The imperial doctor was shivering in the cold wind and rain outside the hall, praying for his fate. The atmosphere inside the Wude Hall was already desolate.
Regardless of whether they are princes, princes, ministers or civil and military ministers, no matter how loyal or admiring they are to His Majesty Li Er, they will suppress their emotions in their hearts at this moment, because His Majesty Li Er is not only their boss and father, but also their great lord.
The kings of the Tang Empire, their life and death, are still beyond simple emotions. They must be responsible for the empire and properly handle all affairs between His Majesty's life and death.
Not to mention that it also involves the struggle for the throne and the ownership of the throne...
Several imperial doctors with superb medical skills and profound qualifications were busy in front of the imperial couch and had been working on it for most of the night.
First, His Majesty's breath became weak and his life was on the verge of death. These imperial doctors rushed to come for consultation. However, no matter how conceited they were about their medical skills, they did not dare to specialize at this time. They discussed the condition and discussed the diagnosis and treatment methods. They seemed to be knowledgeable.
Taking advantage of the strengths of many families actually means that the responsibilities are equally shared, merits and demerits depend on each other, and no one dares to stand up alone.
After discussion and decision, we began to seek treatment.
Various methods including acupuncture and prescriptions were used, but His Majesty was still not getting better. Several old imperial doctors were trembling with sweat on their foreheads. They asked their apprentices and subordinates behind them to wipe away the sweat for them and then continued to treat them. They did not dare to
Rest.
On one side of the bedroom, Prince Li Chengqian, King Li Tai of Wei, King Li Zhi of Jin, Prince Li Xiaogong of Hejian County, Duke Li Ji of England, Duke Xiao Yu of Song Dynasty, Duke Fang Jun of Yue State and other princes and ministers stood respectfully with their hands tied, nervously watching the busy figures of the imperial doctors.
Each and every one of them had their faces as sinking as water and their moods were solemn.
Everyone knows how the situation will turn out once His Majesty Li Er passes away.
What is particularly important is that His Majesty's illness was so sudden that all parties were not fully prepared and could not muster all their strength to attack in a hurry. Even if he did it reluctantly, there would be loopholes everywhere, and a slight mistake would lead to a big disaster.
Wrong, nothing can be done about it.
At this time, everyone hopes that His Majesty will be able to be auspicious and not give up and return to the west, so as to buy more time for themselves...
Fang Jun frowned, feeling extremely heavy.
It had only been a few years since he traveled back to this point, but he had risen from a playboy who was destined to be the laughingstock of the ages to an important minister of the imperial court, a military giant, and a vague boss. He had the energy to influence this huge empire. Every time he experienced during this period
Promotions and rewards are almost all attributed to His Majesty Li Er.
Although he has knowledge and vision beyond this era, without His Majesty Li Er's connivance and favor, it would have been impossible to achieve today's status and achievements in such a short period of time.
If he is a thousand-mile horse that has traveled through the ages, then His Majesty Li Er is a Bole with a sharp eye, otherwise those things that transcend the times would never have been implemented so quickly in the Tang Dynasty...
Therefore, in the past, in addition to the infinite admiration for His Majesty Li Er, an eternal wise king, there was also a bit of admiration for the elders. Now, this eternal wise king is about to suffer from an overdose of mercury medicine due to confusion.
He was destined to die, and his heart was full of regret, and his sadness was beyond words.
Beside him, the two brothers Li Chengqian and Li Zhi both had solemn faces, and their hands clenched into fists under the cover of their sleeves.
Since his accession to the throne, His Majesty Li Er has devoted a lot of effort to the education of his children. He appointed Li Chengqian as the crown prince. He not only invited famous teachers to teach him, but also always cared for him and taught him by words and deeds. He also raised the young slaves and Sizi after the funeral of Empress Wende.
By his side, he compensated for the pain of losing his mother at such a young age.
There is a deep affection between father and son, which is rare in the history of the royal family.
Even though Li Chengqian wanted to depose the crown prince several times over the years, it was inevitable that Li Chengqian would breed resentment, but he never thought that his father would one day die young...
But at this moment, both of them suppressed their inner worries and sorrows, and their minds were working rapidly, planning how to face the ensuing situation once their father's treatment failed.
A military encounter is almost inevitable.
Of course, the most urgent thing at the moment is to determine whether the father has left any legacy.
Generally speaking, based on the experience of the father who had fainted and his life was at stake before, the edict should be prepared early and placed in a secret place under the control of the most trusted person. In case of an accident, the edict should be taken out to ensure a smooth transition of the government. , to prevent some ambitious people from usurping power and seeking rebellion.
But after all, my father was in his prime, and when he got sick occasionally, he didn't necessarily think of the worst, and he would inevitably have taboos.
Therefore, no one knows whether there is any posthumous edict.
Regarding the current situation, there is a huge difference between whether there is an imperial edict or not...
Li Xiaogong and Li Ji looked at each other with heavy hearts, looking at each other with deep suspicion.
As the leaders of the court and clan, if anything happens to His Majesty, they represent the highest power of the Tang Dynasty and have the authority to decide the direction of the empire. But once the prince and the King of Jin compete for the throne, they can really stand on the basis of fairness and justice. To look at it?
There is no justice in the world, only the human heart.
But people's minds are unpredictable, whether it is power, kindness, or interests.
Once their two positions are different and they choose to support different goals for various reasons, the result is that the empire center is divided into two.
