When the Sixth Prince received the news and rushed to the palace, it was already the time for lighting the lamps.
Even though he repeatedly urged the eunuchs carrying his sedan, and after alighting under the Taiji Gate, walking with great haste, he was still a step too late, and was mercilessly stopped outside Emperor Yongchen’s bedchamber.
“Where did this doctor come from? What prescription? Why was it so easy to use on Eldest Brother?” The Sixth Prince flew into a rage, looking like a fighting cock.
The eunuch trembled, not daring to answer. At this moment, a sneer came from behind.
The Sixth Prince immediately turned around, as though he had found his target. All his anger poured out at Lu Min.
“This was your idea!” The Sixth Prince felt that Lu Min was extremely cunning. First, he committed treason to curry favour with Eldest Brother, then he assumed a posture of giving up the throne, claiming he would hide away like some covert guard who dared not show his face. Rehabilitation was nothing but a word from Eldest Brother.
The Sixth Prince’s sharp tongue only became restrained in front of the court officials. Now, facing Lu Min, he unleashed it without reservation.
“Can you stop doing all these fanciful things? Your successes never outweighed your failures. Haven’t you caused us enough trouble?”
Contrary to the Sixth Prince’s expectations, Lu Min did not retort; he merely sneered.
Paired with Lu Min’s masked face, it gave off an indescribable eeriness.
This left the Sixth Prince utterly stunned. He had always looked down on the Second and Third Brothers, believing that neither of them was capable of standing on his own—mud that couldn’t stick to a wall. In the worst case, he could even accept the Third Brother inheriting the throne, but he had no fondness for Lu Min, because someone who did nothing was always better than someone who messed things up.
Yet Lu Min stood before him, and the Sixth Prince suddenly felt a sense of unfamiliarity.
That hot-tempered person seemed to have vanished.
It was as if things had reversed: the irritable one had become the Sixth Prince, while the one sneering in mockery was Lu Min. The scene instantly turned comical.
The Sixth Prince took a deep breath and looked around. As expected, he found the silent Third Brother in the corner.
And another person he had not anticipated.
“You…”
Meng Qi had returned. Did that mean Mo Li had also appeared?
The Sixth Prince’s expression changed abruptly. Then he noticed the atmosphere inside and outside the bedchamber. The eunuchs and palace maids moved in orderly fashion, and though they appeared nervous, their expressions contained more joy than anxiety. This was a very obvious change. Over the past month or so, as Emperor Yongchen’s health declined, and given how he recently fell into frequent comas, these palace servants had grown increasingly uneasy.
——No matter which emperor succeeded him, they could no longer be kept. The best ending would be guarding the emperor’s mausoleum.
Not to mention people like Yu Lan and Head Steward Chen, who were deeply loyal to Emperor Yongchen. Perhaps they did not know where the Kingdom of Qi or even the entire realm would head next, but they did know that none of the prince candidates could shoulder such responsibility. If Emperor Yongchen died, he would not rest in peace even in death.
Fighting against fate was extremely difficult.
The imperial physicians were at their wits’ end, and everyone knew that day was drawing nearer and nearer.
It was like a blade about to fall overhead. No matter how they forced themselves, fear spread inexorably.
Now that feeling of utter despair had vanished. The Sixth Prince asked himself if anything he did could achieve this effect in such a short time. He could not do it. The Second and Third Brothers certainly could not either. Then he saw Meng Qi, sitting before the desk with a scroll in his hand, so out of place compared to the bustling or anxious crowds around him.
Fine tea, books, fruit, pastries.
Even among the tributes, such items were rare. One could say this was no meager treatment.
Meng Qi’s leisure, Third Prince Lu Xi’s silence, Lu Min’s mocking stance with his arms crossed… all indicated that he, the Sixth Prince, had made a fool of himself. He gritted his teeth, braced himself, and found a chair to sit down. He intended to wait here. He had to trust in Mo Li’s miraculous healing ability.
