Chapter 696 - 658: Heading South (First Update)

Chapter 696: Chapter 658: Heading South (First Update)

"Your Highness, what’s wrong?" The food box fell to the ground, but Eunuch Sanbao didn’t care. He cried while picking Zhao Xi up and placing him on the Kui Dragon Pattern Couch. After that, he went out to instruct Mr. Mu to fetch the Imperial Physician and sent the little eunuch to run to Kunning Palace.

When Empress Qi heard the news and rushed over, she found her son had already lost consciousness.

She was stunned on the spot, "What happened here?"

Eunuch Sanbao wiped his tears and shook his head, "I don’t know. After dealing with Gu Yu, I came back from outside and found His Highness fainted."

Empress Qi frowned sharply, "Then what are you waiting for? Hurry up and fetch the Imperial Physician!"

"I’ve already sent someone to fetch him; he should be arriving soon." Eunuch Sanbao spoke while continuously shedding tears.

Jingzhe feared he would disturb the Empress’s emotions and quickly advised, "His Highness is only sixteen; it’s inevitable he’d be scared by such incidents. Let’s stop crying so the Empress can also bear the situation."

Whether the Empress would cry, Eunuch Sanbao didn’t know, but he really couldn’t hold back his tears. Hearing Jingzhe’s advice, he went outside, continuing to cry.

Poor His Highness, barely through his development, already facing such upheaval; he’s only sixteen, how can he bear it?

After the Imperial Physician examined him, he said the Crown Prince fainted due to excessive fright, coupled with emotional blockage caused by worry and depression.

"Emotional blockage?" Empress Qi’s face darkened.

The Imperial Physician sighed, "It’s commonly known as depression. Many in the harem end up despairing due to this illness. If not addressed soon, it doesn’t bode well. I urge the Empress to provide guidance and help His Highness recover his spirits quickly."

Empress Qi’s heart was filled with complex emotions.

She didn’t anticipate the death of a minor female official would cause such harm to her son. If she had known earlier, what need was there to send Gu Yu or Wan Qiu to the Eastern Palace to disturb him?

Thinking of this, Empress Qi pressed the corner of her eye, calmly ordering, "All of you, leave."

Jingzhe immediately led everyone out of the hall to await the Imperial Physician’s prescription.

Only mother and son remained inside.

Empress Qi sat by the couch, reached out to touch Zhao Xi’s forehead, her eyes reddened, "Xixi, it’s all mother’s fault. It’s mother who harmed you."

Seeing her son’s unconscious, pale face, she couldn’t help but shed tears.

As if sensing Empress Qi’s presence, Zhao Xi slowly awakened.

Empress Qi, seeing this, nervously grasped his hand, "Xixi, mother is here, don’t be afraid."

"Mother..." Zhao Xi’s voice was almost inaudible.

"Mother is here," Empress Qi choked.

Zhao Xi looked up at the pale blue canopy above, speaking softly, "Must a man have many wives and concubines? Must a Crown Prince have many concubines? Must an Emperor have three palaces and six courtyards?"

Empress Qi was stunned, "Silly child, what nonsense are you speaking? Since ancient times, which man hasn’t had many wives and concubines, which Emperor hasn’t had three palaces and six courtyards?"

"But I don’t want it." Zhao Xi recalled Wan Qiu’s blood-covered appearance, his spirit collapsing into a state he couldn’t escape, "I wanted them, yet I couldn’t protect them. If I can’t protect them, if today’s incident will repeat in the future, why didn’t I refuse from the start?"

Empress Qi patiently explained, "Because you are the Crown Prince, whether or not you ascend the throne in the future, you bear the responsibility to continue the Imperial family’s legacy."

"Continuing the legacy."

Zhao Xi let out a bitter smile, slowly closed his eyes, unwilling to speak further.

Empress Qi said with heartache, "Xixi, Wan Qiu’s matter is just an accident, don’t dwell on it. Besides, she was merely a lowly bedroom maid, to have been favored by you for one night before her death was a fortune from three lifetimes. I believe she wouldn’t blame you for failing to protect her."

"But I blame myself." Zhao Xi’s mind echoed Song Yuanbao’s words from that day.

——If you can’t protect them, why have so many women? Keep only those you can protect, isn’t that enough?

Empress Qi looked at him with heartache, "Silly child, what you will face in the future will be much more cruel than today. If you trap yourself with this incident and fail to move forward, how will you cope later?"

Zhao Xi didn’t respond, as if he had fallen asleep.

