PFC Chapter 213 The Ruthless and Disabled Crown Prince (113)
Chapter 213 The Ruthless and Disabled Crown Prince (113)
When the imperial edict was delivered to the Third Prince's residence, Lu Liruan was completely baffled.
When the Emperor was seriously ill, no one allowed Ji Shumin to enter the palace. In the past, it was almost as if the Third Prince had been forgotten. What is going on now?
Moreover... the person who came to deliver the imperial decree had been following Ji Shumin around like a monitor ever since he entered the room.
As if afraid he would run away.
Why would anyone do this to someone in a wheelchair?
Lu Liruan wanted to approach Ji Shumin, but before she could reach him, she was stopped by a silent eunuch who had been following the imperial eunuch who delivered the decree since entering the room: "Your Majesty, please wait until His Highness the Third Prince receives the decree before you go over..."
Lu Liruan looked at Ji Shumin.
Ji Shumin's expression remained unchanged, and he appeared relaxed: "Please forgive me for not being able to rise to receive the imperial decree!"
Ji Shumin sat in his wheelchair, bowing and accepting the imperial edict.
But before it could be unfolded, a voice suddenly came from outside the mansion again: "The imperial edict has arrived—"
This is really confusing. How could two imperial edicts be issued in succession?
But since they carried the imperial decree, they could not be stopped.
So Lu Liruan watched as another group of people, holding bright yellow imperial edicts, entered the courtyard.
The two groups stared at each other, neither speaking, yet the tense atmosphere between them was undeniable.
"Your Highness, please accept the decree."
Lu Liruan felt that the eunuch who was speaking at this moment looked somewhat familiar.
I tried to recall carefully, but I just couldn't remember where I had seen this person before.
"His Majesty instructed the Third Prince to rest and recuperate properly and not to overexert himself."
The eunuch handed the imperial edict to Ji Shumin, saying something quite meaningful.
Normally, when an imperial edict arrives, it needs to be read aloud, but he did not read the contents of the edict, but instead handed it directly to Ji Shumin.
This made Lu Liruan feel that something was wrong, but at this moment, she remained silent and carefully observed, trying to find out what was going on.
"His Majesty commands His Highness the Third Prince to enter the palace immediately!" After he finished speaking, the head eunuch on the other side narrowed his eyes and his tone turned cold.
"We are also following the Emperor's decree!" The latter was fearless and calm. The two looked at each other, neither of them backing away first.
Lu Liruan stared blankly: What kind of program is this?
Li Kui vs. Li Gui?
What exactly happened in the palace? Was this imperial edict actually issued by the Emperor? Which one was? Or both...?
"Why don't you go back and listen again to what Father Emperor wants from his son?" Ji Shumin, having watched the monkey show for a while, slowly spoke, glancing left and right with a mocking smile on his lips.
The two eunuchs who were practically arguing on the spot finally calmed down and left with their men one after the other.
This group of people arrived in a rush and left in a hurry, completely lacking the majesty and solemnity they usually displayed when conveying imperial edicts.
After they all left, Ji Shumin clicked his tongue and casually loosened the belt around his waist.
Just before the imperial edict arrived, Lu Liruan was accompanying Ji Shumin as he practiced walking in the courtyard.
"Come on! Yes, yes, yes! Walk this way... You're walking very well!" Lu Liruan stood in front, slightly bent over and stretched out her arms, clapping her hands excitedly from time to time.
A mother who is completely unaware of her own appearance and longs to teach her child to walk.
Ji Shumin: ...
"What's wrong? Are you tired?"
Ji Shumin stood there, tilting his head to look at the oblivious Lu Liruan. In the heat of the day, the girl's fair cheeks flushed with color, and sweat beaded on her nose, yet she seemed completely unaware, as if she were doing something of utmost importance.
Ji Shumin sighed inwardly but said nothing. In any case, there was no one else in the courtyard. All the servants had been sent away, leaving only the two of them.
Following Lu Liruan's movements, Ji Shumin slowly moved towards her step by step, this time at a distance of about ten steps, which was farther than before.
What others could cover in a matter of moments was a great distance for Ji Shumin.
Lu Liruan watched him walk slowly and tentatively.
Halfway there, Ji Shumin looked up with a slight embarrassment and glanced in Lu Liruan's direction, only to see her eyes full of enthusiasm and hope, standing in the light.
