Chapter 370:1 Don’t Want You to Cripple Your Wings for
Me
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Xiao Jin had become the Crown Prince. Other than Xiao Jin himself and the people of Prince Qi’s Manor, everyone else in the capital was so shocked that they could not recover for a long time.
Who would have thought that an exiled prince would eventually become the Crown Prince?
After Xiao Jin became the Crown Prince, he would have to move into the Eastern Palace. However, Xiao Jin said that the Imperial Palace had just experienced a great battle and many parts of the palace needed repairs, so this matter would be put on hold for now.
However, Emperor Kangze was heavily injured and bedridden, so he could only let Xiao Jin handle the matters in the Imperial Court.
Emperor Kangze wasn’t the only one who was seriously injured in that battle. Many of the ministers were also seriously injured. Xiao Jin sent people to inquire and had the Imperial Guards record down the names of the seriously injured ministers.
When Xiao Jin returned to the Prince’s Manor at night, he was still holding that booklet. As he flipped through it, he would make markings on it after reading each page.
Su Ying was curious when she saw him do that. “Why are you making markings on it?”
“I’m taking note of who can be retained.”
Su Ying leaned over to take a look. “So who can be retained?”
“Those who are neutral and those who belong to the Emperor-supporting faction can stay. Those who support the Grand Mentor’s faction can die with him.”
Su Ying straightened her body. It turned out that Xiao Jin was purging the remaining members of the enemy’s faction.
“These were all seriously injured that night?”
Xiao Jin nodded and put the booklet aside after marking it.
Su Ying picked up the booklet and flipped through it. “Among these people, who has the highest prestige? Who must be kept alive at all costs?”
“Duke Jingguo, one of the top-ranking ministers in the central court,” Xiao Jin said.
Duke Jingguo was an elder who served two dynasties. He was the study companion of Xiao Jin’s grandfather and an important official who had accompanied the previous Emperor to govern the state. When Emperor Kangze had just ascended the throne, outwardly he still put Duke Jingguo in an important position.
However, as time passed, the new Emperor slowly sidelined Duke Jingguo’s power. Duke Jingguo could also see it and wanted to resign. However, Emperor Kangze did not want other people to say that he could not tolerate the important officials of the previous dynasty, so he pretended to retain him. He simply gave Duke Jingguo a sinecure and let him hang around to boost the prestige of Emperor Kangze.
“Back then, when the previous Emperor wanted to roll out reforms, the policy affected the benefits that many aristocratic families and nobles were enjoying then. It was Duke Jingguo who came forward to persuade those people to give their approval. He is truly the Chu State’s useful important minister.”
Xiao Jin had planned to personally visit Duke Jingguo, but the Imperial Guards he had sent to inquire reported that earlier, there had been assassins who intended to assassinate Duke Jingguo. Although there were people protecting him, Duke Jingguo was still seriously injured. Coupled with his old age, his condition was not good.
A minister who was truly loyal to the country and the people should not die.
“Tomorrow, I will go to Duke Jingguo’s Residence to take a look.”
Xiao Jin raised his head in surprise. He knew that Su Ying was determined to return to Sky Alpha City and didn’t want to get involved in the matters here. He was surprised when she spoke out.
“There’s no need to force yourself.”
Su Ying replied, “What’s there to force? Don’t you want to be the Chu State’s Emperor? If you don’t become the Emperor, is there someone else more suitable than you now?”
Xiao Jin pursed his lips. “1 don’t want to imprison you in the Imperial Palace. Su Ying, you’re an eagle that can soar into the sky. 1 don’t want you to cripple your wings for me.”
Su Ying found it a little funny, but she also felt touched. “After you become the Emperor, I can’t do what 1 want to do anymore?”
“Not really.”
“Since 1 can still do what I want, what difference does it make to me?”
Xiao Jin was stunned, but he immediately understood. “1 was thinking too much.” It was also because he was afraid of losing her.
“Since you hate the rules of the past, then be the one who sets the rules. 1 believe in you.”
Xiao Jin’s dark eyes were blazing as he gripped Su Ying’s hand tightly. She seemed to have an overbearing aura that seemed fearless of everything. This kind of momentum could always give him the strength to move forward, even if she might not consider everything so thoroughly sometimes.
