After the beginning of summer, the time when Chen Jingzong returned home remained the same as in winter, but the sky was just dim, not yet completely dark.
The gatekeeper of the Chen residence had already become smart. When he saw him coming, he took the initiative to report: "Prince consort, the princess has returned home."
Chen Jingzong nodded indifferently, and Fugui smiled with narrowed eyes behind him. Although whether the princess came back or not had nothing to do with him, he was happy that his master did not fail.
Siyi Hall.
Chen Jingzong took a quick shower and went to the backyard.
Chaoyun and the other maids were very quiet. When they saw the prince consort, Chaoyun whispered, "The princess is asleep."
Chen Jingzong thought she had gone to bed early, but when he stepped into the inner room, he found her lying on the couch with a book beside her.
She probably wanted to wait for him, but she felt so sleepy that she fell asleep without even realizing it.
Chen Jingzong stood by the couch and watched for a while, then returned to the main hall and asked Chaoyun and Chaoyue, who had been living with her in the palace for the past few days, "How did the princess sleep these past few nights? Did she have any nightmares at night?"
Chao Yun: "I didn't hear the princess say she had a nightmare, but for some reason she took a long nap this morning and didn't wake up until almost noon."
Chao Yue: "Maybe I was tired because I played chess with the emperor for more than an hour the night before."
Chen Jingzong even suspected that she was still suffering from nightmares, but the maids were keeping watch in the back room, so if she cried secretly, it would be difficult for the maids to hear her through the door.
But if that was true, as a princess, why didn't she ask the imperial physician to see her
Back in the back room, Chen Jingzong got on the couch, carefully picked her up, and wanted to put her on the bed in the inner room to sleep.
Just as he was exerting his strength, Huayang woke up.
Chen Jingzong saw that there were thin bloodshot veins in her eyes. Even if she smiled, she couldn't hide the haggardness caused by lack of sleep.
"Have you asked the imperial physician to see it?"
Before she spoke, Chen Jingzong asked first.
Huayang nodded: "I checked, nothing happened, and I didn't have nightmares these past few nights."
Chen Jingzong touched her head.
He also asked Chaoyun Chaoyue the same question and found out that she had never hired an imperial physician since entering the palace.
Did he not take his own health seriously at all, or was he afraid that the Emperor, Empress and he would worry too much, so he just bore it himself
"You haven't eaten yet, right?" Huayang looked at the sky outside the window and asked after realizing what was happening.
Chen Jingzong: "Well, why don't you go inside and sleep first?"
Huayang was indeed very sleepy. He had been very nervous for the past few nights, but today he calmed down and all the sleep he had deserved came back all at once.
Chen Jingzong still carried her in.
After coming out, he told Chaoyue: "Go to Deyuan Hall and invite Mr. Wang to come. Tell him that I sprained my ankle."
Chao Yue's heart tightened. Seeing that it was getting dark, she didn't care about the condition of the prince consort's foot injury and hurried out to arrange for the servant to run errands.
Chen Jingzong was halfway through his meal when Sun came over in person. After all, a servant from Siyitang had gone out to ask for a doctor, and the doorman would definitely report it to the master and the mistress.
Chen Jingzong went to the front yard to see his mother.
Sun asked worriedly, "Is the princess sick?"
Chen Jingzong pointed to his left foot and said, "It's me. I think I twisted my foot when I got off the horse just now. It's been hurting a little."
After hearing this, Mrs. Sun breathed a sigh of relief.
Chen Jingzong: …
Even though he was pretending, his mother's expression changed so quickly. After all, he was her biological son!
Of course, Sun was also concerned about her son, but her son was tall and big, and he didn't look very badly sprained when he just walked over, so it was strange for her to be worried.
After asking a few questions, Sun left.
Chen Tingjian stood with his hands behind his back in the courtyard of Chunhe Hall. After listening to his wife's explanation, he had a similar expression, and the couple went in to rest together.
After they were all in bed, Sun hesitated and said, "How about we wait a little longer and hear what the doctor has to say?"
Chen Tingjian was confident: "He has practiced martial arts for so many years, how bad can the sprain be when he dismounts from a horse? Applying some Diudasan will probably heal him."
.
At Siyitang, night had already fallen when Mr. Wang brought his medicine boy over.
Chen Jingzong first showed his ankles, which had just been rubbed red, to Mr. Wang for inspection.
