Prince Zhou came to the Emperor’s palace to meet his mother. However, he was still thinking about how Fu Rou looked when she suspected him. Although he had spoken confidently, he could not help but be suspicious of whether his mother had hid something from him and whether she was truly the main culprit of why his Imperial Father was still unconscious.
At this moment, he stopped the palace servants from reporting his arrival as he walked silently to the door. He saw his mother delicately feeding his Imperial Father medicine. His Imperial Father was unconscious and the majority of the medicine flowed out of his mouth. His mother was patient as she wiped him clean gently and continued to feed him. Although his mother was always gentle to him, he hardly saw the way his parents interacted. He could feel that his mother truly loved and cared for his Imperial Father.
He silently let out a breath and walked towards her. “Mother.
Concubine Yan turned and smiled. “You came just in time, come and talk to your Imperial Father.”
Prince Zhou sat by the bed. “Imperial Father looks better all thanks to you. But please do not tire yourself out, Mother.”
Concubine Yan looked extremely sympathetically towards the Emperor. “It is my duty. He only has me by his side.” Finally.
Prince Zhou passed two personal orders to Yu He. “As you instructed, Zhong Yutang will be taking over Linghu Deguan. Yan Zifang will be his assistant. The two of them will control the imperial guards.”
Concubine Yan’s expression was gentle. “Isn’t this good? We can only be relieved when it is our people guarding us inside and outside the palace. As for Fang Xuanling…”
Prince Zhou cut her off. “Fang Xuanling is an important minister for the country, we cannot touch him.” Prince Zhou noticed his mother’s expression turned bad, and softened his tone. “It is not that I intentionally want to go against you. I am thinking about the future. As literature ministers, they don’t have much power. Even if they are unhappy, they can’t create much trouble. We should leave them to settle the citizens.”
Concubine Yan did not want to make Prince Zhou rebel and nodded. She would not fight with him.
Yu He cut in, “Sheng Chumu’s hundred men army are all outstanding. Your Highness, what do you have planned for them?”
Concubine Yan added, “Sheng Chumu has achieved outstanding military service time and again. He is capable. But since you can’t use him, he is just trouble if we leave him.”
“Everything is ready and we are only lacking a little bit. Mother, please rest assured.” Prince Zhou’s tone changed, “Court Lady Fu’s parents…”
Concubine Yan’s expression remained the same. “Although she has always gone against me, I know that you care about her. No matter what, I will let her live. When the masses have been settled, you can do whatever you want as long as you do not name her your Empress. As for her parents, I will definitely not make her your enemy.”
Prince Zhou believed her completely. “Thank you, Mother.”
Chapter 93.1: Golden Branch
As it neared midday, Fu Rou had been sitting in her office for half a day. It was not that she did not do anything, but she has done whatever she could. She was now just waiting for the news.
Zhenzhu walked in. “Court Lady Fu, the princess wants me to inform you that she has no way to get out of the palace and Imperial Guard Sheng has not returned either. She wants me to ask you what is so urgent that you are in such a rush to find General Sheng. If it is really urgent, Her Highness said that she will think of another way. After all, she is the Princess. She can force her way out and no one can do anything about it.”
Fu Rou chuckled bitterly, “There is no need. Zhenzhu, thank you for coming over. Please help me to thank Princess Xinnan.” Now that Concubine Yan was in charge, she will not tolerate Princess Xinnan’s wilfulness.
Zhenzhu took her leave.
Fu Rou stretched her palms out and stared distractedly at the bottle for a while. “I can’t gamble. I cannot afford to gamble. But, Prince Qin has to stay alive!” She took off the bottle cap and moved it closer to her mouth.
“Court Lady Fu, I finally…” Yang Bo’s head peeked out from the door. He was smiling.
Fu Rou was startled and the bottle in her hand shook. A few drops spilled out and evaporated into smoke as soon as it touched the ground.
Yang Bo’s face changed as he rushed in to snatch the bottle away. He poured the poisonous liquid into the flower bed underneath the window. “I saved your life. But you don’t have to be courteous. Why would you do something so stupid? If you have any difficulties, tell me. I will definitely help you.”
Fu Rou shook her head. “Even if I tell you, you can’t help me.”
Yang Bo protested, “If you don’t tell me, how do you know that I can’t help you? You look so downhearted. Are you really the Court Lady Fu I know?”
Fu Rou plucked up her courage and told him everything that happened.
“So someone is using your family to threaten you and you have to die in order to protect your family.” Yang Bo understood. “So you chose to die?”
Fu Rou was helpless. “Yes.”
“What if midday passed and you still haven’t died?”
“Then my parents, sister, nephew, second uncle and auntie will all be in danger.” Fu Rou sighed, “But I can’t leave the palace and have no way to tell them the news nor ask someone to save them. It’s almost time.”
Yang Bo suddenly pursed his lips. “It is not that there is no idea. From what it seems now, you only have one choice, which is to die in order to protect your family. However, I can still help you with the method of death.”
Fu Rou did not understand. Yang Bo’s eyebrow rose. “Court Lady Fu, when people in the palace are given poison wine to commit suicide, do you know where the poison wine is from?”
Fu Rou’s expression shifted slightly.
“That’s right, granting poison wine is done by the internal attendants.” Yang Bo carefully flipped his belt. He revealed a second layer beneath his belt. He pinched out a small item and handed it to Fu Rou. “Chief Cao secretly hid a kind of medicine and I, coincidentally, picked one that dropped.”
Fu Rou took it. “Could this be...a medicine to fake death? But why would Chief Cao hide something like this?”
“Think about it, Chief Cao has served for so many years and has sent out so many imperial orders. He has seen many people die after being granted poison wine. He is afraid that he would be one of them one day.” Yang Bo thought that it was normal.
Fu Rou gave Yang Bo a letter. “In my will, I wrote that I hope to be sent to a crematorium outside the palace after I die so that my family will be able to bring my ashes back to my hometown to bury.”
“Good. When the time comes, I will beg Chief Cao to let me personally send your body out of the palace. I will then find a desolate place and wait for you to wake up. No one will know anything.”
Fu Rou looked at the pill. “Will this really work?”
Yang Bo shrugged. “I can’t help you with this, I have never tried it. I heard that this thing really hurts people. When you consume it, although you will not really die, you will feel a pain equivalent to death.”
“I am not afraid of pain as long as I can live.” Fu Rou tilted her head upwards and lifted her hand.
Yang Bo shouted, “Wait!”
Fu Rou paused and looked at Yang Bo in confusion. Yang Bo said, “Court Lady Fu, I have never tried this pill before and don’t know if it works. If you don’t wake up after consuming it, will your spirit seek revenge on me?”
Fu Rou wanted to laugh. “In order to save my family, I was ready to give up my life. You have given me a thread of hope. I will not seek revenge on you, I will only pray for heaven to protect you.”
Yang Bo quickly waved. “There is no need to protect me. Just don’t come and scare me at night.”
Fu Rou tilted her head upwards. Yang Bo shouted once again, “Wait!”