The Splendid Brocade of the Painting Physician – Chapter 108

Chapter 108: Summon Her to the Palace

This was asking him to use his identity as the Son of Heaven to coerce his subjects!

Was it that Young Lady Xiao Jinyu again?

Chen Xu’s eyes flickered with a sharp glint. It was precisely because he had received a painting from this Young Lady that he had ordered people to investigate the many instances of Prince of Shixing’s misgovernment and harming the people.

It was evident that the current outcome was precisely what that Young Lady wanted to see.

Had this Young Lady even calculated him, the Son of Heaven of a nation, into her scheme?

Thinking about this, Chen Xu shook his head bitterly, immediately ordered his carriage to return to Tai City, and entered the West Garden of the Inner Palace.

Within the West Garden, Consort Peng, the birth mother of the Prince of Shixing, was already weeping profusely.

“Your Majesty, how is our Imperial son? How are his injuries? Has Your Majesty captured the assassins and brought them to justice?”

Consort Peng’s barrage of questions made Chen Xu extremely impatient. An extremely oppressive atmosphere spread throughout Consort Peng’s Jade Purity Palace.

“You really don’t resemble her at all. No, how could you resemble her? You’re not even one ten-thousandth of her…”

He muttered abruptly, then reached out and pinched Consort Peng’s chin.

“Except for this face…”

But besides this face, there was nothing left!

“Your Majesty, what have I done wrong? If I have displeased Your Majesty, it is my fault. But I am also heartbroken and worried about our Imperial son!”

“You haven’t done anything wrong, but it is precisely because you haven’t done anything that you raised your son to be like that…”

“What exactly happened to Shuling?”

Consort Peng’s heart was filled with even more worry, and she couldn’t help but feel grief welling up, sobbing again with tears streaming down her face.

Chen Xu suddenly stood up, his hands clasped behind his back.

“Shuling will never become the Crown Prince. No matter how much I favor him, my favor can only go so far. If he dares to cause trouble again in the future…”

“He won’t, Your Majesty. Shuling has always been the most obedient to you since he was a child. When he was in Northern Zhou, he was also the most filial to his parents. When he was young, he often made us laugh. Didn’t Your Majesty like his temperament the most?”

As Consort Peng spoke, she seemed to recall some happy past events, and a smile squeezed out on her tear-stained face.

Looking at this bleak smile, this bright and beautiful yet dignified and noble face, Chen Xu’s heart suddenly softened again. He reached out and wiped away the tears from Consort Peng’s face, and said softly:

“Alright, when he recovers a bit, let him enter the palace to see you.”

“Your Majesty doesn’t blame me anymore. I knew Your Majesty still loves me…”

As Consort Peng spoke, she nestled into Chen Xu’s embrace with extreme shyness. Chen Xu didn’t refuse, as if he was pondering something. Only after a long while did he seem to remember something and pushed Consort Peng away: “I still have matters to attend to. I won’t be dining with you today!”

“Your Majesty—”

Amidst Consort Peng’s reluctant calls, Chen Xu strode out of Jade Purity Palace and headed towards Taiji Palace.

But before he had gone far, Consort Peng’s face turned cold.

“Go and investigate, what exactly happened? What did His Majesty do after going to the Prince of Shixing’s Residence?”

“Yes!”

An inner servant replied and immediately retreated from Jade Purity Palace.

As soon as he stepped out of Jade Purity Palace, the sound of porcelain shattering on the ground came from behind him. The inner servant broke out in a cold sweat and quickly walked away.

“Your Ladyship, please don’t be angry, lest you harm your health!” The old woman beside Consort Peng advised.

“After so many years, he still can’t forget that face. No, he only likes my face!”

“Your Ladyship, the Emperor’s affection is not meant for one person alone. Why should you care how many people reside in his heart? A dead person cannot compare to Your Ladyship!”

“No, a dead person is the most terrifying. Her soul will linger forever. The reason His Majesty has been plagued by nightmares for years is because of her!”

Not long after, the inner servant who went to inquire about the news returned.

“Your Ladyship—”

The inner servant bowed.

“Speak—”

“His Majesty went to the Prince of Shixing’s Residence and only reprimanded His Highness. He also punished an attendant beside His Highness. In addition, General Tan Qi, who was originally sent by His Highness to capture the assassins, was also dismissed from his post and sentenced to be executed after the autumn harvest!”

Consort Peng’s body went limp, and she almost fell to the ground. The palace maid beside her immediately stepped forward to support her.

“Why did His Majesty do this? Why didn’t he capture the assassins but instead reprimanded the Prince of Shixing?”

“Your Ladyship, although His Majesty is the Son of Heaven, he must also listen to public opinion. This time, it was His Highness who coerced that Young Lady first, so…”

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

✿✿✿

Consort Peng didn’t believe that her son was some heinous criminal. With a sharp shout, the inner servant immediately knelt down with a thud, not daring to continue.

“Then how are my son’s injuries? Have you gotten any news from Imperial Physician Yao?”

