Chapter 107

 

After entering the summer, the time when Chen Jingzong returned home was the same as in winter, but the sky was only dim, not yet dark.

The gatekeeper of the Chen Mansion had already become alert. When he saw him approaching, he took the initiative to report: “Prince Consort, the Princess has returned to the mansion.”

Chen Jingzong nodded lightly, and Fu Gui behind him smiled with narrowed eyes. Although it had nothing to do with him whether the princess came back or not, the master did not run in vain, so he was also happy.

Siyi Hall.

Chen Jingzong took a quick shower and went to the back yard.

Chao Yun and several maids were very quiet. When they saw prince consort, Chao Yun whispered: “The Princess is asleep.”

Chen Jingzong thought she had gone to bed early. When he entered the inner room, he found her lying on the couch with a book next to her.

She probably wanted to wait for him, but she was so sleepy that she unconsciously fell asleep.

Chen Jingzong stood by the couch and watched for a while, then returned to the main room and asked Chao Yun and Chao Yue, who had stayed with her in the palace for the past few days: “How did the princess sleep these nights? Did she have any nightmares?”

Chao Yun: “I didn’t hear the Princess say she had nightmares, but for some reason she slept in this morning and didn’t wake up until almost noon.”

Chao Yue: “Maybe she was tired from playing chess with His Majesty for more than two hours last night.”

Chen Jingzong even suspected that she was still plagued by nightmares, but the maids were keeping vigil throughout the night. If she cried secretly, it would be difficult for the maids to hear her through a door.

But if that was the case, she was a princess, why didn’t she ask an imperial doctor to check on her?

Back in the side room, Chen Jingzong got on the couch, carefully picked her up, and put her to sleep on the bed in the inner room.

Just as he was exerting his strength, Hua Yang woke up.

Chen Jingzong saw that there were thin bloodshot eyes in her eyes. Even when she smiled, she could not hide the haggardness caused by lack of sleep.

“Have you called the imperial doctor to check on you?”

Before she spoke, Chen Jingzong asked first.

Hua Yang nodded: “Check, it’s okay. I haven’t had nightmares in the past few nights.”

Chen Jingzong touched her head.

He also asked Chao Yun and Chao Yue the same question, knowing that she had never called an imperial doctor after entering the palace.

Did she not take her body seriously at all, or was she afraid that the emperor and the empress, including him, would be too worried, so she simply bear it herself?

“You haven’t eaten yet, have you?” Hua Yang looked at the sky outside the window and asked.

Chen Jingzong: “Hmm. Why don’t you go inside and sleep first?”

Hua Yang was indeed very sleepy. She had been on tenterhooks for several nights, but today her heart fell back to her stomach, and all the sleep she had owed came to her all at once.

Chen Jingzong still carried her in.

After coming out, he told Chao Yue: “Go to Deyuan Hall and ask Doctor Wang to come. Just say that I sprained my foot.”

Chao Yue’s heart tightened. Seeing that it was getting dark, she didn’t care about prince consort’s foot injury and hurriedly went out to arrange for a boy servant to run errands.

Halfway through Chen Jingzong’s meal, Sun shi came over in person. After all, there was a servant in Siyi Hall who ran out to invite the doctor, and the steward must report it to the old man and the old madam.

Chen Jingzong went to the front yard to meet his mother.

Sun shi worriedly asked, “Could it be that the Princess is sick?”

Chen Jingzong pointed to his left foot: “It’s me. I seemed to have twisted my foot when I got off the horse, and it’s been aching.”

After hearing this, Sun shi breathed a sigh of relief.

Chen Jingzong:……

Although he was pretending, his mother’s face changed too quickly. After all, he was also her biological son!

Of course Sun shi also care about her son, but her son was tall and big, and he didn’t look like he twisted very badly when he walked just now, so it was no wonder she was not worried.

After asking a few questions, Sun shi left.

Chen Tingjian stood in the courtyard of Chunhe Hall with his hands behind his back. After listening to his wife’s explanation, he had a similar expression. The couple then went inside together to rest.

After everyone got into bed, Sun shi hesitated but eventually said, “Otherwise we wait a little longer and listen to what the doctor has to say?”

Chen Tingjian was confident: “He has practiced martial arts for so many years. How serious can be twisting the feet getting the horse. Just apply a little ointment and he’ll be fine.”

.

In Siyi Hall, night had fallen when Doctor Wang came with the medicine boy.

Chen Jingzong first exposed his ankle, which had just been rubbed red, for Doctor Wang to check.

Doctor Wang touched and asked, only he didn’t see any problems, but he still apply some ointment.

