Qianwandi was not in the harem. At this time, he was still in the imperial study discussing matters with the ministers.
Xi Wan Kingdom's envoy was about to come to the capital to pay respects and hand over the letter of credence. There were many things on the table that had to be dealt with.
In all honesty, Qianwandi was not a muddle-headed and licentious emperor. Although Shangguan Mingde sometimes scolded him for being a muddle-headed emperor, in fact, he was not always like that.
In the previous dynasty, there were four morning court sessions a month. When it came to Qianwandi, it was morning court sessions every day. The officials' achievements were regularly checked, rewards and punishments were clear, and the court was orderly.
It could be said that although as a man, he was indeed somewhat immoral, as an emperor, he was still very wise and decisive.
Prime Minister Xia Zheng finished explaining the various arrangements for the Xi Wan envoy's audience. As soon as he looked up, he saw Qianwandi silently sitting behind the desk in a daze. He quickly lowered his head and coughed lightly.
Qianwandi suddenly came back to his senses. "Prime Minister."
"I am here."
"The Spring Imperial Examination is over, isn't it?"
Xia Zheng was stunned. "… Just now, the giant bell rang. I think it's over."
Qianwandi nodded. Then unexpectedly, without any continuity, he said, "In that case, the Crown Prince is not young anymore. He hasn't married yet. The empress said that your younger daughter is beautiful and well-mannered. I think you should marry her as your daughter-in-law.
What do you think, Prime Minister? "
Prime Minister Xia trembled and immediately knelt down. "I thank Your Majesty for your grace!"
Today's Crown Princess, if nothing unexpected happened, would be the future empress.
In fact, this "unexpected" was not uncommon in the palace.
A piece of snack with something fishy, a few words with ulterior motives, or even an emperor's whim … could cause this accident to happen.
There were too many mistakes that could cause the path to the empress to be completely destroyed. At the same time, the most stable method was to ensure that the Crown Prince ascended the throne.
Mingde had always been thinking about making the powerful Prime Minister Xia's daughter the Crown Princess. For this reason, he did not hesitate to kill Xia Zhaoyi.
If the elder sister were to become the Emperor's concubine, the younger sister would never be able to become the Crown Prince's official consort.
As for the fact that he had conveniently framed Imperial Concubine Ding's family, it was purely the sinister way of Shangguan Mingde.
Qianwandi looked down on Mingde for a while, but he couldn't stop it. He couldn't really get rid of Mingde.
The only thing he could do was to know that Mingde was waiting for him to give the Crown Prince the title of consort every day, but he did not do so.
From winter to the beginning of spring, he watched as Mingde was scratching his heart every day. Mingde wandered around him every day, wanting to say something but hesitating. However, Mingde just wouldn't let him go.
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Aren't you trying to play tricks with me?
I won't let you have your fun.
Qianwandi had originally planned to drag it out for a year or two.
After a year or two, he would slowly find a mistake and investigate the Shangguan Family. It would be easy for a criminal child with no official position to fall into his hands.
But now it happened suddenly. He planned to do something very sorry to Mingde, which might make the little guy angry and even jump over the wall … So he had to give a little compensation before that.
Qianwandi coughed and said, "You may rise.
I don't think the Crown Prince can delay it any longer. Let's find an auspicious day to hold the ceremony. "
Xia Zheng was about to thank him, but suddenly Zhang Kuo lifted the crystal curtain behind him and walked out. He bent down and whispered something in Qianwandi's ear.
Qianwandi's face changed. He stood up and went into the inner hall without saying a word.
All the officials in the hall were stunned. Zhang Kuo immediately stood up, waved his horsetail whisk, and said solemnly, "Officials, listen to the decree: if there is something to discuss, we will discuss it tomorrow. Today's court is dismissed — —"
The words "discuss it tomorrow" were added by Zhang Kuo himself. In fact, if there really was an urgent matter, he could have sent someone to send it to the palace in the afternoon.
But Zhang Kuo guessed that the Emperor would not easily leave after seeing Mingde. So it would be impossible for the Emperor to have the mood to deal with official business this afternoon.
The palace servants were surrounding Mingde in Zhengtai Hall, feeding him medicine and water. Suddenly, Qianwandi kicked the door open and barged in.
The palace servants hurriedly knelt down, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
Qianwandi impatiently waved his hand for them to dispense with the formalities.
Long live the Emperor? He's almost dead, so what's the point of 'long live the Emperor'!
A Zui, who served the Crown Prince, was walking to the door to inquire about the situation. When she saw Qianwandi inside, she immediately stopped in her tracks.
Unexpectedly, Qianwandi saw the corner of her scarlet dress floating out. She was about to avoid it when she heard the Emperor say, "Imperial Concubine, come in!"
A Zui hurriedly walked in and curtsied, "This servant greets Your Majesty …"
Qianwandi interrupted her, "Where is the imperial physician?
He's unconscious, so why do you still cover him with such a thick blanket? Do you want to suffocate him?