“The Imperial Physician said… said he will do his best… Whether His Highness can recover depends on his fate…”

“What kind of talk is that? Is he unable to treat but unwilling to admit he’s a quack, so he came up with such an excuse?”

Consort Peng’s worry and anger surged up together.

“Is it all because of that Divine Physician Lady, that Xiao Jinyu? Is it because of her that my son has become like this?”

She suddenly turned to look at the inner servant prostrate on the ground and ordered coldly:

“Then issue an Empress’s edict, summon her to the palace for an audience!”

Empress Liu Jingyan had a very gentle and understanding nature. She never competed for favor or became jealous with the other consorts in the Inner Palace, and even treated them as sisters. The demeanor of the Mother of a Nation was fully embodied in this Empress.

Not only was Liu Jingyan kind and considerate to others, deeply loved by the Emperor, but she also took the initiative to select beautiful and talented women for her husband, the Emperor, to sleep with. If any consort in the Inner Palace became pregnant, Liu Jingyan would also take extra care of them until the prince or princess was born safely. Therefore, Chen Xu, who was nearing the age of forty, already had over forty princes, not including princesses.

Consort Peng was also very good at building a close relationship with Liu Jingyan. She often went to the Empress’s Palace of Manifest Brightness to chat and talk with her. If she happened to hear some interesting folk tales or got some new food, she would share it with her.

“Your Majesty, I heard that there’s a Divine Physician in Jiankang City recently, and it’s said to be a Young Lady. She’s said to be beautiful and very interesting. I’ve always had a heart ailment, and the Imperial Physicians can’t cure my old problem. So I really want to meet this Divine Physician Lady and have her take my pulse.

And His Majesty…”

She paused again at this point: His Majesty had been plagued by nightmares when he was a hostage in the Zhou State. After returning to the Chen State, he had also encountered an assassination attempt and suffered from headaches.

But His Majesty’s health was not something to be announced publicly. Although the two of them knew it well, they didn’t dare to mention it. So Consort Peng changed the subject again:

“Your Majesty, I also heard that a few days ago, when the Zhou envoy came to our Chen State, the Eastern Palace held a banquet to entertain them. His Majesty summoned that Young Lady to the Eastern Palace for an audience, and His Majesty even asked that Young Lady to paint a picture. Now he keeps that painting in his study and often takes it out to admire and appreciate it alone.”

When she said this, she saw Liu Jingyan’s face change.

“Consort Peng, what do you mean by this? Are you trying to speculate on His Majesty’s intentions?”

“Oh my, I misspoke, I deserve to die!” She pretended to slap her own mouth, and then pleaded in a low voice as if she was extremely wronged, “Your Majesty, I really want to meet this Divine Physician Lady. Please help me!”

“She’s just a commoner, it’s not impossible to meet her. But Consort Peng, since it’s just a meeting, it can only be one meeting. Don’t have any other thoughts, okay?”

Consort Peng was overjoyed and hurriedly said:

“Yes, I will keep Your Majesty’s words in mind!”

“Then issue my Empress’s edict, summon that Divine Physician Lady to my Palace of Manifest Brightness for an audience!”

✿✿✿

“Your Majesty, you’ve been standing for a long time. Why don’t you sit down and have a cup of tea?”

Eunuch Wu was an old servant by Chen Xu’s side and the one who understood his intentions the most. Seeing Chen Xu frowning in deep thought at this moment, although his emotions were suppressed and not obvious, his heart must be in extreme pain. His most beloved son had ended up disabled and incurable, and he, as the Son of Heaven, was powerless. After all, the root of all this misfortune was still caused by the Prince of Shixing’s misgovernment, harming the people, and his lustful heart.

“I have already dismissed Tan Qi, who led the troops to surround and capture her residence, and sentenced him to death. This can be considered as giving her an explanation, right?”

“If I were to summon her to be an Imperial Physician in the palace, I wonder if she would be willing?”

If she were an Imperial Physician in the palace, it would be natural for her to treat the princes.

Eunuch Wu knew the worries in his heart and added, “Your Majesty, I heard that this Young Lady’s mother used to be an Imperial Physician in the palace, specializing in treating the consorts and princesses. It would be a blessing for that Young Lady if Your Majesty summoned her to be an Imperial Physician!”

Before he finished speaking, Chen Xu’s face suddenly darkened.

Only then did Eunuch Wu remember that the Young Lady’s mother, Xiao Luan, had entered the palace to treat a princess but was framed and ended up with her reputation ruined.

Although His Majesty was in the Zhou State at the time, this matter had nothing to do with him. But after all, it happened within the Imperial Palace, and that Young Lady’s father, Han Zigao, was executed by His Majesty…

Eunuch Wu was instantly drenched in cold sweat and hurriedly knelt down, saying:

“Your Majesty, I misspoke, I deserve to die!”

After a brief silence, Chen Xu said:

“No need! Get up, and there’s no need to summon her to the palace anymore!”

The Son of Heaven did not blame him. Eunuch Wu was overjoyed and stood up.

At this moment, he could no longer understand what the Son of Heaven was thinking. He only saw his expression change unpredictably, with hidden undercurrents surging in his eyes.