[Negligence During Illness]
The hall immediately descended into chaos. Imperial Physician Chu stepped forward to take a pulse; the moment he touched Ying Fusheng, he noticed the boy’s hand was scorching hot.
Consort Ning was startled. Just as she moved to check on the situation, she saw the physician’s expression turn grave. She edged closer to Ying Fusheng’s position, preparing to explain: “Sheng’er hasn’t been feeling well these past few days; it might be…”
In the next second, a single sentence froze her in her tracks:
“This is bad. The Sixth Prince has fallen into a death-like coma!”
The Sixth Prince had just resolved a major crisis only to suddenly collapse. The Empress Dowager could no longer sit still and came over to inspect. When she touched Ying Fusheng’s arm, she was jolted with shock; up close, she saw that the boy’s eyes were tightly shut and his brow was drenched in cold sweat. With a temperature this high, how had this child endured it all this time without uttering a single word?
Empress Xu frowned slightly, her peripheral vision sweeping over the surrounding servants. The attendants sprang into action.
The Empress Dowager ordered the servants to move Ying Fusheng to a bed. Consort Ning was breaking out in a cold sweat of her own; she wanted to speak, but the chaotic scene gave her no opening. She followed the others. When she saw the Crown Prince attempting to go inside to check on the situation, she reached out in desperation to stop him: “Your Highness the Crown Prince!”
The Crown Prince looked back in confusion. Empress Xu and the Empress Dowager, who were walking ahead, suddenly turned back and noticed Consort Ning’s strange behavior. Seeing the odd looks from the surrounding servants, Consort Ning realized she had overstepped. She hurriedly explained: “The illness is too heavy; Your Highness possesses a body of a thousand gold [1] is of noble status and must be protected jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_1440486_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_1440486_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });.”
She didn’t care if she got into trouble, but with a national celebration just days away, the Crown Prince could not be allowed to fall ill.
Fortunately, considering the Crown Prince’s young age, the Empress Dowager did not let him enter the inner chamber. However, the expressions of several people nearby grew strange; the Sixth Prince had knelt in the hall pleading for Consort Ning for so long, yet they hadn’t seen her this worried about his safety.
Physician Chu, the Chief of the Imperial Medical Academy who had served the Empress Dowager for years, was the one taking the pulse. One touch of that high fever told him something was very wrong. After several needle treatments, the fever still hadn’t broken. Even in his stupor, Ying Fusheng’s brow remained tightly knitted. The physician smoothed the boy’s forehead with his hand and sent a young apprentice racing back to the Medical Academy for medicine.
Ying Fusheng was in a very bad state. After losing consciousness, he seemed to be drifting in a half-dreaming, half-waking state; the physician had to struggle to hold him down several times as if the boy were gripped by anxiety. His burning hand brushed against the Empress Dowager. In his delirium, the child ignored all propriety and grabbed her cool hand, clinging to it like a drowning man to a life raft. After a long while, Ying Fusheng seemed to finally struggle out of his nightmare. When he opened his eyes, his gaze was out of focus. Gradually, he recognized the Empress Dowager and hurriedly let go of her hand.
Once he let go, the Empress Dowager felt a sudden emptiness in her palm. Seeing the child trying to get out of bed, she reached out to stop him.
Ying Fusheng spotted Consort Ning outside the circle of people and masked the mockery in the depths of his eyes. His face was flushed, and the high fever was nearly stealing his consciousness, but at this moment, he remembered his long-planned goal. He feigned a startled, convulsing look, staring out blankly: “Mother…”
Everyone turned to look at Consort Ning outside, only to realize that she hadn’t actually come inside the room.
Too much had happened today, and it had all been too coincidental—especially Ying Fusheng’s arrival. Consort Ning had originally been suspicious, but seeing his sick dependence on her, which didn’t look faked, she relaxed slightly. ‘What was I thinking? He’s just a child; how could he orchestrate so much?’
Besides, Ying Fusheng was always obedient. Thinking about how the Moon-Viewing Pavilion issue was resolved because of him, her heart eased; he was proving to be somewhat useful. While she weighed the causes and effects in her mind, she put on a concerned face and even squeezed out a few tears. She failed to notice that Ying Fusheng’s hand had tried to grab her sleeve several times, only to fail.
