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Before returning to his manor, Wu Ruian first sent Di Jiang back to the pharmacy.
“Huh, I can’t believe Jiansu Medical Hall is located here… For the past few years, I’ve scoured Taiping Prefecture, passed by here countless times, and yet never noticed there was a medical hall here,” Lu Chenfei said, looking at the Jiansu Medical Hall sign, appearing utterly bewildered.
“Maybe your eyesight is bad, and your memory too,” Wen Yao rolled her eyes, then happily knocked on the shop door.
The door quickly opened inward. Shuxiang seemed to have known they were coming back early, as he had already prepared dinner and was waiting.
“Shopkeeper, why are you so late? Didn’t you say you’d be back for dinner?” Shuxiang’s eyes were heavy with sleep, as if he had just woken up, but judging by how quickly he opened the door, he had probably just dozed off at the counter.
“It’s all this blockhead’s fault!” Wen Yao shot Chang Sheng a glare, saying, “He fell asleep while driving and took a wrong turn, making us cross two extra mountains and one extra river.”
Chang Sheng, once again ridiculed by Wen Yao, blushed and lowered his head, appearing utterly ashamed.
Di Jiang smiled and smoothed things over, “It’s no big deal to eat dinner as breakfast.” Then she turned to the others and said, “Would you like to stay and eat something to fill your stomachs?”
Zhong Xu and Chang Sheng nodded.
Wu Ruian, however, shook his head and said, “I haven’t been back for three years. I’ll go to the manor first, and after I see my Imperial Mother, I’ll come to see you.”
“Alright,” Di Jiang nodded, without further words, watching Wu Ruian and Lu Chenfei leave.
Wu Ruian headed north, towards the Imperial Palace.
Zhong Xu watched the retreating figures, his brows unconsciously furrowing.
Di Jiang noticed his unusual behavior and asked curiously, “Daoist Zhong, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
Zhong Xu shook his head, pondering, “There’s... a demonic aura there.”
Di Jiang followed his gaze and saw a dark cloud enveloping the Imperial Palace. The cloud hung low, making the surrounding air heavy and stagnant. It was as if the entire palace was shrouded in a sinister aura, making it hard to breathe.
“Should I go protect Prince Wu?” Zhong Xu asked.
Di Jiang pondered for a moment, then shook her head and smiled, “Prince Wu is a blessed man with divine protection, you can rest assured. What you should be worried about now is yourself.”
“Me?” Zhong Xu asked, puzzled, “What’s wrong with me?”
Di Jiang took a string of keys from Shuxiang’s hand, tossed them to him, and smiled, “I’ve bought your coffin shop. From now on, I’m your creditor. You’d better think about how to earn fifty-one taels of silver quickly to pay me back.”
“…” Zhong Xu, who was not skilled in business, immediately felt immense pressure and closed his mouth, realizing he was at a disadvantage.
________________________________________
It was July, approaching mid-month.
The Ghost Festival, when the gates of the underworld open, was imminent.
At the fifth watch, Emperor Chen, residing deep within the Daming Palace, had rested for less than an hour.
For days on end, she had felt mentally exhausted and overwhelmed, suffering from incessant coughing at night. Every day, she was tormented by illness, unable to sleep until the third watch.
These past few days, she had persisted in attending court despite her illness, enduring for over half a month. Now, finally unable to resist, she listened to her maid’s advice last night, drank the calming herbal soup from the Imperial Medical Office, and fell into a deep sleep. This morning marked the only time she had suspended court since assuming power.
“Dong—dong—dong—”
When the bell from the drum tower signaled dawn, Emperor Chen, even after drinking three times the dose of calming herbal soup, was still startled awake from her dream.
“What time is it?”
“Replying to Your Majesty, it’s already past dawn, the hour of Mao (5-7 AM),” An Suyun, guarding outside the curtains, replied calmly.
“Is that so…” Emperor Chen sighed, rubbed her temples, and struggled to sit up, “Someone, help me change.”
An Suyun, hearing this, gasped, “Your Majesty, where are you going?”
“It’s Mao hour; it’s time for court.”
“Replying to Your Majesty, last night you already gave orders for court to be suspended today. Grand Secretariat Gongsun and Prince Gong will lead the ministers in discussion in the side hall.”
“Is that so, I actually forgot…” Emperor Chen had a headache and no longer rushed to get out of bed.
An Suyun pulled open the curtains beside the imperial bed. The morning light from outside the window, along with the clamor from beyond the hall, drifted in.
Empress Chen Zhao squinted, seemingly perplexed.
It was well known that within the Daming Palace, after Princess Zhaohua’s marriage, Empress Chen was the only mistress.
This place was cold and desolate all year round, usually quiet. Why was there such a commotion now?
“Go see what the commotion outside is about,” Emperor Chen said faintly.
“Yes,” An Suyun nodded and respectfully withdrew.
An Suyun walked to the door, and as she opened it, she saw a young eunuch kneeling outside.
The young eunuch looked familiar, but he wasn’t someone who regularly served before the emperor, so she couldn’t recall his name.
An Suyun walked out, closed the door, and looked down at the young eunuch, asking, “Why are you kneeling here?”
