met free Chapter 62: The Difficulty of Writing
Chapter 62: The Difficulty of Writing
Li Longji took a deep breath, closed his eyes and then quickly opened them again, as if afraid he would never wake up again.
"The imperial physician's diagnosis..." Li Longji managed to utter a few words with all his might, his gaze fixed firmly on Gao Chen, as if seeking an answer.
Gao Chen bowed slightly, not daring to look the emperor in the eye. After hesitating for a moment, he dared not hide anything: "Your Majesty, the imperial physicians said they need to consult ancient medical books."
Li Longji was heartbroken. He realized that his condition might not improve and that he might be bedridden for the rest of his life.
Consort Liu gently took Li Longji's hand, her eyes filled with indescribable affection.
With tears in her eyes, she said, "Your Majesty, I will always stay by your side. You will definitely get better."
"I...seal the palace gates...no one...is allowed to enter or leave," Li Longji said haltingly, his eyes filled with determination.
Gao Chen, Consort Liu, and the imperial physician were all taken aback. They looked at each other and realized the profound meaning behind the order.
The three men bowed and clasped their hands in unison, replying, "Your Majesty, we respectfully obey your command and seal the palace gates."
Gao Chen understood that Li Longji could only trust the three of them in his current situation.
Li Longji was panting, his eyes filled with helplessness.
Now I cannot trust anyone, especially the Crown Prince.
"Crown Prince... you are not allowed... to meet the Emperor." Li Longji uttered the order through gritted teeth, almost using all his strength.
Upon hearing such resolute words, a hint of solemnity flashed in Gao Chen's eyes. The Crown Prince was the heir apparent, yet the Emperor was so wary of him.
Without the Crown Prince overseeing the overall situation, the princes and nobles attending the banquet tonight would probably have some doubts.
But the Emperor doesn't trust the Crown Prince; perhaps he's waiting until after tonight, when things will be better tomorrow.
As night deepened, Li Longji drifted off to sleep.
Gao Chen, Consort Liu, and Imperial Physician Wang gathered in the side hall.
The side hall was heavily guarded, which was tantamount to placing the three of them under house arrest.
Gao Chen broke the oppressive silence first, and calmly said, "The current situation is not optimistic. His Majesty's health is not good. It is best to have someone in charge of the court."
Consort Liu frowned slightly, her heart filled with anxiety as she asked, "Eunuch Gao, if this is the case, what should we do?"
The imperial physician raised his eyes slightly and said hesitantly, "At present... we can only conceal the illness for now. The best course of action is for me to search through all the ancient books to find an antidote."
In fact, the imperial physicians knew best that this illness was probably difficult to cure.
After all, once you suffer a stroke, you'll be like a beast for the rest of your life, and only a skilled doctor can save you.
Gao Chen nodded, knowing that this matter needed to be resolved decisively; delaying it would only make things more complicated.
After a moment's thought, he lowered his voice and said to the two of them, "The only thing we can do now is to support the Crown Prince, which may help us maintain stability."
He wasn't entirely sure when he said those words.
But now the three of them are in the same boat, and unless they're stupid, they definitely won't spread this rumor.
Liu Huafei couldn't help but be slightly surprised, and several thoughts flashed through her mind.
Ultimately, after weighing the pros and cons, they remained silent.
Although the three remained silent, each had their own thoughts.
Li Longji's condition was truly difficult to report, yet he did not trust the Crown Prince.
With constant border wars and regional military governors holding sway over their own armies, the consequences of the Emperor suffering a stroke would be unimaginable.
The night was long, until the day was about to break.
Consort Liu's eyes were sharp, and her tone was firm and calm, "We must not act rashly. Even though His Majesty is currently bedridden, we cannot act on our own. If His Majesty is angered, we will all be punished."
“Yes, she’s right,” the imperial physician nodded, a hint of worry in his voice. “The current situation is complicated, and we must be careful.”
Gao Chen pondered deeply, sighing inwardly. He had no choice but to temporarily set aside those thoughts in his mind and submit to Consort Liu's opinion.
He knew full well that once Li Longji's condition improved, anyone who betrayed the emperor would surely lose their head.
"We can only leave it to fate, and hope that His Majesty can recover as soon as possible," Gao Chen said in a muffled voice.
The room was silent for a moment, with only the soft crackling of the burning candles.
The three of them were each preoccupied with their own thoughts, as if a sharp sword was hanging over their hearts.
However, several days later, Li Longji's condition did not improve significantly; on the contrary, it deteriorated further.
Li Longji was helped to sit upright in front of the desk, looking at the memorials in front of him but unable to pick them up. He wanted to slam the table in anger, but he could only take a few deep breaths.
His face was haggard, and he looked exhausted. Finally, he sighed as if resigned to his fate.
"How...how did I come to this!" His indistinct voice echoed in the empty room.
Those days of ruling the world seem to have long since passed, leaving only a profound sense of helplessness.
"Your Majesty...please take care of your health," Consort Liu said softly, suppressing the turmoil in her heart.
She approached Li Longji, wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief, her eyes filled with pity and a touch of helplessness.
"I fear my illness will be incurable in this lifetime..." Li Longji said weakly.
at the same time.
Li Mao sat upright in his study.
"Little Table, is there any news about Gao Chen?"
Xiao Zhuozi quickly bowed and said, "Your Highness Prince Shou, Gao Chen has not given any orders in the past few days, and even Xiao Xizi has not seen Gao Chen."
Afu also stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your Highness, in recent days, Gao Chen has not contacted those ministers, as if he has disappeared without a trace."
Upon hearing these words, Li Mao gradually began to guess what was going on.
Immediately afterward, the steward bowed and said, "Your Highness Prince Shou, we have also been unable to contact the Imperial Physician Wang for the past few days."
"Ah."
When Li Mao heard this news, he immediately let out a cold laugh.
It seems that my cheap father is terminally ill.
Now is the perfect time.
With no one handling state affairs, Li Longji must be wary of the Crown Prince; otherwise, the Crown Prince would have already begun overseeing the country long ago.
"It seems that my cheap father still hopes that he can recover and step forward to take charge of the situation again."
"I just don't know if that old man is paralyzed on one side or has had a stroke."
"However, both of these are enough to drive that old man to despair."
Li Mao smiled faintly and said, "Now all the princes from the border regions are in Chang'an, and they all want to come to my horse racing track to gamble on horses."
"By my decree, issue the Cloud Pattern Decree."
Once this order was issued...
The powerful and wealthy of Chang'an were in an uproar.
But ordinary wealthy merchants couldn't understand why these princes were so excited.
The only thing that can be understood is that the princes were gambling with gold and playing with their hearts.
They always made a fortune.
Going to bet on horses with the princes is definitely the right thing to do.
at the same time.
To ascertain Li Longji's current situation, Li Mao prepared to personally bring the account books and money, and, as was customary, hand over the gold he had earned...