The Minister of Ministry of Punishments's pen tip hovered over the paper, and a drop of ink fell onto the corner of the paper.
Xiao Jinghan's back was covered in sweat.
What's the meaning?
To make him childless and without descendants?
The crown prince was also taken aback.
Gu Moran lowered his head, almost unable to resist praising the emperor.
This tactic is even more ruthless than adding ten years to the bet.
The emperor wanted Xiao Jinghan to speak while still alive, and also wanted him to witness the extinction of the old dynasty's surnames.
Xiao Jinghan forced a laugh out loud.
" The Gu Clan Emperor is still the Gu Clan Emperor! You might as well just kill me!"
The emperor said, "Block it up."
The guards stepped forward and stuffed the strip of cloth back into Xiao Jinghan's mouth.
As Xiao Jinghan was dragged up, his gaze passed over the crowd and landed on the Crown Prince.
The meaning behind that glance was quite clear.
You just wait.
Xiao Jinghan was escorted out of the palace gate.
The wind blew in, only to be shut back in by the palace doors.
The crown prince was still kneeling inside the hall.
The emperor looked at him. "Did you hear that?"
The crown prince pressed his forehead to the ground. "Your subject heard you."
"I want Xiao Jinghan to live."
The prince's shoulders and back were taut.
The emperor suppressed his anger. "If he gets into trouble again from prison, you'll be the first person I question."
The crown prince's fingertips grew cold. "Your subject obeys the decree."
Gu Moran lowered his head, glancing at the Crown Prince out of the corner of his eye.
This guy should understand now.
Xiao Jinghan is alive.
The Crown Prince's Eastern Palace cannot sleep soundly until the Emperor has finished his investigation.
The emperor then said, "Go back to your Eastern Palace."
The crown prince looked up, and his lips moved slightly.
The emperor didn't give him a chance to speak.
"The study is sealed off, and so is the person. We'll talk again when the investigation is complete."
The crown prince's eyes stung, and he swallowed his anger.
The crown prince, in front of a court of ministers, was rebuked by the emperor in this way.
He lowered his head and remained silent, then propped himself up on his knees to stand up.
His knees were terribly numb, and he swayed as he stood up. A eunuch reached out to help him, but he shook him off.
The crown prince stopped abruptly at the palace entrance.
He turned and glanced at Gu Moran.
Gu Moran was still kneeling by the side of the hall, her face showing lingering fear.
That bastard won again.
The palace doors opened, and the morning light streamed in, casting the prince's shadow on the golden bricks.
He walked out of the Hall of Supreme Ultimate.
At the end of the palace road, the Jinwu Guard were already waiting.
The crown prince saw the row of armor and his palms slowly clenched.
A eunuch came running from afar, knelt behind Gao Fu, and whispered:
"The imperial physician was summoned to the Eastern Palace to change the dressing."
Gao Fu raised his eyelids. "Who's sick?"
"Your Highness, the Crown Princess said she suffered a burn on her calf; it was red and swollen last night, and the side palace dared not delay any longer."
Gao Fu looked towards the palace gate.
The emperor is still inside.
He tucked the whisk into his arm and said, "Record it in the Eastern Palace Entry and Exit Register. After the imperial physicians go in, report everything they do, what they diagnose, and what medicine they prescribe, word for word."
The eunuch hurriedly replied, "Yes."
Chen Qinglan sat on the edge of the couch, her skirt rolled up to above her calves.
The burn area is red and swollen around the edges.
Last night, Caiwei wanted to apply a thick layer of ointment to her, but she stopped her.
The medicated patch was only loosely attached.
It really hurts.
It's worth it to endure the pain once in exchange for a medical record from the Imperial Medical Bureau.
When the medicated cloth was removed, the skin and flesh were torn.
She pressed her fingers against the edge of the couch, her eyes stung, but she turned her head away.
Caiwei knelt at her feet, the ointment spoon hovering in mid-air.
"Your Highness, please be gentle."
Chen Qinglan looked at the patch of grayish-white light on the window paper. "Apply it. The imperial physician won't arrive until dawn."
When the ointment is applied, the coolness comes first, followed by the pain drilling into the flesh.
Her throat tightened, and her fingertips pressed shallow marks on the edge of the couch.
The footsteps outside were more chaotic than usual.
The sound of armored leaves came from the direction of the main hall, one group after another.
After the Eastern Palace was placed under house arrest, the courtyard was already quiet.
Today's commotion has added some liveliness to the side hall.
Caiwei looked up at the doorway. "Your Highness, should we go and ask?"
"What do you want to ask?"
"Do not inquire about or discuss matters in the side hall."
Caiwei parted her lips slightly, then finally lowered her head and said, "Yes."
Chen Qinglan picked up the medicine bowl beside her.
After sending the letter home, she waited.
Wait until things get chaotic outside.
The door to the side hall was bumped by the wind, and the latch clicked softly.
Caiwei shrank back.
Chen Qinglan looked at her. "What's wrong? What are you afraid of?"
Caiwei's voice tightened. "This servant is afraid that the investigation in the main hall will reach Your Highness."
Chen Qinglan put down the medicine bowl, reached out, and pulled the dressing case closer.
Inside the vanity case were several old hairpins, a box of rouge, and a small candy box that Chen Qingyuan had given back.
The candy box wasn't big; its lacquer surface had been polished to a shine by her sister's touch, and the bottom was still covered in osmanthus sugar powder.
Chen Qinglan opened it, and there were only three pieces of candy left inside.
She poured out the sugar and placed the pieces one by one on the handkerchief.
Caiwei watched her movements, not daring to even breathe.
"Your Highness, this was sent by the Second Young Lady."
"I know."