Chen Jingzong said politely: “Since I have already troubled you to make this trip, why don’t you also check the princess’s pulse? She had nightmares three times this month, but the princess is afraid that His Majesty will worry, so she doesn’t want to make a big fuss.”

Doctor Wang’s heart skipped a beat.

In Third Month, the princess suffered from a nightmare syndrome that was not cured for a long time. The emperor also called these famous folk doctors to the palace. Doctor Wang also checked the princess’ pulse at that time. Could it be the noble princess actually fell into the old disease again?

“Then I’ll take the princess’s pulse first.”

Chen Jingzong nodded and led him into the inner room.

There were two gauze curtains in the Babu bed. Chao Yun and Chao Yue have already prepared. One kneels on the bedside to prevent the princess from waking up and move around. The other kneels outside the gauze curtain to look after the princess’s outstretched right arm.

Doctor Wang didn’t dare to look around. He walked in with his head lowered and knelt down to take the princess’s pulse.

It didn’t take long to take the pulse. After returning to the main room, Doctor Wang said to Chen Jingzong: “The princess’s pulse is calm and gentle, only slightly vain. According to this old man’s opinion, there is no serious problem. If the Princess can have adequate sleep, she will return to normal in a day or two. If Prince Consort trusts this old man, don’t let the princess take medicine for the time being, and give it a try after observing her for a few days.”

Chen Jingzong said fine and sent the people out politely.

When he lay next to Hua Yang, listening to her regular and long breathing, he hoped that she could sleep soundly all night, but was also afraid that she would wake up in the middle of the night.

This time, it was Chen Jingzong who didn’t sleep well and would wake up every hour or two to observe her.

Hua Yang slept until dawn, and when she woke up, she was surprised to find that Chen Jingzong was still there.

“Why haven’t you gone to the guard station?” she asked doubtfully.

Chen Jingzong came closer and stared into her eyes.

There was a trace of sleepiness left in those clear and bright eyes, but they were dry and clear black and white, without any bloodshot eyes.

Hua Yang looked at him inexplicably.

Seeing her rosy complexion and energetic eyes, Chen Jingzong finally believed what Doctor Wang said.

He had already finished washing and now left without saying anything.

Only then did the four maids have the opportunity to tell the princess what happened last night.

Chao Yun smiled and said, “Prince Consort is worried that you are sick, so he pretends to have a foot pain and invites the doctor to come.”

Hua Yang didn’t notice at all, which showed how good her sleep last night!

After she had breakfast, Sun shi came, still wanting to confirm whether the princess was okay. Thankfully Sun shi saw the princess as bright as a peony in bloom.

In the evening, Chen Jingzong returned home and met his mother who came to stroll near the gate at that time.

Sun shi looked at his feet: “Does it still hurt?”

Chen Jingzong smiled: “It’s already fine in the morning.”

Sun shi then left with satisfaction.

Chen Jingzong returned to Siyi Hall and upon seeing Hua Yang again, he noticed she was wearing a lotus-green jacket with a lighter camisole underneath, both looking fresh and vibrant, like a lotus flower emerging from water, relieving the heat for anyone who laid eyes on her.

Tonight, the dinner prepared by the kitchen was also very rich and delicious, and there was also a plate of freshly washed red lychees with water drops still on it.

“This is what Father Emperor just rewarded me today.” Hua Yang leaned on the satin pillow while looking at the lychee.

Chen Jingzong had no interest in the lychee and just stared at her: “You seem to be in a good mood today.”

Hua Yang: “I had a good dream last night.”

Chen Jingzong: “What good dream?”

Hua Yang smiled and said to the book in her hand: “I dreamed that an old immortal visit me while I was sleeping, and said that he would ensure that I would be free from illness and disaster in the future.”

Chen Jingzong could feel her satisfaction with the matter of the doctor.

Then what to say about this princess?

It was obvious that the imperial doctor could be used in the palace, but she insisted on not using it. Maybe she didn’t care about the nightmares, but she was very happy that he invited a doctor.

Chen Jingzong was still dissatisfied with her delaying for so long, and singled out what she didn’t like to hear: “This old immortal is really unreasonable. He came to visit you in the middle of the night.”

Hua Yang:……

She was clearly giving him a chance to claim credit, so why was he deliberately irritating her?

Chen Jingzong picked up a piece of spareribs and put it in his mouth. There were brittle bones on it, which he easily crushed.

Hua Yang just ignored him.

After Chen Jingzong finished eating, he started to peel the lychees. The shell was hard and a little prickly, but the meat inside was fresh and tender.

