The Crown Prince entered the bedchamber first, with Prince Yan and the Crown Grandson following close behind.
Wei Yan stepped forward to pay his respects. The Crown Prince gave a casual murmur of acknowledgment, then strode quickly to the side of the imperial bed, his face full of worry as he looked at the Emperor. “Father Emperor, how are you feeling now?”
None of the civil or military officials had dared to look closely at the Emperor; all they knew was that His Majesty had fallen ill and been helped back to his bedchamber. The Crown Prince and the others had been standing closest to him at the time, and only they had clearly seen how sallow his face had turned, his forehead beaded with cold sweat.
After court adjourned there was still the palace banquet to attend. With the Emperor absent, the Crown Prince and the others had to stay behind to preside over it. Once the banquet ended and the officials had all dispersed, the Crown Prince, Prince Yan, and the Crown Grandson hurried straight to Zichen Hall.
The Emperor mustered his spirits and said with a smile, “Wei Yan just gave me acupuncture. I’m feeling much better now.”
Saying he felt better was only relative to before. To everyone present, the Emperor’s complexion still looked dreadfully dull and haggard, exuding the air of a man grown old and withered, as if he were rotting wood about to crumble.
Recklessly consuming pills of immortality, forcing himself to summon consorts to his bed, refusing to moderate his diet—if he kept this up, it would be a wonder if his body weren’t hollowed out completely.
But who would dare speak such an obvious truth to the Emperor’s face?
Even the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace and Prince Yan lacked the nerve for that.
Prince Yan lied through his teeth without blinking. “Father Emperor’s complexion really does look much better than before. Seeing this with my own eyes sets my heart at ease.” Then, putting on a look of deep concern, he continued, “Father Emperor’s health concerns the very foundation of the Dazhou dynasty and the welfare of countless subjects. Please, Father Emperor, you must take care of yourself. Imperial Brother will handle the affairs of state, so there’s no need for Father Emperor to worry—just focus on recovering your health.”
Then, turning to the Crown Prince with a smile, he added, “Imperial Brother has the court’s affairs to worry about. Leave Father Emperor’s care to me.”
The moment he opened his mouth, honeyed words poured out one after another, delighting the Emperor to no end. Looking at his most beloved youngest son, his eyes were filled with affection.
The Crown Prince smiled without a flicker of expression and nodded in agreement. “Then I’ll trouble Fifth Brother with this.”
The Crown Grandson, who had remained silent the whole time, now stepped forward as well. “Grandfather Emperor’s health is poor, and this grandson cannot rest easy. I will come to the palace every day to attend to you and keep you company.”
“Good, good, good. You all show such filial devotion, I won’t stop any of you.” The Emperor was fond of his youngest son, but he was even fonder of his eldest grandson, who carried himself with a maturity beyond his years. Hearing this, he smiled with gratification.
Prince Yan glanced at the Crown Grandson and gave a cold snort inwardly, half jealous, half resentful.
Though the Crown Grandson clearly caught Prince Yan’s hostile look from the corner of his eye, he remained perfectly composed.
Wei Yan had been standing silently to the side the entire time, taking in every bit of this scene.
In the imperial family, there were no true fathers and sons; in the royal house, no true brothers. For the throne that stood above ten thousand men, fathers turning against sons and brothers slaughtering each other was nothing unusual. Between the Crown Prince and Prince Yan, a bloody struggle was bound to erupt sooner or later. This battle of open and hidden schemes—there was no telling how many lives it would drag down with it.
And he himself had already waded into this muddy swamp long ago. If he wanted to preserve his life and extricate himself safely, he would need to plan carefully.
“Imperial Physician Wei,” the Crown Prince’s voice cut through Wei Yan’s churning thoughts. “You’ve been treating Father Emperor for several years now. No one understands his condition better than you. In these days ahead, I’ll have to trouble you to put in extra effort. If you can nurse Father Emperor back to health, I will reward you handsomely!”
Wei Yan gathered his thoughts and cupped his hands in response. “This is merely my duty. Your Highness’s words leave this humble servant uneasy.”