“Replying to Auntie, Yulin has important matters to report to His Majesty.”
“Oh?” An Suyun frowned and asked, “What is it?”
“Replying to Auntie, the Sixth Prince has returned.”
“What? The Sixth Prince?” An Suyun was startled, her eyes filled with doubt, and she quickly asked, “You, are you telling the truth? Is it really the Sixth Prince, Prince Wu?”
“Replying to Auntie, this servant would not dare to speak falsely. It is indeed Prince Wu Ruian.”
An Suyun was in a daze for a moment, then asked, “How did you hear about this?”
“Replying to Auntie, the drum tower sounded the morning alarm this morning, and the entire capital knows. Prince Wu came to see you early, but hearing of Your Majesty’s grave illness, he did not request an audience. My master sent me to guard here, to inform Your Majesty as soon as you woke.”
“Is that so, I see.” An Suyun saw his determined expression, knowing he wasn’t lying, but to confirm the reliability of the news, she still asked him, “Is your master Shi Wenxing?”
“Replying to Auntie, precisely.”
An Suyun suddenly realized. No wonder she always found the young eunuch before her familiar but could never quite place where she had seen him. It turned out to be Shi Wenxing’s newly accepted young apprentice.
Shi Wenxing was also a shrewd man; he wouldn’t accept an apprentice for nothing. This person must have his own extraordinary qualities to catch Shi Wenxing’s eye and become his successor. No wonder he, at such a young age, could enter and exit before the emperor.
An Suyun took one last look at Shi Yulin, then walked into the room, poured a cup of hot water for Emperor Chen, and offered it to her, saying, “Your Majesty, please drink some hot water to soothe your throat first.”
Empress Chen Zhao reached out, took the teacup, and then asked, “What happened outside?”
“Replying to Your Majesty, please finish your water first, then your humble servant will tell you. When you hear… please don’t be too agitated.”
Empress Chen Zhao didn’t even lift her eyes, saying calmly, “Speak.” Her demeanor was as if even in the face of towering waves, she would remain unyielding.
An Suyun took a deep breath before saying, “The Prince has returned.”
“The Prince?” Empress Chen Zhao frowned, then suddenly realized, “Did Yu’er arrive?”
The Third Prince, Wu Yu, had been sickly since birth due to an innate deficiency and had been recuperating in the Eastern Capital since childhood.
Since Wu Ruian’s departure from court and Wu Long’s recall, Emperor Chen felt increasingly that Wu Long, who had once been deposed, was still unsuitable to be emperor. Left with no choice, she summoned Wu Yu.
Calculating the days, he should have arrived in Taiping Prefecture by now.
“Not Prince Yu,” An Suyun looked up, her eyes slightly red, and said word by word, “Prince Ruian has returned.”
“What?!” Emperor Chen Zhao gasped, the teacup in her hand clattering to the ground.
Empress Chen Zhao disregarded the dirt on the floor and stood up unsteadily.
“Your Majesty, be careful.” An Suyun, seeing this, immediately stepped forward to support Empress Chen Zhao.
“An’er is back?” Emperor Chen Zhao, despite her grave illness, found a surge of strength from somewhere, gripping An Suyun’s arm tightly, and urgently asked, “Is it truly An’er who has returned?”
“Replying to Your Majesty, Prince Wu has returned. Your Majesty, your health has not yet recovered. Please lie down and rest. Your humble servant believes that when dawn breaks, the Prince will surely come to pay his respects to you.”
“No, I want to see him now. Quick, prepare the palanquin.”
“Your Majesty, your body…”
“Prepare the palanquin!”
Empress Chen Zhao glared, and An Suyun could only lower her head and nod, saying, “Yes, your humble servant will go at once.”
After An Suyun left the room, almost in an instant, the imperial carriage stopped steadily before the palace gate.
The imperial carriage had, in fact, always been waiting outside the hall, ready to be summoned at any moment.
Shi Wenxing had instructed Shi Yulin early on that, as an inner attendant, the first and foremost duty was to fulfill all of His Majesty’s requests, even those she hadn’t thought of yet, but might possibly need, should be prepared in advance.
Although Shi Yulin was young, his actions and conduct were remarkably proper, entirely unlike a child of his age. He had never made a mistake in anything Shi Wenxing had entrusted him with, and he even managed to exceed expectations.
Therefore, even with Shi Wenxing confined to bed with illness these past few days, he could confidently leave everything to him.
As Emperor Chen walked out of her sleeping quarters, Shi Yulin remained kneeling cautiously by the door, prostrated and with his head bowed.
As Empress Chen passed him, the hem of her robe brushed his hand, and a scent of medicine wafted by, causing him to furrow his brow.
Only after she had passed did he dare to stand and follow her.
He kept his head bowed throughout, not daring to show the slightest impropriety.
From his angle, he could only see the lower half of Empress Chen Zhao’s back.
So thin.
This was the first time in his three years in the palace that he had seen her up close.
Her appearance when ill was vastly different from her usual commanding presence in the imperial court.
Although it was just a hunched back, he felt as if he could see her weary, sorrowful eyes.
In just three short years.
She had truly aged.
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