The Empress bid farewell to Old Madam Hou and personally dispatched her senior palace maid to prepare the carriage, instructing her to ensure the old madam was properly escorted back to the Marquis's estate.
Sitting in the carriage, Old Madam Hou lifted the curtain and looked back at the red-bricked, yellow-tiled imperial palace.
The person sent by the Empress beside her said, "Please rest assured. Her Majesty the Empress said she will inform you immediately should there be any news."
"Understood. Please convey my thanks to Her Majesty the Empress."
Upon arriving at the Marquis's estate.
Mama Fang, who served Old Madam Hou, hurried forward to greet her and thanked the palace maid from the Empress's side.
The main gate of the Marquis's estate opened and then closed. Only after entering Old Madam Hou's own courtyard did Mama Fang ask softly, "Old Madam, was the young prince not brought back?"
Old Madam Hou: "It was never possible to bring him back. His Majesty would never agree."
Mama Fang: "Then you...?"
Old Madam Hou: "Seizing the right moment, there was venting of feelings, and there was showing support. The rest was merely acting."
With the incident at the detached palace happening first, followed immediately by another major commotion, the Hou family, as maternal relatives, finally had a reason to intervene in imperial family matters.
By making the request to take the child away right in front of the Emperor, her stance was made perfectly clear. Under the circumstances of the Seventh Prince just being harmed, whether the Emperor was selling face to her and the old master, or had some lingering affection for Yueqing in his heart, or was wary of the hidden perpetrator, the final outcome would be this.
His Majesty took the Seventh Prince away to raise him personally. The difference between a child one has raised with one's own hands and one one hasn't is immense, even if it's only for a few days.
However, her entering the palace like this today surely displeased His Majesty. Remembering the words the Emperor said before leaving, Old Madam Hou asked, "Has Xu Jianyan sent people here again?"
Mama Fang said, "After all, he is the Marquis's second brother."
Old Madam Hou said, "What a fool. If he comes again next time, just splash boiling water to drive him away."
Mama Fang acknowledged the order.
Thinking of her little grandson lying in bed, Old Madam Hou sighed softly. No matter how worried or reluctant she was, all she could do had been done, and she could only do this much.
What happens from now on ultimately depends on the Emperor's will.
-
Zichen Palace.
Emperor Chongzhao's bedchamber here was low-key yet luxurious. Each of the four bedposts was carved with nine coiling dragons. It was called a bed, but it was almost a small room, with three sides enclosed by rosewood screens adorned with exquisite gold tracery, each depicting a different scene.
An incense burner at the foot of the bed was already lit with sleep-inducing incense.
Emperor Chongzhao enjoyed using incense and would even blend his own according to the season. The fragrances were mostly precious, one of the few extravagant hobbies he indulged in as emperor.
After being carried in, Qu Dubian smelled the scent and thought to himself, the difference between the father's and the son's lives was just too great.
Seeing Emperor Chongzhao return, the palace servants in the hall sprang into action to attend to his washing and changing of clothes.
Emperor Chongzhao had just handed the seemingly fast-asleep child to Eunuch Yu, instructing him to place him on the bed, when the young child started crying again, whimpering between sobs.
He had to take him back and personally went over to place him on the bed.
Who would have thought this wouldn't work either? The child simply couldn't leave his hands, as if he could sense it, and would start sobbing the moment he was put down.
Emperor Chongzhao could only sit by the bedside, holding the child on his lap with one arm, while using his other hand to take a damp towel and give his face a perfunctory wipe.
He waved his hand.
Eunuch Yu lowered the bed curtains. Some eunuchs remained on duty inside the hall, while he himself went outside Zichen Palace.
Ye Xiaoyuan was waiting there and returned the waist token as soon as he saw him.
"You could have returned it tomorrow. You must be tired too, go and rest quickly," Eunuch Yu said, not asking what he had used the token for.
Ye Xiaoyuan: "It's alright, Eunuch Yu. Has His Highness fallen asleep?"
"You are truly concerned about the young prince," Eunuch Yu said quietly. "He is asleep, but he's terribly clingy. He only lets His Majesty hold him and can't be put down. He fusses the moment he's set down."
Ye Xiaoyuan asked about the young prince's avoidance of the Emperor when he was first called back to Ju'an Hall, and the somewhat strange atmosphere in the hall: "At that time, the young prince didn't seem very close to His Majesty... Did something happen before I arrived?"
"This..."
Eunuch Yu hesitated for a moment, but still told Ye Xiaoyuan about how when the young prince was first found, he reached out to the Emperor asking to be held, but was refused.
"It was their first meeting. His Majesty's heart might have been somewhat conflicted. But look now, isn't it good? Being kept in Zichen Palace to be cared for personally by His Majesty, the Seventh Prince is the first."
Ye Xiaoyuan forced a smile.
"Yes, the young prince is the first."
But looking across the entire palace, which other prince had grown up in Ju'an Hall, comparable to a cold palace, mistreated by servants, secretly harmed with medicine? Which other prince had never seen his imperial father since childhood?
