CH 80.1

Chapter 80.1 – Picking You Up

There was a big court meeting the next day. Those with sufficient civil or military rank in the court had to participate.

Three years had passed, and Lu Qipei had the convenience from being a prince consort. Her official position had been increased by two levels, and she had been promoted from Director of the Court of Judicial Review to Vice Minister.

The previous Vice Minister took over after the previous Head Minister retired of old age, and had now completely taken over the leadership mantle.

Rushing to attend the court meeting, Lu Qipei left early. On the other hand, Qi Yang got up after sleeping well, then handled some matters in the mansion after eating breakfast. Finally, she set off to the palace just before noon.

Of course, when she entered the palace, Qi Yang would not immediately go to the Eastern palace. Instead, she went to Xuanshi hall first.

The Emperor had just sent off his important officials to get some rest; hearing that Qi Yang was asking for an audience, he immediately agreed. By now, Qi Yang had left the palace for a long time, and they couldn’t meet each other as often as they did when she still lived in the palace. However, the father-daughter relationship had not waned, and it was all due to Qi Yang’s effort.

When she entered the hall, Qi Yang chatted with the Emperor for a while, and she especially explained the matter with Lu Sheng on Lu Qipei’s behalf.

The Emperor did not have any particular comment when he heard that, but he said, “Your and your prince consort aren’t young anymore, it’s best to have some heirs by your side. If there’s anything wrong, there’s a lot of divine physicians in the Royal Hospital. You shouldn’t be afraid of seeking treatment.”

This was the first time the Emperor raised the issue of children in front of her, and when he did, he mentioned the physicians… Qi Yang pursed her lips, barely stopping herself from revealing any other emotions. Fortunately, she finally managed to hold back, and only responded with downcast eyes, “This Child understands. I thank Father Emperor for your concern.”

The Emperor nodded and didn’t say anything else. The reason he could mention this matter was because Qi Yang’s Mother Consort was long gone, and there was no Empress in the palace. The father and daughter immediately changed the topic, then after chatting for a while, Qi Yang accompanied the Emperor for lunch.

The Emperor did not keep Qi Yang after lunch, “You came to the palace today to see the Crown Prince, right? He has been ill again recently, you should go and see him. By the way, try to persuade him not to push himself too much.” The Emperor sighed after saying that.

Qi Yang acknowledged the request and withdrew, going to the Eastern Palace with a heavy heart.

In the Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince indeed wasn’t resting to recuperate from his illness.

When Qi Yang walked to the front hall with the palace attendants, she heard a coughing sound coming from the distance, suppressing a heart-piercing pain. She couldn’t help quickening her pace and walked in, and sure enough, she saw the Crown Prince lying in front of the desk, covering his mouth while coughing with a red face.

This wasn’t the first time Qi Yang saw such a scene, but her heart couldn’t help beating wildly everytime she saw it. She quickly stepped forward, patting the Crown Prince’s back and stroking his chest, waiting for a while until the coughs stopped.

The Crown Prince put down the handkerchief covering his mouth and looked at Qi Yang, smiling, “Royal Sister, you’re here?”

Qi Yang couldn’t smile at all and anxiously said, “Since Royal Brother is ill, you should be getting a good rest. Why are you still bothering with these government affairs? I just came from Royal Father’s place, he’s also distressed to see you like this.”

The Crown Prince smiled when he heard those words, but he didn’t pay it much mind. “It’s just a little cold, Royal Sister is worrying too much. The weather will become warmer in a couple of days, and this minor ailment would naturally go away. There’s no need to worry too much about it.”

Although that’s what he said, the Crown Prince was the one most aware of his own situation. His body was getting worse. Although he was surrounded by Liang’s best Royal Physicians, used Liang’s bets medicines, and had three years to recuperate, it was still to no avail. By now, he didn’t expect his health to get better anymore, but his pride did not allow him to live like a sick and disabled person.

If governmental affairs were delayed because of his illness, the Emperor would feel sorry for him and all the officials would forgive him. But this was all temporary.

If he lied on the bed for too long and got nothing done, then the Emperor’s love will fade, and the officials would no longer have him in their hearts.

The Crown Prince didn’t regard power as more important than his life, but now, it didn’t seem like he had a choice.

This wasn’t the first time Qi Yang tried advising him, so such a response was not a surprise. She sighed once again and had to say, “No matter what, I hope Royal Brother would take care of your health. Prince Consort visited two famous doctors the other day, and she would bring them to the palace in a few days. Royal Brother should let them have a look, it would be great if they could come up with something.”

The Crown Prince did not have a stubborn disposition that would shy away from treatments. Hearing this, his gaze turned softer, and he nodded with a smile. “Alright.”

After the short exchange, the Crown Prince had also recovered completely. But his face that was flushed earlier turned a little pale, making Qi Yang feel a little worried. After checking that the tea’s temperature was fine, she handed him a cup of tea.

The Crown Prince took a sip from the tea cup, but what greeted him was not the refreshing fragrance of tea, but a faint medicinal fragrance instead. Since he was ill, even the tea he drank had been replaced with medicinal tea.

Although his condition had improved after the Royal Physicians’ treatment, he still felt that his body was getting obviously weaker. Who knew how long he would be able to hold on like this?

Thinking of this, he couldn’t help feeling downcast and worried.

As these negative emotions rose, he quickly pushed them back down. The Crown Prince’s gloomy eyes lit up again, then he put down the tea cup and took out a book from a hidden compartment at the desk. He looked at Qi Yang and handed it over, “Take this.”

Qi Yang closed her eyes and took it with both hands. “Thank you, Royal Brother.”