Upon leaving Fengyi Palace, Tangtang still felt that something was off. After hesitating for a moment, she suddenly turned around to head back.
Chunxu’s heart leaped into her throat, and she hurriedly clasped the little girl’s small hand. “Little Commandery Princess, the path to the Imperial Zoo goes this way!”
Although she was equally worried about Her Majesty’s royal health, she had managed to coax the little Commandery Princess out with great difficulty. Until someone came to deliver word, she was firmly resolved not to take her back.
“Sister, I want to go back and stay with Imperial Grandmother!” the little girl said in her sweet, milky voice.
Tangtang was no fool. Imperial Grandmother felt unwell, so she must have asked Sister Chunxu to find an excuse to lead her away out of fear of scaring her.
But she was already big now! She had seen countless ghosts and specters, so she wouldn’t be scared easily.
“Little Commandery Princess, Empress Her Majesty was simply having a flare-up of her old ailment. She’ll be fine after resting for a short while! How about we take a quick walk around the Imperial Zoo and then go right back to see Her Majesty?”
Chunxu squatted down, placing her gaze level with the pink dumpling. “I promise you!”
Tangtang tilted her head and pondered for a moment, her mind wavering slightly.
“Then let’s hurry and go walk around the zoo!” Tangtang took Chunxu’s hand, her two short little legs moving like a whirlwind. “After a quick walk, we can go right back to see Imperial Grandmother!”
Her strength was immense, pulling Chunxu so hard that the maid stumbled and nearly fell. “Little Commandery Princess, please walk slower, be careful not to fall!”
How strange—the little Commandery Princess was thin as a rail, looking as if a gust of wind could blow her over. How could she possess such tremendous strength?
Fengyi Palace
Emperor Mingde and Gu Yanzhao had faces so dark that they seemed ready to drip water. The eunuchs and maidservants knelt across the floor, not daring to let out even a loud breath.
“Imperial Physician Wang, how is the Empress?” Emperor Mingde asked in a cold voice. “Why would she suddenly cough up blood out of nowhere?”
Over the years, although the Empress suffered from head wind ailments from time to time, she had never coughed up blood like today.
Called out by name, Imperial Physician Wang felt a chill run down his spine. Trembling, he reported, “To inform Your Majesty, Her Majesty’s royal body is in no grave danger…”
Before he could finish his words, Emperor Mingde shouted sternly, “Quacks! My Empress has coughed up blood, and you dare say it’s no grave danger?! If you cannot find the cause of her illness, I will have the entire Imperial Academy of Medicine buried along with her!”
It truly angered him to death!
This group of incompetent doctors drew their official salaries yet failed to do proper work—did they take him, the Emperor, for a fool to be hoodwinked?
“May Your Majesty appease your wrath! Her Majesty’s royal body truly is fine. Judging from her pulse, Her Majesty’s head ailment is actually somewhat better than before… With a period of recuperation, Her Majesty’s head ailment may even fully recover!”
Imperial Physician Wang wore a bitter face. Forget the Emperor not believing it—even he himself hardly dared to believe it.
The Empress’s head ailment had persisted for many years. Their Imperial Academy of Medicine had combed through medical texts and ancient scriptures, exhausting all their skills without finding a cure. How had it suddenly improved compared to before?
“What?” A gleam of joy flashed in Emperor Mingde’s eyes. “Are your words true? You are not deceiving me?”
“This humble servant would not dare! May Your Majesty judge clearly…” Physician Wang replied in a trembling voice, fat beads of sweat sliding down his forehead.
Emperor Mingde narrowed his eyes, fixing his gaze upon him for a moment before saying in a deep voice, “If anything goes amiss with the Empress’s royal body, I will hold you solely responsible!”
The Imperial Academy of Medicine wouldn’t have the audacity to lie to him!
If the Empress’s head ailment could truly be cured, that would be a marvelous blessing!
Gu Yanzhao’s heart trembled slightly. Thinking of that Evil-Dispelling Talisman that had caught fire and burned away without any flame, combined with her head ailment improving after vomiting the black blood, what was there left not to understand?
His broad sleeves concealed his tightly clenched fists. The mastermind behind the scenes intended to exterminate the entire Grand Yong royal family!
Dismissing the crowd, Emperor Mingde then gently took the Empress’s hands into his own. “Wangshu, thank goodness you are fine…”
He and the Empress were childhood sweethearts turned husband and wife who had walked hand in hand for half a lifetime. When he learned the Empress had coughed up blood, he had nearly passed out in shock and panic.