The young prince ran away while ill precisely to see His Majesty.
And when he finally did, His Majesty wouldn't even hold him.
Ye Xiaoyuan hadn't witnessed the scene himself, but just imagining it slightly, he could understand the immense disappointment and hurt the young prince must have felt.
Eunuch Yu: "You served the young prince before. Does His Highness fuss at night?"
"No," Ye Xiaoyuan said. "His Highness has always been very sensible. Even when ill, he just became quieter and spoke less."
Leaving the bedchamber, Ye Xiaoyuan saw someone kneeling at the foot of the steps, wearing official robes, but of a different style from other officials.
"Who is that?"
Eunuch Yu: "The Director of the Astrological Bureau. He's been kneeling there for a while. His Majesty won't see him, and I dare not announce him. I told him to leave but he refuses. There's really no way."
"Is that so?"
Ye Xiaoyuan cast a cold glance at the person kneeling below the steps. After mentally reciting every vile curse he could think of, he finally turned and left.
-
Inside the hall.
The young prince, whom Ye Xiaoyuan described as becoming quiet and speaking less when ill, was now on the imperial bed, whimpering and on the verge of crying. Yet, he wouldn't let anyone else hold him, crying even louder if they tried.
Emperor Chongzhao was at his wit's end. He clumsily held the child and rocked him a bit, and the child stopped crying.
He had just laid the child down and lain down beside him when the child started whimpering again.
Emperor Chongzhao sat up, patted his back, and commanded, "Sleep."
Qu Dubian thought to himself that if his cheap dad could get any sleep tonight, he'd write his name backwards! The original owner suffered so much for nothing; this was just collecting a bit of interest.
Emperor Chongzhao then saw the child begin to sob in his sleep again, murmuring with his mouth:
"Mother... imperial consort..."
He was slightly taken aback, then sighed, and picked him up.
Qu Dubian immediately stopped whimpering.
Emperor Chongzhao sat cross-legged on the bed like this, holding the child and enduring for a full half-hour, until he could barely feel his legs.
Staring blankly at the lowered bed curtains, listening to his young son's steady breathing, he thought, surely he's asleep this time?
Emperor Chongzhao gently lifted his arm. The next second, the child opened his mouth and mumbled, "Nanny... thirsty..."
Emperor Chongzhao: "..."
Not daring to move his hands, he used his foot to push aside the curtain. As he stepped onto the footstool, the pins and needles sensation in his legs shot straight to the top of his head. He took a deep breath for a few seconds, feeling all drowsiness instantly vanish.
On duty at the Zichen Hall today was Eunuch Bao, who took turns with Eunuch Yu keeping night watch.
He was squatting in the outer room, dozing off, when a kick startled him awake, nearly scaring his soul out of his body. Flustered, he scrambled to catch the hat falling from his head.
Just as he was about to beg for forgiveness, Emperor Chongzhao immediately went, "Shh."
Eunuch Bao instantly covered his mouth.
"Summon the imperial physician."
Eunuch Bao nodded. When Imperial Physician Yang was called, he thought something had happened to the little prince again and hurried over at a trot. After examining Qu Dubian's condition, however, the tightly wound string in his heart relaxed slightly.
He gave low-voiced instructions, and palace attendants brought a bowl of warm water mixed with medicinal juice.
"Your Majesty, if His Highness feels thirsty, feed him some of this. It has a better fever-reducing effect."
Emperor Chongzhao motioned for Eunuch Bao to come over and feed the diluted medicinal juice. He sat by the bedside, adjusting his position slightly. Unfortunately, Eunuch Bao, holding the spoon, couldn't get a single drop into the child's mouth.
The little one kept his lips tightly clamped, stubbornly refusing to open them.
Eunuch Bao wiped the sweat from his brow. Under the Emperor's gaze that clearly deemed him useless, his hands trembled slightly.
"...I'll do it."
Emperor Chongzhao took the spoon, blew on it. He thought it would be easier if he fed the child himself, but after a good while, he placed the spoon back into the medicine bowl.
With a clink.
Eunuch Bao, holding the bowl, bowed his head deeply. "Y-Your Majesty, shall we continue feeding?"
Emperor Chongzhao stared at his young son's still tightly shut mouth. That stubborn, tense curve looked utterly obstinate, and he found it extremely troublesome.
When the consorts raised children out of his sight, was it this difficult too?
No, at least the other princes had nursemaids to care for them.
But this little fellow in his hands simply wouldn't let anyone else serve him, as if he could sniff out strangers like a puppy.
Emperor Chongzhao took another deep breath, picked up the spoon again, and approached the task of feeding medicine with the same attitude he used for handling state affairs.
If he managed to get one spoonful in out of ten attempts, it was considered good. When the little brat frowned in distaste and swallowed a small mouthful, he even felt a strange sense of gratification.
At least he drank some.
After feeding half a bowl, Emperor Chongzhao finally stopped.