The drip of the clepsydra echoed, palace servants hurriedly passed by, their garments rustling. The wind blew across the heavy eaves of the palace, where copper bells hung…
The night sank deep without moonlight or starlight. The cold wind whirled across the open space in front of the hall, swept over the roof ridge, producing a ragged, eerie sound.
The Sixth Prince thought that this night would feel extraordinarily long, torturous, and agonizing. Yet in reality, he only stared into the dark window, lost in thought. His mind went blank. He cared about many things, but if he lost what mattered most, he would not even know how he would turn out.
But who could defy fate?
The chill crept upward from his calves. Lu Xi’s hands and feet were ice-cold, and just as he was about to lose all feeling, soft whispers and footsteps sounded inside the bedchamber.
The Sixth Prince jerked his head up, and everything went white before his eyes.
Then he realized that this was not dizziness from sitting too long, but that the inside of the hall was gradually becoming brighter.
The sky outside the window revealed a pale streak of dawn, though clouds had blocked the morning sun. Still, that gleam of light gathered enough strength to break through all obstacles and shone forcefully into the hall.
In what felt like an instant, the deep darkness receded like the tide, and brilliant light spread wherever the eye could see.
The doors of the hall opened.
Those present, who sat until their limbs went numb, could not outrun Meng Qi. Who could match the speed of Master Meng?
Meng Qi promptly supported Mo Li, who was momentarily dazzled by the sudden sunlight.
Seeing Meng Qi’s relaxed smile and everyone else’s tense expressions, Mo Li said nothing, only nodded.
“Whew.”
Everyone breathed out in relief at the same moment, making such a loud collective sound that it startled even themselves.
The Sixth Prince’s legs went weak, and he collapsed back onto the chair in a sorry state.
Mo Li had already handed the prescription to Head Steward Chen and stayed inside to remind Yu Lan about the taboos for these next few days. He warned her to stay still and not get agitated. Afterward, one had to avoid extremes of joy or anger, because this extension of life was only a trick, not a true recovery, and the illness still remained.
Lu Min hurriedly entered the hall, and the Third and Sixth Princes refused to fall behind.
They dared not disturb their elder brother, only intending to take a distant glance and then inquire further.
Yan Cen was covered in sweat, his complexion pale with a hint of strange redness.
Yan Cen had just finished a bowl of ginseng soup to replenish his energy. He used his left hand to clutch the robe hastily draped around him. In order to channel inner power, he had to remove his cloak, exposing his deformed limbs, which caused Emperor Yongchen to awaken quite abruptly, seeing everything at once, leaving him extremely embarrassed.
Yet those eyes were like the warm sun that melted spring snow.
His arms were clearly powerless, but when he weakly held Yan Cen’s right hand, there was a force that was difficult to break free from.
It did not seem like an elder brother seeing a younger brother he had never met before, but rather as though he was holding onto something lost.
“Yan Cen…”
The frail, low voice sounded like a hammer striking ice and stone.
Yan Cen staggered backward in embarrassment, afraid to speak out, torn between choices.
At that moment, the three princes entered. Yan Cen heard the commotion and quickly turned his head, and then the hall fell into a deathly silence.
“……”
Lu Min suddenly realized that he held the advantage. Folding his arms, he spoke to the two younger brothers beside him, for whom he held little regard: “This was Empress Ning’s second son. You have heard of him. Master Meng said his martial arts were formidable.”
A younger brother with the same father and mother!
Not only did he resemble you! You could not defeat him either!
“Dr. Mo returned this time to treat Eldest Brother and borrowed this man’s assistance.” Lu Min was not afraid of causing chaos. He cleared his throat and stated his purpose directly, “Let’s form an alliance!”
One alone could not stand against him, but three working together could!
The Sixth Prince’s face alternated between green and white, while the Third Prince remained silent and pensive.
Compared with forming an alliance, they wanted more to win over this outsider with such formidable abilities.
