Thousand Verdant Mountains – Chapter 107 Part 2
Chapter 107 Part 2
After a long while, when his back was wet with sweat, finally, there were a few slight noises from the couch opposite him, and the emperor seemed to get up slowly on his own.
“Raise your head!” Pei Xiaoyuan heard the emperor speak. The voice still seemed weak, but it was calm, without any anger or aggressiveness.
Pei Xiaoyuan raised his head hastily. The emperor had indeed sat up by himself, and his complexion had improved a lot.
“Are you serious about what you just said?” He stared at the young man kneeling in front of him and asked coldly.
“All of this comes from this minister’s heart!”
The emperor was silent for a moment, then waved his hand, “Forget it, take the Princess back! Zhen has nothing else here!”
Pei Xiaoyuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief and was about to leave as he was told when he suddenly remembered the fish talisman. He had no choice but to go to the emperor’s feet, lean over, and reach under the couch. Finally, he took the thing out.
This time the fish talisman was completely smashed, with half of it was fully dented.
He raised his head and unexpectedly met the emperor’s eyes.
The emperor was looking down, watching him fumble with the fish talisman, his face devoid of expression.
Hurriedly, Pei Xiaoyuan clenched the talisman in his palm, bowed toward the person on the couch, then picked up the fish pouch and withdrew. As he stepped out, he exchanged a brief nod with Zhao Zhongfang, who was still standing in the inner hall passageway, and quietly reminded him to check on the emperor’s condition. The old palace eunuch hastened inside.
Pei Xiaoyuan then left the inner hall, and when he walked alone to the spacious and tall outer hall, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. Calming down his mind, he stuffed the fish talisman, which had been completely deformed by the two falls, back into its pouch, tied it around his waist again, and wiped away the thin layer of cold sweat still lingering on his forehead. Thinking of her waiting outside, worried, he was about to step forward when suddenly, footsteps sounded behind him.
“Prince Consort, please stay!”
Zhao Zhongfang, limping on his crippled leg, hurried over. He turned back to meet him.
Zhao Zhongfang led him to the corner of the hall and whispered, “His Majesty ordered this old servant to tell Prince Consort that there is less than half a month left before the ancestral worship ceremony on the first day of Eleventh Month. There may be something big happening on that day. Prince Consort should take a good rest and recover from your injuries quickly. When you come back, keep watch of the important matters.”
Pei Xiaoyuan understood. Xue Mian must have been secretly interviewed by the emperor. He nodded and continued to walk out. At this time, he heard Zhao Zhongfang calling him again. He walked over, stopped in front of him, hesitated, and finally spoke again.
“The day after the wedding, Prince Consort and the Princess went to the palace to thank His Majesty. After leaving, did you come back and stay outside the East Palace?” The old palace eunuch suddenly asked in a low voice.
Pei Xiaoyuan was stunned for a moment, then he understood.
The old palace eunuch might have known that he returned to the East Palace that day.
Pei Xiaoyuan admitted it, and then explained: “It was not my intention to spy, but I was looking for the fish talisman at that time…”
Zhao Zhongfang waved his hand, “Don’t worry, Prince Consort. Those people outside have told me about the situation. I heard from them that the Princess came later and was taken out by Prince Consort. I remember that after Prince Consort and the Princess left, His Majesty was depressed and thought about what happened after Empress Zhaode died. In grief, he became ill and vomited blood. Does Prince Consort or the Princess know all this?”
The old palace eunuch was very shrewd. Now that he asked this question, Pei Xiaoyuan could no longer concealed the answer and nodded yes.
Zhao Zhongfang’s face looked sorrowful: “This old servant had already suspected as much that day. Thank you, Prince Consort, for taking the Princess away in time and comforting her. As for His Majesty, this old servant has said nothing—better to let him believe that the Princess remains unaware. That way, at least, His Majesty’s heart may find some measure of peace.”
Pei Xiaoyuan was silent for a moment, then said, “Old Father, rest assured for now. The Princess does not know about His Majesty coughing up blood.”
The old palace eunuch wanted to thank him, but Pei Xiaoyuan stopped him.
“I hope Prince Consort will not blame His Majesty for what happened just now.” Zhao Zhongfang said softly again.
Pei Xiaoyuan was startled and looked over.
“His Majesty is really afraid that he may not live long, so he places great hopes on Prince Consort and deeply wishes that you can treat the Princess well. His Majesty is afraid that after he’s gone, the Princess will become an orphan and have no one to rely on, so after knowing what happened last night, he lost his composure to such an extent.” The old palace eunuch continued in a low voice.
“His Majesty summoned Prince Consort to come early in the morning, and all that you witnessed was his fury. But last night—how deeply disappointed and sorrowful His Majesty was, how he hid his grief from even this old servant, stifling his sorrow and tears—you likely do not know… ”
The old palace eunuch raised his sleeves, hastily wiping at his eyes before steadying himself, his face smoothing into a faint smile.
“To be honest, just now, His Majesty was furious and wanted to summon people to punish Prince Consort, this old servant heard everything. But this old servant believes that Prince Consort is not that kind of person. And indeed, that belief was proven true.