Thank goodness it was just a false alarm; otherwise, how could he… how could he go on living!
Seeing Emperor Mingde’s eyes turn red, the Empress gave him a refined roll of her eyes, pulling her hands away with a touch of distaste.
Already a grandfather, yet acting so mushy in front of the child.
Pei! Old shameless creature!
Good thing she had the foresight to let Chunxu lead their darling out; otherwise, where would she hide her old face?
“This consort is fine, I have worried Your Majesty!” The Empress let out a light cough. “Perhaps seeing our darling made me so happy that even this head ailment improved a bit…”
Their little granddaughter was truly a little lucky star. The moment she arrived at Fengyi Palace, the head ailment that had tormented her for years actually improved by several degrees.
Tangtang, that child?
Emperor Mingde was taken aback, the small, tender, and endearing face of his little granddaughter floating into his mind.
Forget the Empress—even he, the Emperor, found that after spending time with his little granddaughter, his own habit of coughing up blood had improved significantly.
“In the future, have Tangtang come to the palace more often to keep you company…” Emperor Mingde smiled. “A-Zhao, bring Tangtang to visit your Royal Mother often from now on!”
Gu Yanzhao answered in a deep voice. After pondering for a moment, he finally decided to reveal the truth about the paper talismans, the black mist in the Eastern Palace, and the Crown Princess waking up.
The other party was targeting the Grand Yong royal family. Whether it was him or his Imperial Father, they were ultimately ordinary people who knew nothing of Taoist magic; this matter far exceeded their understanding.
Although Tangtang was a little Taoist priest who knew how to draw talismans, she was far too young. He needed to consult with his Imperial Father to devise a foolproof plan to protect his daughter.
Hearing this, Emperor Mingde felt a surge of rage rush to his heart. In his furious shock, he spat out a large mouthful of fresh blood! “Who is it?! Just who wants to harm my entire clan?!”
Using such insidious and malicious sorcery to make his Gu Royal Family end up either sick or crippled!
No wonder after A-Ci became a monk, he urged him every single day to shave his head and become a monk too!
Thank goodness A-Zhao brought Tangtang back; otherwise, he would have believed until his dying day that the Gu Royal Family was simply unlucky!
“Your Majesty!” Hearing about this matter, the Empress turned pale with shock, her hands trembling as she handed Emperor Mingde a handkerchief.
“Do not fear, I was simply driven mad by anger,” Emperor Mingde patted her hand, comforting her in a raspy voice.
“May Imperial Father grant your son’s request: no matter what, we must never allow Tangtang to face danger!” Gu Yanzhao flicked his robes and knelt upright on the floor.
After these past few days together, he already treated Tangtang as his own flesh-and-blood daughter. Had this matter not involved consequences too vast, he would not have confessed it all to his Imperial Father.
Although he was the Crown Prince, his Imperial Father possessed countless dark guards and informants. Rather than waiting for his Imperial Father to discover what he was doing in secret, it was better to speak out proactively.
Emperor Mingde gently wiped the bloodstains from the corners of his mouth with the handkerchief, keeping silent.
Although he was the Emperor, he was not so utterly devoid of humanity as to force a three-year-old baby girl to shoulder such a thousand-pound burden! What was more, this little girl was his own direct flesh-and-blood granddaughter!
After half a cup of tea’s time, Emperor Mingde finally raised his eyelids and swept a glance at Gu Yanzhao. “Why aren’t you getting up? Are you waiting for me to pull you up?”
“Thanking Imperial Father!” Gu Yanzhao’s heart eased, and he rose to his feet.
“Empress, rest well. I shall return to the Imperial Study first!” Reaching the doorway, Emperor Mingde paused his steps and added, “As for those Evil-Dispelling Talismans, have Tangtang leave a couple more for your Royal Mother!”
Truth be told, having a little granddaughter who was a Taoist priest felt quite magnificent…
The corners of Emperor Mingde’s lips curled up slightly. Adding together all the grandchildren of the civil and military officials in the entire imperial court, not one could match a single pinky finger of his granddaughter!
He had a whole stack of those Cool-Cool Talismans that generate cool breezes, while nobody else had any!
Hehe… He needed to hurry back to the Imperial Study and stick on a Cool-Cool Talisman to enjoy himself!