flstandardbreds Chapter 189
Chapter 189
Looking at Hongzhao's rosy face as he slept, Yinzhen sat quietly by the bed, his hands on his knees, occasionally reaching out to check the temperature of his forehead. Su Peisheng noticed a hint of helplessness in the usually imposing emperor.
"That guy at the morning court the other day..." Yinzhen suddenly remembered something, and waved to Su Peisheng in a whisper, but only managed to say half of what he wanted to say.
Seeing the Emperor's expression, Su Peisheng's mind raced, and he tentatively asked, "Does Your Majesty wish to ask about the official He who impeached Governor-General Lü Jia of Zhili?"
Yinzhen truly didn't remember the person at all. Only after Su Peisheng finished speaking did he recall that the person's surname was He. He turned back and stared intently at Hongzhao, who was still sleeping restlessly. When he spoke again, his voice was hoarse, "Su Peisheng, go and inform the Imperial Censor's Office to gather some pretexts and hand them over to Censor Zhang Lin."
Zhang Lin was the same old censor who had previously received a beating from Prince Dun and then had the Crown Prince personally come to apologize. He was a smart man, and having gained such benefits, Yinzhen believed that he would understand what to do if this matter was entrusted to him.
Su Peisheng noted it down, then glanced carefully at the Crown Prince who remained unresponsive on the bed. He took a step closer to the Emperor and said, “Your Majesty, the Chief Astrologer of the Imperial Observatory, Lord Ji Weisheng, just requested an audience. He said he observed the stars last night and discovered something that he needs to report to Your Majesty in person.”
The Imperial Observatory... Yinzhen remained silent for a long while. Hongzhao was asleep, and his bedside was not a good place to discuss matters.
He stood up and tiptoed out of the inner hall, then sat down on an embroidered stool in the outer hall. "Bring him in."
Before long, a thin middle-aged man tiptoed in. Before entering, he was instructed by Eunuch Su to lower his voice and say, "Your subject, Ji Weisheng, the Chief Astrologer of the Imperial Observatory, pays his respects to Your Majesty."
Yinzhen did not speak, but raised his chin to indicate that he would continue.
Ji Weisheng remained kneeling, not rising until he received the Emperor's order. He continued kneeling and recounted all the celestial phenomena he had observed the previous night and his various calculations for the day.
"Your Majesty, I observed the stars last night. The star Tianji was as bright as ever, but suddenly it was obscured by dark clouds. Such a celestial phenomenon is a sign of illness and misfortune. In the palace, it coincides with the Crown Prince's sudden illness. I hope Your Majesty will take this very seriously. Otherwise, if the starlight is completely obscured, it will be extremely unfavorable for the main star!"
The more Yinzhen listened, the faster the ring in his hand spun; the pile of things was giving him a real headache.
"I raise you not to listen to your vague and ambiguous words. Tell me in detail what the cause is and how to resolve it."
Ji Weisheng was able to climb to the position of chief envoy by getting in touch with the Empress, so he was naturally not someone who couldn't understand what was being said. He could tell that the Emperor's tone was already full of impatience, so he quickly changed to the most concise language: "In my opinion, the constellation points to the northernmost part of the Imperial Garden, where there must be someone who is in conflict with His Highness the Crown Prince."
Northernmost side...
Ji Weisheng didn't look up at the Emperor's expression, but kept saying with his eyes down, "This person must have been in the palace for a long time. He just recently received the Emperor's favor and was tainted by the Emperor's dragon aura. His star position has risen and is pointing directly at the Crown Prince. If he is not controlled, he may also affect the Ziwei star."
Yinzhen's brows furrowed deeper and deeper, and he tensed even more as Ji Weisheng finished speaking. "The northernmost part of the Imperial Garden...that's Shou'an Palace, Chunxi Hall..."
Su Peisheng chimed in with his analysis, "Shou'an Palace is no longer inhabited and has been empty for a long time. In Chunxi Palace, Consort Ye is currently residing, and today she has caught the Emperor's eye."
Yes, the scope is only so big, so Yinzhen couldn't have failed to figure it out. Over the past year, Ye Lanyi, who was as cold as frost, seemed to have finally been melted by him, becoming more and more gentle and charming, making him absolutely enamored with her. If there was anyone who had gained more dragon energy these days, it was none other than her.
If it were just a matter of discussing astrological clashes with others, some might believe it and some might not. But Yinzhen was different. Hongzhao had accurately predicted how superstitious his father was at that moment. After all, he was the kind of person who could tell fortunes and have other people's eldest sons adopted out, and he was easily swayed by such things.
However, the actual results were surprisingly good. Not only did Yinzhen believe Ji Weisheng's words without a doubt, but he even began to use them to illustrate other points.
He had been showering Ye Lanyi with affection since the beginning of the year, but his health had not truly recovered since then. After that, one thing after another came up, whether it was personal or national affairs, none of which were without his worry and energy.
Could it be that she caused trouble in the palace?
Hongzhao lay peacefully with his eyes closed, but when he heard the mind-reading device read this sentence, he almost burst out laughing. To be honest, Father Emperor, you have discovered the truth to some extent.
The more Yinzhen thought about it, the more he felt that all these symptoms matched up perfectly, and it really was true!
"How do you suggest we resolve this?" His posture had changed from being completely still to leaning forward, clearly indicating that he had been persuaded.
"As long as this person stays in the palace, he will absorb the Emperor's dragon energy. His Highness the Crown Prince is a young dragon whose energy has not yet fully developed, so he will be the first to be affected. After that, his sword will be aimed at the Purple Star."
In other words, if she doesn't leave the palace, neither of you will be alright.
In this matter, Yinzhen would not hesitate for a moment. After all, he only regarded Ye Lanyi as a thing that he was particularly interested in and had taken a liking to. He had been pampering her because he was interested in her. But now that he knew that she was the "culprit" who was threatening the Crown Prince and himself, the choice was not difficult at all.
"Su Peisheng, go and convey the imperial decree. The Empress Dowager favored Consort Ye greatly during her lifetime. Now that the Empress Dowager has passed away, I have made a special exception and allow Consort Ye to keep vigil for the Empress Dowager. Tell her that I will grant her the rank of Noble Lady."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I'll go right away. As for the birthday banquet you prepared for the Crown Prince today, I wonder..."
Today happens to be the birthday of Hongzhao and Hongjin. Because of the Empress Dowager's matter, the palace cannot hold a grand celebration. Yinzhen had already ordered that a small family banquet be prepared and that it be held indoors. However, seeing Hongzhao's current state in the inner palace, having been unconscious all morning and not yet awake, it is clear that they will not be able to enjoy the banquet.
"Send it to Yongshou Palace and have the Empress and children eat it. Also send it along with Hongjin's birthday gift. Tell them not to worry too much. I will take care of Hongzhao. Have the Imperial Kitchen prepare some soft and easy-to-digest food and serve it to Hongzhao when he wakes up."