The news that the Qin family had moved into the prince’s mansion had already been reported to the palace by secret agents.
Li Guanwen presented the secret report with both hands, then stood in the corner with lowered head, eyes focused on his nose and mind on his heart.
Li Qitian unfolded the secret report and scanned its contents. His fist gradually clenched, crumpling the paper in his grip as veins bulged on the back of his hand. He violently hurled the blue and white porcelain brush holder from the table to the ground.
“Outrageous!”
The porcelain exploded on the marble floor tiles, the sharp, piercing sound of shattering mixed with his furious roar, chilling everyone present.
Li Guanwen and all the attending palace servants and eunuchs trembled as they knelt down, foreheads touching the ground.
“Your Majesty, please calm your anger!”
Li Qitian’s eyes went vacant as he carefully recalled the entire process of how his enemies had become father and son-in-law, not missing a single detail. Suddenly he realized he seemed to have been deceived.
He had been played by Pang Xiao and Qin Huaiyuan working together!
Li Qitian’s face turned purple with rage. Especially when he thought of the scene during court when he announced the imperial marriage decree, Li Qitian felt like a puppet being manipulated by others. While he was feeling proud and pleased with himself, little did he know how many people were secretly mocking his stupidity.
He was the emperor, the ruler of a nation. His existence should command universal respect, yet now he discovered he had become a fool who could be deceived in others’ eyes. At the time, there must have been many ministers secretly laughing at him, while he continued thinking his image was quite magnificent.
Li Qitian’s face alternated between pale and flushed, feeling as if he’d been slapped dozens of times.
Tracing back even further, perhaps Pang Xiao and Qin Huaiyuan had already reached some understanding back during the Great Yan dynasty, later merely using his hand to legitimately make them one family.
He had schemed carefully, always obstructing and blocking, yet still personally tied together the two people who should never have allied, on the same rope. Most hateful was that he had been smugly pleased for a long time, thinking he had completely mastered the art of balance.
Ridiculous! Detestable!
“Qin Meng, Qin Meng! You old scoundrel, how dare you toy with me!”
These past few days had been too unpleasant for Li Qitian. The continuous stream of setbacks was simply too much, causing Li Qitian’s head to ache in waves, his temples and the back of his head throbbing.
His vision went black as he supported his forehead, nearly falling over.
Li Guanwen watching from the side quickly jumped up to support him, his panicked voice trembling: “Imperial physician, quickly summon the imperial physician!”
The guards outside heard the commotion inside and immediately rushed in. Seeing Li Qitian’s poor complexion, they hurriedly sent people to summon the imperial physicians.
The news quickly reached the Empress and Empress Dowager’s palaces. Both women hurriedly rushed over.
The imperial study descended into chaos, the scene utterly confused.
The Empress arrived before the Empress Dowager. Upon seeing Li Qitian unconscious on the heated kang with his eyes somewhat rolled back, she immediately fainted on the spot.
The imperial physician busied himself taking the Empress’s pulse and discovered she was pregnant.
The Empress Dowager truly experienced mixed joy and worry. The palace fell into unprecedented chaos, and even Princess Anyang’s mansion received the news, causing Li Helan to hurriedly enter the palace overnight.
With Li Qitian fallen ill, court sessions had been suspended for seven or eight days. Initially the situation could still be concealed, but as ministers waited in vain for court sessions more frequently, they inevitably returned home to discuss their concerns with family members. Inner quarters were naturally breeding grounds for various gossip, not to mention that servants in the mansions had relatives and friends outside.
Thus news of “His Majesty’s serious illness” and “the court about to fall into chaos” inadvertently spread through the streets and alleys.
Some said His Majesty had worked tirelessly for the country and fallen ill from overwork.
Others said His Majesty had failed to impeach Prince Zhongshun, became enraged, and fell gravely ill.
Regardless of what others said, those people related to this matter showed no reaction whatsoever. Whether it was the Lu family with their new head, or the Qin family and Prince Zhongshun’s mansion at the storm’s center, no one revealed their thoughts.
In the study of the prince’s mansion’s outer courtyard, Pang Xiao had invited Qin Huaiyuan to speak with Xie Yue and Xu Weizhi.
“His Majesty labors day and night. With Tatar warfare about to erupt, he’s already mentally and physically exhausted. The national treasury’s insufficient funds and grain are also His Majesty’s great concern. Now that His Majesty’s arrangements cannot proceed as intended, it seems his rage has attacked his heart. As ministers, we’re truly worried seeing this.” Qin Huaiyuan placed the intelligence report back on the table.
Li Qitian had probably failed to frame Pang Xiao. With war approaching, not only was his treasury empty, but the Lu family also refused to help. All these matters combined were enough to enrage Li Qitian. His falling ill from anger was completely normal.
Xie Yue and Xu Weizhi both nodded.
“I only regret my meager abilities, unable to share His Majesty’s burdens.” Pang Xiao greatly admired Qin Huaiyuan’s caution.
In these troubled times, even speaking in the study required guarding against eavesdroppers, never forgetting to remind them to be vigilant against listening ears.
Xu Weizhi said: “Now that His Majesty is indisposed, in my humble opinion, given His Majesty’s regard and trust for Your Highness, you should still submit a memorial of inquiry about his health.”
“That’s exactly what I planned.” Pang Xiao smiled and nodded.
“Should this inquiry memorial perhaps carry my greetings as well?” Qin Huaiyuan paused slightly in his tone, then thought again and said: “Never mind, I won’t submit a memorial.”
