickly, it’s no longer medicine, but poison.”

 

“If he had drunk two or three doses, the young prince would have lost his life long ago!”

 

As his words fell, Ye Xiaoyuan’s face turned deathly pale.

 

“Someone wanted to harm the young prince…” He suddenly realized and said to Emperor Chongzhao, “Your Majesty! Someone wanted to harm the young prince! If the young prince hadn’t disliked the bitterness and refused to drink it then, I’m afraid you wouldn’t have seen him today!”

 

Ye Xiaoyuan didn’t care about taboos anymore: “Since then, Your Majesty finally showed mercy to the prince, but then rumors spread—”

 

“Ahem!” Head Eunuch Yu interrupted him.

 

But the words had already been said, and it was too late.

 

Emperor Chongzhao’s face was like frost, though not directed at Ye Xiaoyuan.

 

He said word by word: “Investigate the Imperial Hospital! You must find out for me who prescribed this medicine!!”

 

Emperor Chongzhao lowered his head, looking at his young son’s thin little face, his palm finally gently touching it. No matter what, this child shouldn’t be harmed by anyone.

 

The physicians immediately got busy, prescribing new medicine, placing cold, wet cotton cloths on the child’s forehead.

 

Some induced vomiting, others applied acupuncture.

 

After quite a while of turmoil, the Seventh Prince finally showed some reaction, but he kept crying softly.

 

Emperor Chongzhao’s brows were furrowed enough to kill a fly: “What’s happening now?”

 

Physician Yang said: “We’ve induced vomiting, he should be better soon, but the young prince seems to have been delirious since earlier. He’s only a bit better when in Ye Gonggong’s or Head Head Eunuch Yu’s arms, with Ye Gonggong’s comfort being most effective, though the young prince still cries softly like this.”

 

It was natural for Ye Xiaoyuan, who had been the prince’s personal attendant since he was little, to provide comfort with his familiar scent, but Yu Decai…?

 

Emperor Chongzhao looked at Head Eunuch Yu.

 

Could this old fellow naturally comfort children?

 

Head Eunuch Yu sheepishly said, “This servant thought about it, and it’s probably because earlier in the imperial kitchen, I punished the evildoer in front of the young prince, so he has some… special feelings towards this servant.” At that time, the young prince even gave him a hug.

 

Emperor Chongzhao: “You didn’t say it was my order?”

 

Head Eunuch Yu: “Didn’t you tell this servant not to reveal it was your order at that time?”

 

So the young prince saw him as a hero who drove away the bad guys and admired him a bit, but it had nothing to do with him, it was all Your Majesty’s order!

 

Emperor Chongzhao felt inexplicably frustrated.

 

Physician Yang put away his needles and bowed, “Reporting to Your Majesty, the prince has improved slightly, but his emotions are still unstable. Now, regardless of who it is, we just need someone who can calm the young prince.”

 

“If he continues to cry restlessly at night, with his breath congested, the internal heat and toxins unable to disperse, and if he has another convulsion causing high fever, that would truly be difficult to handle.”

 

Head Eunuch Yu: “What can we do? Even Ye Gonggong can’t calm him down.”

 

Emperor Chongzhao looked around, the physicians all cleared a path, and his gaze unexpectedly fell on the old Marchioness who had been anxiously waiting on the outskirts.

 

“Would you… like to hold him?”

 

The old Marchioness, who had entered together, had been blocked by the physicians on the outer circle.

 

Since entering, her nose had been filled with the smell of medicine. When she heard the weak cry like a kitten earlier, she immediately clenched her sleeves.

 

Now that the people blocking her view had moved away, she suddenly saw her grandson’s appearance.

 

Just one look at that face resembling her daughter as a child made her freeze, tears flowing like a spring. Poor child, how could he be so small? Even his mother wasn’t this frail as a child.

 

The old Marchioness forcibly suppressed her instant urge to rush over and hug her grandson because she noticed the emperor’s hesitation.

 

The emperor himself hadn’t realized that he actually wanted to go and hug the child too. Life is short, only fifty or sixty years, how much longer could she and her old man live? When they’re gone, the grandson would still rely on the emperor.

 

If the emperor didn’t have a shred of pity or care for this child, she wouldn’t hesitate at all and would go directly to hug him.

