A miracle doctor ruined the crown prince's future, and the harem's succession battle began
The prince's hands were bulging with veins, and he staggered as he rose and entered the palace.
"Father, this man is spouting nonsense! He didn't even take my pulse, so what right does he have to presume to determine my offspring's future?"
Chu Tianxing retorted in a low voice, "A lot can be gleaned through observation alone."
The crown prince turned his head, his eyes burning with suppressed rage.
"Shut up!"
The emperor slammed his hand on the imperial desk.
The crown prince immediately knelt down.
"Your subject has been disrespectful."
The emperor looked at the line of imperial physicians. "Why aren't you having a follow-up examination at once?"
The imperial physicians looked at each other, none daring to move.
This is not a medical diagnosis.
This is like peeling back the skin on the crown prince's face.
They all knew it all along, but who dared to say it?
The person who speaks first will bring misfortune to their entire family if the prince rises to power later.
The emperor's eyes darkened.
"I hereby authorize your follow-up consultation!"
Still, no one stepped forward.
Elder Shen glanced at Chu Tianxing.
He brought this trouble upon himself.
If we don't help, we'll all be in a difficult position today.
Elder Shen stepped forward and bowed. "Your Majesty, I wish to examine you first."
The prince's jaw muscles tensed, and his fingers trembled slightly within his sleeve.
Elder Shen knelt down to take the prince's pulse, placing his fingertips on the prince's wrist.
One breath.
Two breaths.
Three breaths.
The Crown Prince stared at Elder Shen, his eyes carrying a strong warning.
Elder Shen stopped and then looked at the Crown Prince's expression.
"Your Majesty, Chu Tianxing's words are blunt, but not without basis. His Highness the Crown Prince has been overworked lately, causing disharmony in his qi and blood, and deficiency of kidney qi, which indeed indicates difficulty in conceiving."
The crown prince's face turned pale.
Elder Shen continued, "This illness is not a dead end. With rest, avoiding anger, and abstaining from sexual activity, coupled with gentle tonifying treatments, there is still hope for recovery."
That's a well-reasoned statement.
The meaning remains the same.
The emperor slowly leaned back in his chair.
A crown prince who releases remnants of the previous dynasty from prison.
A Eastern Palace prince who has no heir.
Fortunately, I spared Chu Tianxing, otherwise Heaven would have truly destroyed my Great Yan!
He looked at the Crown Prince, the lingering warmth between father and son in his eyes being suppressed layer by layer.
The prince pressed his forehead to the ground, his voice strained.
"Father, I wish to be recuperated at the Imperial Medical Bureau. I have simply been overwhelmed with worry lately, it is not..."
That's enough.
The emperor interrupted him.
The prince's shoulders slumped by half an inch.
The emperor looked at Chu Tianxing: "If you can diagnose the crown prince's illness, then what about me?"
Chu Tianxing's lips moved slightly.
Shut up! Hold it in!
I dare not talk nonsense anymore.
He added stiffly, "His Majesty has taken excellent care of himself these past two days; he will surely live to be a hundred years old!"
Chen Dehai's eyelids twitched.
Several imperial physicians bowed their heads.
This sentence was taught.
The teaching is excellent.
This person finally knew to shut up.
The emperor finished the remaining half-cup of medicine, and the anxiety in his heart subsided somewhat.
He still has time.
There's no need to hand over the position to an errant, childless, and incompetent leader.
As for the second and third children, they are too troublesome and need to be tempered.
The emperor looked at the crowd. "What happened today must not be told to outsiders."
He then looked at the Crown Prince: "Go back to the Eastern Palace."
The prince's finger trembled.
"Your subject obeys the decree."
The emperor then looked at Elder Shen: "Is Chu Tianxing's assessment accurate?"
Elder Shen kowtowed. "This old minister has long said that Your Majesty may live ten thousand years."
Chu Tianxing quietly shrank back.
Elder Shen has said that, are they going to chop him up?
The emperor noticed his subtle movements and said coldly, " Chu Tianxing."
Chu Tianxing's knees buckled, and he quickly knelt down.
"This humble citizen is here."
"From now on, when you enter the palace, think before you speak. If there's anything you can't keep to yourself, come to me privately."
Chu Tianxing nodded hurriedly.
"This humble subject understands."
The emperor pinched the bridge of his nose. "Go to the Imperial Medical Bureau and wait there."
Chu Tianxing as if he had been granted a pardon, picked up his medicine box and left.
As he reached the door, he glanced at the Crown Prince again, his lips moved, but he ultimately didn't dare to deliver the final blow.
The crown prince stared blankly.
The wind blew in from outside the palace gate, carrying the scent of medicine.
He suddenly felt that the entire Hall of Supreme Ultimate was laughing at him.
Laugh at a crown prince without an heir.
In a side hall of Palace of Phoenix Ceremony, the two young princes were being led by their nannies to study early in the morning.
