AWB Chapter 513 Regent
Chapter 513 Regent
Yun Shang's pupils contracted slightly, and he gripped the emperor's hand tightly: "Your Majesty means..."
Li Yuanhe forced a smile onto his pale face. "The eldest prince was weak after birth, so I secretly transferred him out of the palace and entrusted him to the care of Physician Feng. The child who died was just an orphan that I ordered someone to bring back from outside the palace."
In fact, Li Yuanhe could have directly summoned Old Man Feng to the palace to treat the eldest prince, but firstly, Old Man Feng was unwilling to enter the palace, and secondly, considering some other reasons, he felt that it was safer outside the palace.
No one knew about this except him and his secret guards; even the Empress was unaware.
Yun Shang stared at Li Yuanhe in shock, her fingers unconsciously tightening: "So the First Prince... is still alive?"
Li Yuanhe nodded slightly, a hint of guilt flashing in his eyes: "I am sorry to the Empress, but this is the only way to protect that child."
He struggled to retrieve a jade token from under his pillow. “I made an agreement with Physician Feng that if you take this jade token to see him, he will hand over the child to you.”
Yun Shang hesitated for a moment, but still accepted the token.
Just then, hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the hall, and Xiao Fuzi's expression changed drastically: "Your Majesty, Lord Yun, Prince Ying is leading people this way!"
Yun Shang quickly hid the token in his sleeve and slipped into the shadows behind the dragon bed.
Almost simultaneously, the palace doors were suddenly pushed open, and Prince Ying led a troop of imperial guards through the doors. The sound of sword sheaths hitting the door frame startled the birds roosting under the eaves.
Prince Ying immediately scanned the hall and, seeing that there was no one else, ordered the imperial guards to stop and wait outside the door.
Prince Ying strode into the palace.
Upon seeing the emperor awaken on the dragon bed, a hint of surprise flashed across Prince Ying's face.
Then, feigned concern surfaced: "Thank goodness, Your Majesty, you've finally woken up! If you hadn't woken up, I really would have chopped down those quack doctors in the Imperial Hospital!"
He spoke words of concern, but a cold glint flashed in his eyes.
The emperor glanced at Prince Ying before weakly closing his eyes: "Thank you for your concern, Uncle. I am fine."
Prince Ying glanced at Xiao Fuzi, his face turning cold as he reprimanded, "Are all you eunuchs dead? His Majesty has woken up and you don't know to summon the imperial physician?!"
Xiao Fuzi trembled at the shout and quickly responded.
Prince Ying sat down on the armchair next to the dragon bed, and said nothing more, but his eyes subtly swept over the surroundings.
He secretly had someone add a drowsy drug to the emperor's medicine. Logically, the emperor shouldn't have woken up, so why did he wake up?
The area outside the Changsheng Palace was surrounded by his men like an iron barrel; there was no way anyone could break through the encirclement...
After an unknown amount of time, Prince Ying suddenly got up and walked towards the direction behind the dragon bed.
Hidden in the shadows, Yun Shang's eyes suddenly turned cold, and he gripped the dagger in his hand tightly.
Suddenly, Xiao Fuzi's voice came from outside, "The imperial physician is here! The imperial physician is here!"
Prince Ying paused, forced to stop.
Xiao Fuzi led a group of imperial physicians inside. The physicians respectfully bowed to the emperor and Prince Ying before taking the emperor's pulse.
After one imperial physician finished examining a patient, another imperial physician stepped forward.
Prince Ying and the others grew somewhat impatient, and frowned as he asked, "How is His Majesty's illness?"
The head of the Imperial Medical Academy hesitated for a moment before replying, "Your Highness, His Majesty's condition has improved slightly. It seems the recuperation he has received over the past few days has been effective, but..."
"Just what?"
The imperial physician bowed his head and said, "But I am incompetent and I am afraid I cannot cure Your Majesty's illness."
Hearing this, Prince Ying was overjoyed, but on the surface he feigned extreme anger, "You really are a bunch of quacks! You can't even cure this little illness. Have you been feeding the court's salary to the dogs?!"