 

But now it seemed that this child did have a place in the emperor’s heart.

 

For the long term, she couldn’t waste the emperor’s bit of pity due to her personal desires.

 

The old Marchioness said: “Your Majesty is his father emperor, you should go and hold him.”

 

Emperor Chongzhao remembered what happened earlier and hesitated, “I… I can’t, he won’t let me hold him.”

 

Head Eunuch Yu: “Your Majesty, please try again. If it doesn’t work, then let the old Marchioness try.”

 

Only then did Emperor Chongzhao go to the bedside, replacing Ye Xiaoyuan, half-holding Qu Dubian, with his other hand awkwardly patting to comfort him.

 

The softly sobbing Seventh Prince actually gradually stopped crying. His face was hot and damp, showing unease, his eyelashes wet with tears, clumped together pitifully.

 

A small hand reached out from under the blanket, gently grasping Emperor Chongzhao’s large hand.

 

The child leaned in, his cheek lightly nuzzling, his breathing gradually steadying.

 

Head Eunuch Yu marveled: “The young prince and Your Majesty truly are father and son by blood. As soon as you came over, the prince stopped crying… Earlier, the prince was just throwing a tantrum with you.”

 

Emperor Chongzhao remained silent, perhaps there really was some mystical connection, otherwise he wouldn’t have dreamed of this child having a fever.

 

Physician Yang sighed in relief: “He should be stable now.”

 

The Seventh Prince’s condition had stabilized, but there were still unresolved matters.

 

Emperor Chongzhao waved his hand, and Head Eunuch Yu immediately cleared out all the physicians present, along with the serving palace staff, leaving only a few necessary people.

 

“Bring a seat for the old Marchioness.”

 

Head Eunuch Yu was very sensible, bringing two stools. Emperor Chongzhao glanced and said, “The Empress may sit as well.”

 

The stools were placed neither too far nor too close, just right for discussing matters.

 

“Today’s incident shows my lax governance of the palace.”

 

Emperor Chongzhao was referring to the recent incident where the medicine overdose became poison. Having the old Marchioness witness such underhanded, filthy tactics, he needed to provide an explanation.

 

The Empress: “It’s my fault for not discovering it in time.”

 

The old Marchioness slowly said: “Then has Your Majesty decided what to do in the future? Now that this incident has occurred, Ju’an Hall is no longer suitable. He needs to be moved elsewhere.”

 

Move elsewhere? Move where?

 

Head Eunuch Yu couldn’t help but prick up his ears at the mention of moving.

 

After all, the Astrology Bureau had recently said that the young prince’s residence couldn’t be too close to His Majesty, and Ju’an Hall was the farthest place. Now moving, where could he be moved that His Majesty would agree to?

 

It was like presenting an impossible problem.

 

The old Marchioness: “Since Your Majesty intends to send the Seventh Prince to a detached palace, why not let our marquis’s household raise him? This humble woman will take him far away. The further from the imperial palace, the better, and there won’t be any ill-fated energy disturbing this place anymore.”

 

Qu Dubian pricked up his ears, listening to the words of his maternal grandmother whom he had never met, slightly amazed. This was a strategic retreat. Even with family relations, the Sword-Holding Marquis was still considered an outside official by law. He was a prince, and the emperor was still alive, how could he be raised by a subject? Wouldn’t that be utterly humiliating if word got out?

 

Sure enough, the Empress said: “Old Marchioness, what are you saying?”

 

She pondered for a moment, then proactively said: “I can bring the Seventh Prince to Fengwu Palace, where I will personally watch over him. Your Majesty, you can send people to help take care of him.”

 

Seeing Emperor Chongzhao remain silent, she added: “If Fengwu Palace is not suitable, there are other slightly more distant palaces. If worse comes to worst, there’s the residence for grown princes in the imperial palace, but that place hasn’t been fully prepared yet…”

 

Emperor Chongzhao: “That won’t be necessary.”

 

The Empress sighed. She had tried her best, but if His Majesty didn’t agree, there was nothing she could do.

 

Emperor Chongzhao looked at the old Marchioness for a few seconds and said: “Let him stay with me in Zichen Palace for a few days.”

