latelenovela Chapter 683 Helping Zhen Huan regain her favor (2)
Chapter 683 Helping Zhen Huan regain her favor (2)
The poison in the emperor's body could not be eradicated. He rewarded his ministers one after another before the New Year. At the New Year's Eve banquet, he did not express anything to the harem. He just drank a glass of wine with everyone, and the New Year passed in such a dull manner.
Two days before the Lantern Festival, Zhen Huan was still bedridden, and An Lingrong decided to go to the Yangxin Palace.
"Eunuch Xia, may I ask if the Emperor is free now? I have something to ask you."
Xiao Xiazi came up to him with a smile, her attitude neither cold nor hot.
"Your Highness, please wait a moment. I will go in and report."
With the previous experience of Su Peisheng as a lesson, he was extremely cautious in treating An Lingrong.
A moment later, Xiao Xia Zi respectfully walked out of the Yangxin Palace and invited An Lingrong in.
"Concubine, please pay your respects to the Emperor!"
An Lingrong bowed politely.
The emperor looked up at the big words on the desk and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.
"Rong'er, I've told you countless times that there's no need to be so polite in private."
An Lingrong smiled softly, "I thank the Emperor for his kindness, but there are no rules without regulations. The royal family is different from ordinary families, so we must abide by these rules."
The person in charge attaches great importance to rules. How can you just follow his words to climb up?
The two of them haven't been alone for more than half a month, so An Lingrong should put herself in the right position.
The deposed queen said something very right: a concubine is always a concubine, even if she is a royal family member.
Upon hearing this, the emperor extended his hand to her.
"It's freezing outside. Come to the couch and warm yourself up."
"I, my concubine, listen to your Majesty."
An Lingrong obediently walked forward and sat down.
"Your Majesty has become much thinner than before, yet you ignored the imperial physician's advice and stayed up all night processing memorials?"
"Have I really lost a lot of weight?"
The emperor looked at An Lingrong with a sharp gaze, confirming again.
Wei Lin changes his prescription every ten days. Last time, he hinted that some of the herbs in the prescription had the effect of slimming down, and the emperor thought he was joking.
"Your Majesty, I have made a dress according to your original measurements. If you don't believe me, you can try it on yourself."
An Lingrong waved outside the hall, and Bao'e came in holding a black robe.
The outer robe looks nothing special at first glance, but once you hold it in your hands, you can feel the carefully embroidered patterns on it.
The emperor prefers extreme colors, and this robe, which is low-key yet luxurious, deeply pleases him.
With An Lingrong's service, the emperor couldn't wait to put on his new robe.
When the buttons were fastened, the emperor clearly noticed that there was half a foot of space at the waist.
It seems that what Wei Lin said is true, and his health-care prescription does have the effect of weight loss.
The emperor didn't want to praise Wei Lin in front of An Lingrong, for fear that she would know that a grown man still cared about his appearance.
He paced back and forth in the hall several times and nodded with satisfaction.
"Rong'er's craftsmanship is excellent and has won my heart."
"I heard from Xiao Xiazi that you had something to ask for an audience, but did you come specially to bring me some clothes?"
In the past, Rouze was afraid that he would feel uncomfortable wearing the clothes made by the embroiderer, so she often made clothes for him.
Rong'er's black robe is even more elegant than Rouze's.
The colors, materials, patterns, etc. all touched his heart.
"One of the reasons is that I sent the emperor spring clothes. The other is related to Concubine Zhen of Zhongcui Palace."
An Lingrong ignored the emperor's pause and continued speaking.
"Your Majesty, the Lantern Festival is approaching, and Concubine Zhen's illness has not improved. Concubine Zhen and I were from the same batch of selected girls. Although we have not had much interaction, I have always remembered the friendship we shared when we entered the palace together."
"She is now bedridden. Please, His Majesty, send another imperial physician to examine her pulse."
The emperor felt a stir in his heart, realizing that he had been too cautious before.
The old man Su Peisheng is not upright himself, what does it have to do with Rong'er?
"Rong'er, I heard that you visited Concubine Zhen yesterday. Why didn't you call an imperial physician for her?"
"Your Majesty, I went there at an unfortunate time. Concubine Zhen had just finished taking her medicine and had gone to bed, so I was unable to ask her for advice on replacing the imperial physician."
An Lingrong frowned in distress.
"I was worried, so I sent Baoque to Zhongcui Palace. Cui Jinxi said that Concubine Zhen had just gone to bed and it was inconvenient to disturb her."
"Princess Zhen has her usual imperial physician, and it's not convenient for me to make the decision on my own, so I'm here to ask the Emperor to intervene."
"I heard that Princess Lingxi couldn't see Concubine Zhen, and she would cry for half an hour every day, begging the emperor..."
"Okay, I'm free now, so I'll accompany you to Zhongcui Palace."
The emperor quickly changed his clothes and put on a thick cloak.
"Xia Zi, go to the Imperial Hospital and ask Wei Lin... No, Judge Wu, go to Zhongcui Palace."
An Lingrong had just stayed in the Yangxin Palace for a while when snowflakes started falling outside again.
The emperor, worried about his two children, hurried over and strode into the wind and snow.
Xiao Xiazi hurried forward to hold an umbrella, and An Lingrong followed behind with her men.
They passed by the Jingren Palace with its mottled gate, but the emperor didn't even glance at the once glorious palace.
When the two entered the main hall of Zhongcui Palace, Cui Jinxi was serving Zhen Huan medicine in the bedroom.
Hearing the shouting at the door, her hand trembled and the warm medicine spilled onto Zhen Huan's neck.
Cui Jinxi immediately wiped her and spoke in a low voice.
"Master, you have been bedridden for many days. You may be spreading your illness to the Emperor. I will politely decline visitors on your behalf, okay?"
Before Zhen Huan could react, her eyes moved, An Lingrong brought the emperor in.
"Aunt Cui, Concubine Zhen has been ill for a long time and hasn't recovered yet. What did the imperial physician say?"
Cui Jinxi answered with a sad face.
"Your Majesty, and the Imperial Concubine, the Imperial Physician says my master has suffered from a cold that has damaged his lungs and internal organs. He needs to be properly cared for. Bed rest is part of that."
She thought to herself that what she said that day had obviously aroused the emperor's vigilance towards the imperial concubine. Why did these two people come to Zhongcui Palace together today?
Cui Jinxi felt a flash of panic in her heart, but then she quickly calmed down.
A small number of people in Zhongcui Palace are our own people. With their secret help, nothing will go wrong.
An Lingrong looked at the half-full bowl of medicine placed aside, took two steps forward, and spoke considerately.
"Aunt Cui, the weather is cold and the medicine in the bowl is cooling down quickly. Do you need my help?"
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for reminding me. I will prepare the medicine for you right away."
Cui Jinxi was about to get the medicine bowl when the emperor spoke to stop her.
"I have ordered someone to invite Judge Wu to come here. You may not drink this medicine."
An Lingrong quickly agreed.
"Your Majesty is right. It was my fault for not considering it carefully."
"Aunt Cui, I see that Concubine Zhen's lips are dry and cracked. Please go get some warm water to moisten her lips."
After An Lingrong's reminder, the emperor's gaze stopped on Zhen Huan's cracked and bleeding lips. His eyes moved upwards and quickly captured her thin face and a few scattered white hairs.
The woman lying on the bed couldn't speak, and her eyes had lost their usual liveliness, making her look particularly haggard.
The emperor changed his seat and looked at her from the side. He found that Zhen Huan, who was full of old age, was no longer the gentle and charming woman in his memory.