mtl008 Chapter 444 Happy Event at the Peak (1)
Chapter 444 Happy Event at the Peak (1)
"Okay, I'll listen to you and will guard Yikun Palace well. But if anyone dares to try, I won't let go of this great opportunity."
Concubine Hua patted her chest and promised that she would definitely not fall behind.
She was very happy to see the fight between Zhen Huan and Shen Meizhuang, the former good sisters.
Just as the two were talking about Zhen Huan, a woman standing on the steps of Lingyun Peak and looking into the distance happened to sneeze.
Bai Zhi stepped forward with a pink cloak and advised in a low voice.
"My lady, the prince said before he left that he would return as soon as Concubine Shu recovered. The wind is so strong here, you should go back to your room and rest first, so as not to catch a cold and make the prince worried."
Zhen Huan gently shook her head, a hint of worry revealed between her brows: "Bai Zhi, I am very uneasy. Do you think this indicates that something unexpected is going to happen..."
Baizhi gently tied the cloak on her and supported her as they walked back slowly.
"My lady, although I don't understand profound principles, I have heard people say, 'Life is short, so just be happy in the present moment.' Why don't you relax and prepare for your marriage?"
Zhen Huan nodded in agreement. Aunt Jingxi had said something similar.
It was when Jinxi said that day, "Who knows what will happen in the future? Let's just focus on the present!" that she made up her mind to accept Yunli's feelings.
At this moment, she looked at the house decorated with red silk and prayed silently in her heart that Yunli would return soon and fulfill his promise to marry her as soon as possible.
In fact, what Zhen Huan was most worried about was whether Concubine Shu, who took good care of her, would have any extreme reaction if she found out that the two of them had secretly decided to spend their lives together at Lingyun Peak and were even preparing to get married.
Before Yunli left, she repeatedly reminded him that Concubine Shu was not feeling well and that the news of their upcoming marriage should not be revealed for the time being.
After all, her previous identity was too embarrassing, and if she wasn't careful it could bring about an unpredictable disaster.
Zhen Huan was worried about Concubine Shu's reaction at the top of Lingyun Peak, but she didn't know that Concubine Shu was stuffing a white porcelain bottle into Prince Guo's hands at this moment.
"Yunli, this is the fertility pill that my mother went through so much trouble to get from the miracle doctor. You must make Zhen Huan take it."
Prince Guo showed a look of struggle, carefully pushed the porcelain bottle back, and explained softly.
"Mother, Huan'er is not Shen. I will make her pregnant as soon as possible. This medicine will not be useful."
Liu Renhou brought news from the palace one after another. Shen Meizhuang, who was taking fertility pills, was not pregnant and had been staying in Chuxiu Palace to take care of the baby.
Prince Guo was even more suspicious, fearing that the pill would have side effects on women, and was unwilling to let Zhen Huan take the risk and try it.
After spending these days together at Lingyun Peak, he gradually began to care about Zhen Huan and did not want the woman he loved to suffer.
The successive pregnancies of Huanbi and Bai Caiwei gave him a clear understanding of his own abilities. Prince Guo believed that as long as he was given time, Zhen Huan would eventually become pregnant with his own child.
Seeing her son's resolute resistance, Concubine Shu sighed softly, "Yunli, if you don't want to, mother won't force you."
Prince Guo responded gratefully, "Thank you, mother, for your consideration. I will..."
Before he could finish his words, Concubine Shu suddenly started coughing violently, and the heart-wrenching cough made her face flush red.
Before Prince Guo approached, Concubine Shu covered her mouth with a handkerchief and said incoherently, "Mother...it's okay...you go first..."
Concubine Shu covered her mouth with a handkerchief with one hand and pointed at the door with the other.
"Mother, you are not feeling well. How can I leave at this time?"
Prince Guo stepped forward and gently patted Concubine Shu's back, feeling very guilty.
"Mother, it's my fault. If I hadn't put you in such a difficult position, your condition wouldn't have gotten any worse."
"Yunli, mother knows you have a kind heart, this is a good thing."
As Concubine Shu spoke, a trace of blood flowed from her lips.
Prince Guo, sensing something was wrong, pried open her hand that was holding the handkerchief and discovered that the handkerchief was already covered with glaring red bloodstains.
His eyes narrowed in fear and he shouted out of control.
"Mother, are you coughing up blood?"
Concubine Shu folded the handkerchief as if nothing had happened and smiled comfortingly.
"Mother is fine, she's just had a bad temper lately. If you don't believe me, you can ask Aunt Jiyun for confirmation."
"Mother is deeply relieved to hear the news of your marriage."
