GBP Chapter 581 The Most Terrifying Enemy
Chapter 581 The Most Terrifying Enemy
The candles in the emperor's bedchamber crackled as the empress personally trimmed the wicks.
The Empress Dowager is old and cannot overwork herself, so the Empress came early to take over so that the Empress Dowager could go back to rest sooner.
"The Empress should also take care of her health. The imperial physicians are taking turns looking after her, so she should be fine."
"Yes, Mother, please go back and rest early. Your son is here, so please don't worry."
The Empress Dowager left with the help of palace servants, while the Empress was dressed in simple everyday clothes without much adornment.
After all, it's a long-term commitment, and wearing too many complicated or overly ornate clothes for the occasion would only cause discomfort.
The Empress sat on the edge of the bed, looking at the pale-faced Emperor, and a bitter feeling welled up in her heart.
She thought she wouldn't be sad, wouldn't shed tears for this man who put the world first and disregarded feelings.
In fact, her tears had already soaked her handkerchief, showing her that she still cared about this person.
As the Empress was immersed in grief, the Emperor's fingers twitched, and he slowly opened his eyes.
In the dim light, he saw the Empress standing by his bedside, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.
"Your Majesty..." his voice was weak. The Empress quickly wiped away her tears and said softly, "Your Majesty is awake? I will go and fetch the imperial physician!"
The emperor grabbed the empress's sleeve and said, "I have wronged you so much in my life."
The Empress was shocked. All the grievances and bitterness of the past years surged into her heart, and the tears she had just suppressed threatened to burst forth again.
"Your Majesty, please don't talk about these things now. Resting and recuperating is the most important thing. I'll go and summon the imperial physician."
The emperor's strength had not yet recovered, so naturally he could not hold onto that smooth hem of his robe.
The Empress ordered the imperial physician to examine the Emperor carefully. If he woke up and could speak, did that mean he was out of danger?
After the imperial physician finished his examination, he went to a side hall to report to the Empress: "His Majesty is temporarily out of danger, and his current state of consciousness is a good sign."
Just as the Empress was about to feel relieved, the imperial physician said the second half of his sentence.
"However, with the lingering poison still present, His Majesty's mobility may be limited, and even the best-case scenario for his recovery might be..."
"What is it? Don't hide it!"
"Yes, Your Majesty. If we can't find the source of this poison, we won't be able to completely remove the remaining poison from His Majesty's internal organs. Although the remaining poison is not fatal, it can still cause numbness in the body."
It's not noticeable when sitting, but if you want to walk normally and freely, you can't.
"what!"
The Empress found it hard to accept, because she knew that His Majesty, the supreme ruler, would absolutely find it difficult to accept.
"Step down! Take good care of His Majesty's health. The Dali Temple will not stop its investigation; they will eventually find out the source of the poison."
"Yes, Your Majesty, we will do our utmost. Your Majesty, I take my leave!"
After the imperial physician left, the empress returned to sit down beside the emperor's bed.
The emperor looked at her, his gaze softening. "Empress, stay and keep me company."
The Empress hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
The emperor said slowly, "Throughout my life, I have been busy with state affairs and neglected you. Now that I think about it, I owe you and the children too much."
The Empress lowered her eyes and said softly, "Your Majesty puts the well-being of all people first. As the mother of the nation, I understand."
The emperor held her hand, "But I know you're suffering. I shouldn't have let you suffer so much, and what about your father-in-law and the others..."
"Your Majesty! That's all in the past, let's not bring it up again."
"Okay, okay, let's not talk about it."
"His Majesty has already spoken too much today. The imperial physician advises you to rest and take your medicine. This will help you recover faster."
"With the Empress Dowager overseeing everything outside, Your Majesty can rest assured."
"Alas, how can I find peace of mind? I am in this state, yet the position of Crown Prince remains vacant. Our Chang'er was the most suitable and should have been the one to enter the Crown Prince's palace, but fate has played a cruel trick on us!"
The emperor knew he had brought up another painful memory for the empress, so he fell silent, not daring to look at her expression.
The Empress sneered inwardly. Was it time to realize the grievances suffered by the mother and son?
They knew perfectly well who was behind it, but for the sake of the so-called "big picture," they made the mother and son endure it again and again.
Although the culprit eventually received his just deserts, her son Chang'er also truly suffered a great deal.
The noble and unparalleled crown prince was murdered by a childless concubine. Knowing the truth, His Majesty delayed bringing the perpetrator to justice for the sake of border stability.
This is her husband, this is the father of her son!
The Empress remained silent and did not respond to the Emperor's words.
"The Empress must be tired. Go and rest. There are so many people here. Don't overwork yourself."
"Yes, I am resigning!"
The Empress, taking the opportunity, decided it was time to go back and talk to her son.
To prevent my son from wandering around like a headless fly, thinking wildly and aimlessly.
The emperor swallowed the words he hadn't yet uttered, staring blankly as the empress's figure disappeared through the palace gates.
"Alas, in the end, I have let them down..."
When the Empress returned to her palace, she found that the Second Prince seemed to have been waiting for her for a long time.
"Mother, how is Father?" the Second Prince asked anxiously.
The Empress told him the truth and then said, "Now that your father's movements are restricted and the position of Crown Prince is undecided, the princes below must all have their own thoughts. It is precisely at this time that you must remain calm and composed."
“Mother, I have never forgotten the suffering we endured back then. I will not allow what belongs to us to be taken away again.”
"Chang'er!"
"I will fight for myself, and I will also fight for Mother."
Looking at her son's resolute expression, the Empress felt a mix of emotions.
“I’ve always known you have this ambition, but the most important thing right now is to find out who poisoned him. Today I also tested the Fifth Prince, and he was very discreet.”
"Does Mother suspect the Fifth Prince? Does he have such audacity? No, even if he does have the audacity, does he really have the ability to do it?"
"That's what I'm really worried about. If he really is, he will be your most difficult opponent."
The connections required to reach into His Majesty's bedchamber and successfully administer poison are unimaginable.
Now, all the people around His Majesty have been replaced. Those palace servants who were replaced and had access to His Majesty's food have all been taken away and interrogated.
Three people have already committed suicide by biting their tongues. Tell me, wouldn't you call them suicide squads?
The Second Prince was shocked by what the Empress said. If the Fifth Prince really had such power, even if he had endured for more than ten years, he would probably be no match for him once the truth came out.
After a long silence, the second prince thought of his own ship and that he still had trump cards up his sleeve, and finally suppressed his fear for the time being.
Just as she was about to speak again, a palace maid rushed in to report, "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager has sent someone to invite you to Cining Palace immediately."