in2ebook Chapter 14 looks exactly like the real thing.
Chapter 14 looks exactly like the real thing.
Inside Anning Palace, sunlight filters through the carved window lattices, casting dappled shadows, and the room is filled with the faint scent of sandalwood.
"Your Majesty, our spies in Cuiwei Palace have reported that the Fifth Prince suddenly burst into tears last night for some unknown reason, and ended up spending the night in Consort Zhuang's palace."
"I heard that the Fifth Prince may have a telepathic connection with the Great General, and knows that the Great General is in dire straits and suffering greatly, which is why he burst into tears for no reason." Ying Qiu stood quietly behind the Empress, combing her cascading hair as she softly reported this.
The Empress tilted her head slightly, toying with a jade hairpin in her hand. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, and she asked with her lips parted: "And what is the situation on the Emperor's side now?"
Ying Qiu continued working, and after a moment's thought, replied, "Our people couldn't enter the Hall of Diligent Governance, but we could faintly hear the Emperor reprimanding the Imperial Medical Academy staff outside the hall. It seems that the General's injuries were quite severe, which angered the Emperor."
The Empress sighed softly, inserted the jade hairpin into her hair, and said slowly, "It seems that the General's injuries are truly severe! I wonder if there is any hope that he will wake up... If he really falls asleep and never wakes up, Consort Zhuang will be heartbroken and devastated." Her words revealed a hint of regret.
"Your Majesty, the General Who Guards the Nation has been advocating with the Emperor for the Grand General to be transferred back to the capital. Do you think this might be..." Ying Qiu frowned, hesitating to speak, but then realized she might have said something wrong and quickly stopped herself, changing the subject.
At this moment, inside the Cuiwei Palace, Su Nuannuan was elegantly enjoying her breakfast at the table. Suddenly, a familiar yet shrill hoarse voice rang out from afar, loudly proclaiming, "The Emperor has arrived!"
Su Nuannuan was enjoying her meal, but upon hearing this voice, her expression instantly turned sour, and her appetite vanished without a trace.
She dared not be negligent in the slightest, and quickly put down her bowl and chopsticks, stood up, and hurriedly walked towards the door to prepare to greet the Emperor.
Just as she reached the doorway, she bumped into the Emperor. Su Nuannuan quickly curtsied and said softly, "Your Majesty, this concubine greets you." The Emperor smiled, gently reached out to help Su Nuannuan up, and said, "My beloved consort, please rise."
Su Nuannuan straightened up, glanced cautiously at the Emperor, and asked softly, "Your Majesty, I am having breakfast. Would you like to have some with me?"
The Emperor nodded and replied, "I haven't had breakfast yet, so I came straight here to find you after court." With that, he stepped into the room and sat down at the dining table.
Upon hearing the Emperor's words, Yaoqin, who was serving nearby, quickly bowed and then turned around to direct the palace maids beside her to skillfully and methodically set out the bowls and chopsticks for the Emperor.
"My beloved consort, why is this breakfast so simple? Have the people in the small kitchen not been attentive enough?" The Emperor frowned slightly, his gaze falling on the meager breakfast dishes before him, a hint of doubt on his face.
He couldn't help but wonder to himself: He had never been harsh on the concubines in the harem, so why was Consort Zhuang's breakfast so simple today? Thinking of this, the Emperor decided that he would definitely ask the Empress later to find out what was going on with Consort Zhuang.
Just then, Yaoqin, who had been standing silently to the side, quickly stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and replied softly, "Your Majesty, Her Highness is troubled by the matter of the General and has no appetite whatsoever. Therefore, she instructed me to tell the kitchen to prepare only a simple breakfast..."
However, before Yaoqin could finish speaking, Su Nuannuan softly called out, "Yaoqin." Although her voice was not loud, it carried an undeniable authority.
Upon hearing this, Yaoqin trembled and hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, His Majesty's actions are out of genuine concern for you!"
Upon hearing this, Su Nuannuan slowly turned her head, her gaze as gentle as water as she looked at the Emperor. She parted her lips slightly and said, "Your Majesty, I know how much you care for me, but I really don't want to cause you too much worry about this matter." After speaking, she lowered her head slightly, her eyes glistening with tears.
The Emperor gently took Su Nuannuan's hand and helped her sit down.
He spoke with a grave expression, “Regarding the General’s poisoning, the imperial physicians at the Imperial Hospital have worked tirelessly through the night and finally devised a method to detoxify him. However, this method has a thorny flaw—the toxins in the General’s body are currently concentrated in only one leg. As a result, the General may very well be left with a disability.” With that, the Emperor stared intently at Su Nuannuan’s face, seemingly trying to discern some clues through the subtle changes in her expression.
Upon hearing this news, Su Nuannuan's face instantly turned ashen, but she forced herself to stay strong and gritted her teeth, saying, "So what if he's disabled! As long as he can stay alive, it's much better than losing his life. I think Father, Mother, and Sister-in-law will be able to accept it. Besides..." She paused slightly, her voice becoming somewhat low, "In this way, my elder brother's wish to return to the capital will be fulfilled. It's just a pity that, if I had a choice, I would rather he could continue guarding the frontier in good health." She finished speaking with a deep sigh, appearing utterly dejected and forlorn.
Seeing this, the Emperor nodded thoughtfully and then asked, "Your father repeatedly submitted memorials to me, requesting that your elder brother be transferred back to the capital. Do you know the reason behind this?"
Su Nuannuan gently raised her head, a trace of sadness flashing in her eyes, and replied softly, "Of course I understand. Father and Mother are eagerly hoping to hold their grandchildren soon, while other families with children of similar age to my elder brother already have children running and playing all over the place. But my elder brother is stationed in that remote border region year after year, and he has always refused to take a concubine there, so he still has no children. Because of this, Father and Mother are worried and anxious every day."
"Please forgive my father's recklessness, Your Majesty," Su Nuannuan said softly. After speaking, she slowly rose and gracefully performed a standard and elegant curtsy to the emperor to express her deep apology.
The emperor frowned slightly and replied thoughtfully, "No wonder your father refused to reveal the reason for recalling your elder brother to the capital no matter how I questioned him." His gaze fell on Su Nuannuan, as if he wanted to get more explanation from her.
Su Nuannuan hesitated for a moment before answering, "Perhaps Father felt that such thoughts were too selfish, and therefore he was too embarrassed to tell you directly!" Her tone was gentle and tactful, with a hint of helplessness and sigh.
The emperor couldn't help but sigh: "If you think about it carefully, it has been a full five years since your elder brother left the capital. Back then, when the grassland tribes suddenly invaded, the border situation was extremely critical. Your elder brother did not hesitate to immediately leave behind his newlywed wife and resolutely accepted the imperial decree to go to the front line to resist the foreign invasion."
Su Nuannuan: You still remember! I thought you'd forgotten! No, you didn't forget, otherwise you wouldn't have forcibly brought me into your harem. You did it on purpose.
"Well, General, this battle has directly struck at the heart of the grassland tribes. The border will be peaceful for at least ten years. Otherwise, we wouldn't have been caught off guard by their sneak attack and poisoned. If it weren't for the timely treatment by the military doctor, I'm afraid I wouldn't be here to see the General alive."
Su Nuannuan: It's no different from being dead now. I don't know how that miracle doctor did it, making it look like I was really poisoned.