Outside Ganlou Palace, Prince Zhou silently stayed in a hidden corner.
An internal attendant carried a tray with a medicine bowl on it. He arrived at the palace’s door.
Prince Zhou had awaited his prey. He confidently walked out and pretended it was a coincidence. “Is this for Imperial Father?”
The internal attendant was not at all suspicious. “Yes”
“Give it to me, you can go.” Prince Zhou took the medicine.
The internal attendant turned and walked down the stairs.
With no one around, Prince Zhou turned and headed back to the corner. Another person came out of the shadow. This was his confidante. He held an identical bowl in his hands and swapped it with the bowl on the tray. He then left swiftly but silently.
Prince Zhou’s expression did not change as he entered the hall. He fed his Imperial Father the medicine.
When Concubine Yan and Yu He came, the bowl in Prince Zhou’s hands were already empty. Prince Zhou smiled, “It is always Mother that feeds Imperial Father his medicine. I should do my filial duties as well.”
Concubine Yan was not suspicious of him. “You are a filial child. Your father and I have always known it.”
Prince Zhou got up. “I still have submissions to go through, I will come back later to accompany Imperial Father.”
Concubine Yan’s voice was gentle. “Go ahead.”
After Prince Zhou left, Concubine Yan’s expression became sharp. “Has Zhong Yutang gone to Duke Lu’s Residence?”
Yu He replied, “Yes.”
“I hope he completes his task well. Then he will not disappoint me after I rotated him back to Chang’an.” Concubine Yan sighed.
Yu He was about to say something when an internal attendant came in to report that Fang Xuanling was requesting to see the Emperor.
Concubine Yan frowned, “Tell him that the Emperor is the same as before.”
Yu He pondered, “We have already said this many times. How about we let him in to have a look. We will prevent the officials from talking about it as well.”
Concubine Yan thought about it. “Okay.” She ordered the internal attendant to call him in.
All of a sudden, Concubine Yan caught a glimpse of the Emperor’s eyelids twitching. His eyes slowly opened.
Yu He was stunned. “Your Highness…”
The Emperor’s eyes were wide open. His gaze was slackened and he could not focus. However, Concubine Yan and Yu He were shocked. At this very moment, Fang Xuanling had arrived at the door.
Yu He muttered, “The ring.”
Concubine Yan shook her head, she did not prepare it today. Yu He gritted his teeth and stretched out to cover the Emperor’s mouth and nose.
Concubine Yan was shocked but she quickly reacted and pulled Yu He’s hand away. “No, I can’t do it…”
Yu He used more strength. Concubine Yan lowered her voice and spoke angrily, “Aren’t you going to let go?”
Yu He did not say anything but his eyes showed his unwillingness.
The Emperor could not breath. However, the pain of suffocation caused a spark to appear in his eyes and his ability to fight death appeared. He grabbed onto Concubine Yan’s sleeve.
Concubine Yan almost cried. She wanted the position of Grand Empress, she wanted her son to become the Emperor. However, deep in her heart, what she yearned for the most was to follow her heart and grow old with him. It was so simple but she had to use all ways and means just because the person she loved was the Emperor. She had the whole harem to fight.
Chapter 96.1: Raging Waves
Through the screen, there was turmoil in Concubine Yan’s eyes as she saw Fang Xuanling slowly coming closer. As she looked at the Emperor’s reddened face, bulging eyes and the hand that was gripping her sleeve tightly, she suddenly used all her might to pull Yu He’s hands off and push him away.
She could not do it! She has told an uncountable number of lies. Only her love for the Emperor was a hundred percent real!
Fang Xuanling appeared from beside the screen and saw Yu He on the ground. He stared at Concubine Yan in astonishment. Moreover, Concubine Yan was panting and her expression was one of panic. He found it strange until his eyes landed on the Emperor’s face and saw that his eyes were open.
“Your Majesty!” Fang Xuanling was delighted as he fell to a kneel in front of the bed.
Concubine Yan silently breathed a sigh of relief. She looked graceful as she silently neatened her hair and clothes. Her voice was light, “That’s right. His Majesty is finally awake. Look, His Majesty is still holding onto my sleeve.” She held the Emperor’s hand. “Your Majesty, Minister Fang is here.”
The Emperor could not breathe just now, but now, he opened his mouth and took a deep breath. It used up the rest of his energy as his eyes slackened once again.
Fang Xuanling thought the Emperor wanted to say something and moved his ear next to the Emperor’s mouth. “What did you say, Your Majesty?”
Concubine Yan threw Yu He, who was sprawled on the ground, a look. When Yu He saw her gaze, he silently crawled up and took a thin rope from his sleeve. He moved closer to Fang Xuanling.
Fang Xuanling was completely unguarded. “Your Majesty, speak louder. I can’t hear you. Your Majesty? Your Majesty?”
The Emperor closed his eyes and stopped responding.
Fang Xuanling sighed as he stood up and turned around. He saw Yu He walk past, with his hands clasped behind his back, to stand behind Concubine Yan. He did not find anything strange. “His Majesty’s illness…”
Concubine Yan looked patient. “Minister Fang, you should think positively. It is already great news that His Majesty could wake up for a moment today.”
Fang Xuanling nodded. “Yes, yes, I should think positively. I will not disturb His Majesty any longer. I will take my leave.”
Concubine Yan looked on coldly as Fang Xuanling left. She then turned around to grab Yu He’s collar. She clenched her fist and tried her best to suppress her anger.
“You...very good! You treat my words like nothing!”
“Sister……” It was difficult for Yu He to speak when his collar was being pulled. “It is all for Great Sui.”
Concubine Yan’s expression froze as she released her hand and pushed him away. “Get lost!”
“Sister, do you really think that after Prince Zhou ascends the throne and the Emperor wakes up, he will still love you and be with you happily when he realises he is no longer the Emperor? Think about it. Before the Grand Emperor died, did he forgive the Emperor?” Yu He was speaking for her good. “At this very moment, we cannot be foolish, we have to weigh what is important.”
Concubine Yan gritted her teeth. “No matter what His Majesty thinks, I will accompany him and get through it.”
Yu He turned to leave. He saw Chief Cao standing by the door. It seemed like he had been standing there for a long time.
Chief Cao’s tone was calm. “Chief Yu, is everything okay?” It was obvious that he had seen everything.
Yu He’s eyebrows grew together, with a wave of resentment over him.
All kinds of flowers were blooming beautifully in the Imperial Garden but there was not a single soul around. Ever since Concubine Yan took charge of managing the Six Offices, she readily hurt or killed people. All the concubines were afraid to be her next target and they all tried to move about as little as possible.
All of a sudden, Yan Zifang appeared at the entrance. Behind him, a person, who looked like a scholar, was dressed in a gray gown with a green cloth on his head. Both of them walked quickly through the garden. The scholar lifted his head slightly, curiously looking at the unique flowers and plants around him, reverence in his eyes.
“Yan Zifang.” Fu Rou was about to head to the Imperial Guards Office to find him.
Yan Zifang stopped walking and turned towards her. His tone was stoic. “You called me by my name. Is this the etiquette of a female official from the Six Offices?”