You're an old female official in the palace. Don't you know how to do this? "
A Zui thought to herself, I haven't come in yet. What does this have to do with me?
She immediately knelt down and said, "Those servants are not sensible. This servant will personally take care of Mingde's young master.
The Emperor has a lot of work to do, or … "
Qianwandi interrupted her again, "Can't zhen stay by his side?"
A Zui immediately said, "This servant doesn't dare!"
She could be considered a housekeeper in the Crown Prince's palace. The Empress treated her like half a daughter. The Emperor saw that she was usually more loyal, brave, and decisive than the Crown Prince, so he didn't say much about her.
A Zui personally took a snow fur coat to replace the brocade blanket. However, when Qianwandi saw it, he asked impatiently, "Is there nothing lighter?"
A Zui hurriedly said, "This servant will go and get Your Majesty's fire fox fur coat."
The head eunuch beside Qianwandi was shocked. Before he could remind them that it was not appropriate, A Zui pinched the back of his hand and he quickly retreated.
After a while, the fire fox fur coat was brought over. A Zui was just about to put it on Mingde when she heard Qianwandi snort and say, "Zhen will do it myself."
The Emperor, who had never served anyone before, carefully took off the blanket without waking the sleeping Mingde and wrapped him in the fire fox fur coat.
A Zui hurriedly glanced over and saw that Mingde's shoulders were mottled with bruises. Some of them were even bleeding. She couldn't help but inwardly suck in a cold breath.
How was this serving the Emperor in bed? This was simply deliberately ruining him to death.
Qianwandi wrapped Mingde in the fire fox fur coat and held him horizontally in his arms. He stood up and walked out in large strides.
The head eunuch hurriedly followed and asked, "Where is Your Majesty going?"
Qianwandi lightly said as he walked, "From now on, let him live in zhen's palace."
The head eunuch was about to cry out that this was disregarding the system, but he was stopped by another sentence from Qianwandi.
The Emperor stopped in front of the dragon carriage and turned around to say to him in a low voice, "… Everything will be handled according to the grade of Phoenix Cry Palace."
The head eunuch was shocked.
The grade of Phoenix Cry Palace … That was the treatment given to the current Empress.
When Ding Huang bent down to enter Qing Zheng Hall with his head lowered, he seemed to see the Emperor holding a child in his arms. However, he didn't see clearly and quickly lowered his head.
"This official Ding Huang greets Your Majesty!
Long live the Emperor, long live the Emperor … "
Qianwandi interrupted him with a sharp look. Then, he lowered his voice and pointed at the writing table in front of him, "Bring it up."
Ding Huang quickly bowed and handed over the test paper in his hands.
The moment he got close, he saw the youth in Qianwandi's arms. His thin body was wrapped in the fire fox fur coat and only the tip of his nose was exposed. He was terrifyingly pale, as if he would stop breathing at any moment.
Qianwandi seemed to be very afraid of disturbing the child and did his best to not make any noise as he unfolded the test paper.
Ding Huang said in a low voice, "Reporting to Your Majesty, the Imperial College official Xie Hong Jie has seen this test paper and strived to make this examinee the Tanhua.
However, this official is very frightened by this person's words … "
Qian Wandi stared at the handwriting on the test paper without moving. Even if the name was sealed on the test paper, he could still tell who the person was with his skinny body.
"Debauchery, squandering, bad governance, stubbornness, fatuity, cruelty, violation of human relations, not being a model for the world …" Qianwandi read each word in a low voice and laughed coldly, "— Eight serious crimes."
Ding Huang lowered his head deeply.
Qianwandi closed the test paper.
Back then, in front of this writing table, he had also hugged this person from behind like this. He had held his hand and taught him calligraphy stroke by stroke.
It was also like this in early spring, but the air was as cold as late autumn. The sky outside Qing Zheng Hall was high and far away, but there was not a single bird flying in the sky.
At that time, how old was the child?
That thin and delicate hand was held in the palm of his hand. Every delicate bone was pressed against the palm of his hand. It was as if if he clenched his hand a little harder, he would be able to crush the bones and melt them into his flesh and blood.
Such good handwriting, such brilliant literary talent, was now accused of his crimes on this writing table: debauchery, squandering, bad governance, stubbornness, fatuity, cruelty, violation of human relations, not being a model for the world …
Mingde fell asleep in a daze. His head was buried in Qianwandi's arms. He breathed lightly, bringing with him a slight airflow that gently tickled the muscles on the Emperor's neck.
Qianwandi put down the test paper and said lightly, "This person's writing is good."
Ding Huang's heart trembled.
"Then let's make him the Tanhua."
Ding Huang raised his head and looked at Qianwandi. The high and mighty Emperor's expression was solemn and dignified. It was as if there was no real emotion on his face.
Ding Huang bowed three times and kowtowed nine times. Then he bowed and left, "I accept the imperial edict!"
Perhaps his voice was a little too loud. The boy in Qianwandi's arms suddenly coughed.
Qianwandi suddenly hugged him and said to Ding Huang in a hurry, "You can go."
