Imperial Husband Chapter 22

Knock knock.

Ping'an lightly knocked on Li Jin's door, "Your Highness, someone from the palace just delivered a message saying His Majesty the Empress invites you to attend the seventh prince's welcome banquet today."

Creak.

Li Jin pushed the door open and looked at Ping'an, "Then let's go. Ping'an, prepare the carriage for me."

Perhaps because he had just bathed, Li Jin was only wearing thin inner garments.

Seeing Li Jin's complexion was very poor, Ping'an couldn't help but advise him, "Your Highness, your health is not the same as before. Why not rest for a while before going?"

"It's fine." Li Jin shook his head, "I can rest in the carriage. We must not keep His Majesty the Empress waiting."

The reason Li Jin's face had become so pale was entirely due to the side effects of the medicinal bath. After all, most of those were poisons—while they could treat Li Jin, they would also weaken his body.

"Yes, this servant will go prepare it immediately."

Ping'an knew that once Li Jin said something, he would not easily change his mind, so he could only go arrange the carriage, full of worry.

"Your humble servant pays respects to Your Highness." Not long after Ping'an left, Xiao Tao, from Wei Shiwan's side, personally came to Li Jin's courtyard carrying the decocted medicine. "The Princess Consort sent this servant to bring you the medicine. She asks that you drink it before going out."

Without even thinking, it was clear that the news of Li Jin going to the palace for the welcome banquet had already spread through the mansion, which was why Wei Shiwan had so quickly sent Xiao Tao over.

"Mm, thank the Successor Princess Consort for me."

Li Jin took the medicine offered by Xiao Tao and drank it all in one go, then returned the empty bowl to her.

Xiao Tao smiled, took the bowl, and said her farewells, "This servant takes her leave."

This wasn't the first time Xiao Tao had watched Li Jin drink the medicine. Ever since learning that Li Jin needed to take medicine daily to regulate his body, Wei Shiwan had instructed Xiao Tao to make sure she personally witnessed Li Jin finish the medicine.

"Your Highness, Your Highness, the carriage is ready." Ping'an ran back, panting, to inform Li Jin.

"Ping'an, you get in the carriage and wait for me first. I will change my clothes and come right over."

"Yes, Your Highness."

After a short while.

Li Jin changed his clothes and sat in the carriage with Ping'an heading towards the imperial palace.

After Xiao Tao left, she immediately returned to Wei Shiwan's courtyard to report, "Reporting to the Princess Consort, the Heir Apparent has drunk the medicine."

"Did you watch him finish it with your own eyes?" Wei Shiwan asked while wholly absorbed in wielding her brush and painting mountain ranges, appearing completely composed and at ease.

Xiao Tao nodded, "Yes, Princess Consort."

"Very good."

Wei Shiwan nodded slightly, the slight curve at the corner of her lips indicating her very good mood.

"Princess Consort, isn't this too risky?" Xiao Tao said worriedly, "This servant fears that if something happens to the Heir Apparent, and you have this servant watching him drink the medicine every day, it's hard to guarantee it won't arouse suspicion."

If she weren't afraid of displeasing Wei Shiwan, Xiao Tao would have preferred to ask directly: if Zhou Xiaoru's actions are exposed, wouldn't they end up taking the blame for Zhou Xiaoru?

Wei Shiwan replied faintly, "Because I am the legal mother. If I did nothing, that would arouse suspicion."

When Wei Shiwan learned that Gu Rushuang had only invited Li Jin, she was very displeased. But Wei Shiwan also understood that her status was quite sensitive in relation to Gu Rushuang. If she really went, the one who might end up losing face would likely be herself. Therefore, Wei Shiwan only sent Xiao Tao with the medicine and did not interfere further with Li Jin's attendance at the banquet.

"Uh..."

"Xiao Tao, you are not thinking far enough ahead." Wei Shiwan put down the brush in her hand and looked at Xiao Tao, "With His Highness the Prince's capabilities, if he investigates, the truth will come out one day. If I am innocently implicated because of this matter, His Highness will surely compensate me."

This was Wei Shiwan's goal.

After learning what Zhou Xiaoru had done privately, Wei Shiwan had begun this calculation, while also repeatedly warning Xiao Tao to simply decoct the medicine according to the imperial physician's prescription and not do anything extra.

The few herbs that Zhou Xiaoru, upon learning Li Jin was preparing for long-term medicinal baths, had someone secretly add in were not only poisonous but could also lead to infertility with prolonged use. Moreover, they conflicted with the prescription given by the imperial physician who was helping Li Jin regulate his body. In the long run, even if Li Jin didn't die, he would be truly ruined.

In the carriage.

Ping'an, having held back for a long time, finally couldn't help but suggest, "Your Highness, your complexion has been poor ever since you started drinking that medicine. Why not... why not stop it."