The three men – Pang Xiao, Xie Yue, and Xu Weizhi – burst into laughter.
If Qin Huaiyuan and Pang Xiao jointly submitted a memorial inquiring about His Majesty’s health, it would probably worsen His Majesty’s condition by several degrees.
Though they had now torn off the facade, on the surface everyone still maintained an appearance of harmonious ruler-minister relations. As someone who no longer held office, Qin Huaiyuan need not join in the excitement. Pang Xiao’s inquiry memorial was merely what a minister should do, going through the motions.
In the palace, Li Qitian’s condition had just improved slightly – he was no longer so dizzy and disoriented – when he instructed Li Guanwen: “Bring up all the memorials from these past days.”
Li Guanwen hesitated: “Your Majesty, you’ve only just improved a little. The Empress Dowager has said not to overwork yourself, that your health comes first.”
Li Qitian’s complexion was somewhat haggard, his cheekbones more prominent due to weight loss, making his entire face appear more imposing while his gaze grew increasingly cold.
Now he merely looked silently at Li Guanwen, who dared not persuade further and even secretly regretted why he had been so loose-tongued, provoking the increasingly moody Emperor’s displeasure!
Li Guanwen bowed and instructed people to bring over all the accumulated memorials from these days.
Li Qitian frowned, quickly setting aside the inquiry and greeting memorials first, focusing primarily on court affairs.
However, his eyes were sharp and he paid particular attention to Pang Xiao, so upon seeing Prince Zhongshun’s mansion’s inquiry memorial, Li Qitian hesitated briefly before opening it.
Reading the sincere words of concern within, Li Qitian’s expression grew increasingly dark until in his fury he swept all the memorials before him to the floor.
Li Qitian glared angrily, his chest heaving violently, looking as if he might kill several people at any moment to vent his rage.
Li Guanwen watched from the side in terror, kneeling on the ground and not daring to speak.
After a long while, just as Li Guanwen was wondering whether he should try to persuade Li Qitian again, the Emperor spoke: “Send an imperial decree to the Lu family. I want to summon Lu Heng. If Lu Heng is not in the capital, order him to return to the capital immediately for an audience.”
“By your command, this servant will handle it immediately.”
Li Guanwen immediately trotted off to the Lu family to deliver the decree.
When Li Qitian met with Lu Heng, it was already four days later. No one knew what Li Qitian and Lu Heng actually discussed. However, according to Li Guanwen’s observations, facing the Lu family head who had previously suspended grain and supply transport, His Majesty showed no anger whatsoever, and even seemed to be in a relaxed mood?
After taking several days of pregnancy-stabilizing medicine prepared by Bingtang, though Qin Yining’s body was still weak, she could feel her spirits were much better than before.
She was watching Xianyun, Bingtang, and Lian Xiaozhou sitting around the eight-immortals table doing needlework when Jiyun entered from outside, saying somewhat hesitantly: “Princess Consort.”
“What is it?” Qin Yining lazily pillowed her arm, tilting her head to look at her.
Jiyun hesitated briefly, then said: “I heard that the current head of the Lu family, Second Master Lu, was summoned by His Majesty and greatly favored by him. However, Elder Lu from the Lu family is probably not doing well now.”
Qin Yining sat up straight, asking worriedly: “I’d heard before that Elder Lu’s health wasn’t good. How bad is the situation now?”
“Yes, Elder Lu was already advanced in years. During the period when Second Master Lu was missing, there were significant changes in the Lu family. Elder Lu worried about his grandson and was summoned several times. Family matters were probably also troublesome. Under these multiple pressures, he collapsed.” Jiyun said somewhat puzzledly: “But this servant finds it strange – now that Second Master Lu has safely returned and obtained the position of family head, it should greatly please Elder Lu. Who would have thought that upon hearing this news, Elder Lu’s condition actually worsened. Perhaps he was too happy and got overexcited?”
Jiyun didn’t understand, but Qin Yining was very clear in her heart.
She still remembered Lu Heng once telling her that the Lu family’s inheritance had its own rules – each generation of Lu family members had to learn to choose the correct side, while those who were eliminated could only willingly step aside. Back then at Xiyue, Lu Heng had already been inclined to comply with the family’s choice.
So to speak, Lu Heng’s position had already been obtained by Second Master Lu, who had also gained Li Qitian’s favor. Their Lu family had essentially chosen sides. According to Lu family tradition, other family members should accept the status quo.
But Lu Heng’s return had decisively first become clan head, then overturned all the original cooperation between the Lu family and His Majesty.
Upon hearing this news, Elder Lu probably became so enraged his heart was attacked. How could his already weak and sickly body withstand such stimulation?
Honestly, if not for hearing Lu Heng personally explain their family customs, from Qin Yining’s perspective, Lu Heng was the family head candidate that Elder Lu had personally cultivated. His ability to reclaim the position of family head should have delighted Elder Lu.
However, the actual situation was that Lu Heng had broken the Lu family’s inherited rules. Elder Lu probably couldn’t rest in peace even in death.
Qin Yining’s speculation proved correct. Elder Lu, this former helmsman of the Lu family, after struggling for ten days, finally passed away. Before dying, he pulled Lu Heng’s hand to speak beside the bed, but because his voice was hoarse and weak, no one knew what he whispered in Lu Heng’s ear.
Only Lu Heng knew that his most beloved grandfather’s final words before death were to curse him: “Wretch, you wretch.”