Mr. Wang touched the body and asked some questions, but didn't find any problems. However, he still prescribed a dose of Diidasan.
Chen Jingzong said politely, "Since you have troubled me to make this trip, why don't you check the princess' pulse? She has had nightmares three times this month, but she is afraid that the emperor will worry, so she doesn't want to make it public for now."
Mr. Wang's heart skipped a beat.
In March, the princess had been suffering from nightmares for a long time and the emperor summoned these famous folk doctors into the palace. Mr. Wang also took the princess's pulse at that time. How could such a precious princess suffer from her old illness again
"Then I will take the princess's pulse first."
Chen Jingzong nodded and led him into the inner room.
There were two layers of gauze curtains inside the bed. Chaoyun and Chaoyue had already prepared everything. One of them knelt at the head of the bed to prevent the princess from waking up and moving around, and the other knelt outside the inner gauze curtain, watching the princess's outstretched right arm.
Doctor Wang didn't dare to look around. He walked in with his head lowered and knelt down to take the princess's pulse.
It didn't take long to take the princess' pulse. After returning to the main hall, Doctor Wang said to Chen Jingzong, "The princess' pulse is calm and gentle, just a little weak. In my opinion, there is nothing serious. If she can get enough sleep, she will be back to normal in a day or two. If you trust me, don't let the princess take the medicine for now. Try to observe her for a few more days."
Chen Jingzong said hello and politely sent the person out.
When he lay down beside Huayang, listening to her regular and long breathing, he hoped that she could sleep soundly all night, but he was also afraid that she would wake up in the middle of the night.
This time, it was Chen Jingzong who did not sleep well. He woke up every one or two hours to observe her.
Huayang slept until dawn, and when he woke up he was surprised to find Chen Jingzong was still there.
"Why didn't you go to the guard post?" she asked puzzledly.
Chen Jingzong moved closer and stared into her eyes.
There was still a hint of sleepiness in those clear, bright eyes, but they were dry, quiet, black and white, without any bloodshot.
Huayang looked at him in confusion.
Seeing that she had a rosy complexion and bright eyes, Chen Jingzong finally believed what Mr. Wang said.
He had already finished washing up and left without saying anything.
Only then did the four maids have the opportunity to tell the princess what had happened last night.
Chao Yun smiled and said, "The Prince Consort is worried that you are sick, so he pretended to have a sore foot and asked the doctor to come."
Huayang didn't notice it at all, which shows how soundly she slept last night!
In the evening, Chen Jingzong returned home and met his mother who was strolling near the door at the exact time.
Sun looked at his feet: "Does it still hurt?"
Chen Jingzong smiled and said, "It will be fine in the morning."
Sun left with satisfaction.
Chen Jingzong returned to Siyi Hall and saw Huayang again. He found that she was wearing a lotus green jacket with a lighter-colored tube top underneath. She looked so fresh and lively, like a lotus flower emerging from water, which made people feel relieved from the heat.
The dinner prepared by the kitchen tonight was also rich and delicious, with a plate of freshly washed big red lychees with water droplets on them.
"This is a reward given to me by my father today." Huayang leaned on the satin pillow and looked at Lizhi.
Chen Jingzong had no interest in Litchi and just stared at her: "You seem to be in a good mood today."
Huayang: "I had a good dream last night."
Chen Jingzong: "What good dream?"
Huayang smiled and said to the book in his hand: "I dreamed that an old immortal touched me while I was sleeping and said that he would protect me from illness and disaster in the future."
Chen Jingzong could feel her satisfaction with the medical consultation.
What kind of princess is this
She could obviously hire an imperial physician in the palace, but she refused to use him, saying that she didn't take nightmares seriously. She was also very happy that he invited a famous doctor.
Chen Jingzong was still not happy with her delaying for so long, and he picked out things she didn't want to hear and said, "This old immortal is really not serious, going to call you in the middle of the night."
Huayang: …
She was clearly giving him the opportunity to take credit, so why was he deliberately making her angry
Chen Jingzong picked up a piece of pork ribs and put it in his mouth. It had crispy bones on it and he easily broke it into pieces.
Huayang ignored him.
After finishing his meal, Chen Jingzong started to peel lychees. The lychee shells were hard and a bit prickly, but the lychee flesh inside was fresh and tender.
"This lychee looks quite like you." He picked up a lychee and said to Huayang.
