Chapter 41: The High Place is Not Suitable for the Golden Throne Hall

  The next morning, although the Emperor personally appointed the repair ceremony personnel, most of the officials already knew about it since yesterday's announcement at the Yanxi Palace. However, when you, dressed in a moon-white palace attire with a purple jade hairpin and gold crown, symbolizing the highest rank of the Orchid Pavilion female official, holding an ivory white fan and entering the Taiji Hall with the Emperor, a small stir still arose in the court.

  The Heavenly Emperor's private expression was invisible to the ministers, and Qingchen also stood calmly and quietly behind the Heavenly Emperor, with a composed and self-assured face.

  Everything returned to normal in the blink of an eye, just like a small stone thrown into deep water, soon calm again.

  Feng Yan and Wei Zongping's faces were a mixture of smiles and gloom, with Yin Jianzheng's eyes flashing with resentment. The three chief officials and the ministers below them all had different expressions. Xun Chen took in everything at a glance, her sharp eyes missing nothing, and she knew that the Heavenly Emperor saw things even more clearly than she did.

  The civil and military officials, each department according to their rank, presented their affairs. You stood beside the dragon steps and jade pendants, your gaze cast towards the distant, serene blue sky visible outside the hall, your thoughts soaring freely.

  Amidst the imperial purple and jade crown, crimson robes and python cloak, all prostrate themselves below. In the Golden Hall above, gazing down upon the multitudes, lofty yet solitary.

  How many people in the world are not lonely? Every lonely person, under the vast sky and earth, searches for the meaning of survival, seeking kindred spirits, companions or even opponents. If one can have any of these, it is a kind of luck.

  The supreme right, luring people to come and go, but for her, it was just finding like-minded people, and making a bold bet on this new life with him.

  Her eyebrows rose slightly, a faint smile appeared on her face, but she heard that after all the discussions were over, the Heavenly Emperor announced that Ye Tianling and Shi Yi would follow him to Zhiyuan Hall, and also asked about the establishment of the additional Du Hu Fu.

  The vassal states of different surnames in the Heavenly Dynasty have been guarding the borders since the founding of the country, and this has continued for a hundred years. Within the four borders, the sixteen states of You and Ji in the north are all under the control of the Northern Yan Marquis, the southern coastal line is managed by the Southern Jing Marquis, the land of Western Shu's granary belongs to the Western Min Marquis, and the mountain passes in the east are controlled by the Eastern Yue Marquis. Although the four marquises are subject to imperial control, they have been hereditary for generations, deeply rooted in their territories, and their power is deeply entrenched. Especially the Northern Yan Marquis, who is based on the natural barrier of the north, borders the various tribes of the Great Desert to the north, and holds an extremely important military position, which has long been a concern of the Heavenly Emperor.

  The Heavenly Emperor inquired about the affairs of the Northern Border, and Ye Tianling stood calmly in front of the "Jiangshan Map" on the imperial carriage, answering questions with precision and concision, yet summarizing the situation of all vassal states within his words, having a unique perspective, being exceptionally insightful.

  You secretly measured yourself, looking at your side, and the night sky Ling and Tian Emperor were quite similar. She had heard the Empress Dowager mention in passing that Night Sky Ling and Tian Emperor looked exactly alike when they were young, even their personalities were similar, and Tian Emperor had always relied heavily on him, and he had never disappointed Tian Emperor. If this picture of filial piety changed day and night, what would it be like?

  You were thinking, when suddenly Ye Tianling glanced over, in an extremely short moment, his seemingly calm eyes swept across her heart, clear and black, making her feel so caught off guard. Her heart felt like it had been grazed by a thin ice blade, and inexplicably, a faint ache emerged. Ye Tianling continued to answer the Heavenly Emperor's questions, but his hand clenched into a fist at his side.

  Things are gradually becoming clear, the Heavenly Emperor rubbed his temples and Sun Shi immediately presented a cup of tea. The Heavenly Emperor took it and drank a mouthful, saying: "I'm getting old, I've been feeling weak lately, from now on, you brothers should discuss these things more."

  The Eleventh Prince smiled and said: "Father Emperor is in his prime years, how can you say he's old?"

  Ye Tian Ling said faintly: "Your sons have many things that need to be taught by Your Majesty."

  The Heavenly Emperor waved his hand: "Old is old, no need to avoid. You go, Qingchen, go and see if Wei Zongping is there, call him to come with me for a meal."

  You dusted off your joy and responded to the order, just as you were about to leave the Zhiyuan Temple, you felt a very strong gaze fall on your body. When you raised your head, you met Ni Tian's eyes, he seemed to have many things to say, but only silently looked at you. Instead, it was Xi Shi who immediately asked: "Is this the imperial edict from Father yesterday?"

