After Song Jinzhao finished the acupuncture and wrote a prescription, she pulled Gu Jupu aside to whisper some advice before leaving.
"The Prince of Qi is arrogant and proud; he absolutely will not accept the fact that he has gone blind. Coupled with his emotional agitation and internal stagnation, his mental state will deteriorate over time. You had better report his condition to the Emperor immediately, lest you suffer the consequences in the end."
Gu Jupu let out a deep, exhausted sigh.
"I understand what the County Princess means. I will go to the palace later and report the truth to the Emperor."
Illness of the heart requires medicine of the heart. No one can save the Prince of Qi in his current state unless he comes to terms with it himself.
That afternoon, after Gu Jupu informed the Emperor of the Prince of Qi's condition, the Emperor remained silent for a long time.
Just when Gu Jupu thought he would erupt in anger, Xiao Chengjing merely said in a calm tone, "Arrange for an imperial physician from the Imperial Hospital to reside in the Prince of Qi's manor and do your best to treat his illness. As for his sickness of the heart, it is up to him."
Having slapped his own face time and again, and now acting like a lunatic while causing trouble, Xiao Chengjing's already meager paternal love had been just about exhausted.
"I obey the decree."
After Gu Jupu left, Xiao Chengjing ordered Zhao Yande, "Summon Fan Guanshan for an audience."
Fan Guanshan, who was patrolling the Meridian Gate, was called to the Imperial Study.
Xiao Chengjing commanded in a deep voice, "Once Wang Nie wakes up, go to the Huitong Guesthouse. Tell him about the Prince of Qi's condition word for word. Try to make it sound as severe as possible, and take the opportunity to give him a warning."
Fan Guanshan looked at Xiao Chengjing with hesitation on his face.
"His Highness the Prince of Qi was injured by Qi Xiong, the captain of the guards of this marriage proposal delegation. May I ask if Your Majesty intends to hold this person accountable for his crime?"
The other party was merely a minister, while the Prince of Qi was of royal blood.
Now, with one completely unharmed and the other severely injured and hard to cure, they should pursue the matter no matter what. Otherwise, the Shuobei Kingdom would think they were weak, easy to bully, and afraid of them.
Xiao Chengjing shook his head. "Refusing the marriage alliance has already angered the Shuobei Kingdom. If we pursue this matter, it will inevitably be going too far. That is why I am sending you to give Wang Nie a warning."
Fan Guanshan felt a heavy weight in his chest. Despite this, he had to bow his head and comply, "I obey the decree."
Gong Linjue had swindled the potatoes away with nothing but empty promises. Not only were the Prince of Qi's eyes uncured, but his physical health had also worsened. No matter how one calculated it, the Dongzhao Kingdom was on the losing end.
He truly hoped that one day, the people of the Dongzhao Kingdom would no longer have to swallow their anger and suffer grievances.
The rumors among the commoners shifted from marrying a foreign princess to marrying off their own County Princess. For a time, the people did not quite understand the severity of the matter.
The people arranged by Qingshuang began to quietly mingle in the crowds and exert their influence.
"Last time, when the Prince of Wei from the Shuobei Kingdom came to our Dongzhao Kingdom, none of the military officials in the court were his match. Only the County Princess of Linghui could defeat him. If the two countries ever go to war, who else could be a match for the Prince of Wei from Shuobei?"
"The County Princess of Linghui is highly skilled in martial arts and is a divine doctor. She can even build waterwheels, and she was the one who presented potatoes to the Emperor. If we send her for the marriage alliance, what if she invents something else one day? Wouldn't all the benefits go to the Shuobei Kingdom?"
A small number of well-informed commoners chimed in, "I heard that during the morning assembly today, the Emperor and the officials disagreed with sending the County Princess of Linghui for the marriage alliance. Some say that the Shuobei Kingdom is targeting the County Princess this time, aiming to take her to Yandu and kill her."
An auntie carrying a basket to buy groceries was so frightened that she covered her mouth, her eyes widening as if they were about to pop out.
"How can this be allowed? They are here for revenge!"
A man furrowed his brows. "It is revenge. Who asked the County Princess of Linghui to defeat the Prince of Wei from the Shuobei Kingdom?"
The rumors spread faster and faster. With no one to stop them, they only needed a slight push to spread rapidly.
In a short time, all the commoners felt that Song Jinzhao could not be married off to the Shuobei Kingdom.
Coupled with the previous misunderstandings, many people insisted that the Shuobei Kingdom should marry a princess over to them. This way, the interests of the Dongzhao Kingdom would not be harmed, and the two countries could still form a marriage alliance to ensure lasting peace.
Wang Nie was unconscious for half a day, but Xiao Rongche was unconscious for two whole days before waking up.
After learning of his condition from his attendants, he clamored for an audience with the Emperor, wanting Xiao Chengjing to back him up.
But he could not even make it out the front gates of the Prince of Qi's manor.
After being stopped by the Imperial Guards guarding the entrance and told that the Emperor did not want to see him, Xiao Rongche fainted for the third time.
The imperial physician, who had just stepped out of his sedan chair, saw this and felt his world spin.
With so many people in the Imperial Hospital, why did they have to choose him? It was simply too unlucky!