Confronted by Lu Ni’s resigned expression after he released his hand and Yan Cen’s gaze that shifted from confusion to sharp scrutiny, the Third and Sixth Princes turned solemn at once. No way! Their elder brother had watched over them for so many years, but he owed his true younger brother a debt, so they absolutely could not compete!
Outside the hall, Mo Li had no choice but to drag Meng Qi away, who was hoping to watch the spectacle.
“Why are you laughing?”
“……Naturally, I laughed at Gong Jun.”
Mo Li was baffled. What did this have to do with the Jinyiwei Commander?
With hands clasped behind his back, Meng Qi faced the clear morning light. He cast a glance at the cat Ah Hu on the palace roof and let out a soft snort from his throat: “I heard that Emperor Yongchen, thinking he would not live much longer, intended to entrust this cat to Gong Jun, while Gong Jun exerted himself, wishing to bring Yan Cen back so Emperor Yongchen could fulfill a last wish. That way, he would earn Emperor Yongchen’s favour and get the cat as well.”
Now both the man and the cat were gone for him!
Gong Jun had no idea that Yan Cen could extend Emperor Yongchen’s life.
It was the first time Meng Qi felt that this cat looked so pleasing to the eye. Such arrogance, such a commanding presence.
One could wander all over the land and never find another cat like it. Gong Jun’s desire for this cat was mere wishful thinking!
The dragon vein in Taijing felt as though the sky were boundless and clear, and his spirit soared, just short of detaching from his body to take a lap in the heavens.
“I was going to go to Shangyun Mountain for some top-grade medicinal herbs.” Meng Qi paced about spiritedly.
Mo Li frowned, puzzled. “Although Yan Cen was weakened and short of energy, his foundation remained. Give him half a month, and he could recover his strength. There was no need for him to take precious medicinal treasures, and Emperor Yongchen was too frail for strong supplements. Even miracle pills were not as effective as a piece of warm jade, so why go out of your way to find something?”
“It was to bring back to Qimao Mountain.”
“My family had miracle medicine… Huh?”
Mo Li suddenly snapped out of his thoughts, watching Meng Qi as he solemnly counted their resources.
“Among the nineteen peaks of Shangyun Mountain, I hid any herbs that had gained a spiritual essence. Merely breaking off a segment of the rootstock would not harm the main root. I could organize eight boxes of them. I figured one cart would be just right. A-Li could also purchase some cloth and silk in the capital, as well as rice, soy sauce, wine, vinegar… Right, the case of bribery in the imperial examinations should be resolved by now. We should find Mr. Jinshui to make two sets of silver needles. We could also take a few landscape paintings from the palace collection and then some ancient books… What kind of ruyi did Elder Qin like, jade? Agarwood would be harder to deal with, so we would have to search Shangyun Mountain carefully and then find a court craftsman to rush the job. As for geese and such, we could wait until we reached Pingzhou.”
Seeing Meng Qi so engrossed in preparations, Mo Li found it absurd.
Why did it sound like he was preparing betrothal gifts?
“Ahem.” Mo Li interrupted him and reminded softly, “Does Brother Meng still recall that I have a junior apprentice, named Tang Xiao Tang?”
Meng Qi’s eyes lit up. Right, a junior apprentice was good indeed. With a junior apprentice, one could rein in any outburst from Elder Qin’s men.
Mo Li went on in a leisurely manner, “He was still a child, and on this trip, he asked me to bring back some clay figurines and sugar figurines for him to play with.”
“……”
How could one transport the lifelike clay figurines from Taijing’s markets all the way back to Pingzhou without cracking or deforming them?
As for sugar figurines, that was even more hopeless, likely spoiling before they even reached Yongzhou.
“Compared to Teacher, I believed that Xue Lingjun would be even harder to deal with.” Mo Li massaged his brow and sighed.
Meng, the eighty-seven-year-old Grandmaster, remained silent.
In those years at court, how had he not noticed Deputy Minister Xue before? No friendship, so trouble lingered to this very day!
