On the winter night at the end of the first lunar month, the atmosphere became tense with the sound of horse-drawn carriages rushing along the Royal Street.
"...who is it this time?"
In front of the palace gate, a few eyes peered at the passing carriage and whispered.
“….It’s Prince Ping’s chariot…”
"... Mr. Chen's car has just passed by..."
He was talking in a low voice here, and another carriage was speeding over there, but this time he was stopped outside the palace gate.
"Your Majesty, you are not allowed to enter the palace at night without an imperial edict," the imperial guard said with a dull expression.
Everyone's eyes fell on the young prince's face, which was illuminated by the lights around him when he lifted the car curtain.
"Prince Qing can do that, right?" Prince Jin'an said, pointing at Prince Qing behind him.
Prince Qing was obviously pulled up from his sleep and fell asleep again in the car.
The Imperial Guard still shook his head without any hesitation.
"You are so bold, why can't Prince Qing enter the palace?" Prince Jin'an raised his eyebrows and shouted.
"Your Highness, Prince Qing can enter the palace, but Your Highness, you cannot." A leader of the Imperial Guard said slowly, "If Prince Qing insists on entering the palace, please get out of the car and wait."
"How could Prince Qing enter the palace on his own?" the chamberlain beside Prince Jin'an's carriage screamed.
The only answer to him was the stern and seemingly larger number of Imperial Guards.
When something happens to the emperor, the palace is also the most restricted time.
Prince Jin'an looked at the palace gates, which were filled with darkness in the winter night, and finally sighed and lowered the curtain.
The carriage turned around and sped away.
"I want to go out for a walk now."
Prince Jin'an suddenly spoke in the carriage, breaking the suffocation in the carriage.
"Your Highness, we can't do it now," the chamberlain said in a low voice, watching Prince Jin'an stretch out his hand to lift the car curtain and look out the window.
"Well, I know I can't, I'm just saying it." Prince Jin'an said.
It happened so suddenly!
Why did he suddenly become ill?
There was the sound of galloping horse hooves coming from behind, and Prince Jin'an's hand stroking the curtain of the carriage could not help but stiffen.
"It's safe and sound."
Such a sentence floated softly outside the window, making Prince Jin'an close his eyes slightly and exhale.
"Actually, I knew it was okay." He said suddenly.
The waiter looked at him with some confusion.
"Because Mrs. Cheng was not invited to the palace." Prince Jin'an said.
So it’s not a fatal disease…
The chamberlain twitched his lips.
"Your Highness, this is really not the time to joke." He said with a grimace.
Prince Jin'an smiled and straightened his expression.
"This time, although it is a little late, the news can still come out, but what about next time?" He suddenly said slowly.
"It will work next time, we have enough manpower," the chamberlain said in a low voice.
"But even if we know the news, we can't get in." Prince Jin'an said in a low voice.
Yes, this is the consequence of moving out. The dilapidated, dull and depressing palace made me want to escape when I was there, but once I left, it would be even harder to get back in.
He exhaled and turned to look at Prince Qing sleeping peacefully in the car.
"Your Highness, don't be afraid." The chamberlain whispered again, "It's okay."
Don't be afraid...
Prince Jin'an couldn't help but smile, it turned out that he was scared.
Yes, he was really scared when he heard the news.
Especially the moment when I was blocked at the palace gate.
It's okay this time, but what about next time? Who can guarantee that?
The carriage staggered away in the night.
The news of the emperor's accident quickly spread throughout the night. The lights of many houses were lit up one after another, and countless eyes surrounded the palace.
Fortunately, at dawn, good news came. The emperor was fine, and the court meeting continued as usual, with Prince Ping presiding over it.
The court meeting was boring. Everyone only cared about how the emperor was doing. Fortunately, Chen Shao and several other important ministers who had stayed in the palace all night came out slowly.
"It's caused by mixed feelings of joy and anger, and irregular qi and blood. It's not a serious problem," Chen Shao said.
Then someone from the Imperial Medical Bureau came forward to explain. In the afternoon, some ministers were allowed to go in to see the emperor. Everyone felt a little more at ease when they saw the emperor sitting on the dragon throne and being fed medicine by his chamberlain.
"Take a look at the urgent report sent last night," the emperor said.
The voice was clear and the thoughts were smooth. The courtiers present were finally relieved.
He looked at the tables, and there was an urgent report that made the emperor vomit blood and fainted.
"Three groups of people rebelled on Maoping Road, and they joined together, proclaimed themselves kings, and captured Lujiang City. The Lujiang County magistrate refused to retreat. He took the official seal and burned the house, and all the eighteen members of the family died in order to observe the festival."
"I see."
At this time, Gao Lingbo, who was in a post station, was also shaking his head after reading the transcribed emergency report in his hand.
"Is your Majesty really all right?" he asked again.
"Yes, His Majesty personally recounted this urgent revenge at that time," the attendant said.
Gao Lingbo laughed when he heard this.
This was naturally the emperor's way of showing his ministers that he was in good health.
"What kind of thing is this!" he said, throwing the urgent report on several cases, "go back and tell those people, take it easy next time, they report an urgent report, and if you drive me out of the capital, you can make a great contribution to the country."
Name, they made an urgent report and almost frightened the emperor to death, that is a heinous crime."
The answer is yes.
"I really didn't expect this to happen..." He lowered his head and said, thinking about it he wanted to laugh but was a little scared.
Who knew the emperor could be so unafraid?
So unafraid?
Gao Lingbo looked stunned.
"What did the imperial doctor say?" he asked suddenly.
