Who Should Marry the Prince of Qi as His Secondary Consort?

These past two days, Zhao Ruxi has been staying here for at least half a day before leaving. Sometimes she comes in the morning and doesn't leave until dark.

Noble Consort Cen could not possibly relinquish her power to manage the palace just because her son was ill. She had many palace affairs to attend to every day, and she also had to visit Prince of An's Residence from time to time to see Xiao Lingpu, who was also recuperating from his injuries. She simply didn't have time to look after Xiao Lingyan.

By staying here to watch over Xiao Lingyan, Zhao Ruxi can free up time and energy to do her own things.

At this moment, she was also extremely grateful that the woman Xiao Lingyan had chosen was Zhao Ruxi.

When faced with a problem, Zhao Ruxi is calm, logical, capable, and highly vigilant. She is also very accommodating to her servants and does not hesitate to order them around just because they are palace maids and eunuchs.

Noble Consort Cen felt completely at ease entrusting Xiao Lingyan to her.

When Xiao Lingyan woke up, Zhao Ruxi was watching over him. She immediately noticed that Xiao Lingyan's eyelids and fingers were trembling slightly.

Seeing Xiao Lingyan awaken as expected, Zhao Ruxi was overjoyed and exclaimed repeatedly, "Imperial Physician! Imperial Physician Wen! Prince of Qi has awakened!"

The Imperial Physician Wen, who was removing the acupuncture needles from Xiao Lingyan, quickly turned to look at Xiao Lingyan's face. Seeing Xiao Lingyan's eyelids slowly open, he was so excited that he almost burst into tears. "It worked! It worked!"

Now that my life is saved, and I'll even get a promotion and make a fortune, that's wonderful!

Seeing that Xiao Lingyan opened his eyes but didn't react, Zhao Ruxi quickly moved closer to him and asked, "Your Highness, how are you?"

Xiao Lingyan seemed bewildered at first, but then his pupils focused when he looked at Zhao Ruxi.

He blinked slowly.

"You..." Zhao Ruxi suddenly grasped his hand and asked, "Can you feel your hand? Can you speak?"

Feeling his hand being held, Xiao Lingyan tried to squeeze back, but the force was so light that Zhao Ruxi wouldn't have felt it if she hadn't taken the Agility Pill.

Zhao Ruxi's heart sank.

In fact, if Xiao Lingyan to discuss it with her, she would definitely have opposed his actions.

You see, the imperial physicians hadn't rested these past two days. They'd prescribed countless medicines and forced them down Xiao Lingyan 'Xiao Lingyan throat, and even stuck long needles into his body. Watching this, Zhao Ruxi's heart was constantly in her throat.

Every medicine has its side effects. Xiao Lingyan was originally a healthy person, and three days is fine, but if he can't fully recover and is treated like this by the imperial physicians for a year or two, who knows what will happen to his body.

Right now, there are still many so-called folk "miracle doctors" in the Great Jin Dynasty, waiting to apply their prescriptions and all sorts of strange and unusual treatments to Xiao Lingyan.

It's terrifying to even think about.

Compared to Xiao Lingyan's health, she would rather not have the throne.

"Little Five is awake?" Noble Consort Cen rushed in upon receiving the report, and upon seeing Xiao Lingyan's open eyes, she burst into tears of joy.

"Little Five, are you alright? How are you feeling?" she asked expectantly.

Xiao Lingyan blinked.

Noble Consort Cen then realized something was wrong and asked Zhao Ruxi, "Why... is he not saying anything?"

Zhao Ruxi held Xiao Lingyan's hand and told Noble Consort Cen a cruel truth, "His Highness seems unable to speak, and he can't even move his hands."

Noble Consort Cen froze, then abruptly turned to the imperial physician. "Imperial Physician Wen, my son..."

"Your Majesty, please don't worry. Recovery takes time. Prince of Qi will gradually get better soon," said Imperial Physician Wen.

