Chu Rui and Su Ziyue entered the hall.

Inside was a heavy medicinal smell, and dragon ambergris incense had been lit. The mixture of various scents was somewhat unpleasant.

A palace maid was feeding medicine nearby. Perhaps the medicine was too bitter—the Emperor’s expression changed and he directly knocked over the medicine bowl. The palace maid knelt on the ground trembling.

Chu Rui gave Su Ziyue a look.

Su Ziyue’s hands trembled. Though she had a blood relationship with His Majesty, it was too distant. Moreover, this was her first formal meeting with His Majesty.

“Your… Your Majesty.” Su Ziyue steeled herself and walked over. “Let Ziyue attend to Your Majesty and help you drink the medicine.”

The Emperor looked at her, somewhat dazed.

He truly was reminded of the late Consort Su, his birth mother. She had died when he was only a few years old.

He couldn’t clearly recall Consort Su’s true appearance. Perhaps she had looked somewhat like the young woman before him.

“By rights, you should address Us as cousin uncle.” The Emperor spoke slowly. “You can also call Us Imperial Uncle, like Rui’er does.”

“Yes, Imperial Uncle.” Su Ziyue took a newly filled bowl of medicine from the nanny. “Imperial Uncle, let Ziyue feed you the medicine.”

The Emperor no longer resisted and slowly drank the entire bowl of medicine.

Eunuch Gao wept with joy: “Ever since His Majesty fell ill, getting him to drink medicine has been a major problem each time. Prince Zhuang’s Princess Consort has truly been of great help!”

Su Ziyue glanced at Chu Rui and immediately said: “When Ziyue entered the capital, Grandfather instructed her to do everything in her power to repay Imperial Uncle’s grace toward the Su family. Without Imperial Uncle’s support, how could the Su family have become imperial merchants… Ziyue is but a woman with little ability, but she wishes to remain by Imperial Uncle’s side to attend to his illness. Humbly requesting Imperial Uncle’s approval!”

“Since you have such filial devotion, then stay.” The Emperor coughed. “Eunuch Gao, clean up the side room of the Hall of Mental Cultivation and have Ziyue stay there.”

Eunuch Gao bowed his head and immediately went to handle it.

Just as he reached the door, he saw Yun Chu approaching the entrance of the Hall of Mental Cultivation with two children. He hurried to pay respects: “Greetings to Prince Pingxi’s Princess Consort, greetings to the Young Lord and the Young Princess.”

Yun Chu’s face showed concern: “I heard Father Emperor’s illness has worsened. The two children are also worried, so we’ve come specially to pay respects.”

In her previous life, when she died, His Majesty’s health hadn’t shown any problems. How had he suddenly fallen so ill?

Before Eunuch Gao could make the announcement, Chu Hongyu had already darted into the hall: “Imperial Grandfather, is your health better? Changsheng and I have been so worried.”

The Emperor had drunk his medicine and was in better spirits. He had already sat up in bed.

Seeing the two children enter, a trace of a smile appeared on the Emperor’s face: “The Imperial Academy is already in session at this hour. You two mustn’t delay your studies.”

Chu Changsheng’s voice was soft and gentle: “How can attending class be more important than visiting Imperial Grandfather? Imperial Grandfather, you must drink your medicine properly and recover quickly.”

As the two children spoke with the Emperor, Yun Chu noticed there were two other people in the hall—Prince Zhuang and his Princess Consort, who had just married yesterday.

“Your Majesty!” A nanny entered to report. “Miss Li has taken her medicine and regained consciousness. She’s looking everywhere for Your Majesty!”

Though the real Li Jingshu was advanced in age, because she had never married, everyone in the palace addressed her as Miss Li.

Li Jingshu suffered from madness. Under the palace staff’s restraint, she hadn’t been housed in the Hall of Mental Cultivation but rather in the adjacent Yuehua Palace.

The Emperor immediately rose with the nanny’s support. Despite still coughing, he quickly walked out of the hall.

The palace servants in the hall followed him out, and the great hall suddenly emptied.

Yun Chu looked at the two children: “Hurry to the Imperial Academy for class. Don’t be late.”