When Ji Shumin finally touched Lu Liruan's hand, his lower legs below the knees were in so much pain that they almost spasmed.
He struggled to keep himself from falling.
His long, slender knuckles gripped Lu Liruan's hand tightly, his lips pressed into a thin line...
Struggling to fight against the relentless pain.
Everything around me seemed distant and unclear.
When Lu Liruan pulled Ji Shumin into her arms on tiptoe, the clearest thought in his mind was: he never imagined that he would have this day...
He actually managed to stand up again, walk towards Lu Liruan, and lower his eyes to see the whorl of her hair.
Before Lu Liruan could speak, hurried footsteps and shouts of "Imperial decree has arrived" came from outside.
Fearing that Ji Shumin might trip over him while walking, he did not wear long clothes.
We can't let the people from the palace notice anything amiss right now.
Lu Liruan acted swiftly and nimbly, dragging Ji Shumin's wheelchair over and pressing him into it!
He hopped and skipped like a rabbit back to his room, grabbed a dark blue outer robe, and hurriedly draped it over Ji Shumin's shoulders.
Just as he finished adjusting his clothes and casually tied his belt around his waist, a figure appeared at the courtyard gate...
Presumably, this group carrying the imperial edict barged in without giving anyone time to react or stop them.
Qinghe followed them in. She looked at Lu Liruan with a worried expression, but saw that apart from a slightly flushed face, Lu Liruan seemed fine.
The two exchanged glances. Qinghe tried to go towards the Third Prince, but was blocked as well.
Ji Shumin remained calm and composed, placing his hands together in front of his abdomen, which conveniently concealed his somewhat disheveled belt.
His expression showed no sign of panic; he remained calm and composed, as if nothing had happened and he had been sitting there peacefully the whole time…
That's truly admirable acting!
After everyone left, Lu Liruan came to his side and noticed the only change in him: a thin layer of sweat had formed at his temples.
I was already wearing a set of clothes, and now that summer is in full swing and it's so hot, I had to put on another layer to cover myself up completely.
Ji Shumin didn't know how long it had been since he had felt this uncomfortable, stuffy heat.
He takes medication regularly and doesn't move around much. The medication suppresses his body's vital functions, and even in the sweltering summer, his skin remains as cold as jade, cool to the touch.
After loosening his clothes and belt, Ji Shumin let Lu Liruan frantically take off his outer garment again.
I raised my hand again to check the temperature of my forehead. It was fine; it wasn't cold or hot.
Lu Liruan was worried that he would suffer from heatstroke, so his lips were already unnaturally dark, and the thin skin at the corners of his eyes was also tinged with a faint red.
He hurriedly pushed the person into the house, and attentively took a stack of Xuan paper with writing on it from the table, gently fanning Ji Shumin beside him.
Ji Shumin was happy to enjoy her care. He looked listless and let Lu Liruan do as she pleased.
After a long pause, he gently tapped Lu Liruan's aching arm with his fingertip: "Alright, take a break..."
"I asked someone to make some cooling medicine, it will be brought over in a bit."
The faint scent of ink wafted into her nostrils, but Lu Liruan couldn't calm down.
"What's the deal with those two imperial edicts just now...?" Her attention had been divided into several parts.
With eyes and ears open, I can finally organize my thoughts carefully.
"Why was the first imperial edict so urgent in summoning you to the palace, but this one is rushing over so quickly that it stopped the previous one?"
"Does His Majesty intend to allow you to enter the palace or not? Could it be..." Lu Liruan lowered her voice, "Has His Majesty become so confused?"
"Li Ruan, take a look." Ji Shumin casually pushed both imperial edicts in front of Lu Li Ruan, indicating that Lu Li Ruan should check them herself.
Lu Liruan carefully picked it up. She unfolded the first volume, which indeed contained the content that had been read aloud at the time.
When Lu Liruan opened the second volume, she was stunned. The second volume was a blank imperial edict!
The bright yellow silk cloth was completely blank; no wonder the eunuch who delivered the imperial decree earlier…
This makes sense; after the first imperial edict was issued, the second blank imperial edict followed immediately.
The goal was simply to stop the first obstacle, which was already quite rushed and chaotic.
"Could it be... that it's not just one person..." Lu Liruan started to say, but then realized it was unlikely.
But Ji Shumin looked at her, signaling her to continue.
Lu Liruan thought to herself: If the two imperial edicts really were issued by different people, then the palace would be in complete chaos!
