Part 2
Zhao Yiyi didn’t answer, just curling up on the inner side of the bed, looking up at the interlocking lotus pattern on the bed curtains.
After a long time, she suddenly turned her head and asked, “Have today’s palace documents been delivered?”
Hearing this, everyone was startled and looked at each other.
They really couldn’t understand how Her Majesty, who had been so resistant to palace affairs just days ago, had suddenly changed her nature and become so diligent.
“Your Highness, why not wait until you feel better to look at them?” Mancao asked tentatively.
Zhao Yiyi held her forehead and thought for a moment, then whispered, “Bring them here first. I’ll deal with as much as I can, to avoid them piling up.”
The female officials dared not disobey. After trying to persuade her a few more times without success, they had to bring the documents and set up a small table by the bed.
Zhao Yiyi wanted to pick up the brush herself, but she really didn’t have the strength. After staring at the documents for a while, she ended up dictating while the female officials recorded and processed them beside her.
After forcing down a few doses of medicine and sleeping through the night, her temperature gradually went down, and her face was no longer flushed red. Although her body was still uncomfortable, she was much better.
However, on the second day, Physician Lin was summoned away by the Empress Dowager.
“This is too much bullying! How can they bully people like this?” Mancao circled the courtyard, stomping her feet while looking towards the west. “Obviously, our Empress is still sick. Yesterday when we went to invite Physician Lin, she didn’t say anything. Today, the Empress Dowager says Miss He is seriously ill, calls Physician Lin to Shicui Palace, and even orders him to stay there for the next few days.”
After she finished, Yunzhu said helplessly, “Alright, alright, let him go. Anyway, Her Highness is much better today, and she isn’t even angry.”
“Her Highness isn’t angry because she has a good temper.” Mancao whispered, stomped her foot fiercely again, and finally stopped talking.
She had thought Consort Dowager He was a good person before, but unexpectedly, she had a Buddha’s mouth and a snake’s heart. To her face, she said nothing, smilingly sending Physician Lin out the door, then turning around to complain to the Empress Dowager that Miss He’s illness hadn’t fully healed and had even worsened.
Pei! What kind of person is that!
The people were already gone, so scolding a few times was just venting; there was no point in saying more.
Suddenly hearing a summons from the inner room, Yunzhu hurried in and asked softly, “Your Highness, what is it?”
Zhao Yiyi felt better today, so she changed into outer clothes and got out of bed, walking a few rounds in the bedchamber.
“Go fetch a kite,” she said with a shallow smile on her lips, standing on tiptoe to look outside, speaking softly. “I see the wind is strong today, and I want to fly a kite. It’s been a long time since I’ve flown one.”
In Zichen Palace, two dogs were fighting.
Ah-Mo had a fierce temperament but was always obedient, never acting without orders. Therefore, in this brawl, the Fulin dog won with an overwhelming advantage.
“Zhao Xiaobai.”
Looking at the arrow that had landed outside the mouth of the pot, Gu Zhen called out in a deep voice from the window.
Hearing this call, the Fulin dog immediately left the slender hound and ran, thump-thump-thump, to the arrow. It picked it up and brought it under the window sill, looking up and trying to hand the arrow to Gu Zhen.
Reaching out to take the arrow, Gu Zhen threw it towards the lacquer pot again.
Glancing up, he happened to catch a glimpse of a kite floating in the distance. He was momentarily distracted, causing this shot to deviate by an inch again, hitting the rim of the pot and bouncing out.
This time, his face grew even darker, so gloomy it looked like water could drip from it. Pitch-pot was a little game he had played since childhood; it could almost be said he never missed.
Yet today, he missed several arrows in a row.
“Zhao Xiaobai.” He called again.
His manner was exactly like training a hunting dog.
Wu Mao’s mouth twitched as he listened, wanting very much to remind His Majesty that Ah-Mo beside him was the hunting dog. This Fulin dog had always been held in the arms of noble ladies; when had it ever suffered such hardship?
Zhao Xiaobai happily retrieved the arrow again. This time, Gu Zhen didn’t throw it immediately. Instead, he stared at the mouth of the pot for a long time. Just as a spray of pear blossoms fell from the treetop, his arm exerted sudden force, throwing the arrow in his hand outward.
The arrow passed through the window lattice and the tree shade, finally landing steadily in the pot.
The kite was still flying in the sky. Looking closely, it seemed to be a very ordinary swallow shape.
“This slave looks at the direction; it seems to be Jiaofang Palace,” Wu Mao said with a smile.
Gu Zhen turned back and glared at him. “Did I ask you to speak?”
Wu Mao opened his mouth. Fine, my wishful thinking again.
The water clock dripped; it was time for several close ministers to arrive. He was about to leave straight away, but as he turned, Gu Zhen couldn’t help but look at the kite again. The kite swayed with the wind, as if wanting to fly away.
After watching for a moment, he gradually withdrew his gaze and finally lowered his eyes to enter the inner room.
When the Prince of Yan arrived, he encountered the two puppies fighting again, so he asked with a smile, “Has this Fulin dog been named?”
“Named, named,” Wu Mao replied with an awkward smile. Not only named, but named by His Majesty himself.
The Prince of Yan asked, “What is it called?”
Wu Mao twitched his mouth, not daring to say the puppy’s full name, only smiling, “His Majesty said its fur is white, so why not call it Xiaobai.”
The Prince of Yan became interested and reached out to tease it. “Xiaobai, come here.”
But before the Fulin dog could pay attention to him, a scolding came from the hall again: “Zhen thinks you are too idle!”
One black and one white dog were still fighting vigorously. The Prince of Yan looked around in confusion. I just teased the puppy once; why did Imperial Brother scold me like that?
Right, I remember now. The last time I was scolded by Imperial Brother, it was also while discussing this puppy with Wu Mao.
Forget it, forget it. This Fulin dog is probably incompatible with my destiny.
Better to stay away from it in the future.
In the hall, Gu Zhen sat upright at the head, reviewing official documents. Since the other court officials hadn’t arrived, the Prince of Yan sat quietly in the lower position, took the tea cup from the attendant, and sipped it lightly.
Looking up, he noticed a wound on the Emperor’s right hand. It wasn’t wide or narrow, extending upwards from the web between the thumb and forefinger. He couldn’t see how deep it went.
The Prince of Yan asked with concern, “Imperial Brother, what happened?”
Gu Zhen paused, lowered his eyes to glance at the wound, and said indifferently, “I got scratched while practicing swordsmanship the day before yesterday. It’s nothing serious.”
He had practiced martial arts for many years and had countless wounds, big and small. In Mobei, an arrow had even pierced his arm. Compared to that, this small injury was not worth his attention.
“Although it’s just a scratch, if not treated properly, it’s no small matter. Imperial Brother has a body of ten thousand gold; how can you not value your own health?” The Prince of Yan advised warmly, then laughed, “This younger brother heard people say two days ago that what is popular in the capital recently are young men with flawless skin.”
Popular in the capital?
Gu Zhen withdrew his gaze from the Prince of Yan, sneering at this.
He was the dignified Son of Heaven; when did he need to conform to the trends of the capital?
Glancing down, he happened to see the wound on his hand. A trace of discomfort crossed Gu Zhen’s face. After a moment, he said flatly, “Summon the imperial physician.”
When the physician arrived, the group of close ministers happened to arrive as well. The physician waited in the side hall for a long time, only entering the inner hall for diagnosis after the officials had retreated one by one.
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