zChapter 1059 - Let Him Go (1/2)
Even the fastest and healthiest goshawk would need to fly a full eighteen days to travel from Da Shun’s capital to the imperial palace of Gu Shu.
And in these eighteen days, the situation in the capital had stabilised. And because it was the New Year, the Emperor put down the seal and did not carry out morning court, so this holiday dragged on and on until the sixteen day of the first month. Therefore, during these days, everyone had more free time and no one entered the palace, the liveliness in the palace also quietened down.
Imperial Concubine Yuan Gui and the Emperor were loving and spent their days together, occasionally walking around in the palace, and nothing much happened. As for the Eighth Prince Xuan Tianmo, he used the reason of recuperating to stay in the Sheng Palace all day and told the outside world that he was allergic after eating something and could not receive visitors for the time being.
With regards to the Eighth Prince’s condition, the people did have some suspicions, everyone remembered the Eighth Prince’s appearance when his illness suddenly flared up during the imperial banquet on the first day of the New Year. Some people even remembered that his legs were clamped tightly together and he seemed to be squirming non-stop, looking like he was in extreme pain. But no one knew what illness was an allergy and some of them did secretly ask a physician. The physician also said that the symptoms of allergy could manifest in any area, it was just that as long as they did not come in contact with what they were allergic to, they would recover after a period of time. It was then the people from the Eighth Prince’s faction started to relax.
Feng Yuheng did not enter the palace to help adjust Imperial Concubine Yuan Gui’s constitution, and Imperial Concubine Yuan Gui did see all the imperial physicians in the imperial health hall, and everyone gave her prescriptions based on her “desire to have a son”, she was drinking bitter soups and medicines all day, and drinking them was troublesome.
The Emperor advised her: “Why don’t we ask Old Ninth’s wife to enter the palace and help you adjust? Her medical skills is still good and the old men at the imperial health hall are not her match. Seeing you drink these things every day, even We feel bitter watching it. We heard that Old Ninth’s wife has those tablet kind of medicines in her possession, they are not bitter and eating them is not a sin.”
But did Imperial Concubine Yuan Gui still dare to let Feng Yuheng enter the palace, since Feng Yuheng left the last time, her heart had been in a panic, with the addition of the Eighth Prince’s illness, the heart which she held up had never been put down once. Seeing that the Emperor brought up this topic again, she voice her thoughts directly: Your Majesty, that Princess Yu is still someone by the His Highness the Ninth Prince’s side, and you also know, His Highness the Ninth Prince had always been eyeing the throne, asking her to enter the palace to adjust This Concubine’s constitution, it does not make sense.”
“Old Ninth is eyeing the throne?” The Emperor frowned and scoffed coldly, “It’s useless whoever is eyeing it, We have already made up our mind to pass the throne to Mo-er, his thoughts would not be entertained.” Saying this, he sighed again and said: “It’s been some days since Mo-er entered the palace, We don’t know if his allergic condition has improved.”
Imperial Concubine Yuan Gui sighed as well, saying directly: “This Concubine is also worried about him all day and is unable to sleep properly at night.”
“We can tell.” He used his large hand to caress her, “Seeing you become frailer by the day, Our heart also aches, so it’s decided! We will allow you to leave the imperial palace, go to Sheng Palace personally to visit Mo-er, saving the trouble of always worrying about it. We also wish to know about Mo-er’s situation, after you took a look, explain it to Us properly.”
“Your Majesty allows This Concubine to leave the palace to see my imperial son?” Imperial Concubine Yuan Gui was very happy. The concubines and noble ladies could not leave the palace, unless they had special permission from the Emperor, but under normal circumstances, this kind of special permission was too rare. Imperial Concubine Yuan Gui also wanted to see Xuan Tianmo and ask him about his illness, but she could not leave and Xuan Tianmo had not come, causing her to be filled with anxiety these few days. Today, the Emperor actually gave such a grace and she was so happy that she quickly knelt down to kowtow three times to the Emperor.
The Emperor helped her up and even put his outer cape personally around her shoulders and let his personal attendant Wu Ying go with her. Then as he watched Imperial Concubine Yuan Gui leave Zhao He Hall, he suddenly said: “Xiao Yuan Zhi, have a stroll with Us.”
Saying this, he waited for a while and no one replied. He was a little stunned and wondered why he would say such a sentence out loud, who was Xiao Yuan Zhi? For a while, his mind was a little messed up.
A Eunuch on standby in the hall approached and stood at the Emperor’s side with his hands at his sides, waiting for orders. Half a beat later, the Emperor finally spoke: “Accompany Us for a walk outside, the charcoal in this hall is burning too brightly, it’s so hot that We are getting a headache.”
The Emperor said he wanted to take a walk outside, then the people following him could not be small in number. In a short while, the palace staff on standby in Zhao He Hall followed, situated near and far, looking very grand.
The Emperor did not stop them and walked in front with his hands behind his back. He walked with large steps, ignoring all of them.
He walked without any destination in mind but was definitely walking around in the imperial palace. From Zhao He Hall to the imperial harem, then from the imperial harem to the garden, then going around the garden and leaving, he walked around the lake covered in ice. With this walk, he walked for close to two hours, such that the palace staff following could not help but remind him: “Your Majesty, it is cold outside, we should return!”