The Red Mansion: From a Small Pawn to a Leader

Chapter 26 Not a good person
It was already daybreak, with dawn light streaming in through the windows and the door.

Dai Quan, Zhao Tong, Li San, Wang Daniu and Zhang Cheng all had bloodshot eyes and their faces were filled with fatigue.

Li San, Wang Daniu and Zhang Cheng stood at the bedroom door and looked inside anxiously.

After a long period of silence, the eunuch Zhao Tong, the chief steward of Yuqing Palace, stood up and wanted to go inside.

Dai Quan spoke up: "Wait."

Zhao Tong had no choice but to stop.

Finally, the sounds of many people talking and walking were heard in the bedroom.

Then, several people dressed as imperial physicians came out talking.

Dai Quan also stood up.

Li San, Wang Daniu and Zhang Cheng spoke together:

"How about it?"

"Are you awake?"

The leading doctor spoke: "The high fever has subsided. He just took another pill. He will wake up in an hour."

As he spoke, he presented the medical record to Dai Quan.

Dai Quan held the medical record close to Zhao Tong, and they both looked at it together.

After reading the medical records, Dai Quan slowly raised his head and asked, "Li Yuanzheng, General Li is a military commander, and it's not winter yet, how could he be so ill?"

Li San's heart skipped a beat and he exchanged glances with Wang Daniu.

Li Yuanzheng replied: "General Li's sudden illness was not entirely due to falling into the water, but mainly due to his old injuries."

Dai Quan seemed to understand and asked again: "When can I get out of bed?"

Li Yuanzheng: "You can get out of bed after taking seven doses of medicine. However, General Li still needs to rest for a month."

Dai Quan was surprised: "One month?"

Li Yuanzheng: “Yes.”

Dai Quan thought for a while and said, "Please ask Li Yuanzheng to accompany me back to the palace to report to His Majesty." He then instructed the other imperial doctors, "You wait here for the emperor's order." After that, he strode out with the medical records.

Li Yuanzheng hurriedly followed him out.

Zhao Tong: "If you cure General Li's illness, the prince will reward you handsomely!"

The doctors said: "Yes."

Zhao Tong said to Li San, "You must serve and care for him attentively. You should arrange for a few more people to take care of him in two shifts every day. Don't stop."

Li San quickly replied, "Don't worry, Boss."

Zhao Tong turned and walked out.

Several imperial doctors also looked tired.

Li San: "The kitchen has cooked a pot of bird's nest and lotus seed soup. Please serve it." He extended his hand and walked out with the imperial physician.

Wang Daniu yawned loudly, and when he saw Zhang Cheng enter the bedroom, he quickly followed him in.

In the bedroom, Li Hu was lying on the bed with his eyes closed and his face slightly flushed.

Zhang Cheng, who was standing beside the bed, bent down and touched Li Hu's forehead, then stood up and asked Wang Daniu, "What's going on?"

Wang Daniu glared and said, "Don't ask me!"

Zhang Cheng looked at him for a long time before he said, "What did the general order?"

Wang Daniu then remembered: "The general said that you are responsible for the daily affairs of the barracks and normal training."

Zhang Cheng nodded, reached out to tuck the quilt for Li Hu, and then instructed Wang Daniu: "Serve well, if anything goes wrong, I'll skin you alive."

Wang Daniu dragged a chair over and sat down next to the bed: "I will sleep here for the next two days."

Zhang Cheng: "Tell the general that I will come to pay my respects during dinner."

Wang Daniu waved his hand: "Go away and close the door."

Zhang Cheng first bowed to Li Hu who was lying on the bed, then turned and walked out.

Wang Daniu muttered: "He's becoming more and more like a sour scholar."

In the upper study, Dean Li was kneeling upright, looking at the ground and answered, "You need to rest for at least a month."

Emperor Yongchang was silent for a moment, then said, "I understand. You can go down now."

Li Yuanzheng: “Yes.”

Li Yuanzheng retreated.

Dai Quan picked up the tea bowl on the imperial table and said softly: "Your Majesty, please have a sip of tea." Emperor Yongchang closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair: "It was the crown prince who did not allow Li Hu to escort the relief money and grain for the second son. Since this is the retribution from heaven, I will just leave it to fate."

Dai Quan’s face turned pale.