The Crown Prince smiled gently. “Your medical skill is extraordinary, and your acupuncture even more exquisite. Over these past years, my own health has steadily improved—no small thanks to you. I remember every bit of it. I know you care little for gold and silver, devoting yourself wholly to the study of medicine. Still, the rewards you deserve should never be lacking.”
His words were gentle and generous, leaving those who heard them feeling as though they basked in a spring breeze.
This was precisely what made the Crown Prince so widely praised and beloved.
Empress Xu and her son Prince Yan had secretly cultivated ties with powerful officials and worked tirelessly to win the Emperor’s favor, building an astonishingly vast network of influence. Even so, they had never truly managed to shake the Crown Prince’s position.
Even Wei Yan couldn’t help but admire him. He smiled, expressed his gratitude, and took his leave.
…
By now, darkness had fallen.
The palace banquet at Jiaofang Hall had long since ended, and it was time for Wei Jieyu to return to Lingbo Hall.
After a moment’s thought, Wei Yan made his way to Lingbo Hall. Today was the first day of the New Year, and he ought to pay a visit to his elder sister and Princess Anya.
Once inside Lingbo Hall, the moment he saw Wei Jieyu and her daughter, Wei Yan sensed something was wrong. “It’s the New Year—Lady Jieyu should be happy. Why the troubled look instead?”
Wei Jieyu waved her hand, signaling the attendants and maids to withdraw, then said with a bitter smile, “A’Yan, you probably haven’t heard what happened at Jiaofang Hall today. Empress Xu praised Miss Ling Jiu’s cleverness and charm in front of everyone, then hinted that she lacked someone to talk to and keep her company, saying she wanted to summon Miss Ling Jiu into the palace.”
What?
Wei Yan’s expression changed at once!
His earlier premonition had been right after all. Empress Xu had never intended to let Ling Jingshu go!
If Ling Jingshu really entered Jiaofang Hall and came under Empress Xu’s watch, it would be no different from stepping straight into a den of dragons and tigers—utterly perilous…
“What happened after that?” Wei Yan asked, still clinging to a sliver of hope. “Did Ling Jingshu find a tactful way to decline?”
Wei Jieyu let out a long sigh. “No. Not only did she not decline, she spoke up on her own and accepted.”
Wei Yan’s heart sank abruptly.
Why would Ling Jingshu volunteer to enter the palace? Others might not know Empress Xu’s true nature, but Ling Jingshu understood it perfectly well. Knowing full well it meant walking into a mountain of blades and a sea of fire, how could she dare to accept?
“Given the circumstances at the time, even if I’d wanted to stop her, I couldn’t have.” Wei Jieyu sighed with feeling. “I worried that saying too much would displease Empress Xu, so I only added a few supportive words. After the Lantern Festival, Empress Xu will summon her into the palace as a female official, and she’ll even be allowed to bring two maidservants along. That counts as a special favor from Empress Xu.”
A special favor?
It was all just an act put on for others to see!
Back then, hadn’t Lüzhu also been especially favored and cherished in Jiaofang Hall? Yet when Empress Xu wanted her life, had she ever hesitated for even a moment!
A chill flashed through Wei Yan’s eyes, his thin lips pressed into a tight line.
Seeing him like this, Wei Jieyu felt a pang of both heartache and reluctance. “A’Yan, I know you care for her in your heart, and you can’t bear to see her suffer in the palace. But circumstances are stronger than people—sometimes you have no choice but to yield. Once Empress Xu has spoken, she won’t allow refusal. If Ling Jingshu had declined Empress Xu’s offer today and embarrassed her in front of everyone, her days ahead would only be harder to endure.”
Princess Anya spoke up to comfort him as well. “Mother is right. Uncle, you don’t need to worry too much. With Mother and me looking out for her, we won’t let her be wronged.”
How could the two of them, mother and daughter, possibly know the depths of Empress Xu’s sinister intentions!
Wei Yan forced down the tangled thoughts in his mind, squeezed out a faint smile, and nodded.