"The imperial doctor said that it was caused by a combination of joy and anger combined with irregular qi and blood. If you spit out this mouthful of blood, it will be fine. If you don't spit it out, it will be worse." The attendant said, and nodded again, "It has been confirmed."
Gao Lingbo groaned, stretched out his hand to twist his beard and pondered for a moment.
"Sir, do you want to go back now?" he asked.
"No." Gao Lingbo raised his hand and said, "Not only will I not go back, I will also rush to Wangzhou as soon as possible."
The follower responded yes and turned to leave.
"Also, tell them that after driving King Jin'an out of the capital through this disaster, they must put aside other matters. The most important thing is to appoint a prince." Gao Lingbo asked again.
The answer is yes.
After the first lunar month, the emperor had already gone to court normally, so that everyone had forgotten the fright of that night. It was common to be violent and vomiting blood, but the civil unrest and rebellion did not disappear.
On the contrary, it became more and more intense.
"...This is all due to the failure of disaster relief, which gave the people an opportunity to take advantage of the chaos..."
The quarrels in the court became increasingly fierce.
The emperor put his hand on his forehead.
He understands what they say, everyone understands, and they all understand that disaster relief is ineffective and civil unrest is incited. But now is not the time to talk about this. What should we do?
“….Check the crime of ineffective disaster relief on Maoping Road.”
"... counterinsurgency..."
"...who is going?"
There was an ongoing debate in the court, and a voice suddenly spoke loudly.
"Your Majesty, I am willing to go."
The voice sounded a bit young. Everyone followed the sound and saw a young man standing up and bowing to the emperor.
"Jin'an?" The emperor was a little surprised and frowned, "What are you causing trouble?"
"Your Majesty, I am not causing trouble, I am willing to go." Prince Jin'an said loudly, "I know that I am young and cannot take on important responsibilities, and I dare not hold myself back from such important responsibilities. I just want to wait for Your Majesty to select civil servants to provide disaster relief.
I am willing to go with you on behalf of your majesty to appease the people and frighten the rebels."
Well, there have been examples in the past dynasties where emperors or princes personally went to Maoping Road for military expeditions. If a royal family really went to Maoping Road at this time, it would be a real comfort to the people in deep disaster, and it would also be a relief to the rebellious people.
Shock.
The court was a little quiet for a moment.
"Nonsense!" the emperor said, "Chen Shao, I'll ask you to select a candidate for disaster relief and quelling the chaos. Report to me within three days and withdraw from the court!"
Seeing the emperor withdrawing from the court, the ministers also retired one after another and began to work on the candidates. The two ministers who walked out of the court couldn't help but look at each other.
Something isn't quite right.
They looked forward again and saw that the young prince was about to leave with everyone, but was stopped by a chamberlain, who was obviously summoned by the emperor.
"Is it better to retreat than to advance?" a minister whispered.
The other one shook his head, a little confused.
"It would not be wise to play this trick at this time," he said.
"Then he really wants to go?" the first minister said in surprise.
How is this possible?
But three days later, the results announced by the emperor confirmed the possibility of this incident, and the prince of Jin'an County went to Maoping Road as an ambassador.
"Thank God, this plague star is finally leaving."
The imperial concubine in the harem beamed with joy after receiving the news.
"Sure enough, the palace attendant arranged it properly. If he stepped forward, he would be kicked out on the back foot."
On the other hand, he looked at the palace maid.
"The arrangement of the Palace Attendant is the Palace Attendant's. If I should thank you, you should go and tell them."
The palace maid hesitated.
"Your Majesty, the two adults said that it was not them who did this," she said.
The imperial concubine was stunned for a moment.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"My servant didn't quite understand. Anyway, the two adults said that they originally wanted to make a fuss about what the king said in front of your majesty last time about providing disaster relief first, but they didn't even remember to say it before they came.
The king himself said that he would go out to serve as a courtier." The palace maid said.
Going there yourself?
The imperial concubine frowned.
What does he want to do? Is it possible that he is crazy about trying to gain fame?
That's leaving Beijing! That's going to quell the rebellion! If there is an accident, even if you gain fame and merit, it will be meaningless.
"Your Highness, do you know what you are doing? Is this really what you mean?"
In Prince Qing's Mansion, Dr. Li, who had come here to treat Prince Qing, asked with a serious expression.
"Yes, of course I persuaded Your Majesty with great difficulty."
Prince Jin'an said with a smile.
"I told Your Majesty that I was wrong. I thought that if we provide disaster relief first, the people who are not affected by the disaster will feel at ease. But I didn't expect that after some restless hearts are aroused, they will not be so easily appeased. So even though the money and food are spent,
There are more and more people, and there are more and more rioters. I was wrong, so I want to go and see for myself."
Doctor Li snorted.
"How's it going? I'm right, right?" Prince Jin'an looked at him and smiled, "His Majesty agreed at that time."
"Your Highness's witty words are like flowers, and his words are like honey. Who can bear it after listening to it?" Dr. Li said.
Prince Jin'an laughed loudly and picked up the bowl.
"But, Your Highness." Doctor Li looked at him with a stern expression, "Have you forgotten about the encounter with a wolf on the mountain road at night four years ago?"
"Four years ago?"
Prince Jin'an, who was sitting lazily with a tea bowl in his hand, immediately sat upright.
Seeing that he finally straightened his expression, Doctor Li also nodded solemnly.
"It turns out..." Prince Jin'an smiled slightly, "I have known her for almost four years."
Doctor Li was startled, then raised his eyebrows with a hint of anger.
"Your Highness!" He raised his voice in displeasure, "I'm talking to you about serious matters!" (To be continued)