Ding Huang quickly left the room.
Before closing the door, he saw Qianwandi holding the boy in his arms tightly with one hand and stroking the boy's face with the other hand. He murmured, "Why are you still coughing … Good boy … Are you thirsty?
Do you want to drink water … "
One night in the early spring of the 17th year of Qianwandi's reign, the door of the Imperial Institute of Medicine was suddenly broken open by a pair of guards holding an imperial edict.
The head imperial physician, Wang Junyi, trembled as he put on his clothes. Then he was immediately grabbed by the guards.
"The Imperial Institute of Medicine has received the imperial edict. Enter the palace immediately!"
The imperial physicians on duty were herded into the carriage like ducks. In the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the carriage was so fast that it almost broke their old bones when it stopped.
Wang Junyi trembled as he got off the carriage. It turned out to be Qianwandi's bedchamber, Qingzheng Hall. In the night, it was brightly lit and bustling.
The palace maids were whispering, "It's the concubine who attends the bedchamber. She's seriously ill … She vomited mouthful after mouthful of blood. She's sweating so much that she's had to change the bedsheets several times …"
However, no one could say for sure which palace she was from.
Wang Junyi supported himself with a cane and led a group of frightened imperial physicians into the palace to meet the Emperor. Qianwandi sat on the edge of the huge dragon bed in the inner chamber. He lifted the bed curtain with one hand. In addition to the haze on his face, there was even a bit of panic.
Wang Junyi took the lead and trembled as he knelt down, "Greetings …"
"Okay, okay. Minister Wang, come and see what's wrong with him!"
Wang Junyi hurriedly went forward with the help of his cane.
It was impossible to see what the person on the bed looked like through the white and gold embroidered bed curtain. He could only see a hand hanging outside the curtain. It was thin and delicate, and the bones were protruding out.
Wang Junyi said, "Excuse me." Then, he gently placed the hand on the gold-glazed plate. He pressed two fingers on the pulse and felt for a while.
Qianwandi kept staring at him and finally asked, "What's wrong with him?"
Wang Junyi hesitated for a while before he slowly said, "Replying to Your Majesty, this noble lady's pulse is weak and not very smooth. It seems that she has a deficiency illness …"
Qianwandi almost kicked him out, "Why do I need you to say this?!
Change the patient! "
The imperial physicians came forward one by one and took each person's pulse for a while. Then, they used the words "deficiency illness" and "deficiency of qi and blood" to brush them off. With great difficulty, Wang Junyi finally wrote a prescription. It was a blood tonic that was gently swallowed.
Qianwandi knew that this group of old imperial physicians only knew how to be safe. They didn't want to fail, but they wanted to avoid mistakes. As soon as he saw the prescription, he was so angry that he threw him off the bed.
"Did we raise you old things to nurse the deficiency of qi and blood?!
How can someone with a deficiency of qi and blood vomit so much blood?
You're all trash! "
The person on the bed suddenly coughed. As he coughed, he coughed more and more violently. Then, his entire body curled up.
Qianwandi quickly pressed him into his arms and wiped the corner of his mouth. His hand was covered in blood.
"You bunch of pampered imperial physicians!
You don't even know what a blood vomiting illness is?!
No matter what the situation is, you use the excuse of deficiency of qi and blood to brush us off. Do you all want to go home?! "
"Your Majesty," One of the imperial physicians at the back of the group suddenly knelt down, "This official dares to ask Your Majesty to let this official take a look at this noble person's face. Is this possible?"
Wang Junyi suddenly turned around and pointed at him with a trembling cane, "Hu Zhicheng!
How dare you disregard the system! "
The middle-aged imperial physician named Hu Zhicheng had always been ostracized by others. He was used to these kinds of words. He only knelt down in a manner that was neither servile nor overbearing, "This official is guilty of the death penalty.
Normally, Qianwandi would have the same thought as Wang Junyi: this person was too daring.
But at this time, Qianwandi didn't care about anything else. He waved his hand and said, "If you want to see, then just take a look. As long as it can be treated, you won't lose a piece of flesh!
Come up. "
Hu Zhicheng thanked him and carefully went forward to lift the bed curtain.
Qianwandi sat on the edge of the bed with one arm around Mingde's shoulders and hugged him on his knees.
He hugged him so tightly that it took a few seconds for Hu Zhicheng to clearly see Mingde's face under the messy bedding and clothes.
It wasn't a concubine, but a boy who was at most in his teens.
The boy was very beautiful. It could be said that he was more beautiful than the average concubine in the harem.
That kind of youth's clear and bright appearance was strangely mixed with gentleness. It was as if there was a wisp of the brightest blood in clear water.
Hu Zhicheng lowered his head and said, "This official deserves ten thousand deaths."
Qianwandi's voice was a bit unsteady, "Do you see anything?"
"This official deserves ten thousand deaths," Hu Zhicheng said, "Night sweats, coughing up blood, a low fever in the afternoon, and a face like a peach blossom … this official thinks that this noble person is suffering from a corpse infection."