A profound sense of relief washed over him.
Eunuch Bao and Emperor Chongzhao's mental states achieved perfect harmony in that moment.
The child smacked his lips.
He snuggled affectionately against Emperor Chongzhao's arm, but called out, "Banban..."
Banban? He remembered now. It was that little eunuch who always followed his youngest son.
Emperor Chongzhao felt a sense of having toiled in vain only to pave the way for someone else, accompanied by a subtle displeasure. He lay back down on the bed.
This time, Emperor Chongzhao thought of a good method. He placed the child on his chest, letting him sleep on him. Although this made sleeping a bit suffocating, he could at least get some rest himself.
It was almost dawn. If he didn't sleep now, he might as well get dressed and go directly to the morning court session.
Just as he was beginning to feel drowsy, Qu Dubian stirred. "Whimper... pee-pee."
Emperor Chongzhao immediately sprang up.
"Attendants! Attendants!"
Qu Dubian secretly cracked his eyes open a slit.
If he were still a baby, he would have definitely drawn a map on this cheap dad.
Another round of tossing and turning ensued. Until four in the morning, it was either needing water, needing to pee, or being uncomfortable with the sleeping position, accompanied by constant fussing and whining.
Emperor Chongzhao was utterly exhausted.
The Zichen Hall remained brightly lit throughout the night.
-
Side Chamber.
Ye Xiaoyuan had just finished telling Wen Xiaochun about the day's events.
"Even if it was a twist of fate, it was because His Highness was kind-hearted and gave the medicine to me that I survived," Wen Xiaochun said softly. "This debt of gratitude, I will never forget it for all eternity."
Ye Xiaoyuan: "I naturally believe you."
He dared to burn down the Astrological Bureau—how could Ye Xiaoyuan doubt Wen Xiaochun's loyalty to His Highness?
"Just didn't expect that someone had already moved to frame His Highness long ago."
Wen Xiaochun: "I'm not as familiar with the palace as you are. Who do you think it could be?"
"The most likely ones are none other than..." This wasn't their territory, so Ye Xiaoyuan didn't voice the rest, worried about eavesdroppers.
He traced a few characters on the ground. Qu Dubian had taught them these words, and they both recognized them.
Wen Xiaochun, "Could it possibly be the Astrological Bureau?"
Ye Xiaoyuan pondered: "Unlikely. Otherwise, they wouldn't have gone through such elaborate schemes to have His Highness sent away."
"The Imperial Hospital has been sealed off by His Majesty for a thorough investigation. Not sure if they'll find anything. For now, His Highness is staying with His Majesty, so he's temporarily safe." His fingertip traced another line of characters on the ground: Next, someone will likely investigate the Astrological Bureau fire. The main kitchens will definitely be involved. You must not give yourself away.
Although he had used Eunuch Yu's waist token to take Wen Xiaochun back to the main kitchens to clean up traces, it was better to be extra cautious these days.
Wen Xiaochun fell silent for a moment, quietly watching Ye Xiaoyuan.
Ye Xiaoyuan: "?"
Wen Xiaochun whispered very softly, "...Ahem, don't recognize all these characters. Didn't understand."
"......"
An awkward silence hung between them.
Ye Xiaoyuan gave him two solid punches.
-
Eunuch Yu came in right on time to relieve Eunuch Bao, preparing to assist Emperor Chongzhao for the morning court session.
He first ran into Eunuch Bao and got a fright. The other man had dark circles under his eyes, as if the little vitality he had left had been sucked dry by some little demon.
Then, glancing at the bed, he was even more stunned. Emperor Chongzhao's hair was disheveled and sticking up, with a lock tightly grasped by the baby sleeping soundly in his arms. The child gave it an occasional tug, forcing Emperor Chongzhao's head to dip down accordingly.
The Emperor's gaze was calm, but two distinct dark circles hung under his eyes.
Eunuch Yu: "..."
Emperor Chongzhao: "Time for court, right?"
Eunuch Yu, with professional composure, replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."
Emperor Chongzhao rubbed his temples. "Go and call that... Ye... Ye Xiaoyuan, the one who serves the Seventh Prince."
After Ye Xiaoyuan arrived, Emperor Chongzhao had him hold the child. Qu Dubian immediately started making a fuss.
Kicking his legs and twisting his body.
Ye Xiaoyuan gently rocked him, patting his arm. "Be good, Your Highness..."
A whole night of tossing and turning made Emperor Chongzhao instinctively want to take the child back, but he stopped himself immediately. He told Eunuch Yu to quickly help him change clothes—the tacit understanding between this master and servant reached its peak as they achieved record-breaking speed in changing attire.
After a quick wipe of his face, Emperor Chongzhao strode swiftly out of the hall.
The cold wind outside blew, gradually clearing the foggy, exhausted mind that had been tormented all night.
Emperor Chongzhao walked away with measured steps. No matter how much the child fussed, it wouldn't do. He couldn't possibly hold a little doll while holding court, could he?
