bayedsolid Chapter 149 The Ruthless and Disabled Crown Prince (53)
Chapter 149 The Ruthless and Disabled Crown Prince (53)
After the emperor changed his gaze, he appeared kind and gentle, but upon closer inspection, it was still clear that he was sizing up Ji Shumin.
"The Crown Prince has arrived." The Emperor's voice was hoarse. "Why wasn't anyone sent to announce his arrival?"
"When I came in, I saw that Father Emperor seemed to be asleep, so I didn't make a loud noise."
When Ji Shumin was at the height of his favor, the emperor allowed him to enter the imperial study at any time.
Let the crown prince participate in politics and entrust him with important matters.
However, after Ji Shumin became disabled, he rarely came over, and the emperor granted him special permission not to pay his respects so often.
The princes who were originally fighting with Ji Shumin thought that Ji Shumin would definitely be more attentive to his father than before, appearing before him in order to consolidate his own position.
This way, he wouldn't suffer too much after being deposed as crown prince.
But Ji Shumin surprised everyone by staying indoors almost constantly, especially before his wedding.
He witnessed a major blow, became despondent, and developed a violent and eccentric temperament.
Even the palace servants who served him were often punished by him, and in the end Ji Shumin dismissed most of them.
They felt that Ji Shumin was so unlikable that the emperor would gradually grow tired of him.
But the emperor favored him even more, and the other princes were wrong again on this matter.
This puzzled them greatly, as they felt they still didn't understand the emperor's thoughts enough; the emperor's mind was unfathomable.
"Why have you come to me at this hour?" The Emperor asked casually, speaking to Ji Shumin like an ordinary father.
"Is your leg any better? Can you walk a little now?" the Emperor asked with concern. He put down the buckwheat bag and tried his best to appear fine, but he looked visibly haggard.
"Not yet..." Ji Shumin laughed self-deprecatingly, "I estimate that I will never be able to stand up again in this lifetime."
"Huh? What are you saying? Min'er, don't think like that. You are someone I watched grow up, and you are not the type to give up easily." The Emperor frowned and gently lectured Ji Shumin.
“Father is right.” Ji Shumin nodded obediently.
He then said, "Actually, I have already figured it out. Following nature and sometimes doing nothing is the best way to comply with the will of Heaven."
"Hmm? Why does Min'er suddenly think like this?" The Emperor tried to straighten up, but due to a wave of dizziness, he could only continue to lean back in his chair.
In order to avoid arousing Ji Shumin's suspicion, she spoke to him discreetly.
“Your subject has recently read some books on Taoist practices, and they seem to make some sense,” Ji Shumin frankly admitted.
"How could you believe in such things?" The Emperor was somewhat surprised by Ji Shumin's answer.
It is true that he watched Ji Shumin grow up from a young age; the Crown Prince was intelligent from childhood and possessed wisdom beyond his years.
He never participated in the other princes' playful antics or reading.
So the emperor was a little surprised to hear that he was interested in Taoist practices.
“When I am ill, I think a lot. I just glanced at it casually. I didn’t think much of it before, but now I think about it carefully. I guess it’s because I haven’t been in this situation before.” Ji Shumin said with a sense of regret.
The emperor and his son had always talked mostly about matters of state and politics. This was the first time the emperor had heard Ji Shumin quote classical texts about things other than that.
Ji Shumin spoke in a calm and slow voice, and most of what he said was things the emperor had never heard before.
Whether it was his imagination or not, the emperor gradually felt his headache subside and seemed to regain some energy.
The doubts and suspicions that had long lingered in my heart have subsided somewhat.
As the light outside gradually dimmed, the atmosphere in the Imperial Study was peaceful. The Emperor leaned back with his eyes closed, resting, and spoke casually to Ji Shumin.
It wasn't an illusion; his headache was indeed easing.
As the pain gradually subsided, the Emperor's tense and agitated nerves, which had been pacing for days, were soothed, and he relaxed comfortably.
Unbeknownst to them, Ji Shumin's face grew increasingly pale, and his voice, which had been steady at first, gradually became slightly short of breath.
It seemed that every word he spoke drained his energy...
"Father, please take good care of your health," Ji Shumin said softly.
"I've just had a headache these past few days, it's nothing serious," the Emperor waved his hand dismissively.
He didn't want anyone to know that his health was already very bad.
The emperor had been seriously ill in his youth, and after ascending the throne, there was a period of struggle and turmoil, which further damaged his health.
It wasn't apparent when he was young and strong, but now that he's over fifty, the emperor has long felt that his body is gradually declining.
Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! This is how the world worships him.
But which emperor can live to be ten thousand years old?