The imperial physicians had been scolded by Prince Ying quite a bit these days, and now they all knelt down and kowtowed to admit their guilt, their movements very practiced.
"Your Majesty is filled with trepidation..."
"Get out!" King Ying angrily flung his sleeves. "All of you, get out of here!"
The imperial physicians scrambled out, and Prince Ying, having calmed his anger, turned back and knelt before the emperor's bed, saying with a loving expression, "Your Majesty, I will search far and wide for renowned doctors and find a way to cure you."
Li Yuanhe was watching this play for the first time and was still somewhat unsatisfied. Hearing Ying Wang's words, he looked at him with great emotion and said, "Ahem—my health is not good, I'm sorry to trouble you, Uncle."
"Your Majesty, what are you saying?" Prince Ying's eyes were filled with tears. "In this world, you and I, uncle and nephew, are the closest of blood relatives. These days, I have been treating Your Majesty as my own child. I will definitely find a way to cure Your Majesty."
Li Yuanhe struggled to grasp Ying Wang's hand, his eyes brimming with tears, "Uncle..."
Prince Ying: "Nephew..."
Yun Shang and Xiao Fuzi: "..."
After Prince Ying left the Hall of Longevity, Li Yuanhe expressionlessly reached out to Xiao Fuzi, "Give me a handkerchief."
Xiao Fuzi quickly presented it.
Li Yuanhe wiped his hands several times before throwing the handkerchief aside.
Yun Shang emerged from the shadows, his expression cold and indifferent. "Your Majesty, Prince Ying has likely already noticed my arrival in the capital."
"Delay could lead to unforeseen changes. Given Prince Ying's temperament, he might take other actions tonight."
Li Yuanhe gestured for Xiao Fuzi to help him up, but before he could speak, he coughed violently for a long time. After a while, he finally spoke, panting heavily, his voice filled with exhaustion and determination:
"Yunqing, set off immediately to find Physician Feng and make sure to bring the prince back safely."
"I will try my best to delay until you enter the palace."
"Yes!" Yun Shang knelt on one knee. "Your Majesty, I will certainly live up to your expectations! But Your Majesty..."
"No need to say more!" Li Yuanhe reached out and tightly grasped Yun Shang's wrist. "My body can't hold on much longer. I trust you; you will definitely take good care of the Crown Prince and Da Zhao for me..."
Before he could finish speaking, Li Yuanhe coughed violently again, and blood froth bloomed on the brocade handkerchief like red plum blossoms.
Yun Shang's eyes reflected the bright red on the snow-white brocade handkerchief, and she was speechless for a moment.
He kowtowed deeply, saying, "Your Majesty's request will be fulfilled to the best of my ability."
Yun Shang then quietly left the palace through the secret passage.
His figure disappeared into the Hall of Longevity. Li Yuanhe waved to Xiao Fuzi and whispered a few words of advice.
After hearing this, Xiao Fuzi raised her eyes and glanced at the antique shelf opposite the dragon bed.
Wiping away her tears, she whispered, "Your Majesty, rest assured, this servant will remember."
On the other side, as Prince Ying left the Hall of Longevity, the kind smile on his face vanished.
The guard of the Hall of Longevity was the deputy commander of the Imperial Guards. He raised his eyes and glanced at the deputy commander. "Tonight, the palace gates will be locked an hour earlier. Send people to guard all the sleeping quarters. No one is allowed to enter or leave at will."
The deputy commander understood immediately and replied, "Yes."
King Ying then strode out of the palace, his face full of a confident smile.
In fact, he would have preferred to be a regent, but unfortunately Li Yuanhe had no children, so he had no choice but to reluctantly accept the heavy responsibility of the throne.
……
The night was as dark as ink, so thick it seemed impossible to see through. The Dazhao Palace, with its gates tightly shut, resembled a giant beast waiting for its prey to walk into its trap, its jaws wide open, ready to devour any intruder without leaving a trace.
On the palace road, Prince Ying sat in a sedan chair, carrying a lantern, and slowly made his way to the Changsheng Palace.