Chapter 950: I've imprisoned the Empress, how to break it 03

After a moment, Li De knelt and replied, "Your Majesty, Your Highness's pulse is slow and weak at the left cun, indicating cold qi has entered the body, a sign of deficient and cold heart qi."

Jin Chen: "Why is he coughing blood?"

In reply to the Emperor, Your Highness's spleen and stomach are deficient and cold, with damp-heat obstruction; it likely stems from the cold qi, damaging the five viscera and causing insufficient heart qi, which just led to vomiting blood.

Jin Chen waited for him to retreat, then immediately grasped Wen Zhenheng's hand, giving him no chance to react.

Wen Zhenheng glanced coolly at Jin Chen, then lowered his eyes and stayed silent, only furrowing his brows, seeming unaccustomed.

Jin Chen's voice sank, solemn without anger: "Since it's a deficiency, can dietary supplementation replace the prescription?"

Absolutely not, Your Majesty; if it were ordinary wind-cold weakness, gradual dietary supplementation might be acceptable, but Your Highness's body is depleted and needs prompt regulation, otherwise...

Li De broke out in a cold sweat, not daring to speak, only kneeling and prostrating, he substituted a vague phrase: "Otherwise, winter will be even harder to endure."

Jin Chen's heart jolted: "Hurry and get the prescription! From now on, you shall still attend to him at Qi Xin Hall."

Yes.

Li De let out a hard sigh of relief and trembled away.

Wen Zhenheng showed little reaction, as if he already understood his condition; he weakly rubbed his forehead, wanting to sleep, his voice cold: "Your Majesty, are you going to send me out?"

Qi Xin Hall has always been the residence of past empresses, unless...

Wen Zhenheng smirked: "Or perhaps Your Majesty has already let Shao Gui Jun take up residence in Qi Xin Hall."

"I want Huai Feng to move back."

Jin Chen took a handkerchief and gently wiped the blood from Wen Zhenheng's hand: "Before... it was all my fault; now the weather grows cold, Huai Feng still..."

"I will follow whatever Your Majesty decides."

Wen Zhenheng cut off Jin Chen's words, weakly withdrew his hand, adjusted his cloak, and said, "Youyue Hall or Qi Xin Hall makes no difference to me."

No matter whether it's a wooden cage or a golden one, they are merely prisons confining him.

Jin Chen's hand grasped at air, so he could only withdraw it; Youyou sighed, "Huai Feng's willingness to return is good."

Remaining misunderstandings and mistakes will eventually be resolved in time.

That day, the news that the Emperor had brought the Empress out of the Cold Palace spread throughout the Imperial Palace, and it was said he even had her ride in his personal carriage.

Palace maids and eunuchs who saw it spread the story tenfold, then a hundredfold; by the time the attendants of each palace heard, several versions had already circulated.

Some said the Empress had been confined for half a year, deliberately making herself ill to regain the Emperor's favor.

Others said that with the late emperor's birthday approaching, the sacrificial rites required an Empress, so she was brought out.

But more rumors claimed that a palace maid saw the head of the Imperial Medical Institute rushing anxiously to the Cold Palace, and shortly after the Empress was brought out—because he had a grave illness and would not live long.

Regardless of the reason, the Empress leaving the Cold Palace is a certainty; the officials who once mocked her now cannot sit still.

Originally there was Shao Chun Gui Jun, who had no power or influence, obscure origins, yet he relied on favor to dominate them.

The late emperor's arranged marriage to the extraordinarily talented Empress Wen Zhenheng, and now she has emerged from the Cold Palace—how long must they wait for the Emperor's favor!

Meanwhile, Shao Chun, who had gone out to play, also learned of this from a personal palace maid.

"What! Wen Zhenheng has been released!"

"Yes, Your Highness, the Empress rode out from Youyue Palace in the Emperor's personal carriage, and the entire rear palace saw it."

Palace maid Cai Zhu replied.

Shao Chun reacted strongly, his cat-like eyes widening as he slammed the table and stood: "So... today the Emperor suddenly went to the Cold Palace for this very reason!"

He was still scolding him in the Study!

Although he didn't particularly like Jin Chen in his heart, after being favored for so long, he suddenly felt as if something had been taken from him.

Shao Chun angrily ate a grape: "Damn, this Wen Zhenheng..."

Earlier, when he first gained favor, Wen Zhenheng always looked askance at him, even though there were many attendants in the palace—she singled him out!

After finally managing to get Wen Zhenheng into the Cold Palace, his plan wasn't even finished; originally obstructed by some mysterious force, now Wen Zhenheng has come out again!

"I'm furious!"

The more Shao Chun thought about it, the angrier he grew, and he flung the pastries.

The palace maids and eunuchs hurriedly knelt, fearing implication.

"Come with me to see the Emperor; I want to ask him what he's thinking!"

Shao Chun dared say that, but Cai Zhu dared not accept it; questioning the Son of Heaven's authority would cost her several lives.

Just after leaving the pavilion, he bumped into Jin Xiao Mo walking this way; Shao Chun was startled, his anger fading, he lunged to embrace him, but upon receiving Jin Xiao Mo's gaze, he steadied himself and gave a light cough.

"I still have some matters; Cai Zhu, you may stay, the rest of you withdraw!"

As you command.

Cai Zhu's face fell; she thought this prince might be too blatant—just a few days ago he arrived, and now another seeks the Noble Your Highness; if the Emperor knew...

Just thinking about it made Cai Zhu's neck ache, but whoever she follows is her master; she cannot be questioned, nor does she have the right to question.

"Your Highness, I am waiting outside the pavilion."

Cai Zhu, familiar with the route, walked to the corner and waited, not even looking; compared to her usual anxiety, knowing the Empress had left the Cold Palace, she felt the Emperor would certainly not come now, and thus relaxed a bit.

"Just now I saw you fuming—what's wrong?"

Jin Xiao Mo sat down in the lakeside pavilion, pulled Shao Chun into his embrace, pinched the cat's face, and spoke with a smile.

"Just mentioning me makes me angry."

Shao Chun sat on his lap, dissatisfied, wriggling and acting coquettish: "The Emperor actually released Wen Zhenheng from the Cold Palace!"

"Oh?"

Jin Xiao Mo's smile faded slightly, also puzzled: "What could have happened recently?"

"It's precisely because nothing happened that I'm suspicious!"

Shao Chun puffed his cheeks: "Today in the Imperial Study, accompanying the Emperor to review memorials, the eunuchs suddenly drove me away—I really don't know what fit he's throwing."

"Mind your words, that is the Imperial Elder Brother."

Although Jin Xiao Mo was saying that, his expression showed not a shred of respect.

Shao Chun snorted, then, as if venting anger, bit his shoulder, saying, "There's no one else here; do I still have to pretend in front of you?"

"I was never one of you humans; I don't understand all these rules."

Jin Xiao Mo smiled, lightly pinching the cat's nape, his gaze toward the lake turning cold, a sense of wariness rising in his heart.

Although Wen Zhi Heng said he was merely the son of a low‑ranking Central Secretariat attendant, his maternal family's power was not to be underestimated, and it was unknown whether Yin Yue had fallen under his control.

We still need to test him thoroughly; we must not let Wen Zhi Heng become Jin Chen's aid again.

"Good cat, since there's something odd about Wen Zhi Heng's appearance, why don't you go take a look?"

Jin Xiao Mo held and coaxed him, his tone gentle and persuasive: "If the imperial older brother sees you, how could his thoughts possibly still fall on that bland, tasteless empress?"

"But you've just arrived, and I have to part from you again?"