Now that he has reached this age, the emperor is in his twilight years, and all sorts of feelings and thoughts are intertwined in his heart, known only to himself.
Whenever he thought about the possibility that one day he might die, the emperor felt an unprecedented fear and pain.
"Did Father Emperor have the imperial physician examine him?" Ji Shumin asked with concern.
"When I was first injured, the pain was unbearable, so I used the pain-relieving powder prescribed by the Imperial Hospital. Now, when the pain is in the rain, I take the herbal decoction that I have been taking, and it makes me feel much better," Ji Shumin commented approvingly.
"I wonder if my medicine is suitable for Father Emperor?"
Ji Shumin recounted that when he was still recovering from his injuries, the emperor came to his palace, saw the crown prince on his sickbed, and angrily lashed out at the Imperial Hospital.
If the Dao cannot cure the Crown Prince's body, then make them pay with their heads!
Fortunately, Ji Shumin's high fever subsided, and he regained consciousness.
However, the imperial physicians dared not let their guard down and instead took even better care of His Highness the Crown Prince.
A prescription was given to His Highness the Crown Prince to nourish his body, and he has been taking it continuously...
The Emperor's mood had brightened considerably and he was more relaxed as the pain subsided, but the moment he heard Ji Shumin mention the tonic he had taken, a cold gloom crossed his face.
"Is Min'er still taking her medicine?" he asked in a low, calm voice.
"Yes, I have been taking it. The imperial physician who prescribed it is indeed quite skilled. Sometimes when I have an upset stomach, I stop taking the medicine for two days, and as a result, my leg injury relapses and the pain becomes unbearable."
Ji Shumin shook his head: "I suppose my health is in this state."
"Min'er, don't overthink it. Excessive worry is a major taboo for a sick person. Since the medicine is effective, just keep taking it. Sooner or later, things will get better," the Emperor said to him.
"My son will surely be blessed with good fortune."
Ji Shumin lowered his head and agreed, seemingly feeling guilty and ashamed for his loss of composure in front of his father.
A deep sneer flashed in his lowered eyes: Who is he really fooling? Is he talking to me, or is he just deceiving himself...?
In an unprecedented move, the emperor kept one of the princes with him for almost an hour and a half, which was almost unheard of.
The emperor was always strict with his sons, and even the favored seventh prince did not receive much preferential treatment from the emperor.
Even in this state, the Crown Prince still won the Emperor's favor, and the news quickly spread throughout the palace.
As expected, the second and seventh princes couldn't sit still any longer. In the following days, they each paid their respects to their father, the emperor, separately.
However, no one could figure out what Ji Shumin said or did that day that made the Emperor keep him for so long.
Even though they tried their best to please the emperor, he only listened to a few words from them before dismissing them.
Unbeknownst to them, the Emperor was suffering from an increasingly severe headache.
If someone fails to attend court for an extended period or is unable to handle government affairs, eventually someone will notice. This will certainly cause an uproar in the court.
The position of Crown Prince now...
The Emperor hasn't decided yet, or rather, he doesn't want to make any of his sons his heirs!
As the princes grew older, the emperor, looking at them, had to confront the fact that he himself was getting old.
The emperor is old, while the princes are young, strong, and ambitious. This is not a pleasant thing for the emperor of any dynasty.
In particular, the princes below had begun to make their own moves, which increased the emperor's suspicion and dissatisfaction day by day.
He wanted to remain on the throne for a very long time, for all eternity!
Seeing the Second Prince and the Seventh Prince's attentiveness these past few days, the Emperor, already ailing, felt no comfort but rather grew annoyed.
It even implicated Consort Rong, who hadn't seen the Emperor for many days. She sent someone to the Imperial Study under a pretext to look for him, but the eunuchs stopped her without mercy, causing her great embarrassment.
She thought the emperor would comfort her, but he didn't even say a word of concern.
Just when everyone thought that the emperor was unwilling to pay attention to any of the princes, Ji Shumin was summoned by the emperor again.
Each time he went, he spent a long time by the emperor's side, which was very puzzling.
After listening to Ji Shumin's words last time, although there was something else going on, the Emperor still took some of it to heart.
Because ordinary pain relief remedies were ineffective for headaches, he ordered the imperial physicians to prepare more effective painkillers for him. The Imperial Medical Academy was very nervous because of the emperor's request.
At this critical moment, the Emperor's health was at stake, so naturally only a very few people knew about it. The Emperor was pressing them urgently, and if they couldn't come up with a solution, they wouldn't be able to withstand the Emperor's wrath and reprimand.
However, the emperor's headaches were not so easy to control.