 

The Empress’s eyes widened slightly.

 

Including Head Eunuch Yu, everyone around looked at each other in astonishment, no one daring to speak for a moment.

 

Only the old Marchioness was not surprised.

 

Emperor Chongzhao ordered: “Yu Decai, go and prepare.”

 

“Yes.”

 

With just a few words, the matter was settled.

 

Head Eunuch Yu gave Ye Xiaoyuan a look, and the latter followed him out. Once outside, the two dared to speak at a normal volume.

 

He gave Ye Xiaoyuan his waist token, “Go and prepare. Pack up everything the young prince usually needs, and bring it later. If you need any help, just use this token for convenience. I need to return to Zichen Palace first to prepare, ensuring everything is ready.”

 

Ye Xiaoyuan took the token: “Understood, thank you, Head Head Eunuch Yu.”

 

Head Eunuch Yu patted his shoulder.

 

“Things will get better in the future.”

 

After he left, Ye Xiaoyuan went to pack. He first went to the rear hall of Ju’an Hall, where there was no one. After waiting for a moment, a faint footstep was heard.

 

A thin shadow entered through the side door without a handle.

 

Ye Xiaoyuan said: “I figured you’d be back by now.”

 

Wen Xiaochun paused, turning his head to look.

 

“You knew?”

 

Ye Xiaoyuan: “I guessed when the news came.”

 

Wen Xiaochun: “The prince has been found, how is he?”

 

Ye Xiaoyuan was silent for a moment, “The prince’s situation can’t be explained quickly. His Majesty wants to bring the prince to stay in Zichen Palace. We’ll discuss everything else after he’s settled.”

 

He sniffed near Wen Xiaochun, frowning slightly, “Why haven’t you cleaned off the smell completely?”

 

Wen Xiaochun had to suppress his desire to see Qu Dubian and explained in detail: “I didn’t have time. I took things from the imperial kitchen and left. After dealing with the manure cart, I haven’t changed my clothes yet.”

 

“Did you clean up thoroughly at the imperial kitchen?”

 

“Mostly clean, but some oil is missing. If someone investigates carefully, they might find a clue.”

 

“Alright, change your clothes and come with me to the imperial kitchen,” Ye Xiaoyuan held up Head Eunuch Yu’s waist token, “We’ll say we’re preparing some of the young prince’s favorite foods. I’ll wait there while you go to the storehouse and take a little oil from various places to make up for the shortage.”

 

Wen Xiaochun nodded.

 

The two acted according to the plan. Tonight’s events were known throughout the palace. With Head Eunuch Yu’s token and His Majesty’s name, the imperial kitchen quickly began preparing the items Ye Xiaoyuan mentioned.

 

Wen Xiaochun quickly went to the storehouse and covered up the shortfall, cleaning up thoroughly.

 

After confirming that the missing oil couldn’t be traced back to him, the two hurriedly returned with food boxes and packed up Qu Dubian’s belongings.

 

When they finished packing, people sent by Head Eunuch Yu arrived, saying Zichen Palace was ready.

 

Emperor Chongzhao carried his young son, wrapped up tightly, out the door.

 

The old Marchioness, walking beside the Empress, also came out.

 

Emperor Chongzhao suddenly stopped in front, turning his head slightly to ask: “Mother-in-law, you came to the palace so quickly, didn’t you have time to consider the old Marquis’s second brother’s proposal about adopting an heir?”

 

The old Marchioness said: “Relations with relatives have long grown distant, we no longer keep in touch, and this humble woman is also old.”

 

Emperor Chongzhao shook his head: “You and the old Marquis are too stubborn.”

 

He said no more and boarded the palanquin carrying Qu Dubian.

 

The old Marchioness stood still. The Empress glanced at her, “Old Marchioness, you don’t look well.”

 

The old Marchioness curtsied, “It’s just cold in this deep winter night.”

 

The palace servants lifted the palanquin, and the procession set off grandly.

 

Ye Xiaoyuan and Wen Xiaochun both turned back simultaneously, looking at Ju’an Hall fading into the darkness, then at the quiet palace paths and majestic halls around them.

 

The deep palace, cold wind, and remnants of snow.

 

They lowered their heads and followed the imperial palanquin.

 

 

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