“This lychee looks quite like you.” He picked up a lychee and said to Hua Yang.

Hua Yang raised her eyes, wandering between him and the lychee: “What do you mean?”

Chen Jingzong smiled and said nothing.

Hua Yang guessed that it was not a serious analogy and did not ask any more questions.

Later, after entering the Babu bed, Chen Jingzong hugged Hua Yang and kissed her while saying: “Your princess’ temperament is like the lychee shell, and your person is like the lychee meat.”

Hua Yang: “…I am a lychee, then what are you?”

Chen Jingzong lifted up the hem of her middle coat: “Of course the one who peels the lychee.”

.

The palace.

Emperor Jingshun was not an emperor who liked to go to court. If there was no major event, he would only hold court meetings on the first and fifteenth day of each month.

He might seem lazy, but compared to his father, the late emperor who had not attended court for more than twenty years, the current emperor appeared diligent. When he first ascended the throne, he attended court almost every day. However, in recent years, he had reduced it to attending court twice a month, which was still considered quite diligent for an emperor!

However, deep down in his heart, Emperor Jingshun didn’t even want to attend these two court meetings, especially now that it was a hot summer. He just wanted to stay in the main hall where the ice tripod was placed!

“Your Majesty, please lie down for a while longer.”

The young beauty stretched out her arms and hugged Emperor Jingshun’s waist from behind.

Emperor Jingshun sighed, he had been awake for half an hour, and finally forced himself to get up!

When they all got up, Emperor Jingshun pushed aside the beauty and called Eunuch Ma to come in and serve.

The beauty shyly hid under the quilt.

Emperor Jingshun went to court with sigh every three steps.

It was quite cool in the court hall, but the buzzing noise of the ministers was more irritating than the cicadas chirping on the treetops.

Emperor Jingshun wanted to lean on the dragon chair to make up for sleep. But when his back almost touched the back of the dragon chair, Chen Tingjian, who was standing at the front of the civil and military officials, suddenly coughed.

Emperor Jingshun suddenly woke up and went to see Chen Tingjian, who had already lowered his eyes.

Emperor Jingshun knew that his chief minister had noticed his misconduct, so he had no choice but to continue to hold on to his spirits.

But the ministers all saw that the emperor was very sleepy, but they didn’t expose it.

The court meeting lasted for more than two hours and finally ended.

All the officials bowed their heads and sent off the emperor in unison.

Emperor Jingshun loved hearing this sentence the most. He held the armrests of the dragon chair with both hands and stood up from the imperial table.

However, the moment he stood up straight, there suddenly seemed to be a surge of heat in his head, and all the officials in the hall in front of him were spinning.

The civil and military officials who lowered their eyes suddenly heard a “pop” sound, and the next moment, Eunuch Ma screamed in surprise!

Everyone looked up suddenly, only to see that Emperor Jingshun’s chin, beard and chest were all covered in blood, and he was leaning crookedly in Eunuch Ma’s arms!

“Your Majesty!”

The ministers swarmed forward. The cabinet headed by Chen Tingjian was the fastest to get closer. Chen Jingzong and Qi Jin, who were young and strong and had no scruples about their status as imperial relatives, quickly surpassed other civil servants.

Eunuch Ma was already sitting on the ground holding Emperor Jingshun in his arms. He was trembling all over and tears were streaming down his face.

Emperor Jingshun was still vomiting blood from his mouth.

He didn’t know why he was like this, but he understood that he couldn’t hold on any longer.

At the critical moment of life and death, Emperor Jingshun thought of three things.

He held Chen Tingjian’s hand tightly: “Pass on Zhen’s will. After Zhen leave, the Crown Prince will succeed to the throne.”

Except for Chen Tingjian and other cabinet elders who looked at the emperor in tears, and except for Chen Jingzong and Qi Jin who knelt beside them with solemn expressions, the other ministers knelt down and kowtowed.

“The second thing is that the Crown Prince is young and has to rely on his teacher for guidance and assistance. All important matters are entrusted to the cabinet.”

Emperor Jingshun said this to Chen Tingjian.

Chen Tingjian choked up and agreed.

Emperor Jingshun’s eyes finally fell on Chen Jingzong’s face. His eyes were full of bitterness and he said with difficulty: “Promise Zhen, you will take good care of…”

Emperor Jingshun only made a breathy sound at the word “Panpan”.

Before Chen Jingzong could respond, the brightness in the emperor’s eyes suddenly dimmed.

In the summer of the twenty-third year of Jingshun, on the first day of Sixth Month, the emperor died in the court hall.

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