Painkillers alone are not always effective. Sometimes, when the pain is so severe, the emperor almost wants to bang his head against the wall. Ordinary medicines are also ineffective.
With a heavy heart, the best doctors in the Imperial Hospital managed to concoct a prescription, but it could only be given to the Emperor for one dose when his condition was at its worst.
Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't, and the emperor wasn't very satisfied. But when he heard the imperial physician, sweating profusely, say that if the herbs were used too strongly, the toxicity of the prescription would be greater than its medicinal properties, he reluctantly gave up.
It's better than nothing.
The day the Crown Prince came last time was the most comfortable day for the Emperor after his worst attack.
Some time later, Ji Shumin went to pay his respects again.
To the emperor's surprise, his pain had subsided once again!
The third time he found an excuse to summon Ji Shumin, and that was indeed correct.
It's true that the Emperor wants to be free from pain forever, but he's even more suspicious. Why does he only feel relief when the Crown Prince is by his side? Is this... a conspiracy?
He secretly summoned trusted imperial physicians. If anyone knew them, they would recognize that these were the same physicians who had treated Crown Prince Ji Shumin and who had prescribed the final remedy!
The imperial physicians looked at each other, their eyes filled with doubt and unease.
Finally, the elderly imperial physician at the head of the group spoke up tremblingly: "Your Majesty... it is not without precedent."
"Oh? What exactly happened?" the Emperor asked, suppressing his impatience.
"Medical books record that some medicinal herbs can be used to treat illnesses by inhalation, so some prescriptions involve heating or burning the herbs and inhaling the smoke to treat patients..."
"So what?" The Emperor glared at him, signaling him to stop stammering.
The old imperial physician forced himself to speak: "So... it's probably His Highness the Crown Prince's prescription." Cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
Try to use tactful wording: "Perhaps His Highness the Crown Prince used a larger dose, which is why he smells of medicinal herbs on his body..."
The other imperial physicians remained silent, seemingly agreeing with the old physician's words.
The Emperor frowned: "Will this have any effect on my health?"
The old doctor wiped his sweat and hurriedly said, "No, you only inhaled it, you didn't drink it, you'll be fine!"
The emperor's expression finally softened a bit.
The old doctor's legs went weak. To be honest, this was unprecedented. Their prescriptions weren't even proper treatments, so how could they possibly know what was going on?
But judging from the Emperor's expression, if they dared to say they didn't know, he would probably skin them alive in his anger.
A biological father and son... If the Emperor can treat the Crown Prince like this, what about them...?
"Useless! All useless! They can't even come up with a single useful prescription!" The emperor felt a violent dizziness, his head felt extremely heavy, and his anger surged even higher.
"Your Majesty, please calm down! Your Majesty, please calm down!" Several princes knelt down and kowtowed.
"Go and make another prescription! Get out!" The emperor flicked his sleeves, and the men fled as if they were escaping.
Lu Liruan was puzzled as to why the Emperor had been so concerned about Ji Shumin lately, often summoning him to keep him company.
There must be a demon in the abnormal situation.
Ever since she sensed that the Emperor's favor towards Ji Shumin might have ulterior motives, Lu Liruan had become wary.
"Your Highness, are you going out today?"
Last night, Ji Shumin had a low-grade fever for half the night, which made his joints ache.
After Lu Liruan noticed this, she couldn't close her eyes.
Unlike other people who are sick, Lu Liruan gets nervous every time Ji Shumin shows any symptoms, worried that something serious is going to happen.
When Lu Liruan touched his forehead for the third time to check his temperature, Ji Shumin grabbed her wrist.
For once, Ji Shumin's palms were warm. He placed Lu Liruan's hand on his chest and said softly, "Your Highness, I am still alive and well..." with a hint of helplessness in his voice.
"If you... can't speak either!" Lu Liruan glared at him, but didn't say the word "die."
"Didn't I say I wouldn't let you be a widow?" Ji Shumin tried to get up, but his arms were too weak. He closed his eyes, suppressing the pain and resentment in his eyes.
He groped in the darkness, stroking Lu Liruan's soft cheek, sighed, and said in a calm voice that contained a hint of obsession: "Would you rather die before me?"
As if afraid Lu Liruan would object, he covered Lu Liruan's mouth: "Hmm?"
"If you live that long and that long, and I'm not by your side, I'll worry... Don't be afraid, I won't do anything to you..." His gaze was full of affection.
"What if you live longer than me, and someone bullies you? What if you miss me? Would you cry for me? You would, right..."
He must have been in a lot of pain, because Ji Shumin spoke slowly and with a sense of melancholy. He asked Lu Liruan, gently stroking her hair with tenderness.