“This old servant would like to thank you, Prince Consort, for helping His Majesty to relieve his worries. I would also like to thank you, Prince Consort, for being my Princess’s husband.”
After Zhao Zhongfang finished speaking, he ignored Pei Xiaoyuan’s attempts to stop him and insisted on bowing down to him. He kowtowed respectfully and then was supported by him and got up from the ground.
“This old servant has nothing else here, and will go back to report to His Majesty. Prince Consort, please go as well, lest the Princess wait anxiously.”
Zhao Zhongfang urged twice and hurried away.
Pei Xiaoyuan watched the old palace eunuch disappear into the passage to the inner hall. He paused for a moment, then continued walking out. After a few steps, his figure slowly came to a halt. After pausing for a moment again, he suddenly turned around and walked toward the inner hall again.
The emperor was in the middle of cooling his hands inside a water basin, frowning and hissing, complaining that the incense burner was too hot. He only held it for a short moment, and blisters appeared on his palms.
Zhao Zhongfang repeatedly said that he would ask for the imperial physician, but the emperor stopped him and said, “It’s just a minor burn, why ask for Imperial Physician? Zhen remember there is a bottle of cooling balm for pain relief in the silver box inside the cabinet. Go fetch it; Zhen will apply it.”
Zhao Zhongfang hurried off to look for medicine box, while the emperor continued to grumble: “You’re not as capable as Yuan Zhi! Zhen told you to keep things under control, but how did you do it? You didn’t even get a clear grasp of what happened behind that door, which made Zhen lose face just now. Not only did Zhen kick him, but Zhen also smashed his fish talisman. That wretched boy from the Pei family has a deep and calculating mind—he’s bound to hold a grudge against Zhen now.”
By then, Zhao Zhongfang had already found the silver box, its surface finely engraved with patterns of birds, beasts, and intertwining honeysuckle. As he opened the lid to retrieve the medicine, he repeatedly admitted his fault, calling himself useless. “Prince Consort is not that kind of person, and besides, there’s the Princess. Your Majesty, please set your mind at ease…”
“No!” the emperor interrupted him.
“Zhen is still worried! The people you placed before are useless! This time, make sure you pick someone reliable and have them stationed in their room as well. Let them record everything that happens between Prince Consort and the Princess around the clock. Zhen can’t be left unaware of anything once the door is closed!”
“This… This might not be appropriate…”
The old palace eunuch looked deeply troubled. He had just found the medicine and hurriedly brought it over, preparing to persuade the emperor further when, all of a sudden, he noticed a figure standing at the door of the palace. He froze for a moment before quickly composing himself and turning to the emperor, clearing his throat with a deliberate cough.
“What’s not appropriate? Just do as Zhen tell you!”
The emperor frowned and gave an order in a tyrannical manner. Suddenly, he heard the old palace eunuch calling “Prince consort”. He paused, turned his head, and saw that the boy from the Pei family had returned.
Their eyes met, and he strode over.
The emperor’s expression instantly tightened, suppressing the awkwardness in his heart. Slowly, he withdrew his hands from the water basin and returned to his seat. Taking the handkerchief that the old palace eunuch handed him, he wiped his hands with deliberate composure, his tone light and indifferent, ” What brings you back? How dare you enter without announcing yourself!”
Pei Xiaoyuan knelt down in front of the emperor with a solemn expression and performed a formal and impeccable bow. Then, he straightened his posture.
“This minister came back to thank Your Majesty for your help.
“This minister remembers that Your Majesty once asked if this minister could protect the Princess for her whole life. This minister would like to let Your Majesty know that this minister will do his best to do so.
“Your Majesty, please put your mind at ease and take care of your health.
“Please excuse this minister.”
After he said these words and saluted, he stood up and walked out.
The emperor didn’t react at all at first, but after Pei Xiaoyuan finished his salute, he looked at the departing figure, his gaze lingering on the retreating figure. The tension in his face eased slightly, and his eyes gradually softened, tinged with an unspoken sorrow.
He watched in silence for another moment. Just as that figure was about to step out, he suddenly called out: “Wait!”
Pei Xiaoyuan stopped and turned around.
“There is a place in the Forbidden Garden in the north of the city. It was built specially for Hao’er and her mother when Zhen first ascended the throne. Her mother loved tranquility, and there is a quiet forest and lake outside that place. It’s a great place to relax in the midst of noise. At that time, Zhen truly believed she had left with someone else. Zhen built that place in the hope that she would come back one day and Hao’er could be found. If she was unwilling to live in the palace for long, she could take Hao’er there to relax…”
When the emperor said these words, his tone was very calm. He looked at Pei Xiaoyuan and smiled slightly.
“Later, you also know her mother couldn’t come back, and there was no news about Hao’er either, so the place has been vacant ever since. Because Zhen had people plant a lot of pomegranate trees around it, the palace people called that place Palace, and now it belongs to Hao’er. Before your wedding, Zhen had people tidy up and decorate it again.
“Newlywed has a lot of free time. If you find the city stifling or too chaotic, you can take her there to stay for a few days. If you wish, you can invite others to accompany you, it’s fine too. Ride horses, hunt, relax, and clear your mind. Once you have fully recovered, return and make preparations for the ancestor worship.”
In the end, the emperor gave these instructions.