Chapter 1342: Chapter 1342
Chapter 1342: Chapter 1342: The Emperor of Beijing
The Fifteenth Prince glanced at the Empress Dowager, suddenly smiled, and then turned to Gu Youyou, feeling that this woman truly was remarkable.
Unbeknownst to him, she managed to change the deeply ingrained stubbornness of his mother.
No matter what, his mother now no longer rejects using medicine from Zhuzhao Country.
“Alright, I will send someone to Lingnan to buy medicine.”
He noticed the Empress Dowager’s reaction, but she still pretended not to see.
The Fifteenth Prince was completely at ease now, thinking that perhaps Jin Zijin and the others might actually succeed.
In Beijing of Zhuzhao Country
The Ducal Residence was raided, but that was not the end of it. On one hand, the Emperor was dismantling their peripheral forces within the Imperial Court, whilst on the other hand, doing everything possible to weaken their control over the Beiping Army Camp.
He could easily treat Beiping as he did Xining, but after all, the Xining battle was costly and resulted in severe casualties; for the common people, warfare is always the last resort.
Even if a battle is ultimately unavoidable, as the Emperor, he has to try his best to minimize the losses from warfare.
“Cough, cough…” The night was already deep, and the Emperor, draped in a thin blanket, was still reviewing memorials at his desk.
He sought opinions from others, since many in the court were remnants of the Ducal Residence, making it inconvenient to speak openly on certain matters, thus court ministers resorted to conveying many issues to the Emperor via memorials.
His workload had greatly increased, and coupled with years of exertion and fatigue, his health was deteriorating.
“Cough, cough, cough…”
Throughout the night, he coughed countless times.
Eunuch Wan, standing nearby, was anxious as well, and softly advised, “Your Majesty, the night is deep. Wouldn’t it be better to review the memorials tomorrow? Please go back and rest first.”
The Emperor, covering his mouth with a handkerchief, coughed a few more times and said, “Just wait a little longer, I’m almost done.”
“Your Majesty, your health is poor, why exert yourself so…”
The Emperor raised his hand to stop him from continuing, and softly said, “I am already so old, how many more years do I have left to live?”
“Oh, Your Majesty, you are not old at all. Please do not say such things. You are destined for a hundred years of longevity. Ah…pooh, pooh, the old servant misspoke, you are destined for a thousand years; see, everyone calls you ‘Wansui’!”
The Emperor laughed heartily, saying, “Wan Decheng, you grow slyer with age; your age increases, and so does your eloquence. Ai, a hundred years and such, how do I dare to dream; I only hope I can hold on a few more years, to pass on this ravaged land whole. You should know, my greatest wish is to hand a clean kingdom to my successors.”
“Your Majesty, you…” Eunuch Wan sighed deeply, saying, “You work so hard, yet no one understands you. They all think you’re ruthless in your pursuit of power, favoring whoever holds it, but you are the one suffering the most! Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn NoveIꜰire.net
Back then, the late Emperor handed over a fragmented realm to you; that kind of kingdom, if you don’t strive for it, it might fall to the Third Prince or the Fifth Prince, and this land might have long changed hands.
If I may speak irreverently, the other Princes are brave but lack wisdom. They don’t possess your meticulousness and have no way to maneuver among various factions, making them all cautious of each other. Your forbearance has earned a generation’s peace, yet they don’t understand your earnest intentions; the old servant truly feels it’s unjust for you!”
The Emperor couldn’t help but smile at these words from Eunuch Wan, casually saying, “Wan Decheng, don’t you understand?”