  "You nodded and said: 'The imperial edict says it's a temporary substitute for Xiuyi.'"

  "It's just a temporary replacement, unless your moral character is really bad, otherwise it's a done deal."

  "Are you willing?" Ye Tian Ling suddenly asked a brief four words.

  "You smiled and nodded: 'I'm willing.'"

  "Seven years." Ye Tian Ling said.

  Facing Ye Tian Ling's subsequent question, Qing Chen lightly exhaled: "I'm willing."

  By the time he was twenty-five, these seven years had been spent in the position of Xiuyu, unless he wanted to take risks like Hongyu, everything about him would be controlled by Tian Emperor, and he must also draw a clear line with other princes.

  This was exactly what she had been desperately trying to avoid thinking about, and the burning sensation hidden beneath her calm expression. Last night in the study of Ling Wang Fu, he wrote down "ambition must be achieved" dozens of times, this determination became even more resolute when he saw Qing Chen in Taiji Temple today, the two firm "willingness" seemed to have calmed down the emotions that had been surging deep within him. At this moment, he heard Qing Chen say softly: "Everyone is not a person who drags mud and water, once the bow is opened, there is no turning back."

  "Alas, there's no other way out of this situation. Although seven years is a bit long, we can only wait patiently."

  "You're just a young sprout, with your whole life ahead of you," said Qīng Xiào with a smile. "It's easy for you to say that."

  Eleventh sneered and laughed: "You're almost eighteen, already far from being a young girl. In another seven years, you'll be just right for someone to pick and choose..."

  The words were left unspoken, and Qing dust secretly glared at him. Since they were in the Zhì Yuǎn Hall, she didn't dare to be presumptuous, so Shíyī endured her smile and stopped teasing her.

  Walking ahead with hands behind his back, looking far away along the White Jade Dragon Staircase, he said after a long while: "In front of His Majesty, one must be cautious in words and actions. Without being fully prepared, do not make suggestions impulsively. Once a proposal is made, there must be sufficient reasoning in mind, and also avoid easily going back on one's word. Be especially careful when it comes to personnel appointments and promotions, as His Majesty is particularly sensitive about such matters. Recently, there have been several major events: the vassal lords, the plague, the revision of the calendar, and the Winter Sacrifice. Listen more, observe more, speak less."

  You listened to his words of entrustment and nodded silently.

  "Whatever it is, being rash in words and actions may have the opposite effect. Since we are already in this situation, why not focus on playing chess, which might be a way to break through."

  Eleven also said: "Following Father Emperor is not an easy task, you have to take care of yourself."

  You dust thought of getting up early and sleeping late, bitterly smiled: "Last night was called to Zhiyuan Hall, looked at a night's memorial, just in the morning court almost fell asleep, now only one word, sleepy."

  Shi Xiao said, "Is this still tiring? At the time of Chen, following the emperor to listen to politics was already comfortable enough. In our year in Linhua Hall, we started learning at 5 am every day and didn't finish until 6 pm, that's what I call tiring."

  You dusted your tongue, turned your head and saw two palace maids approaching from afar: "I'll leave first, instructing people to find Wei Xiang for a good handover."

  Yè Tiān Líng turned his head and looked at her deeply: "Endure with patience."

  You know his bitter heart, and with a bright smile, he went away quietly on the other side.

  The Heavenly Emperor summoned the Grand Minister to attend a meal, which was not a common occurrence. Today's lunch was an exception, as Wei Zongping had been summoned to attend for over an hour. Neither Qing Chen nor Sun Shi were allowed to be present, so no one knew what the two of them discussed.

  After the meal, Emperor Tianyi went to Songyutai with Taizi Ping. Regardless of whether it was as a father or as an emperor, even if he was extremely angry, he still didn't want to depose the crown prince because of this. When he returned from Songyutai, he called for people to guess his mood, but still did not issue an edict ordering Taizi to return to the Eastern Palace, and simply retired as usual, resting for a while.

  However, the peaceful atmosphere of Zhiyuan Hall was soon disrupted by news brought by the Relief Agency: a plague with symptoms similar to Tongping's had been discovered in the outer nine cities of Tiandu, infecting dozens of people, and seven had already died.

  In such a situation, Tian Di was indeed worried, but Qian Chen felt more of an ominous omen.

  Throughout history, every major epidemic has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, even to the point of wiping out an entire population. The plague is a terrifying thought that makes one's hair stand on end.