The Empress Dowager, standing right there, saw this silent exchange between mother and son. She saw Ying Fusheng’s hand slip away several times while Consort Ning failed to notice. Even in the hall earlier, Consort Ning hadn’t moved to check on him when he collapsed; it was the servants who reacted first. The Empress Dowager shot a cold glance at Consort Ning and couldn’t help but speak: “Child, you are sick. Rest first. The matter at the pavilion is settled.”
Hearing that the pavilion matter was over, Ying Fusheng finally relaxed. Before anyone could say more, he seemed unable to resist the drowsiness and fell unconscious again.
Consort Ning felt a sense of relief seeing the “brat” finally quiet down, unaware that the Empress Dowager’s gaze behind her was growing colder by the second. Seeing the room go quiet, she asked hypocritically: “Physician, what is wrong with Sheng’er?”
“The cold has invaded his body and hasn’t dispersed for many days. I heard the Sixth Prince fell into the water on a winter night a few days ago; I fear that cold evil energy has accumulated until now,” Physician Chu said in detail. “Judging by this pulse, I suspect His Highness has been suffering from recurring fevers since he fell into the water. Today, due to the shock at the pavilion, the cold evil invaded his heart. Once his nerves relaxed from the tension, this fever became dangerous. If the fever breaks, he will be fine; if not, I fear it will leave a permanent ailment.”
This revelation shocked everyone. The servants knew about the fall, and the physicians had visited Weiyang Palace several times, but Consort Ning had claimed days ago that he was out of danger. From the look of it now, he hadn’t recovered at all—in fact, he was critically ill!
Consort Ning’s face stiffened. That’s impossible. Bi Zhu said just a few days ago that the fever was gone and he was just weak. How could he still be feverish?
By the time she realized things were bad, it was too late. She turned to see the Empress Dowager’s accusatory gaze and immediately fell to her knees in terror. Her mind was a mess, unable to fathom why so many things were going wrong today. She instinctively explained: “His Highness’s condition had improved a few days ago. I truly didn’t know his illness was this severe…” She looked around for help, but finding none, she could only look toward Empress Xu.
“Consort Ning has been preoccupied with the pavilion preparations lately. She likely overextended herself and was negligent,” Empress Xu said diplomatically.
However, the Empress Dowager’s goodwill toward Ying Fusheng had skyrocketed after he turned the “ill omen” into a “blessing.” Hearing this, her rage found a target. First, the pavilion incident, then the Sixth Prince’s collapse—Consort Ning had botched the banquet prep and neglected her sick son. “In my eyes, she hasn’t handled a single thing well!”
Those present had thought the Empress Dowager’s mood had improved, but they hadn’t expected this sudden explosion of fury. Only then did they remember: just because things turned out well didn’t mean the Empress Dowager wouldn’t demand accountability. On the occasion of the Emperor’s return and her own birthday, how could such a massive disturbance be settled easily!
Consort Ning was terrified out of her wits, but the Empress Dowager no longer wished to hear any more of her explanations. Before Consort Ning could even plead for mercy, the Empress Dowager had made up her mind and departed with a wave of her hand.
Consort Ning could only look toward the Empress, knowing her temperament. “Your Majesty, regarding this matter, I truly…”
“I entrusted Moon-Viewing Pavilion to you because I saw how meticulous you were. I never imagined such negligence would occur today,” Empress Xu said. “I shall entrust the pavilion to another. For the next few days, you will remain behind closed doors to reflect on your actions and calm your mind.”
Anxious, Consort Ning wanted to say more, but Empress Xu had already turned and left, taking the Crown Prince with her.
Shortly after, a eunuch from Cining Palace arrived bearing the Empress Dowager’s orders:
“By decree of the Empress Dowager: Consort Ning of the Ning clan has failed in her duties, lacked discipline over her subordinates, and neglected the health of the Prince. She is ordered to reflect behind closed doors within her palace. Her stipend for the next three months shall be docked, and she is to transcribe the Palace Rules one hundred times. During this period, she may not leave without a direct summons.”
Consort Ning’s face turned deathly pale. This meant she was completely grounded until the day of the imperial banquet.
“There is one more thing to tell you, Consort Ning,” the eunuch continued. “The Empress Dowager, in her benevolence and concern for the Sixth Prince, has decreed that His Highness will remain at Cining Palace to recover from his illness for the time being. You need not trouble yourself over him.”
Consort Ning was utterly stunned. By the time she reacted, the attendants had already come forward to escort her away.