“Alright.”
Su Ying asked Xiao Jin for the booklet. Since she had nothing to do anyway, she planned to go to the residences according to the names marked out on Xiao Jin’s booklet and take a look.
According to Aunt Zhao, this was a good opportunity to win people’s hearts.
She didn’t need to use force, and she could still stand on the moral high ground to make the other party listen to her. It sounded like a good plan.
When Su Ying arrived at Duke Jingguo’s Residence, it was already past seven in the morning.
As Duke Jingguo was seriously injured, the entire Duke Jingguo’s Residence was shrouded in a depressing atmosphere.
When Su Ying arrived, it was the eldest son and daughter-in-law of Duke Jingguo who came to welcome her.
Duke Jingguo’s Residence had never interacted much with Prince Qi, so they couldn’t understand why Su Ying had come at this juncture.
“Greetings, Crown Princess Consort.”
Su Ying gestured with her hand for them to get up. “I came here today to take a look at Duke Jingguo. The Crown Prince was very worried when he heard that he was seriously injured, but he was too busy with the palace affairs to leave, so he asked me to come over and take a look.”
The two of them were relieved when they realized that Su Ying had not come to stir up trouble.
“The Crown Prince and Crown Princess Consort are really thoughtful. Your Highness, please come in.”
Su Ying followed them into Duke Jingguo’s courtyard.
The Imperial Physician from the palace had already come and given Duke Jingguo the necessary medical treatment, but his injuries were too serious and he had not regained consciousness yet.
When Su Ying entered the room, everyone in the room came forward to greet her. The person leading the group was the white-haired but dignified Duke Jingguo’s wife.
“Greetings, Your Highness.”
Duke Jingguo’s wife held the title of a first-grade noble lady personally conferred by the previous Emperor through an Imperial edict, so she didn’t need to bow to Su Ying.
Su Ying personally went forward to help Mrs. Duke Jingguo up in a symbolic gesture. “Mrs. Duke Jingguo, you are too polite. I am here to see Duke Jingguo. 1 wonder how he is doing?”
When Mrs. Duke Jingguo heard this, the spirited look that she had forced herself to put up on her face immediately withered considerably. “Your Highness, the Imperial Physician has seen him. I’m afraid it’s not too good.” “I also know some medical skills. Why don’t you let me take a look?”
When the people in the room heard this, they all looked at Su Ying in surprise.
After Su Ying returned to the capital, she had shown off quite a bit of her fighting abilities, but not many people knew that she possessed medical skills.
Mrs. Duke Jingguo wanted to refuse, but Duke Jingguo’s eldest son said, “Then 1’11 have to trouble Your Highness.”
The old lady glanced at the eldest son, but the eldest son shook his head at her, so the old lady did not say anything more.
Su Ying was the Crown Princess Consort after all, so she couldn’t treat such an important matter as child’s play.
Duke Jingguo was lying on the bed. If it weren’t for the slight rise and fall of his chest, Su Ying would have thought that he was dead.
“Where is Lord Duke injured?”
The attendant who was serving by his side replied, “Your Highness, the Imperial Physician said that Lord Duke’s spleen was injured. He was stabbed in the spleen and there was too much bleeding. In addition, Lord Duke is getting on in age, so it won’t be so easy for him to recover.”
Su Ying murmured in acknowledgment, then lifted the blanket covering Duke Jingguo’s body and pulled open his inner robes. The wound on his stomach, which had been wrapped in bandages, could be seen.
“My medical skills cannot be revealed to outsiders. Everyone, please wait outside.”
The people from Duke Jingguo’s Residence exchanged looks with one another. Bai Shuang, who had tagged along, saw that there seemed to be some doubt in their eyes and explained, “My lords and ladies, you may not know this, but the Crown Princess Consort’s medical skills were learned from an otherworldly expert, so the process of this treatment cannot be spread. Please wait outside for a moment.”
After Bai Shuang said that, everyone understood at once. To put it bluntly, she was afraid of other people stealing her knowledge and skills.
Although they had their doubts, the people from the Duke’s residence still went out.
Su Ying nodded at Bai Shuang. After the door was closed, Su Ying locked it from the inside..