Chapter 522 - Chapter 522: Chapter 522: Does Queen Rui also Understand Medical Skills?_1 (1/2)

Chapter 522: Chapter 522: Does Queen Rui also Understand Medical Skills?_1

The Emperor shook his head: “I indeed should appoint a Crown Prince… I owe it to the Empress and Yiyi… it’s unfortunate that Yiyi’s health… I must find someone who would treat him well even after my demise…”

“Your Majesty, don’t think like that. You are strong and healthy, and you will certainly live a long life.” Eunuch Gao hurriedly comforted.

“I’ve heard this so often that I’m tired of it. I do not fear death, I just can’t let go of some things at this moment.”

The Emperor knew his own body, which had collapsed over these years.

Now, he only seemed tough on the outside, fooling others but not fooling himself.

Then the Emperor looked into the distance, and mumbled in a trance: “If there is something I fear, it is seeing her after death. I don’t know how I can apologize to her.”

Eunuch Gao hurriedly consoled: “Your Majesty, don’t blame yourself. You were also deceived in the matter of the Xiu family back then. Now that the truth is out, surely the Empress will forgive you in the afterlife…”

The Emperor gave a bitter smile: “She had such a strong character, how could she easily forgive me? She will blame me for not finding out the truth at the beginning, for not protecting her father and brothers. She definitely doesn’t want to see me again…”

“Your Majesty, Her Highness the Empress always had a tough exterior but a soft heart. Remember how she used to kick you out of the room, yet secretly asked me to bring you a cloak. Even if she ignored you, she would secretly have the Imperial Kitchen prepare medicinal meals for you!”

Eunuch Gao’s words plunged the Emperor into memories, and he began to speak of the past.

“In my youth, women were nothing more than objects to balance the court situation to me, they bore children to stabilize the court. When she first entered the harem, she was so defiant, even unwilling to let me stay, I didn’t want to deal with her either, I didn’t want to be bothered with her.”

Listening to the Emperor talk, Eunuch Gao quietly started to listen.

This was not the first time the Emperor shared these past experiences with him. Each time something triggered these memories, the Emperor would inevitably mention them. It had been this way for nineteen years.

The Emperor went from being at odds with the Empress at first, to gradually falling for her, and then to singularly loving her alone.

Outsiders thought that the Emperor’s preference for the Empress was to reassure the Xiu family on the border, but they didn’t know that the Emperor really fell in love amidst constant confrontations with her.

In that year, the Emperor had truly fallen for her.

Then that incident happened. Even though there was solid evidence of the treasonous plot of the Xiu family, the Emperor still did not want to depose the Empress. He only thought to send the Empress to Jing’an Temple to recover, waiting to bring her back after the storm subsided.

Who would have thought, the Empress did not survive for him to take her back, and even the child she gave birth to died prematurely.

Since then, the Emperor had not favored any other women in the palace, and no queens or concubines have been pregnant since Queen Xiu left.

At this point, everyone finally believed that the Emperor was truly in love with Queen Xiu.

How deep this love was, no one could tell.

“Enough, let’s stop here for today.”

His thoughts returning, the Emperor no longer had the intention to continue working.

The Emperor moved the pile of paperwork to one side and stood up. Eunuch Gao hurried forward to assist.

Just at this moment, the junior eunuch sneakily came to report: “Your Majesty, Prince Rui and Queen Rui have arrived at the Palace.”

“Why are they here?” The Emperor stopped, paused, then went back to his seat, “Let them come to the Imperial Study.”

Then the Emperor had Eunuch Gao bring over a chair and place it at the side of his desk.

Eunuch Gao full of smiles, seeing the Emperor’s completely different attitude towards Prince Rui compared to his other sons.