This is the worst case scenario, but both of them lack enough trust in each other...
Everyone has different thoughts, but the root of everything lies in His Majesty Li Er who is being treated. As long as His Majesty Li Er is safe and sound, all crises will naturally disappear.
…
Until the fish belly white appeared outside the window, and the light rain that had fallen all night gradually stopped. The imperial doctors who had been busy for most of the night finally stopped treating him. One of them, a tall and thin imperial doctor with white beard and hair, walked towards the prince and others while wiping sweat.
Everyone's hearts are tight.
The imperial doctor walked up to Li Chengqian, bowed his hands to the ground, and said in a hoarse voice: "Your Majesty, your Majesty is fine for the time being, but the situation is not optimistic. He still cannot be revived for a while. The imperial doctor still needs to observe from the side. If anything is wrong, he should be treated immediately. Treatment."
Everyone relaxed a little and let out a long breath...
Li Chengqian returned the gift and said gratefully: "Thank you for your amazing medical skills. I am deeply grateful. I also ask you to do your best. When my father recovers and I come to my house, I will bow down and thank you."
King Li Tai of Wei and King Li Zhi of Jin also saluted and expressed their thanks.
The old imperial doctor shook his head, disapproving of the thank-you gifts from His Highnesses. The work of an imperial physician is full of risks. If the method is correct and His Majesty can be cured, he will naturally receive numerous rewards. But if something unexpected happens, the whole family may be buried with him. …
"Your Majesty, you don't have to do this. This is an old man's duty. Your Majesty is fine for the time being, but your body is extremely weak and needs good ventilation and rest. Please move outside the palace so as not to disturb your Majesty."
"That's it, good work."
Li Chengqian saluted again, then looked up at His Majesty Li Er's figure on the imperial couch with red eyes, turned around and walked out of the bedroom.
The rest did not dare to stay, and filed out immediately after them.
The side hall was crowded with people, many ministers, military generals, and clan members gathered here to wait for news. When they saw the prince and his entourage coming out, they quickly gathered around them, with worried faces and even tears streaming down their cheeks, asking urgently how his majesty was doing.
Li Chengqian repeated the words of the imperial doctor, comforted everyone, and said: "Everyone must have been tired after waiting all night. My father has nothing to do at the moment. You are all the pillars of the imperial court. You must not neglect the affairs of the imperial court. Please go back individually.
In the palace, we must work hard to govern the government, so that we can live up to the expectations of our father."
"Don't worry, Your Highness, I will never slack off."
"Your Majesty is blessed with good fortune and will surely recover. Your Highness, please do not worry too much."
…
After the crowd dispersed, Li Chengqian and others came to a palace on the other side. Several short tables were placed side by side, with porridge and side dishes on them. After a night of worry, everyone was hungry and tired, so they all sat down to enjoy.
Breakfast.
After the meal, the waiter put away the dishes, poured a pot of hot tea in front of everyone, and then everyone left outside.
Li Chengqian picked up the tea cup and took a sip, closing his eyes slightly and saying nothing.
Li Zhi lowered his head and watched the teacup in front of him move.
The atmosphere is a little weird...
Li Xiaogong held the teacup in his hand, thought about it and put it down again. He coughed lightly and said, "Although His Majesty had a near miss last night, he has not yet passed the critical period and is not optimistic. In my opinion, your Highnesses are still
You should stay in the palace to take care of your illness in order to fulfill your filial piety."
Now is the most sensitive time. The prince is unwilling to be deposed, and the King of Jin is unwilling to give up the good situation. If the two sides are not careful, a conflict will break out, and then evolve into a war for the entire center. This is something he absolutely does not want as the leader of the clan.
Would like to see.
Of course, if something unexpected happens to His Majesty, no one can prevent that scene from happening.
I just hope to delay it as much as possible, in case His Majesty is lucky enough to be able to wake up for a moment and completely implement the throne...
You can't let your sons fight for the throne before His Majesty's funeral, right?
The so-called filial piety is vulnerable to the imperial power. In order to completely implement the ownership of the throne, it is very likely that the prince and the king of Jin will start a war in advance. After all, as long as the other party is completely defeated, no one can threaten his position as the prince from now on, no matter what.
Whether His Majesty lives or dies, the dust of the throne will surely be settled.
Of course, everyone understood this truth and also understood Li Xiaogong's move to place the two highnesses and their respective trusted ministers under house arrest in the palace. They remained silent for a while and had no objection.
Neither the prince nor the king of Jin dared to anger Li Xiaogong rashly. At this moment, Li Xiaogong was still neutral. Once he favored one party, his unparalleled influence within the clan would be a fatal blow to the other party.
Only Li Tai ignored it, raised his eyebrows and sneered: "I understand Uncle Wang's thoughts, but has Uncle Wang ever thought about how long we will be kept under house arrest? Three days? Ten days? Until my father recovers.
Or should we wait until our father's funeral? With all due respect, what is coming will come sooner or later, and no one can stop it."
Just looking at my father's current situation, it's almost impossible to wake up, it just depends on how long he can survive.
Why not just let them out, and let us watch them fight to the death, and then support the winner as the heir to the throne after his father's death?
You have resorted to such means, including house arrest and martial law. In the final analysis, you all have your own agendas, yet you still insist on claiming to be public-minded, which is simply ridiculous...
Li Xiaogong glared at Li Tai coldly, his face as dark as water.