Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 415 The Emperor is Sick

Zhu Changluo was indeed in a poor condition.

It's just a minor cold, right?

But everyone in the palace was nervous, especially Queen Mother Li and Queen Mother Wang who was still ill.

Zhu Changluo had no choice but to obey and raise the child well.

The Spring Festival of the eleventh year of Taichang passed while the emperor was ill. It was not until the fifth day of the first lunar month that Zhu Changluo felt that he was basically well.

The medicines at that time were naturally not as good as those in later generations, and minor illnesses could only be cured slowly.

But Zhu Changluo had great ambitions and had knowledge and experience from later generations, so he never neglected physical exercise and protection.

However, palace maids in the Qianqing Palace, such as Liu Ruoyu and Wang Wei, did not think so.

"Your Majesty, it's time to take medicine."

Zhu Changluo looked at Liu Ruoyu, his eyes were earnest, so Zhu Changluo could only pick it up and drink it, then asked: "Should we call the imperial physician to see if he has recovered?"

"Of course I have to." Liu Ruoyu said seriously, "Little sister, you have to stop His Majesty. The weather hasn't warmed up yet, why are you leaving the palace?"

"Yes." Wang Wei's eyes also pleaded, "Your Majesty, if you insist on going out and your condition worsens, then I will have no choice but to die as an apology. The Empress Dowager has repeatedly warned me of this."

"...Why do I have to have a little girl like you stare at me?" Zhu Changluo was also speechless.

Wang Wei could only lower his head, looking very pitiful.

Although she was extremely attentive, talented, proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, and able to entertain people, she was not as good at taking care of people as the ladies-in-waiting who had been in the palace for many years.

But the Empress Dowager chose her to take care of her personally.

Zhu Changluo looked at Liu Ruoyu who had returned after going out and ordering someone to summon the imperial physician: "Why did the Imperial Grandmother insist on appointing you, her adopted sister, to take care of me?"

"…Your Majesty was in a coma with a fever at the time, and the Empress Dowager came to visit him. Later, she asked my younger sister to serve Your Majesty. I don't know why."

Zhu Changluo looked at Wang Wei, who was kneeling down in fear and worry, and reached out to pull her up first, then looked at her face.

"Didn't you say anything else?"

Liu Ruoyu thought for a moment before speaking: "It was the Empress Dowager who said something at the entrance of the palace before she returned to the Cining Palace, saying that Your Majesty is blessed by the gods and Buddhas, and that good things will surely come to you."

Zhu Changluo pondered for a moment, then asked, "Have you reported Wang Wei's background?"

"Of course I dare not hide it from the Grand Empress Dowager. Since Your Majesty brought it back to the palace, the Grand Empress Dowager has asked about it."

Wang Wei's body trembled slightly, and Zhu Changluo understood a little.

"Okay." He nodded. "It's not a bad thing that the Empress Dowager chose you. She probably thinks that you and I are destined to be together."

Judging from what Empress Dowager Li said when she just returned to the palace, she was naturally extremely concerned about the emperor's health and lifespan.

The Queen Mother fell ill first, and then Zhu Changluo fell ill. What's more, this matter had just been mentioned not long ago. With her superstitious nature, she would naturally think too much.

As the saying goes, when someone is sick, they will try any possible means, and when someone is concerned, they will become confused. They had talked about people who were destined to be calamities before, and of course she would take a second look at someone like Wang Wei who entered the palace because of a special fate.

Zhu Changluo's acquaintance with her was naturally an unpredictable fate. If the emperor had not come to Yangzhou incognito, and if he had not happened to be in that occasion, and had to find a clean person to accompany the emperor, how could Wang Wei be found and sent to the emperor now?

As for the possibility of an evil star that might harm the emperor… The emperor could be warned by the Bodhisattva in his dream, which meant that he was blessed by heaven. How could the person who came to his side by such a coincidence, and she was just a little girl, be an evil star? After Zhu Changluo had his pulse checked by the imperial physician and confirmed that he was indeed almost recovered, he went to the Cining Palace to ask about Empress Dowager Li, and he heard another reason that made him laugh and cry.

"Grandmother thought that when the emperor woke up and saw such a lovely flower bud that had not yet grown, she should take good care of the dragon's body as soon as possible."

Zhu Changluo looked at Empress Dowager Li with a complicated expression.

"The emperor is still young and has a long life ahead of him!" Empress Dowager Li nodded seriously, "The emperor's health is more important than anything else! I'm afraid he may have left some clues during his tours to the north and south, or maybe he got into contact with something unclean. The emperor has always been in good health, but this time he has suddenly fallen ill!"

"…I think it's fine."

"When my grandmother passed away that day, the emperor's body was extremely hot!" Empress Dowager Li shook her head, "We must not take it lightly. Fortunately, the Bodhisattva blessed us, and the imperial physician was able to provide the right medicine..."

As she spoke, she seemed to be going to fulfill a vow in front of the Buddha statue.

Zhu Changluo was also pulled over by her to thank the Bodhisattva for his blessing.

When they came out of the Cining Palace and saw the emperor strolling within the palace walls, the eunuchs and palace maids all greeted him and then showed joy on their faces.

Zhu Changluo knew that they would probably have a rather depressing time this year. After all, the emperor happened to fall ill during the New Year, which seemed like a bad omen.

Now that the emperor has recovered his health, at least the depressing atmosphere of the past few days will dissipate.

Zhu Changluo also realized this.

Although being sick is common, his identity is different and what he is doing is also different.

Although no smart person would really think this is a bad omen, his physical condition does affect the lives and property of many people.

So there was no need to do anything else. He just sent people to summon all the important ministers, nobles and other "informed sources" into the palace to make up for the banquet originally scheduled for noon on New Year's Eve.

The emperor is much better now, and the situation will naturally spread through their mouths.

However, after the ministers came to the palace to meet the emperor and congratulate him personally on the New Year, they were very considerate of the emperor's heart and firmly refused to stay in the palace for a banquet. They all begged the emperor to rest for a few more days and hold the Lantern Festival banquet after the court meeting on the Lantern Festival.

On the way back to the Qianqing Palace, Zhu Changluo asked Liu Ruoyu: "Does my complexion look much worse than before the festival?"

"…Your Majesty, the ministers are here to show your sincere wishes. Your Majesty has just recovered from an illness, so naturally your face is not as rosy as before the festival. It is a bit presumptuous to summon the ministers to a banquet in such a hurry. They know that Your Majesty is well now, and they will inform the court and the public after leaving the palace."

"Then it's best not to worry about government affairs anymore, and just enjoy your life?"

"Your Majesty, if you can say that, I will save myself some words." Liu Ruoyu nodded seriously, "The sudden illness is not without reason. Your Majesty is worried about the future disaster and has repeatedly summoned the ministers to prepare in advance. Under the pain of worrying about the country and the people, the dragon body was invaded by the evil. I am with your majesty day and night, how could I not know?"

Zhu Changluo was stunned for a moment, then smiled helplessly and shook his head: "Maybe."

After returning to Beijing, I have indeed been planning this matter in advance and have been very focused.

Maybe it was because after the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, I started thinking about the New Year and felt a lot more relaxed.

After thinking about it this way, he was indeed a little worried that he had overdrawn a lot of his energy.

"Well, the plum blossoms in the garden behind the palace are in bloom, right? Let's go take a look."

The days are indeed still long, and a longer cold winter has not yet arrived, but many things in the court have already started on the right track.

He is only thirty years old and can wait.

(End of this chapter)