"Yunli, Mochou (Zhen Huan) is a good girl, you must treat her well."
"Mother, I will."
Prince Guo chatted with Concubine Shu for quite a while before coming out of the side room with a lot on his mind.
He walked around Anqi Temple but couldn't find any trace of cumulus clouds.
"Ah Jin, have you seen Aunt Jiyun?"
"My Lord, I just saw Aunt Jiyun carrying a basin to the river, apparently to wash clothes."
A Jin replied respectfully.
In the past, when Anqi Temple was short of firewood, he would go and help, but he didn't know how to do women's work such as washing clothes.
"You will stay in the temple and wait for the Queen Mother's orders. I will be out for a while."
The river was flowing gently, and Cumulus was waving a mallet to wash clothes, and he didn't notice anyone approaching.
It was not until Prince Guo spoke that she subconsciously raised her head, then seemed to remember something and quickly lowered her head to get busy.
"My Lord, why are you here?"
Prince Guo avoided answering, so he asked directly.
"Aunt Jiyun, why are your eyes red? What injustice have you suffered?"
Jiyun raised the hammer and paused, explaining in a hoarse voice.
"Your Highness, the wind is strong by the river and I am blinded."
"It's a rare opportunity for you to come to Anqi Temple. Go and keep the Queen Dowager company."
"There's a big bone soup stewing in the kitchen. I'll go back later to make your favorite white cabbage shreds in broth."
"It's cold in the mountains, drink a bowl of hot soup..."
Prince Guo, noticing her abnormality, interrupted her.
"Aunt Jiyun, I'll go back to Anqi Temple and wait for you."
After making sure that the young master had gone far away, Jiyun quickly rubbed his red, frozen hands.
The happy event on Lingyun Peak is approaching, so the master has no choice but to resort to this desperate measure.
Jiyun pounded the clothes a few times, and then wrung them dry after they were soaked.
Anqi Temple does not raise chickens, so it is impossible to collect blood.
The master was willing to hurt himself to make the young master obedient, so she had to go back as soon as possible to cook a pot of porridge for lunch.
On the other side, as soon as Prince Guo returned to Anqi Temple, he whispered instructions to A Jin.
"The Concubine is feeling unwell. Please send a message to Zhuangzi immediately and have Doctor Gou come immediately and bring some nourishing medicine with him."
"I obey your command and will do it right away."
Prince Guo stared at the room where Concubine Shu lived. He was silent for a long time, and a great panic rose in his heart.
He originally thought that his mother was just pretending to be sick to urge him to leave Lingyun Peak, but he didn't expect that she was really ill this time.
When Prince Guo was young, he had witnessed with his own eyes the woman whose face had long since become blurred in the side room of his mother's back hall coughing up blood and dying in less than half a year.
The tragic scene of the man being wrapped in a mat still scars him.
He knew very well that coughing up blood was no joke and his mother's condition was probably critical.
Prince Guo took a deep breath and walked slowly towards the wing room with heavy steps, each step seeming to carry a heavy weight.
Gently pushing open the door, I saw Concubine Shu, her face as pale as paper, lying quietly on the bed, and from time to time I could hear a soft moan.
Prince Guo's eyes instantly turned red, and his heart seemed to be tightly grasped by an invisible hand, causing unbearable pain.
"Mother, how do you feel?"
He spoke softly so as not to disturb the lying Concubine Shu.
Concubine Shu slowly opened her eyes and looked at Prince Guo who was standing beside the bed with a smile.
"Mother is fine, she just didn't sleep well last night. She'll be fine after a little rest."
"Yunli, you must be hungry, right? Mother will get up and prepare food for you right away."
Seeing that Concubine Shu was trying hard to get up, Prince Guo pressed down slightly on her thin shoulders.
"Mother, I'm not hungry. Aunt Jiyun will prepare the meal. Please take a good rest."
He tightly grasped Shu Taifei's hand outside the quilt, and felt the coldness in his palm, which made him even more worried.
"I have asked Doctor Gou to come and take your pulse. I will have him take good care of you when the time comes."
Concubine Shu struggled to sit up and gently patted the back of Prince Guo's hand, with a smile of relief.
"Mother is fine, perhaps just experiencing seasonal discomfort."
"I didn't have this problem when I lived in the palace before. Yunli, just relax."
Upon hearing this, Prince Guo felt even more guilty.
"Mother, it's all because of your incompetence that you're suffering here."
If it wasn't for saving his life, why would his mother have to suffer in this deserted Anqi Temple?
Whenever Prince Guo recalled the past, he felt endless hatred towards the late Empress Dowager who had forced them to separate as mother and son, and the Emperor who had ignored them.
