The Crown Prince and the Enfeoffment of a King

Because the emperor had fainted and then awakened, the atmosphere in the palace was somewhat strange—a sense of relief mingled with tension, contradictory and odd, yet easy enough to understand...

After all, the emperor's awakening was cause for celebration, but the fact that he had been unconscious for many days also meant that the imperial body was unwell. It was hard not to feel that hidden dangers still remained.

Added to that was the earlier uproar caused by the imperial princes and the gathered officials, making the situation all the more complicated. Tension and vigilance were only natural. The most immediate result was that the procedures for entering the Imperial Palace had become increasingly cumbersome. Even an official like Qiu Yan, who bore the title of scholar and ordinarily had the authority to enter and leave the palace, had to go through a great deal of trouble before being admitted.

By the time he reached the Imperial Study, it was already close to noon.

"Scholar Qiu has arrived. Quickly, grant him a seat."

When Qiu Yan entered the Imperial Study, Li Kun was bent over his desk, writing. His face was somewhat pale, no longer bearing the ruddy glow he had possessed upon first awakening. This was only natural. Li Kun's complexion had been rosy then because people had continually jolted his blood and qi, maintaining the vitality of his corpse-like body. Now that no one was keeping it up, his body had naturally returned to its own functions, relying on its innate nature to circulate blood and qi. It was inevitable that he would appear somewhat weak.

Yet what truly surprised Qiu Yan was that Li Kun had already hurried back to reviewing memorials.

On the other hand, a small low table beside Li Kun's desk also caught Qiu