ARTTEDSBGT Chapter 80
“Is it not poisoning?” Emperor Jingming’s expression seemed skeptical, his sharp eyes fixed on the old royal physician, asking, “Are you sure?”
The imperial tone carried a compelling authority, making Physician Zhang nervous. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he replied, “Your Majesty, I have used silver needles to test it. The tea Miss Li used is indeed non-toxic.”
Emperor Jingming continued, “What about the things she carries with her? Have those been checked?”
Physician Zhang hurriedly responded, “They have been checked, Your Majesty.”
Pausing for a moment, he added cautiously, “From Miss Li’s pulse and complexion, there are no signs of poisoning. Your Majesty and Grand Princess Chang need not worry.”
Grand Princess Chang quickly inquired, “Then why did she suddenly faint? Could it be some illness?”
Physician Zhang carefully chose his words, “Sudden fainting can have many reasons, such as internal cold, insufficient blood and qi, shock, or hidden ailments. It cannot be generalized.”
Emperor Jingming asked, “So you don’t know the specific reason?”
His tone was calm but imposing. Physician Zhang, anxious, began to sweat again, “Well…”
At that moment, Li Zhizhi came out from the inner chamber, followed by Xiao Yan. Seeing her, Grand Princess Chang immediately expressed concern, “Why did you get up? Quickly, go back and rest.”
“Mother, I’m fine,” Li Zhizhi approached, bowed to Emperor Jingming with a lowered head, showing apology, “This common girl was impolite and disrupted the court. Please forgive me, Your Majesty.”
Emperor Jingming gestured for her to rise with a wave of his hand, glanced at her, and then said, “It’s good that there’s nothing wrong.”
After a moment’s pause, he turned to the Grand Princess Chang and said, “Send a few more imperial physicians to the Grand Princess’s residence to carefully examine her pulse.”
Grand Princess Chang and Li Zhizhi thanked him for his grace, and Emperor Jingming then turned his gaze to Xiao Yan. As he was standing, his legs appeared intact. He then said to Chief Physician Zhang, “Your medical skills are indeed extraordinary. The illness seems to have improved before the person arrived. You deserve a reward.”
With that, he ordered a eunuch to give him a reward. Poor Chief Physician Zhang, who had just been feeling ashamed of his medical skills, was now inexplicably praised by the emperor himself. He was confused for a moment, extremely anxious, thinking to himself that the heart of the emperor was indeed unpredictable, with constantly changing emotions. Serving the emperor was like being with a tiger.
The old physician quickly and respectfully thanked the emperor for his favor and then left with the reward, still feeling uneasy.
The air fell silent as Xiao Yan sat in the carriage. Even though Emperor Jingming had seen through him, his expression remained nonchalant. He only mentioned that his leg injury had not yet healed, without revealing that his legs were actually broken and he couldn’t stand. So, even with a limp, he felt justified.
Emperor Jingming didn’t pay any more attention to him but turned to Grand Princess Chang and exchanged a few words. The Grand Princess spoke softly, “Brother, there is one more matter I would like to discuss with you.”
Upon hearing this, Emperor Jingming immediately understood and said, “I’ll go to the study. Let’s discuss it on the way.”
Grand Princess Chang then instructed Li Zhizhi, “Zhizhi, I will be back shortly. Rest here or take a stroll with the Crown Prince, just don’t go too far.”
Li Zhizhi nodded and replied, “Yes.”
Grand Princess Chang and Emperor Jingming left together. As they crossed two verandas and exited the imperial garden, they saw two squads of guards approaching in the distance, each towering at eight feet tall, carrying long knives, imposing and majestic.
Emperor Jingming disliked using eunuchs, especially in recent years. Apart from daily routines, he strictly prohibited them from meddling in other affairs. When he traveled on ordinary days, his entourage consisted of guards. The reason for this could be traced back to the chaos caused by the eunuchs in the past. At that time, Emperor Maodi was still young and unable to rule personally. Empress Dowager Li shamelessly colluded with the eunuchs, manipulated behind the scenes, and disrupted the court. After the successful palace coup, Emperor Jingming had purged most of the eunuchs in the palace, leaving only a few younger ones.