After a moment of silence, Emperor Yongchang opened his eyes: "I have thought about it carefully. The matter of the Imperial Observatory should have nothing to do with the Daming Palace. Since someone wants to cause chaos in Shaanxi, let them succeed. I can use this incident to see what the Crown Prince, the second, third, and fourth sons are planning."

When he said this, his eyes sparkled.

Dai Quan offered him tea and said, "In that case, scatter all the Northern Pacification Division."

Emperor Yongchang took a sip of tea and put it down. "We need to send more people to the Imperial Household Department as well."

Dai Quan: “Yes.” He suddenly laughed, “This is really difficult for Li Hu.”

With a snort, Emperor Yongchang said: "This kid is very cunning!"

Dai Quan smiled.

Emperor Yongchang thought for a moment and said: "Let the Ministry of Revenue take care of the allocation of money and grain."

Dai Quan: “Yes.”

Emperor Yongchang suddenly remembered: "Go to Rongguo Mansion to see Jia She, convey my order, and reprimand him severely!"

Dai Quan suppressed his laughter and said, "Your Majesty is wise."

Emperor Yongchang also laughed: "This old thing has finally fallen into my hands."

Inside the inner room of Yuqing Palace, the Crown Prince was lying on a recliner with his eyes closed, letting two palace maids gently massage his legs.

Zhao Tong hurried in and said something in his ear.

The prince raised his hand.

The two maids withdrew.

Zhao Tong said softly: "Should we ask the people from the Ministry of Revenue to do this?"

The prince glanced at him and said, "You must understand the overall situation! Besides, everyone is watching. Not only can you not trip him up, you must also help the second brother. Go to see Minister Zhao of the Ministry of Revenue and tell him what I said. If anyone dares to embezzle the relief money, I will be the first to impeach him!"

Zhao Tong had nothing else to say, so he just replied, "Yes," and walked out.

The prince stood up by holding on to the armrest of the recliner and shouted, "Come on!"

A eunuch on duty came in in response.

The prince: "Get ready, I'm going to go see Li Hu."

The eunuch was surprised: "Your Highness."

The prince: "Stop talking nonsense and get ready!"

The eunuch: "Yes."

"Take all the gifts sent by the Prince of Nan'an's Mansion." The prince added.

The capital city is big, but it seems too small when it comes to spreading news. Li Hu fell into the river while drunk last night, Jia She was reprimanded, the prince drove to West City, and so on. All the civil and military officials in the court knew about it.

In the bedroom, Li Hu was lying on the bed with a hot towel on his forehead, staring blankly at the ceiling.

After seeing off the prince's carriage, Li San brought in a basin of hot water. He put down the copper basin, walked to the bedside, and said softly, "Second Master, both the Ning and Rong mansions have sent invitations. They will come to see you tomorrow."

Li Hu came back to his senses: "I know."

Li San changed a hot towel for him and continued, "I heard that the emperor ordered a reprimand of the eldest master of Rongguo Mansion."

Li Hu closed his eyes. The father and son sang the same tune, which not only confirmed that he fell into the water while drunk, thus preventing the Second Prince and others from suspecting anything, but also allowed the Crown Prince to gain a wave of reputation. He and Jia She became stepping stones, and they were brothers in distress.

Before leaving, the prince left a meaningful message: Take good care of yourself, there is a great military achievement waiting for you.

It seems that Shaanxi is bound to be in chaos!

Thinking of this, Li Hu sighed deeply. The people are suffering!
Li San: "Second Master."

Li Hu picked up the gift list from Yuqing Palace and looked at it. He then drew a few marks with his fingernails and said, "Send these to Yangzhou, and the rest to the main room of Rongguo Mansion."

Li San took the gift list and looked at it, "Yes."

At this time, Wang Daniu walked in with a letter and bowed to Li Hu: "General, this is a letter from the Beijing Prince's Palace. The Chief Historian of the Beijing Prince's Palace came in person." Then he handed the letter to Li Hu.

Li Hu took the exhibition, blinked his eyes, and said to Wang Daniu, "Just say I just took medicine and fell asleep."

Wang Daniu: “Yes.”

Li San also walked out.

Showing courtesy for nothing is either cheating or stealing!

Li Hu snorted and said, "He is not a good person."

(End of this chapter)