CH 113.1

Chapter 113.1 – Changes in the Palace

With oranges to eat, ginger soup to drink, and also a little dumpling to tease, the atmosphere in the room was really good.

Lu Sheng didn’t mind Qi Yang coaxing her to drink ginger soup at all, but after trying it, she found it really bad, so she was a little reluctant for more. When Qi Yang teased her with her bowl again, she shook her little head like a rattling drum.

The family of three were enjoying themselves in happily, chatting and laughing, and the maid also brought over Lu Sheng’s precious rabbit. The rabbit has been raised well by Lu Sheng, and its fur was snow-white and shiny. Even the fur that was burnt yellow a month ago had gradually returned to its original color.

Lu Sheng held the rabbit in one hand and took the carrot that the maid gave her with the other. It was originally meant to feed the rabbit, but maybe because Lu Qipei mentioned before that the oranges were too cold and not good, she wanted to roast it first.

The child imitated the example she was given and roasted the carrot by the brazier. She comforted the rabbit and told it not to worry, saying it would get to eat it when it was hot.

Of course, the rabbit didn’t understand. It was nestled in her arms and shook its ears, staring straight at the carrot by the brazier.

This made Qi Yang laugh again. But the young couple kept getting amused by Lu Sheng, and the latter was now accustomed to their laughter. The little dumpling just looked up and blinked in confusion, then lowered her head again and stared at the roasted carrot with the rabbit.

But before the carrots could finish getting roasted, the relaxed and joyful atmosphere in the room was shattered.

Sounds of rushed footsteps could be heard approaching, and they finally stopped outside the room. A faint sound of movement could be heard through the door. This was very rare in the princess’s mansion, as most people there were brought from the palace and knew to follow the rules and etiquette. Without mentioning anything else, it was the most basic rule to walk silently. Now that there was such a big commotion, it was obvious that there was something important that disturbed them.

Lu Qipei instinctively looked towards the door, and then heard a knock from outside. She said, “Come in.”

Zhi Ting pushed open the door and walked in accompanied by a cold wind, but her expression at that moment was even colder. “Your Highness, it’s not good. We just received news that something big happened in the palace!”

As soon as those words were spoken, the first thing that Qi Yang and Lu Qipei thought of was the Eastern Palace. After all, the Crown Prince had been sickly for more than just a year or two. Especially during these days with heavy snowfall, he would always fall ill at least once or twice.

In mild cases, he would be coughing incessantly, while on more severe cases he could lay unconscious in bed. Honestly, to still be able to sit firmly on the Crown Prince position with this body showed how much the Emperor cared for him.

Of course, what was even more tragic was that the Emperor might not be able to find a more suitable heir other than the Crown Prince.

Qi Yang calmed herself down first and asked in a deep voice, “What happened? Did something happen in the Eastern Palace again?”

Unexpectedly, Zhi Ting shook her head and said, “It’s not the Crown Prince, it’s His Majesty. His Majesty suddenly fainted while discussing things with the officials.”

Qi Yang’s originally calm expression abruptly changed because of Zhi Ting’s words. She quickly stood up, unaware that the cloak she was wearing had slipped off, and anxiously said, “What’s going on? Haven’t Royal Father’s health improved these past few months? Why did he suddenly faint?”

How could Zhi Ting know? She lowered her eyes, unable to speak.

Qi Yang became even more flustered inside, and was about to take a step outside. In her anxiety, she tripped over something and almost fell. Fortunately, Lu Qipei had sharp eyes and quick hands. She helped her up and comforted her, saying, “Your Highness, don’t worry. I’ll accompany you there.”

Lu Qipei’s hands were warm and powerful, and she held Qi Yang, the latter’s panic gradually calmed down. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then ordered, “Zhi Ting, have someone prepare the carriage, I need to enter the palace. Then, have someone come to help me change my clothes.”

Zhi Ting saw that the two of them had recovered their composure, and the panic she got when she received the news also dissipated by a lot. She acknowledged the order and left in a hurry, not only ordering someone to prepare the carriage and getting someone to help Qi Yang change her clothes, but also not forgetting to call a maid to take care of Lu Sheng and have the child carried back.

Qi Yang still had to wait for someone to change her clothes, but Lu Qipei herself was fast and was already changed after quickly going behind the screen. After Qi Yang finished dressing, she walked out carrying two fox fur cloaks. First, she put one on Qi Yang, then she put one on herself before leading the former out to the palace together. At this moment, Qi Yang’s initial panic had completely dissipated and replaced with calm.

The carriage of the Princess’s Mansion rushed through the snow. At the same time, many powerful officials in the capital also received the news. King Wei and the princesses were the first to take action, and carriages also left their mansions, heading towards the palace one after another.

The palace was not as chaotic as Qi Yang worried. Although there was no Empress in charge, fortunately the Crown Prince had been lucky recently and did not fall ill this time. It’s just that the Emperor showed great pity towards him when winter came, and did not let him walk around much and catch a cold.

So in what was a rare occurrence, the Crown Prince was not participating in the discussion with the officials today, and was not present in Xuanshi Hall when the incident happened to the Emperor. Because of this, news managed to leak out.

However, the Eastern Palace was also closer than the mansions outside the palace complex. By the time Qi Yang and the others arrived at the palace, the Crown Prince had already taken charge of the overall situation in Xuanshi Hall. He comforted the frightened officials and summoned the royal physicians to treat the Emperor. Finally, he also dealt with the crowd who had come after hearing the news.

Overall, everything was well handled, and many people who were in a panicked also gradually calmed down when they saw the Crown Prince’s calmness.

After waiting for a while, several royal physicians examined the Emperor’s pulse separately and gathered together to discuss. Finally, one person came forward and explained to the crowd, “Your Highness, please rest assured. His Majesty just caught a cold, he has a fever and passed out without realizing it.”