Hibiscus as a Painting

Chapter 103

A lifetime of love and hate, hard to understand, reincarnation begins again. The bamboo grower is heartless, the past is but a dream. (Twelve)

The past is but a dream (12) Light snow is falling outside the palace. It has been falling for two days and three nights. Today's snow is much lighter than yesterday's.

Inside the main hall, two factions were locked in a fierce verbal battle over the position of commander of the Imperial Guard, making the emperor's court more chaotic than a marketplace.

Empress Yanzai frowned as she looked at the arguing crowd, then glanced at the empty seat beside her, momentarily lost in thought.

Eunuch Zhongxi quickly walked up to the high platform, leaned down and whispered in Empress Yanzai's ear: "The servants of Weiyang Palace reported that the Empress went out for a while last night, and when she returned, she developed a fever, but insisted on not letting anyone call the imperial physician. Now she is delirious from the fever."

Empress Yanzai's pupils contracted sharply. She suddenly stood up, quickly descended the high platform, and headed towards Weiyang Palace.

After a moment of stunned silence, Eunuch Zhongxi realized what was happening and hurriedly called out, "Dismiss the court."

Empress Yanzai strode towards Weiyang Palace, her face ashen and a hint of anger in her eyes: "How could you have a fever?!"

"They came back from Weiyang Palace and said that yesterday the Emperor and Empress were wearing only a single garment and stood by Weiyang Lake until late at night, refusing to return to the palace no matter how much people tried to persuade them..." Eunuch Zhongxi jogged up and whispered back.

"Why didn't you report this last night?" Empress Yanzai's voice was filled with barely suppressed anger.

“Last night…someone came from Weiyang Palace…This old servant thought it was a minor matter, and His Majesty had not returned, so I did not go to report it.” Eunuch Zhongxi’s voice grew softer and softer.

"Foolish!" Empress Yanzai's eyes were filled with rage. "Did anyone go to summon the imperial physician?"

"Yes, yes, I have already instructed someone to go and invite them."

Empress Yanzai slipped into Weiyang Palace, and everyone in the room immediately knelt down. The Empress waved her hand lightly and quickly walked to the Empress's bedside.

The emperor and empress were covered with thick cotton blankets, their almost translucent skin flushed red from the high fever. He was breathing rapidly, his feathery eyelashes trembling, his lips, which had turned a pale purple from the fever, were cracked and covered with flakes of skin, and his eyes were tightly closed, but his brows were deeply furrowed.

"How could it have burned like this?" Empress Yeonjae's voice trembled slightly as she suppressed her anger.

“Your Majesty, the wind and snow were very heavy last night… Her Highness the Empress was only wearing a single layer of clothing, and she is also sensitive to the cold, which delayed her medical treatment…” An old man stepped forward shakily and said hesitantly.

"Useless! Hurry up and prescribe the medicine!" Empress Yanzai roared in a low voice.

"Yes, yes, yes, I have already prescribed the medicine, and it is being decocted now," the old man replied hastily.

"All of you, leave," Empress Yeonjae said in a low voice, her face grim.

After everyone had left, Empress Yanzai slowly sat down beside the Empress and gently stroked his forehead. The Empress felt the comfortable coolness, sighed softly, and leaned her face closer to his hand.

"Brother..." Empress Yanzai whispered in the Empress's ear.

The emperor and empress's bodies jolted violently, and they began to cough incessantly, their faces contorted in pain. He suddenly sat up, coughed up a mouthful of blood, and collapsed limply to the ground.

Empress Yanzai was shocked and quickly supported the Emperor and Empress, letting them lean on her shoulder: "Imperial Physician! Imperial Physician!"

The crowd outside rushed in, saying, "Your Majesty, please release His Highness so that I may take his pulse again." An old imperial physician said with trepidation.

Empress Yanzai wrapped the Emperor and Empress tightly in a cotton quilt, wiped the blood from the corner of the Empress's mouth with her hand, and suddenly turned her head to give the old imperial physician a sharp look.

The old imperial physician stood trembling to the side, reaching out to press his hand against the Emperor and Empress's pulse. After a long while, he withdrew his hand and wiped the sweat from his brow: "Your Majesty, Her Highness the Emperor and Empress are troubled by inner turmoil, which is why they are like this..."

"Just now you said it was a cold! How did it become a heartache now?! What use are you bunch of useless trash to me?!" Empress Yanzai suddenly stood up, her phoenix eyes bloodshot as she spoke.

"Your Majesty, allow me to finish speaking. His Highness is suffering from emotional distress and internal injuries, which has aggravated his cold. I don't know... I don't know if Your Majesty... if... if there is some unresolved issue between you and His Highness... If His Highness does not wake up... I fear his life may be in danger..." The old imperial physician was already covered in sweat after he finished speaking.

Empress Yeonjae lowered her head and pondered for a while, then turned her head to look at the Empress's restless face: "I haven't angered my brother these past few days... how could this be..."

Eunuch Zhongxi strode in carrying a small bowl: "Your Majesty, the medicine is ready."

"Hurry up and bring it up so His Highness can drink it..." Empress Yanzai hurriedly stood up and moved aside, but then she heard a soft sobbing sound. She turned around and saw a purple figure huddled in a corner, sobbing softly.

Empress Yanzai walked over quietly and carefully squatted down: "Le'er?"

The figure raised its head, its face streaked with tears and its eyes red and swollen, staring at Empress Yeonjae. Then it suddenly lunged forward and began to cry loudly.

"Don't cry, Le'er, don't wake your brother." Empress Yanzai reached out and gently patted Sikou Xunle's back, but a hint of annoyance flashed in her eyes.

Sikou Xunle slowly raised her face: "It's Le'er's fault, it's Le'er who made brother angry... Le'er made brother angry... Waaah..."

"It's not Le'er's fault. It's because your brother forgot to wear clothes when he was looking at the snow. It has nothing to do with Le'er," Empress Yanzai coaxed gently.

"Really?" Sikou Xunle raised his eyes and asked blankly.

Empress Yanzai gently stroked Sikou Xunle's hair and said softly, "Really."

“Your Majesty, the Prime Minister is waiting outside the door,” a young eunuch said, standing at the door.

"Why haven't you invited the Prime Minister in yet?" Empress Yanzai turned her head slightly and said sternly.

"The Prime Minister said... said..."

"say what?"

The young eunuch slightly raised his head, then quickly lowered it again: "The Prime Minister said he's here to take the young prince away... Colds are easily spread, and the young prince is physically weak..."

Empress Yanzai's eyes widened as she picked up Sikou Xunle and strode towards the door. Once outside, she saw an elderly man in his sixties, dressed in a bright red court robe, standing straight at the entrance.

"What does Your Excellency mean?" Empress Yeonjae asked in a deep voice, a glint of light flashing in her eyes.

The Chancellor slowly turned around, glanced at the Empress with piercing eyes, and bowed slightly, saying, "This old minister does not know what Your Majesty means?"

"Your Majesty the Emperor and Empress are seriously ill today. It would be fine if you didn't go to visit them, but why did you take Le'er away?"

The Prime Minister smiled slightly: "His Majesty also said that the Empress Dowager is ill, and the child is weak. It would be bad if he caught it."

"Isn't His Highness your son?" Empress Yeonjae's eyes blazed with fury.