Some people are already able to forge imperial edicts!
What exactly did the first imperial edict want Ji Shumin to do in the palace? Was the second imperial edict well-intentioned or a trap?
"Are you in danger?" Lu Liruan asked worriedly.
"No." Ji Shumin answered calmly and composedly, which comforted Lu Liruan's anxious heart. None of this seemed to surprise Ji Shumin.
I thought the matter of these two imperial edicts would soon be clarified.
But nothing happened on the second day, and nothing happened on the third day either.
It was as if nothing had happened inside the palace; no news was getting out.
That towering red wall blocked and divided everything; beneath the calm surface, countless treacherous undercurrents lay hidden, waiting to erupt at any moment...
Suddenly, a shocking piece of news broke: Consort Rong had committed suicide by running into a pillar!
Although he didn't die, he was indeed badly injured, bleeding profusely from the head, and collapsed unconscious in the emperor's bedchamber.
Consort Rong is no longer the woman the Emperor once favored.
Since the Empress returned to the palace, she has gradually fallen out of favor...
No one knows what methods the Empress used, but Consort Rong not only lost the Emperor's favor, but all the things she had done in the past were also dug up one by one.
Consort Rong had controlled the inner palace for many years, and naturally, she had done many things that violated the rules and acted arrogantly.
In retrospect, although her rank was not lowered, her actions were far more hurtful.
Everyone knew perfectly well that Consort Rong had been completely suppressed by the Empress and had no chance of making a comeback.
The Empress did not demote her, simply because she disdained it.
They didn't believe she could cause any trouble; it was a silent contempt and disdain.
Not only did Consort Rong suffer misfortune, but even the Seventh Prince suffered misfortune.
His Highness the Seventh Prince, having been ill for a long time, developed hysteria from a high fever. He actually stood on the roof, jumped down, and broke both of his legs!
Consort Rong rose to prominence because of her son, being the birth mother of the Emperor's favored seventh prince.
But now the Emperor ignores the Seventh Prince, who has suffered from hysteria several times. When he has an attack, he is almost indistinguishable from a mentally impaired person, and the Emperor has not mentioned it at all.
It seems they've completely given up on this son...
But before Consort Rong crashed into the pillar, she cried out in anguish, "Your Majesty, please spare Lie'er's life!"
"Lie'er is already in this state... I am willing to die in his place. Your Majesty, I will do anything you ask, just please let Lie'er live a good life!"
"Ignorant stupid woman!"
The emperor's eyes were bloodshot, and his breathing was rapid and disordered.
He felt as if everything in his field of vision was spinning...
He tried to kick Consort Rong, but missed completely. Instead, he tripped and stumbled. When De Cheng caught him, he pushed De Cheng away!
De Cheng knocked over a table, which hit Consort Rong. Consort Rong dared not dodge and let out a painful cry of "Ouch!"
"Your Majesty, I beg you! For the sake of all the years I have served you with all my heart! Lie'er is your own son!" Consort Rong cried, her voice trembling, but she couldn't say what the Emperor was going to do to her son.
She didn't dare to say it!
She kowtowed desperately, her eyes no longer filled with hatred, only deep sorrow.
She crawled on her knees toward the Empress, kneeling at her feet and clutching the Empress's robes: "Your Majesty, I beg you, please save Lie'er!"
The Empress was pulled and swayed by her strength, but she didn't even lower her eyes to look at her.
Inside the wide sleeves of his robe, he vigorously fiddled with each of the prayer beads.
When you tried to kill Qin'er back then, did you ever think you'd end up like this?
The Empress will never forget the time when she asked the imperial physician to treat Qin'er's illness, and Consort Rong smiled and said to the Emperor, "How could the eldest prince be so ignorant? Your Majesty, please don't worry about him. It's just fate..."
"It's just that your child is being unreasonable. How can you, as his mother, join in his nonsense?" the Empress said calmly, without looking at Consort Rong's despairing expression.
"How can His Majesty's desires and decisions be wrong? What do you say, Consort Rong..."
"Your Majesty, I am willing to risk my life to pray for your well-being! I kowtow to Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!" Consort Rong cried out in a shrill voice.
Before anyone could react, she suddenly and resolutely rammed into the pillar in the corner of the room without stopping or hesitating for a moment!
With a "bang!", her body slumped to the ground like a kite with a broken string, blood flowing down her forehead.