After they passed through the two corridors and exited the imperial garden, they saw two squads of guards approaching from a distance, each about eight feet tall, with long knives at their waists, exuding an imposing aura.
“Speak,” Emperor Jingming asked, “What is the matter?”
Grand Princess Chang said, “Today, Your Majesty met Zhizhi. How did you find the child?”
“From the way you look, it’s not just about recognizing her as an adopted daughter. What are you asking for on her behalf?” Emperor Jingming turned to look at her and asked, “Speak directly.”
Grand Princess Chang smiled and said, “It seems there’s nothing that can escape the eyes of my imperial brother.”
After a pause, she whispered, “My brother, I genuinely like Zhizhi and would like to ask you to grant her the title of a princess. Will my brother agree?”
Emperor Jingming asked indifferently, “Is this proposal for the title your own idea, or is it instructed by the Li family? Or perhaps, did Li Zhizhi herself request it from you?”
Grand Princess Chang didn’t expect him to be so suspicious, hastily explaining, “It was my, it has nothing to do with Zhizhi. The child is completely unaware of this matter.”
Concerned about Emperor Jingming misunderstanding Li Zhizhi, Grand Princess Chang added, “Zhizhi is a good girl. She has never asked anything from me. Even if offered, she repeatedly refuses and dare not accept it with a clear conscience.”
Upon hearing this, Emperor Jingming said, “You value her for your own reasons. I trust your judgment. Two thousand feet of solitary pine in the stream, eagerly watching the branches in the cold years. Anyone who can compose this poem is probably not a despicable person.”
At this point, he folded his hands and seemed to be contemplating. Suddenly, he asked, “Are both of Li Zhizhi’s biological parents no longer alive?”
Grand Princess Chang’s heart skipped a beat, but she answered, “I heard from the Li family that Zhizhi’s biological parents are no longer in this world. Assistant Minister Li adopted her, and everyone in the Li family refers to her as Miss.”
This answer was quite clever, as she spoke the truth. Even if something happened in the future, it wouldn’t implicate her or Li Zhizhi.
“Hmm,” Emperor Jingming acknowledged, then said, “I approve of this matter. Later, draft an edict and have the Ministry of Rites pick a date to prepare for the conferment.”
Grand Princess Chang initially thought she would have to persuade him more, but she didn’t expect him to agree so readily. She breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, saying, “Then, on behalf of Zhizhi, I thank elder brother.”
Unexpectedly, Emperor Jingming asked, “What, did you think I wouldn’t agree?”
Upon hearing this, Grand Princess Chang was momentarily stunned. Before she could respond, Emperor Jingming waved his hand, saying, “Never mind, I need to review some documents. Is there anything else?”
Grand Princess Chang didn’t dare to disturb, so she took her leave, watching the emperor’s carriage depart from where she stood. Emperor Jingming was eight years older and had a tall and robust stature. Grand Princess Chang had admired him since childhood for his broad and strong physique. When he wielded a long spear, it seemed effortless, graceful, and very pleasing to the eye.
Throughout her life, her most revered person had always been her elder brother. However, she couldn’t pinpoint when his figure began to lose the upright and towering presence it once had. Grand Princess Chang couldn’t help but feel a bit lost, realizing that so many years had passed.
…
Imperial Garden.
Since Emperor Jingming and Grand Princess Chang left, Consort Rong and Consort Chun also dispersed, leaving only Li Zhizhi and Xiao Yan. Li Zhizhi was somewhat absent-minded, and she noticed a parrot hanging on a nearby corridor. Palace maids were carefully feeding it.
“What’s wrong?”
Xiao Yan’s voice brought her back to reality, and Li Zhizhi shook her head, saying, “I’m fine.”
Xiao Yan only gazed at her, not believing her words. “Your face clearly says otherwise.”
“The Crown Prince is so concerned about me,” Li Zhizhi teased with a sly and playful smile. “Since that’s the case, why not take a guess, big brother?”
The young girl’s playful and cunning smile caused Xiao Yan’s heart to skip a beat. He composed himself before asking, “Is it because of the painting that Consort Rong presented earlier?”