Empress Qi then stopped speaking, gently replaced his hand, and tucked him in with the brocade quilt.

The tea room had brewed medicine and brought it over; Zhao Xi frowned, refusing to drink even a sip.

Empress Qi took the medicine bowl from Jingzhe’s hand, "Xixi, come, drink the medicine, and you’ll be well."

Zhao Xi didn’t open his mouth. She tried to feed him several times but couldn’t get him to drink. Eventually, she gave up, worrying, "It’s such a grand month, how can you go on like this?"

Zhao Xi turned over, faced away from Empress Qi, refusing to acknowledge anyone.

Jingzhe suggested, "Empress, perhaps we should go back for now. Let His Highness rest. Maybe after a good sleep, he’ll feel better."

Empress Qi nodded, reached out to adjust Zhao Xi’s quilt corner, and said to his back, "I’ll leave for now, I’ll come to see you again tomorrow."

After sending off Empress Qi, Eunuch Sanbao sat on the embroidered stool in front of Zhao Xi’s couch, sighing continuously.

——

After Song Yuanbao returned home, the more he thought, the more he regretted speaking those words to Zhao Xi.

Zhao Xi, born in the Royal Family and raised with traditional norms, is also the result of Emperor Guangxi’s legacy; how could he demand Zhao Xi’s harem have fewer women?

The more he thought, the more he felt he was excessive. Song Yuanbao tossed and turned, unable to sleep, silently praying Zhao Xi wouldn’t harbor a psychological burden over his words, or he’d be guilty beyond redemption.

——

Zhao Xi was ill, with symptoms similar to when Song Yuanbao had just left the palace.

He couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep; even after falling asleep, he’d be startled awake by any noise outside, unwilling to speak to anyone after waking.

All the Imperial Physicians said it was depression. Medication alone wouldn’t help; His Highness must see through it himself, or things would worsen eventually.

Empress Qi visited several times daily, speaking all sorts of words, but Zhao Xi showed no reaction, not eating from morning till night, looking despondent and haggard.

Emperor Guangxi heard of this and personally came to see him.

"What happened?" Standing before the Kui Dragon Pattern Couch, Emperor Guangxi deeply frowned, his expression quite displeased.

On the way, he heard that a bedroom maid in the Crown Prince’s harem was murdered, causing Zhao Xi to drastically change in temperament from that day, becoming silent and refusing to eat.

A father knows his son best.

Emperor Guangxi always knew Zhao Xi wasn’t one to easily show affection, but once he did, it was most troublesome.

So when Mr. Cui said it was due to a bedroom maid’s death, Emperor Guangxi felt furious, a country’s Crown Prince, to become so distraught over a lowly maid, what decorum is this!

Mr. Cui, seeing Emperor Guangxi’s displeasure, quickly advised, "Emperor, His Highness’s mental state is unwell now, please don’t get angry."

Emperor Guangxi sneered, "I’ve painstakingly nurtured a son for years, only for him to falter over a maid. It’s perplexing, what kind of celestial beauty was she, for you to abandon yourself so miserably over her?"

Eunuch Sanbao and all Eastern Palace attendants knelt on the ground, not daring to breathe.

Zhao Xi was awake, aware he was misunderstood, but he didn’t wish to explain.

For the first time in his life, he felt exhausted; a fatigue so deep, he couldn’t sleep if he closed his eyes.

Seeing Zhao Xi in such a state, Emperor Guangxi couldn’t contain his anger, "Where is the Imperial Physician? What did he say?"

Eunuch Sanbao softly answered, "Report to the Emperor, the Imperial Physician said, His Highness has a mental knot that he can’t untie, leading to his poor mental state. He shouldn’t be stimulated right now, as it won’t be beneficial to His Highness."

"Wretched!" While others worried for the Crown Prince, Emperor Guangxi only wished to vent his frustration.

The Eastern Palace is the Crown Prince’s domain, and whoever he chooses to favor should be beyond his father’s interference. But if the Crown Prince disregards his health, abstaining from food and drink, it’s equivalent to disrespecting the Emperor and the people!

Yet anger turned to heartache; his declared Crown Prince must be taught well, even if knelt.

So after venting his anger, Emperor Guangxi softened, sitting down, saying, "You are the Crown Prince; you shouldn’t be confined to romantic whims. Here’s the plan: After the New Year, I’ll arrange for you to go south for leisure. Aren’t you most fond of the Sixth Son of the Suzhou Yun Family? This time, let the Yun Family welcome you, and you can recuperate there for a period. How does that sound?"