The late Empress Dowager had received her retribution and was angered to death by her son, while the Emperor was still at large.
Prince Guo's desire for the throne reached its peak at this moment.
Concubine Shu looked at her son's changing expression and comforted him in a gentle voice.
"Yunli, mother doesn't feel hardship. In the past, I was trapped in the square palace, guarding only a narrow piece of sky. Now I can live in peace and watch the mountains and rivers change with the seasons. This is a great blessing."
"When I think of your impending marriage, I feel incredibly relieved. Don't listen to Jiyun's nonsense. I'm fine."
"Don't worry, Mother will see your and Zhen's child born, and she will definitely live well."
As she spoke, she picked up a small basket beside her, opened the lid, took out an exquisite little piece of clothing, and handed it to Prince Guo.
"You and Zhen are both pretty, and the children you will have in the future will surely be good-looking. This is the clothes that mother made for her grandson. When I have free time, I often ask Jiyun to make small clothes with me."
"Yunli, the night my mother made this little dress, I dreamed that children surrounded me and called me 'Royal Mama'."
"Time flies by so fast. Many years have passed in a flash. You are getting married soon, and I am the Royal Madam now."
Prince Guo stroked the soft cloth in his hands, his throat choked with sobs and he couldn't speak.
Hot tears slid down and dripped onto the back of his hand, burning him so much that it hurt.
Concubine Shu, who picked up another piece of light blue material, did not see this scene. She shared it with great interest.
"Yunli, this piece of light blue material can be used by both men and women. I'll make a few more pieces."
"When you give it to Zhen, just say Jiyun made it for the child."
She explained to herself again.
"Zhen suffered greatly in the palace, and Mother was afraid that seeing me would remind her of the past. When you got married, Mother prayed for you in this temple."
"Mother, I am an unfilial son!"
Prince Guo fell to his knees with a plop, his head resting on Concubine Shu's legs, tears streaming down his face like a spring.
Concubine Shu gently touched his head and tried to help him up.
"Yunli, you're about to get married, why are you crying now? Come and wipe your tears!"
Prince Guo took the handkerchief handed to him by his mother and wiped his eyes with it without even looking at it.
A strange smell hit him, and he put the handkerchief he had just obtained in front of his eyes to check, only to see a large dark red blood spot in the middle of the handkerchief.
He was about to take a closer look when Concubine Shu pulled the handkerchief back.
"Mother is old, and she picked up the wrong handkerchief just now. You use this one."
She seemed to be afraid that her son would ask her further questions, so she raised her hand and wiped Prince Guo's eyes.
The elegant fragrance of flowers wafted through, driving away the strange bloody smell at the tip of the nose.
"Thank you, mother. I lost my composure."
Prince Guo leaned on the bed and when his hand touched a smooth porcelain vase, he somehow grasped it in his hand.
He thought to himself: Since ancient times, those who have accomplished great things have not been particular about trivial matters. I cannot let my children's personal affairs ruin important things again.
The next day, as soon as Doctor Gou arrived, Prince Guo took him to Anqi Temple.
Concubine Shu looked at her son who was standing by her side and made the request with a smile.
"Yunli, my mother hasn't eaten the rabbits you hunted in a while. Can you go to the mountains and catch one?"
"Mother, your son..."
Prince Guo couldn't say no, so he nodded in response to Concubine Shu's expectation.
"Yunli, go quickly."
Concubine Shu urged in a gentle voice.
After Prince Guo left, Concubine Shu spoke again: "Doctor Gou, I have to trouble you again."
"Your Highness is so polite. It is thanks to the prince that I have a place to stay."
Doctor Gou responded modestly, then extended his hand to feel Concubine Shu's pulse.
After a long while, he finally spoke with difficulty.
"Mrs. Dowager Concubine, have you had symptoms of coughing up blood recently?"
"I coughed a few times, but I'm fine. I'm... cough cough cough... still feeling pretty good."
Concubine Shu quickly covered her mouth with a handkerchief to prevent the sound of her coughing from being heard outside.
Doctor Gou sighed heavily upon seeing this. "Madam Concubine, this lung disease of yours was brought from your mother's womb. It's not a big deal if you pamper her, but Anqi Monastery is already poor, and if this continues for a long time, I'm afraid..."
"I'll prescribe some medicine for you to help you breathe more easily."
"Then I'll have to trouble Doctor Gou. Yunli is a worried child. If he asks about my illness, Doctor Gou will help to conceal some of it."
Concubine Shu looked at the corner of azure cloth exposed by the door, and then pleaded in a low voice.