  In the Zhī Yuǎn Temple, female officials below the rank of Zǐ Xǐu Yí were divided into three categories: Xiū Yán, Xiū Róng and Wǎn Róng. The imperial envoy, carrying the emperor's decree, led a group of female officials to patrol the inner palace, issuing an order that all palace maids were forbidden from leaving the palace at will, and personally took medicine from the imperial pharmacy to distribute it, informing them of various preventive measures. A curfew was imposed throughout the imperial city, with strict restrictions on entry and exit.

  In the rear palace, there were countless halls and buildings, none of which could be easily dealt with. It wasn't until after dinner that Qingchen went to Zhiyuan Hall to report back, serving the Emperor until midnight before returning to her own residence.

  The moon is high in the sky, the palace lanterns are shining brightly, and the dark and light spots adorn the deep palace.

  You wrapped the silver fox fur tightly around your body to resist the cold winter night. As a doctor, she actually wanted to go to Pingli's epidemic area, but just mentioned it to Tian Di earlier, and Tian Di didn't respond.

  She slightly furrowed her brow, gazing into the dark night sky, as the symptoms and circumstances of the plague kept replaying in her mind. She weighed them carefully, but couldn't help slowing down her pace. Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice calling out beside her: "Young Mistress."

  A person dressed in the uniform of the Imperial Guard bowed and greeted her, just as Qing Chen was lost in thought. The man looked up at her with a smile, his eyes clear and bright, and to her surprise, it was Ming Zhi. Qing Chen was taken aback and whispered, "Why are you dressed like this?"

  Ming Zhi Dao: "The Fourth Prince arranged for me and several brothers to join the Imperial Forest Army."

  The action was so swift, Qing Chen thought, that it was easy to arrange for the person to enter the Imperial Forest Army. Ye Tian Ling didn't know what means he had used. And the person was also from Ming Yi Building, it seemed that he had already made some decisions. She said to Ming Yi: "You came in too dangerously, many people recognized you."

  Ming Zhi Dao: "Don't worry, Feng. It's common for sons of wealthy families to donate a idle position, it's not uncommon." He said, taking out a small package from his pocket: "This was brought back by my subordinate from Ruyang."

  She took a glance at the two bottles of medicine and a list. She scanned the list twice under the lamp light, all were unfamiliar names, so she put the medicine in her bosom and handed the list back to Ming Zhi: "Take it to Fourth Highness for a look."

  Ming Ze took over and said, "If the Lord Phoenix has nothing else to do, I have to hurry back. The Fourth Prince is ruthless and doesn't recognize his six relatives. If he finds out that I left my post without permission, I'll lose my job. Just yesterday, I had two attendants dismissed."

  "You'd better resign and go back home, so I won't have to worry about you inside or out."

  Who would have thought that Ming Zheng would speak in a serious tone: "Your Highness has ordered it, and the arrangement for someone to enter the palace is not for anything else, but to protect the phoenix master at all times. If we were to replace him with someone else, we wouldn't be at ease either."

  "You pondered for a moment, then said: 'Right, there's one more thing I want you to take care of. Now that the plague is spreading everywhere, use the name of 'Muyuan Hall' to set up a few medicine shops and distribute medicine to treat patients. All diagnoses and sales will be free, without seeking profit. Remember, these medicine shops are not those of Mingyi Building, nor Muyuan Hall, nor mine, but for the Fourth Master's sake. For now, don't make it public, just do it.'"

  Ming Xie thought for a moment and said: "Is the Phoenix Master going to create momentum among the people on behalf of the Fourth Prince?"

  "The people can either carry the boat or overturn it, this is an eternal principle. Moreover, at present, the common people are suffering greatly under the tyranny of the ruling class. If we have a bit of power in our hands, let's use it to help them."

  Ming Xi replied: "This matter is easy to handle, I will arrange for someone to take care of it tomorrow."

  You nodded, and Ming Yi slightly bowed his head and retreated.

  You returned to your residence, but couldn't sleep, repeatedly thinking about those two small porcelain bottles. Ming Xie not only brought back the antidote, but also brought a bottle of juice from the Lixinaihecao plant. If this medicine doesn't take effect within ten days, Lu Fei will still be hard-pressed to escape death; from a physiological perspective, no one can hold on any longer. Now that we have the antidote, what kind of situation will arise after the poison is resolved? All of Lu Fei's actions are causing people to suspect and doubt, what exactly does the Feng family want to do?

  She habitually took out the string of ice blue crystal that Ye Tian Yan had given her from under her pillow, playing with it in deep thought. In the darkness, a faint clear blue glow could be seen, and through that perfect circle, it seemed as if she could gaze into a world that belonged to her, but this path was one she couldn't find. She clasped the ice blue crystal in her palm, silently closing her eyes, no longer thinking about the past or future, all she had was the present.