Part 3
“You are burning up and confused.” Gu Zhen reached out, trembling, wanting to cover her eyes, forcing himself to calm down. “Since you’ve drunk the medicine, go to sleep. Once you sleep, it will be tomorrow.”
Zhao Yiyi suddenly slapped his hand away, staring dead at his eyes. Her hands tightly gripped the quilt, knuckles turning white one by one. “This consort is having a fever, but not to the point of not understanding my own mind, not knowing what is in my heart.”
“Married for almost three years, this consort should also wake up.”
Let the past be treated as a dream.
Now, the dream is finally waking up.
Every word she said told him that this wasn’t a whim, nor a thought born of sudden anger.
Staring at her for a long time, when he opened his mouth again, his voice was choked with sobs. “It’s late. Since you’ve taken the medicine, go to sleep quickly.”
“Zhen sees that you are also a bit tired today.”
At this moment, there was only one thought in his mind: Absurd.
Married for three years, how could he not know the Empress liked him? How could he not know the Empress had feelings for him?
He just never cared about it.
Originally, the Empress wasn’t someone he asked for. She was someone his aunt forced upon him through his Imperial Father. Moreover, he thought from the bottom of his heart: anyway, she is his Empress; could she like someone else? Such a trivial matter didn’t need to be taken to heart.
But now, the Empress who had liked him for so long suddenly told him she didn’t like him anymore.
Stepping out of the palace door, the night wind blew on his body, and Gu Zhen calmed down a little. His blood-colored eyes gradually returned to their usual gentleness and indifference, but his fist gradually tightened, blue veins popping out on the back of his hand.
Glancing at Lin Nanjun who was still waiting in the side hall, he ordered indifferently, “The Empress has already taken her medicine. You go back to the Imperial Medical Bureau and wait. Leave two medical women here to watch over the Empress.”
He didn’t leave immediately, but turned to look at Wu Mao. “Go to Wanchun Palace and tell Mother that Zhen accidentally caught a wind-cold because she forced Lin Nanjun to stay at Shicui Palace, thereby delaying treatment.”
Facing the rustling cold wind, Gu Zhen strode out. He didn’t believe it. He didn’t believe the Empress was really like this…
Looking back at the palace shimmering with faint light, the hand hidden in his sleeve gradually closed. But everything just now forced him to believe that the Empress had personally told him she didn’t like him anymore.
His Empress, his wedded wife, personally told him that being his Empress was too tiring, and she didn’t want to like him anymore.
This result was something he had never imagined.
Not only was this something he had never imagined.
He used to think that even if the Empress knew he didn’t like her at all, he wouldn’t be moved in the slightest. Not telling her was just to avoid trouble, not wanting to toss and turn.
Definitely not because he was worried the Empress would be sad.
But when this day really came, he felt his heart was clenched, and even for a moment, felt difficult to breathe.
Watching the Emperor’s leaving back, the palace attendant was stunned at first, then hurriedly opened an umbrella and trotted to follow.
Wu Mao brought the words exactly to Wanchun Palace. Hearing that because she wanted to stand up for He Xunling, that momentary act of anger caused the Emperor’s illness to be delayed… even though she wasn’t very close to her son, the Empress Dowager completely panicked.
No matter what, that was her son.
The Empress Dowager was a person without opinions. At this moment, she was panicked and witless. She wanted to take a look at the Emperor, but hearing Wu Mao say he was already preparing to sleep, she didn’t dare to rashly go to Zichen Palace.
Amidst the turmoil in her heart, reminded by the palace attendants, she summoned Consort Dowager He overnight to question her.
“It’s all your doing!” As soon as Consort Dowager He arrived, the Empress Dowager scolded her fiercely.
After scolding, she said angrily, “Saying that because Lin Nanjun was taken away by the Empress, Xunling’s illness didn’t heal. Now the Emperor has been delayed by you!”
Consort Dowager He was scolded into silence, only repeatedly admitting her mistake, saying it was her fault.
Although the Empress Dowager didn’t have a good temper, she rarely got so angry. Everyone in the palace was scared into silence. Seeing her aunt scolded to tears, Linchuan stepped forward and pulled the Empress Dowager’s sleeve. “Mother, calm down.”
“How can you ask Aijia to calm down?” The Empress Dowager questioned in a deep voice, but facing her youngest daughter, her face softened a bit after all.
Linchuan said softly, “Aunt didn’t know either. If she knew Imperial Brother was sick, how would she dare to keep Physician Lin at Shicui Palace? Besides, didn’t Imperial Brother summon Physician Lin yesterday? Imperial Brother even went to court this morning; presumably, there’s nothing serious.”
Recalling that there was a grand court assembly this morning, since the Emperor could attend court as usual, the impact shouldn’t be too big. The Empress Dowager’s face cleared up a bit. But once her temper was up, it wasn’t so quickly dispelled. She still glared at Consort Dowager He. “If anything happens to the Emperor, Aijia will hold you responsible! Go back today and copy scriptures ten times to pray for the Emperor.”
Consort Dowager He stammered agreement and was waved away by the Empress Dowager.
“Really!” The Empress Dowager muttered a few sentences, then said annoyed, “Why did Aijia get angry for a moment that day and keep Lin Nanjun at Shicui Palace?”
Linchuan didn’t dare to touch bad luck at this time, only ordering palace servants to bring hot water, watching the Empress Dowager drink a few sips, and persuading her to calm down.
The morning light was dim, lazily spilling on the stone steps in front of the hall.
Ah-Mo was usually kept in the backyard of Zichen Palace. Because of the addition of a Fulin dog, with the Emperor’s tacit permission, it was allowed to frolic with the puppy in the hall.
After the morning court, Gu Zhen kept a group of ministers from the Hall of Political Affairs for discussion.
His face didn’t look good, and there were bloodshot streaks in the bottom of his eyes. Everyone could see he hadn’t rested well last night and asked a few concerned questions.
“The spring thunder was too noisy last night. Zhen was awakened in the middle and didn’t sleep well.” Facing the officials’ concern, Gu Zhen showed no strangeness, replying calmly.
After the discussion was over and everyone had retreated, he reviewed a few memorials, stood up and walked out of the hall, standing under the corridor looking at the pine and cypress in the distance.
The pine and cypress were tall and dense, standing gracefully like a canopy.
A few barks came from his leg. Gu Zhen looked down and saw a palace servant bringing two small bowls, pouring mixed food into the bowls, intending to feed the two dogs.
Zhao Xiaobai obviously didn’t have table manners. It refused to eat from its own bowl, sometimes tasting a couple of mouthfuls from Ah-Mo’s, sometimes biting its own tail to play.
Just refused to eat properly.
With the Emperor at the side, the palace servant became more anxious. But the more anxious he was, the more the Fulin dog seemed to oppose people, turning to chase butterflies.
Gu Zhen watched coldly for a moment, then reached out to the palace servant. “Give it to Zhen.”
The palace servant tremblingly handed the food to the Emperor and retreated silently to the side. Gu Zhen called Zhao Xiaobai over and placed the portioned food in front of it.
Zhao Xiaobai tilted its head and pounced forward, knocking it over directly.
The palace servants in the hall were scared into shivering, wishing they could bury their heads in their chests. But in the next instant, they heard the Emperor chuckle lightly, gritting his teeth: “Just like your master!”
Author’s Note:
Gu Zhen: Eat.
Zhao Xiaobai: Won’t eat.
Gu Zhen: Hurry up and eat!
Zhao Xiaobai (paws at it)
Today’s update! Chirp chirp chirp! Still 30 small red envelopes~
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