The eldest is nine years old, named Gu Nianli. He has a steady temperament and can control his wrist when writing.
The younger one, seven years old, was named Gu Nian'an. He couldn't sit still for long; his toes would always lightly tap the ground under the stool.
The empress sat behind the curtain, her fingers twirling prayer beads.
A palace maid came to report, "Your Majesty, His Majesty has taken the Toxin-Clearing and Essence-Fortifying Decoction, and his headache has eased somewhat."
The empress paused for a moment while holding the prayer beads.
Has the Crown Princess returned to the Eastern Palace?
"I've returned. I didn't talk much with anyone on the way."
The Empress nodded.
Chen Qinglan is a smart person.
A smart person knows when to shut up.
She looked at the two young princes.
" Nianli, Nian'an."
The two children immediately put down their pens, stood up, and bowed.
"Mother."
The Queen looked at them.
She has no biological children.
These two children were raised by her. One's birth mother died early, and the other's birth mother was of low rank. No one in the palace dared to compete with the Empress.
The emperor didn't visit them often before.
The Crown Prince is above, the Second Prince is steady, the Third Prince is favored, and the younger princes are mostly just shadows kowtowing at palace banquets.
But things are different now.
The Crown Prince is in trouble.
The second prince is embroiled in the case of offering elixirs.
The third prince has a bad reputation.
Although these two children are young, their good quality lies in their cleanliness.
The Empress put down the prayer beads.
"If His Majesty comes to Palace of Phoenix Ceremony today, none of you are allowed to interrupt. Nianli, if His Majesty asks about the preparations for the birthday banquet, you should answer with the rules. Nian'an, if His Majesty asks what you have read, you should only recite the opening lines of the Classic of Classic of Filial Piety; you are not allowed to recite anything more."
Gu Nian'an blinked. "Why not memorize it more? I memorized it perfectly yesterday."
The Empress looked at him, her tone calm. "Even if you're familiar with him, keep it. His Majesty is tired today; hearing too much will only annoy him."
Gu Nian'an nodded immediately. "Your subject will remember."
Gu Nianli lowered his head. "Mother, will Father come today?"
The Empress looked out the window.
"Uncertain."
After she finished speaking, she added, "But whether you come or not, you must be ready at any time."
The two children agreed.
Footsteps sounded outside the hall.
A concubine came to pay her respects with her child, and was also carrying a newly made peach-patterned purse in her arms.
The palace has never lacked people who can get a feel for things.
The Empress adjusted the gold hairpin at her temple.
Before long, several more concubines appeared in the palace.
Some people were holding the hand of the five-year-old prince, some were having palace maids hold up the longevity character written by the child, and some were complaining that the child had studied too late last night; their words and actions all reflected this sentiment.
The Empress listened without showing any emotion.
"The Empress Dowager's birthday banquet is approaching, and the children's filial piety is commendable. However, His Majesty is currently recuperating, so please do not let them run around."
A young concubine stepped forward with a smile, "Your Majesty is right. It's just that Little Nine insisted on embroidering a peace pouch for His Majesty last night, and she pricked her hand with the needle."
Upon hearing her name called, Little Nine immediately raised her finger.
The eye of a needle is too small to see.
The Empress glanced at it and said calmly, "Have the imperial physician examine it; make sure it's not injured."
The young concubine's smile froze.
She didn't want the imperial physician.
What she wanted was for these words to reach the emperor's ears.
But the Empress easily deflected it back.
Gu Nian'an sat beside him, secretly glancing at the little prince, then at the book in her hand, her toes twitching involuntarily.
The Empress glanced at it from the corner of her eye.
Gu Nian'an immediately sat up straight.
Half an hour later, Chen Dehai arrived.
All the concubines in the hall rose.
"Your Majesty, His Majesty is on his way to Palace of Phoenix Ceremony."
Upon hearing this, the eyes of several concubines lit up.
Some people were busy adjusting the child's collar, some were unfolding the character for "longevity," and some were whispering to the child that he should cry and say he missed his father later.
The Empress remained seated, motionless.
Her fingers, however, gently clenched together inside her sleeve.
The emperor had not visited Palace of Phoenix Ceremony for a long time.
I'm not here today just to sit for a while.
[I drank too much yesterday and talked too much, so I'll only be posting five chapters today.]
[Thank you for the likes from Yu Ren, Jiang Yao, Qing Shan's milk tea, Chang Dong's love letter and capsule, Wang Zuo's flower, Jonas's like, 888's like, Xiao Rao's love letter, San Duo Shen's milk tea, You Xin's like, Han Yu's update reminder, Chen Qing's flower, Xin Li's god certification, and Si Ren You's god certification. I'm so grateful!]
[And thank you all for your support! I'm quite full while you're reading. Wishing you all the best! I've registered all the guest appearances, and a like means there's a role for you. Love you all~~]