Huayang raised his eyes, his gaze moving between him and the lychee: "What do you mean?"
Chen Jingzong smiled but said nothing.
Huayang guessed that it was not a serious analogy and did not ask any more questions.
Later, after getting into the bed, Chen Jingzong hugged Huayang and kissed her while saying, "Your princess' temper is like the lychee shell, and you are like the lychee flesh."
Huayang: "… I am Litchi, what are you?"
Chen Jingzong lifted the hem of her blouse and said, "Of course it's the person who peels the lychees."
.
In the palace.
Emperor Jingshun was not an emperor who liked to attend court. Unless there was an important event, he would only hold court meetings on the first and fifteenth days of each month.
Although he seems lazy, he has a father who did not attend court for more than 20 years. Comparing the father and son, he attended court almost every day when he first ascended the throne, and only changed it to twice a month in recent years. He is also a very diligent emperor!
However, deep down in his heart, Emperor Jingshun didn't even want to attend these two court meetings. Especially now that it was the hottest summer, he just wanted to stay in the hall where the ice tripod was placed!
"Your Majesty, lie down for a while."
The young beauty stretched out her arms and wrapped them around Emperor Jingshun's waist from behind.
Emperor Jingshun sighed. He had been awake for two quarters of an hour and had finally forced himself to get up!
It was time to get up. Emperor Jingshun pushed aside the beauty and called Eunuch Ma to come in and serve him.
The beauty shyly hid under the quilt.
Emperor Jingshun went to court, sighing every three steps.
It was relatively cool in the hall, but the constant arguing among the ministers was more irritating than the chirping of cicadas in the treetops.
Emperor Jingshun really wanted to curl up in the dragon throne and take a nap. His back almost touched the back of the dragon throne. Chen Tingjian, who was standing in the front row of all the civil and military officials, suddenly coughed.
Emperor Jingshun suddenly woke up and went to look at Chen Tingjian, but Chen Tingjian had already lowered his eyes.
Emperor Jingshun knew that the Prime Minister had noticed his misconduct, so he had to continue to stay calm.
But the ministers could all see that the emperor was very sleepy, but they did not expose him.
The court meeting lasted for more than an hour and finally ended.
All the officials bowed their heads and bid farewell to the emperor in unison.
Emperor Jingshun loved to hear this sentence the most. He supported himself on the armrests of the dragon throne with both hands and stood up from his seat.
However, the moment he stood up straight, he felt a sudden surge of heat in his head, and all the officials in the hall before him began to feel dizzy.
The civil and military officials who lowered their eyes suddenly heard a "puff" sound, and the next moment, it was Eunuch Ma's scream!
Everyone looked up suddenly, only to see that Emperor Jingshun's chin, beard, and chest were all covered in blood, and he was lying in the arms of Eunuch Ma!
"emperor!"
The ministers rushed forward, and the cabinet headed by Chen Tingjian took advantage of the terrain and ran the fastest. Chen Jingzong and Qi Jin were young and agile, and as royal relatives they had nothing to worry about, so they quickly surpassed the other civil officials.
Eunuch Ma was already sitting on the ground holding Emperor Jingshun. He was trembling all over and tears were streaming down his face.
Emperor Jingshun was still spitting blood from his mouth.
He didn't know why he was like this, but he knew that he couldn't do it anymore.
At the critical moment of life and death, Emperor Jingshun thought of three things.
He held Chen Tingjian's hand tightly and said, "Pass on my order. After I leave, the prince will take over the throne."
Except for Chen Tingjian and other cabinet ministers who were crying and looking at the emperor, and Chen Jingzong and Qi Jin who were kneeling beside him with solemn expressions, all other ministers knelt and kowtowed.
"Secondly, the prince is still young and needs the guidance and assistance of the teacher. All major matters are entrusted to the cabinet."
Emperor Jingshun said this to Chen Tingjian.
Chen Tingjian choked up and agreed.
Emperor Jingshun's gaze finally fell on Chen Jingzong's face. With bitter eyes, he said with difficulty: "I broke my promise, you must take good care of me..."
Emperor Jingshun only uttered the word "panpan" in a breath.
Before Chen Jingzong could respond, the light in the emperor's eyes suddenly dimmed.
On the first day of June in the summer of the twenty-third year of Jingshun, the emperor died in the court.
(End of this chapter)