Unexpectedly, he really guessed it right. Li Zhizhi couldn’t help but be stunned, showing a surprised expression. At this moment, a palace maid came over, bowing respectfully and said, “Miss Li, Consort Rong invites you to go and have a conversation at the Snow Pavilion.”
Upon hearing this, Li Zhizhi was about to get up, but Xiao Yan pulled her back. He squinted his phoenix eyes slightly and stared at the maid, asking sharply, “What does Consort Rong want with her? Why didn’t you mention it earlier?”
His tone was a bit sharp, and the maid seemed afraid of him, trembling as she said, “The servant, the servant didn’t know. It’s just the command of the Consort… She instructed me this way.”
She looked like she was about to cry, trembling all over, making it difficult for anyone to press further. However, Xiao Yan did not relent, only saying, “Go back and tell Consort Rong that Zhizhi is not familiar with the palace and is afraid of getting lost. Moreover, the Grand Princess specifically instructed her to wait here and it wouldn’t be appropriate to leave. If there’s anything, she can come to the Imperial Garden.”
Pausing, he continued, “As for me, my leg injury has not healed, and I need Zhizhi’s care. I cannot leave her.”
Li Zhizhi: …
Seeing the maid scared and shivering, Li Zhizhi spoke softly to reassure her, “Please go and report to the Consort. It’s the Crown Prince’s intention, and I’m sure the Consort won’t blame you.”
Compared to Xiao Yan’s impoliteness, Li Zhizhi’s attitude was like a breath of fresh air. The maid felt relieved and retreated respectfully.
Xiao Yan glanced at Li Zhizhi, let out a light laugh, and said, “You’re quite good at taking advantage of the situation.”
“Huh?” Li Zhizhi looked innocent on purpose and said, “Isn’t it because the Crown Prince has a leg injury and can’t be without me by his side?”
Looking at her triumphant appearance, pretending to be harmless like a fox with its tail raised, it made Xiao Yan itchy, wanting to pull her tail.
Before long, Consort Rong personally arrived. Laughter preceded her, and the fragrant breeze wafted as she gracefully entered the pavilion. Li Zhizhi stood up to greet her, but Consort Rong casually waved her hand, greeted Xiao Yan, and then sat down with a smile, saying to Li Zhizhi, “Sit down, sister Zhizhi.”
Li Zhizhi sat down as instructed, but unexpectedly, Xiao Yan spoke up, “Noble Consort called it wrong.”
Consort Rong was startled, and Xiao Yan calmly reminded her, “Li Zhizhi is the adopted daughter of Grand Princess Chang, and we are siblings.”
“Oh!” Consort Rong realized her mistake, turned her beautiful eyes, and said with a smile, “It was a slip of the tongue. Miss Li Zhizhi and Crown Prince, please don’t be angry.”
Li Zhizhi naturally dared not be angry. Consort Rong then dismissed the palace attendants and said, “I actually came here to ask Miss Li Zhizhi about something.”
Hearing this, Li Zhizhi had a premonition in her heart. True to her expectations, Consort Rong stared at her curiously and asked, “When I showed that painting, you seemed surprised. Do you recognize the artist?”
After a moment of contemplation, Li Zhizhi did not immediately answer. Instead, she hesitated and said, “The maiden also wants to ask Consort where that painting came from.”
Consort Rong shook her silk fan and smiled, “Didn’t I say? I bought it from someone. At that time, I bought several paintings, and that one looked the simplest. Do you recognize the artist? It’s the County Princess Rong An, Xiao Man.”
Sure enough, Li Zhizhi had a sudden realization. Consort Rong carefully observed her expression and asked, “What’s wrong? Do you seem to know the County Princess?”
Li Zhizhi smiled faintly and said, “I and County Princess Rong’an studied together at Mingyuan, and we were classmates. As for that painting…”
Consort Rong inquired, “What happened to that painting?”
Li Zhizhi hesitated and said, “I don’t know how to tell Your Ladyship, but the origin of that painting is not entirely proper.”
“Not entirely proper?” Consort Rong frowned and asked, “In what way is it not proper?”
Li Zhizhi whispered, “Because it was stolen by someone.”