Caiwei asked in a low voice, "Your Highness, what about the Second Miss...?"
Chen Qinglan looked up.
Caiwei immediately shut up.
Chen Qinglan put the candy back and closed the dressing case. " Qingyuan is still a child, she doesn't understand anything."
Caiwei nodded hurriedly, "This servant understands."
Footsteps sounded outside again.
This time it's even closer.
A palace maid outside the side hall bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the Jinwu Guard have sealed off the main hall and study. His Highness the Crown Prince and Master Zhou have both been taken away."
She paused, then added softly, "They're still not back at this hour."
Chen Qinglan lowered her eyelashes, picked up the teacup, pressed the lid against the rim, and gently pushed it open.
Who asked you that?
The palace maid outside the door said in a trembling voice, "This servant has spoken out of turn."
"Go down."
The footsteps receded into the distance.
Caiwei's face turned pale. "Your Majesty, Master Zhou has been taken away, and what about His Highness..."
Chen Qinglan looked at the tea.
The tea had cooled, and a medicinal smell lingered on the surface.
"Your Highness is the Crown Prince."
After saying that, Caiwei didn't ask any more questions.
The title of Crown Prince is usually enough to crush a person.
Today, however, her words carry a chill.
Chen Qinglan put down her teacup. "Have you finished changing the bandages?"
Caiwei quickly lowered her head. "Almost there."
The medicated bandage was rewrapped around the calf, with the edges of the bandage wrapping around the wound layer by layer.
With each circle, Chen Qinglan drew another picture in her mind.
Gu Moyuan knocked over the soup bowl.
Hot soup splashed onto the hem of her skirt.
He stood on top, cursing the Chen Family for being useless, her father for being incompetent, and her, the Crown Princess, for only pretending to be virtuous.
As she crouched down to pick up the broken porcelain, a shard cut her fingertip, and blood mingled with the soup.
That's when she understood.
The crown prince is unreliable.
Chen Qinglan picked up the handkerchief and slowly wiped off the ointment from her fingertips.
Caiwei helped her down her skirt, her voice even softer, "Your Highness, if His Highness asks about it when he returns..."
"What do you want to ask?"
"I'm asking about delivering the letter."
Chen Qinglan folded the handkerchief neatly. "In the letter I sent to my sister, I wrote about Grandmother's cough and the regulations for skirts. Which sentence was wrong?"
Caiwei's throat bobbed. "But if Your Highness insists on saying..."
Chen Qinglan looked towards the doorway.
"I have no idea what he said."
Caiwei lowered her head. "This servant understands."
The side hall was quiet for a while.
The small fire on the medicine stove crackled softly, and the bitter smell seeped out through the gaps in the curtain.
Chen Qinglan lay back on the couch and pulled the corner of the blanket up to her waist.
Suddenly, a eunuch's shrill voice came from outside the door.
"Your Highness, the Crown Prince, has returned to the palace!"
Caiwei looked up.
Chen Qinglan closed her eyes. "Bring the medicine bowl."
Caiwei was stunned.
"Bring it here."
Caiwei quickly handed the bowl of medicine to her.
Chen Qinglan took it and lowered her head to take a sip.
When the cooling medicine enters the mouth, the bitter taste lingers at the back of the tongue.
She didn't swallow too quickly; she waited until footsteps entered the courtyard before putting the medicine bowl back on the small table.
Outside the side hall, the crown prince stopped in his tracks.
After the sound of chains, the Jinwu Guard sealed off the study in the main hall.
A moment later, the door to the side hall was pushed open.
The prince walked in, his outer robes soaked through by the morning breeze.
His headdress was askew, his eyes were bloodshot, and his clothes were stained with dust.
He was seething with anger, and then he spotted Chen Qinglan half-reclining on the couch.
"You can sleep well, don't you?"
Chen Qinglan tried to get up by supporting herself on the edge of the bed, but her leg was pulled and her injured area was pulled.
His lips pressed together, and he paused for a moment.
Caiwei quickly helped her up.
After Chen Qinglan settled in, he bowed and said, "Your Highness, what brings you here?"
The crown prince took two steps closer, his gaze falling on her calves.
"Such a minor burn, is it really worth alarming the imperial physician?"
Chen Qinglan lowered her head. "This concubine dares not let her wound fester in the side hall."
She paused, then spoke even softer.
"Otherwise, if I truly fall ill, Your Highness will be punished again."
The crown prince's expression changed.
That woman who can't lay eggs deserves to die!
He spilled the soup bowl several days ago, yet today he's summoning the imperial physician to change the dressing?
The moment the imperial physician enters the Eastern Palace, the Jinwu Guard will record it. Gao Fu will know, and so will his father, the Emperor.
What if the Censorate hears more rumors?
He bent down and grabbed Chen Qinglan's wrist.
Caiwei took a step forward in fright. "Your Highness..."
The crown prince turned his head. "Get out."
(╬▔盘▔)╯
[Four chapters delivered, hehe. Almost 10,000 words, managed to split into five chapters, I'm really amazing.]
[Get up! The sky's falling! I drank too much, how embarrassing! I'll get an extra chapter as punishment tomorrow!]
[Finally, thank you to Gao Yin for the flowers, Yunyan for the flowers, and Huangquan for the update reminder. And thank you to all the lovely readers for your support!]
Thank you! Thank you!
[This is the "Immediately Granting Land" chapter. Because there are many guest stars, their appearance order is random. Names that sound too much like internet slang will be changed to homophones. Not all characters will be great heroes; everything is for the sake of the plot. Hope you don't mind, hehe, I'll try my best to satisfy you, ฅ՞•ﻌ•՞ฅ. Xie Wanqing is eating on the road. Looking forward to it~]