newbobooks Chapter 330 Brother and Sister
Chapter 330 Brother and Sister
"Cough cough..." The Empress coughed, clutching her chest.
She fell seriously ill after the Crown Prince was confined to his quarters.
At first, it was just for show for the emperor, but as he lay there, he actually fell seriously ill.
Several imperial physicians were consulted, and the patient took herbal medicine every day, but the condition never improved.
"Your Highness, Lord Tong has arrived." The palace maid Xiaowei strode in with a smile on her face.
Every time Lord Tong came, he would reward them with silver, so he was considered a distinguished guest in their eyes.
"My elder brother has arrived. Please invite him to the flower hall for tea."
Li Ge served the Empress her medicine and then helped her get up to change and do her makeup, making Minister Tong wait for a full half hour.
Upon meeting, Minister Tong complained to his sister, "Is Her Majesty the Empress so busy that she doesn't even have time to see her brother?"
"Ahem... You're not an outsider, why are you saying such hurtful things?"
Li Ge helped the Empress to the seat of honor and acted as a peacemaker.
"Minister Tong, please forgive Her Majesty. Her Majesty is unwell, and the imperial physician instructed her to rest in bed. If it weren't for your presence, Her Majesty would not have been able to get up today."
"Are you sick?" Minister Tong looked at her face, which was rather pale and unwell.
He asked with concern, "How long have you been sick? The Crown Prince was very worried when he couldn't see you at home, so he specially ordered me to go to the palace to visit you."
The Empress smiled when she heard that her son cared about her.
"Fortunately, the imperial physician said it was because I was overthinking. It's also because of what happened to the Crown Prince before, which caught me off guard."
To put it bluntly, the empress fell ill from anger.
"Let's not talk about that matter anymore. It's all in the past. The Emperor didn't pursue it. Although the Crown Prince's confinement is a bit embarrassing, the ministers know perfectly well that no one will doubt the Crown Prince."
Whether it was because he couldn't or dared not, Minister Tong didn't care.
As long as the Crown Prince remains the Crown Prince, and as long as the Tong family remains in the court, no one can shake his position.
"I know, don't worry, I'm fine. How's everything at home?"
Minister Tong had no way to express his opinion.
Clearly, the Empress was unaware of her father's descent from the mountain.
"What's wrong? Could something have happened at home?" The Empress coughed again in her anxiety.
Li Ge brought her a cup of warm water and helped her drink it, gently comforting her, "Your Highness, don't worry, everything is fine in the Tong residence."
Minister Tong noticed that the Empress was holding Li Ge's hand, and his brows furrowed slightly.
He remembered the Crown Prince's words.
The Crown Prince seemed to dislike this person in charge of affairs, even though Li Ge had clearly made many great contributions for them.
Seeing the intimate posture of the two, Minister Tong suddenly understood many things.
He coughed, interrupting the two, and said loudly, "My father went down the mountain a few days ago and stayed at the Crown Prince's residence for a few days, but he did not return home."
Upon hearing this, the Empress's worries vanished.
"Father has finally decided to come down the mountain? He must have heard that the Crown Prince was under house arrest and went to visit him."
Although the Empress wielded immense power, she still spoke of her father like a little daughter.
"Yes, the Crown Prince said that Father believes there must be a mastermind behind the whole thing, and that it is aimed at the Crown Prince."
The Empress slammed her hand on the table. “Of course. If it was just a scheme to harm Xie Kenian, why would the Crown Prince need to be implicated? If the Emperor hadn’t been unable to produce evidence of their affair, he probably wouldn’t have let the Crown Prince off so easily.”
"That Xie family girl is dead now, so it's even more difficult to find out who the adulterer was."
The Empress did send people to investigate, but all her people knew was that Xie Kenian had been taken to Qingfeng Garden by Xie Jingfeng. Before they could even make contact with her, the bad news came out.
Indeed, she suffered a miscarriage and severe bleeding at the time, and it was already lucky that she was able to leave the palace alive.
She didn't pay attention to the Xie family's funeral; once the person was dead, she didn't pursue the matter further.
"Li Ge, go ask the Xie family if they still stand by what they promised before."
Li Ge agreed, "I don't think the Xie family would dare to go back on their word, especially since this is something the Xie family owes the Crown Prince."
Minister Tong stopped them, saying, "We dare not go to the Xie family at a time like this. Who knows if the Emperor is watching us and the Xie family? If we go now, who knows what the Emperor will think?"
"Your Excellency is right, but I will be careful."
"You are the Empress's trusted confidant and favorite general. The Imperial City Guard will definitely be watching your every move. Do you think you can fly out of the palace?"
The Empress pressed Li Ge down and agreed to her brother's proposal.
“Brother is right. It’s better to be cautious at this time. A little gold and silver is nothing compared to our bright future.”
The empress felt tired after sitting for only a short while.
She rubbed her forehead and asked her brother, "How has His Majesty been lately?"
Minister Tong joked, "You two are husband and wife, why are you asking me, an outsider, such a question?"
The empress had no words to express her suffering.
She hadn't seen the Emperor for a long time, and when she occasionally heard about how he was having fun with Consort Lin, she didn't feel anything.
She said calmly, "It's been a long time since any new women have entered the harem. Brother, go and find a few beauties to send into the palace."
Minister Tong paused, then asked cautiously, "Would it be so useful?"
"It doesn't matter whether it's useful or not, as long as someone gets annoyed, that's fine."
Li Ge stood to the side with a smile in his eyes, his fingers slightly curled, thinking to himself: I wonder who the next unlucky one will be.
Minister Tong could not stay any longer, so the brother and sister spoke for a while before leaving.
As soon as he left, the empress collapsed.
"Your Majesty...Your Majesty, what's wrong? Someone, come here..."
The people carried the Empress to her palace, and the imperial physician arrived quickly. However, after examining her, he could only conclude that she was overworked.
"Your Majesty should not move around, and should not get angry. You need to rest quietly."
"Rest and rest! All you ever say is rest and rest! How can Her Majesty the Empress be so weak?"
Li Ge reprimanded the imperial physicians, but it didn't change anything.
The Empress listened to their conversation and saw Li Ge's undisguised concern for her, which warmed her heart.
She didn't care at all about emperors or husbands and wives.
She would be content just to see her son ascend the throne.
If only she could leave the palace after the Crown Prince ascends the throne, she could travel the world with Li Ge and see all the most beautiful scenery.
"Her Majesty is asleep," Xiaowei said softly.
Li Ge suppressed his anger and instructed the imperial physicians: "Go and prepare the medicine. No one else may handle the herbs, and the medicine must be inspected before it can be served to the Empress."
"Yes."
Once everyone in the room had left, Li Ge broke down in an instant and laughed silently.
Xiaowei leaned closer and whispered, "Steward, is Her Majesty really alright?"
"What? You want her to get better?"
"No, but... what if Your Highness notices something?"
"Don't worry, you just focus on being a good head maid, I'll take care of everything else."
Li Ge patted her cheek and left the Empress's palace.
The Kunning Palace was deathly still due to the Empress's illness.
It was another full moon night, and the emperor spent the night in the Hall of Mental Cultivation as usual.
He lay on the couch with his eyes closed, resting. Zhao Jinxiao personally stood guard by his side, and Wu Xuan was the only one who could get close to him.