Imperial Physician Wen was the most famous acupuncturist in the Imperial Medical Bureau, and he had been performing acupuncture on Xiao Lingyan recently. When Xiao Lingyan woke up, he happened to find that Physician Wen had just finished performing acupuncture, so he assumed that his acupuncture treatment had worked.

Now that the Prince of Qi has awakened, although he cannot speak or move his body, Imperial Physician Wen remains calm.

Who doesn't recover slowly after getting sick? Once a person wakes up, things are much easier; given time, bodily functions will always return to normal.

After listening to Imperial Physician Wen's explanation, Noble Consort Cen understood the reasoning and was no longer worried. She watched as Zhao Ruxi had someone warm up some goat milk and helped Xiao Lingyan to lie down. She then slowly fed Xiao Lingyan spoonful by spoonful. Although Xiao Lingyan had difficulty swallowing, he was able to eat it, and only then did she feel relieved.

She didn't stay long before turning around and sending someone to deliver a message to the Cen Family outside the palace.

Because Xiao Lingpu could no longer inherit the throne, the Cen Family placed all their hopes on Xiao Lingyan. On the morning Xiao Lingyan Xiao Lingyan into a coma, the head of the Cen Family summoned him and wanted to transfer all of the Cen Family's resources from Xiao Lingpu to him.

However, before the handover plan could be implemented, Xiao Lingyan fell into a coma.

These past few days, the Cen Family has been more anxious about Xiao Lingyan 'Xiao Lingyan health than anyone else, searching everywhere for a renowned doctor to treat him.

Therefore, the Cen Family was very Gao Xing to hear the news from the palace.

"Thank God, Prince of Qi has woken up! That's wonderful!"

"Now that Prince of Qi has awakened, and his wedding is just over a month away, shouldn't we finalize the matters we discussed a few days ago?" someone asked Cen Hanchang, the head of the Cen Family.

Cen Hanchang nodded. "Okay, go ahead and call everyone over."

When all the heads of the Cen Family branches had arrived, someone spoke first, "As you all have seen, Twelfth Lady is the most virtuous. Upon hearing the news of Prince of Qi's coma, she immediately went to the temple to pray for Prince of Qi, observing vegetarianism, chanting Buddhist scriptures, and copying Buddhist sutras until her hands almost broke. Such a sincere child deserves to enter Prince of Qi's Residence."

"Sister Fu is the most suitable. You all know that Zhao Zhiwei was ruthless in Nanyang, and the prefect and two assistant prefects suffered a lot at her hands. In addition, Prince of Qi values her highly. Only a gentle girl like Sister Fu can marry into Prince of Qi's Residence and get along well with them."

"What's the use of being submissive? Without some tricks up your sleeve, how can you possibly outmaneuver Zhao Zhiwei? In the end, you might not even be able to have a son born out of wedlock, and everything will be completely controlled by Zhao Zhiwei."

Cen Hanchang, the head of the Cen Family, was having a headache from all the noise, but he sat silently in the main seat with a dark face.

Their direct descendants have always been few and far between, with more sons than daughters.

Cen Hanchang had only three legitimate granddaughters. The eldest was Cen Peixuan, Xiao Lingpu waited for her for several years before getting married.

The second eldest is only twelve years old this year. Even if she is married into the Prince of Qi's Residence, by the time she can consummate the marriage and have children, Zhao Zhiwei's son will probably be old enough to start his education.

There were four illegitimate children, but the eldest was already married. The other woman of marriageable age was worlds apart from Zhao Zhiwei in terms of looks, talent, and cunning. Even if she were to marry into the Prince of Qi's Residence, she wouldn't be able to compete with Zhao Zhiwei for the emperor's favor.

Therefore, we can only choose from the side branches.

These collateral branches weren't very distant; they were Cen Hanchang's biological brothers. However, their daughters and granddaughters had married Prince of Qi. Once Prince of Qi ascended the throne and Noble Consort Cen passed away, Cen Hanchang's branch would become a collateral branch, since his daughters or granddaughters hadn't become imperial concubines.

So when he heard these people arguing and fighting, Cen Hanchang didn't stop them, but he was very annoyed.