Li Jin's complexion had grown worse day by day since he started taking the medicine. Even someone as slow as Ping'an felt something was very wrong. But the person overseeing Li Jin taking the medicine was the capable maid from Wei Shiwan's side, Ping'an was powerless to stop it.

Ping'an hadn't considered that Li Jin's current state was due to the medicinal baths, he firmly believed it was caused by drinking the medicine.

Li Jin shook his head helplessly, "That imperial physician was sent by His Majesty to treat me. If I don't drink the medicine he prescribed, doesn't that amount to defying the imperial decree?"

Li Jin had no intention of telling Ping'an about the side effects of the medicinal bath. After all, if he mentioned the side effects, he would need more lies to explain why Li Jin, who rarely left the prince's mansion, knew these things. So it was better not to say anything from the start.

Hearing this, Ping'an's face instantly turned pale, "Your Highness, forgive me, this servant was thinking too simply."

Yes.

That prescription was issued by an imperial physician from the palace. For him to suggest Li Jin not drink it was no different from instigating Li Jin to disobey the imperial decree. How was that different from harming Li Jin?

The more Ping'an thought about it, the more he regretted it. He reached out his hand, preparing to slap his own mouth.

"Ping'an, you don't need to blame yourself. It's good that you understand now." Li Jin stopped Ping'an, "Let's go down, we have arrived."

____

The host of this welcome banquet was Gu Rushuang, the Empress. Even if Ying Zhengjing wasn't coming, the consorts all came to offer congratulations.

Of course.

The congratulations were false—in reality, they were all here to watch the show, and thus did not bring their own children along.

Who didn't know that the seventh prince Ying Yuan had been disliked by Ying Zhengjing since birth? For Gu Rushuang to adopt Ying Yuan now, wasn't that equivalent to publicly challenging Ying Zhengjing? If Gu Rushuang's actions truly angered Ying Zhengjing, they might even be able to step over Gu Rushuang to advance themselves.

Consort Qi (祺: auspicious), Lan Xiwei, upon arriving, said teasingly, "Congratulations to Your Majesty the Empress on gaining a 'seventh prince'."

This Lan Xiwei was no ordinary consort. Despite having never borne the Emperor any sons or daughters herself, she had secured her position as a Consort through the influence of her family. Most notably, she was the very consort who had once been responsible for fostering Ying Yuan.

The moment Lan Xiwei appeared, Ying Yuan's eyes filled with deep wariness.

"Mm, take a seat."

Gu Rushuang nodded, signaling for Lan Xiwei to sit down, and said nothing more.

Naturally, Gu Rushuang knew that Lan Xiwei had fostered Ying Yuan before. However, Gu Rushuang did not intend to intervene in this matter.

To put it bluntly.

Gu Rushuang wanted Ying Yuan to resolve his grievances with Lan Xiwei on his own.

In this imperial palace, if a prince cannot even contend with one consort, what future can he talk about?

Imperial Concubine Jin (锦: brocade), Lan Yingying, the mother of the fifth prince Ying Zijun, seeing that the banquet had not yet started, deliberately asked with feigned confusion, "Your Majesty the Empress, all the sisters have arrived, so why hasn't the banquet started? Could it be... Your Majesty is waiting for His Majesty the Emperor?"

[The ranking of major concubine titles from highest to lowest: Imperial Noble Consort (皇贵妃, Huángguìfēi)—Noble Consort (贵妃, Guìfēi)—Consort (妃, Fēi)—Imperial Concubine (嫔, Pín)—Noble Lady (贵人, Guìrén)—Talented Lady (才人, Cáirén)—Attendant (选侍, Xuǎnshì)—Court Lady (采女, Cǎinǚ)]

Lan Yingying, like Lan Xiwei, came from the prominent Lan family of the capital.

Gu Rushuang looked at Lan Yingying, "This Palace is waiting for another person. His Majesty has already informed This Palace that he has important matters to attend to and will not be coming."

Hearing this, Lan Yingying became even more insolent. "So that is how it is. For Your Majesty the Empress to adopt a prince is a major event. I truly cannot imagine what pressing matter occupies His Majesty that he cannot spare the time to attend."

Gu Rushuang's eyes held a hint of coldness, "Imperial Concubine Jin, have you forgotten that the inner court must not interfere in governance?"

"Uh... This concubine wouldn't dare." Hearing Gu Rushuang pin such a major label as 'inner court interfering in governance' on her, Lan Yingying backed down.

Shen Qianxue watched from the side, secretly observing Gu Rushuang's every move as if she were watching a play.

"Aunt, do you know who His Majesty the Empress is waiting for?"

Shen Ningyu looked curiously towards the entrance.