As she was being led out, she was still calling out Ying Fusheng’s name. Citing the risk of illness, the Empress Dowager dismissed the other servants, leaving only the imperial physicians to keep watch. The Crown Prince’s gaze lingered in the hall until he could no longer see anyone else. Only then did he follow Empress Xu, whispering, “So, Sixth Brother is staying here?”
Empress Xu glanced at him briefly.
The Crown Prince’s eyes flickered toward the side hall where several of the Empress Dowager’s personal maids had entered. He shifted his gaze back and said, “Grandmother rarely keeps anyone for a stay. I only stayed here twice when I was a child. It’s a bit unexpected.” He then added with a sympathetic tone, “Seeing how worried Consort Ning was about Sixth Brother, yet being unable to visit him… it’s a bit of a pity.”
Empress Xu’s gaze rested on the thick curtains obscuring the inner chamber. Her expression remained unmoved. Hearing the Crown Prince’s words, she finally spoke: “The crisis has been averted, but Consort Ning still erred. If the Empress Dowager did not punish her severely, it would be difficult to maintain order among the ranks.” She began to walk away, adding, “The illness is heavy; do not go near.”
The Crown Prince replied “Yes” and said no more.
The responsibility for Moon-Viewing Pavilion was ultimately handed to Empress Xu. The Empress Dowager refused all visitors, citing exhaustion, and Consort Ning was confined to Weiyang Palace. The chaotic incident ended with the story of the Sixth Prince’s “auspicious omen” being spread to the outside world. Details such as the Silver Vine were suppressed, and the palace rumors gradually died down.
Inside Cining Palace, once all guests were gone, the Empress Dowager’s personal eunuch approached.
The Empress Dowager sat in quiet contemplation over warm tea, the scent of sandalwood swirling around her. “Well?”
The eunuch reported the findings of the investigation in detail. After the incident, the palace staff had checked again, and it was indeed the incense that was at fault. The Sixth Prince’s words had provided the guards with a direction for their search, yet many doubts remained. Moon-Viewing Pavilion and the Imperial Zoo were a significant distance apart. Ordinarily, the beastmasters used secluded paths, and even if some powder had scattered during transport, it shouldn’t have been enough to lure wild beasts so easily to the pavilion.
The Imperial Guard found that to lure the animals that far, a substantial amount of Silver Vine would have been required—far exceeding what is used in ordinary incense. In other words, unless someone had been scattering the powder along the entire path, it would have been difficult to achieve.
However, since the incident happened so suddenly, only Consort Ning was exposed; no one else had appeared. Due to the chaos and destruction, it was hard to find any clues at the pavilion itself. The only person who could explain it was the Sixth Prince, but it was impossible for him to have planned it—any slip-up would have implicated himself and the entire Ning family.
To an experienced observer, it looked as if someone had intentionally framed Consort Ning, but no evidence of a frame-up could be found. Having lived in the palace for so long, it was clear: Consort Ning had offended someone. There were many dark methods in the harem, and the Empress Dowager had seen plenty in her youth. In recent years, the Ning family had been favored by the Emperor; even if Consort Ning didn’t compete, she would still be a thorn in the side of others.
“What did you find regarding Weiyang Palace?”
“Consort Ning has been leaving early and returning late lately. The Sixth Prince has been ill from falling into the water for over half a month and almost never left his bedchamber,” the eunuch answered. He added, “I have made inquiries; the Sixth Prince does indeed enjoy reading ‘miscellaneous books.’ Consort Ning often sought them out for him.”
At this, the Empress Dowager’s brow furrowed. A prince reading miscellaneous books instead of the Four Books and other classics? Consort Ning truly did not know how to educate a child.
The eunuch added more details: “When I checked with the Medical Academy, I found that the Prince didn’t want to worry his mother, so he sent his personal servant to fetch medicine. I asked—it was all medicine for the common cold, matching the physician’s previous prescriptions.”
Thinking of Physician Chu’s diagnosis, the Empress Dowager’s expression grew even colder. Consort Ning spent all day out of the house, doing everything herself, yet couldn’t spare a moment to care for her own son? If not for Little Six risking his life to plead for her today, the “ill omen” incident would never have ended well.
“Tell the world that this was an auspicious sign, and handle the matter according to the reasons Little Six provided.” The Empress Dowager closed her eyes to rest. “Send word out: let those consorts restrain themselves.”
The Empress Dowager’s eyes flashed with a cold light. “If something else happens during these days of national celebration, I will show no mercy.”
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