Chu Hongyu and Chu Changsheng obediently said: “Then Mother, we’ll leave first. Goodbye, Uncle Rui, Aunt.”

“Prince Pingxi’s Princess Consort.”

Su Ziyue came over smiling to greet her.

Though both were princess consorts, Prince Pingxi was His Majesty’s biological son, so Prince Pingxi held a slightly higher status than Prince Zhuang.

Yun Chu’s face also showed a smile: “Prince Zhuang’s Princess Consort, I’m preparing to leave the palace. Why don’t we go together?”

Su Ziyue shook her head: “I need to stay to attend to His Majesty’s illness. I’ll be staying in the palace temporarily.”

Yun Chu’s fingers paused slightly, though her expression remained unchanged: “Since Father Emperor is unwell, it should be me, his daughter-in-law, attending to his illness, yet we must trouble Prince Zhuang’s Princess Consort…”

“Imperial Uncle has so many attendants around him. How could Ziyue truly be needed to do anything?” Chu Rui’s voice was refined. “Imperial Uncle misses the Su family. Ziyue staying in the palace is just to speak with Imperial Uncle about Su family matters. Prince Pingxi’s Princess Consort need not feel uneasy.”

Yun Chu nodded: “Indeed, Prince Zhuang’s Princess Consort is from the Su family. Having her as company couldn’t be better. Then I’ll take my leave first.”

Leaving the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Yun Chu paid respects to both Imperial Concubine Yun and Noble Consort Yin before returning to the prince’s manor.

Chu Yi had just returned from the Court of Judicial Review and was examining case files.

After he finished his work, Yun Chu entered his study and said: “That Su Ziyue—I’m afraid she’s going to become Prince Zhuang’s chess piece.”

An innocent young girl was like a blank sheet of paper. Whatever Chu Rui painted on the paper would determine its color.

Chu Yi said: “These past few days I’ve been investigating Father Emperor’s illness. Father Emperor’s health has always been robust. Ever since the assassination at the birthday banquet, he suddenly fell gravely ill. The entire Imperial Medical Bureau has taken his pulse, all saying it’s wind-cold syndrome. If it were merely wind-cold, how could several months pass without recovery? Instead it’s getting worse?”

Yun Chu’s expression grew solemn: “You mean someone poisoned Father Emperor?”

“Father Emperor fell ill before Su Ziyue entered the capital.” Chu Yi spoke slowly. “I suspect the person who poisoned Father Emperor was Li Jinghua, but she’s already dead. I’m currently investigating the people around her, but I was a step too late. The servants around her have all died as well.”

A chill ran down Yun Chu’s spine: “Someone used Li Jinghua to poison Father Emperor. Once Li Jinghua was caned to death, there was no evidence… I’ll immediately write to Wu Yun and have him come to the capital to examine Father Emperor, to see if it’s really poisoning.”

Chu Yi nodded: “If Father Emperor were to die of poisoning now, I would be the greatest beneficiary. Besides me, who else would benefit?”

“I don’t know why, but I suspect Chu Rui…” Yun Chu frowned. “But there are still several other princes. Even if Father Emperor were to pass away, it wouldn’t be Chu Rui’s turn to occupy that position. Could I be thinking wrongly? Regardless, Su Ziyue cannot be overlooked. Her staying by Father Emperor’s side to attend his illness is a huge hidden danger.”

Chu Yi reached out and smoothed Yun Chu’s furrowed brow: “Jue’er is mischievous enough to give you headaches. Don’t worry yourself about these matters.”

The person behind this was hiding too well. Since that was the case, he would pull the rug out from under them, forcing the opponent to make another move.

Over the next several days, the Emperor’s health gradually improved.

This made Yun Chu momentarily wonder if she had misunderstood Su Ziyue.

After the Emperor’s health recovered sufficiently, he was able to attend court.

Because there was no Crown Prince, when the Emperor was gravely ill, no one had overseen state affairs or substituted at court. The court officials had also rested for quite a few days.

The first matter upon returning to court was memorializing to request His Majesty re-establish a Crown Prince.