Chapter 519 - More Than Everything
The Royal Physician left after examining the Emperor, so Sheng Li followed him. He stopped the Royal Physician and took him near the pavilion.
"Why did the Imperial Father faint? Is it because of weakness?" Sheng Li asked.
"The Emperor's body has become weak. The Late Second Royal Physician has said that the medicine could only help His Majesty survive at most for a year. However, I think that His Majesty will not be able to make it for long," the Royal Physician narrated to the Crown Prince.
Sheng Li's heart sank. "Do you know how long my father can make it?" He asked.
"It is tough to say yet, Your Highness," the Royal Physician replied.
Sheng Li was out of words. He was again missing Hu Jingguo and this time he badly needed him.
"Your Highness, the Emperor's illness is terminal. Hu Jingguo has stopped its growth for some time using that medicine," the Royal Physician explained to Sheng Li.
"So, Father will--"
"Yes, Your Highness," the Royal Physician replied even before letting Sheng Li complete his words. "His Highness shall prepare himself. The illness has badly affected the internal body parts of His Majesty. In a few days, His Majesty will stop eating because of the digestive issues," the Royal Physician told some more facts to Sheng Li, who stumbled back.
"Thank you, Royal Physician. Forgive me for my earlier behavior," Sheng Li lowered his head.
"Please do not mortify me, Your Highness," the Royal Physician said. Sheng Li nodded his head and told him to leave. The Royal Physician bowed before leaving the chamber. Sheng Li hit his hand on the pillar. He came back to see his father.
Jian Guozhi had sent everyone away, including the wives of the Emperor as he needed rest. Sheng Li stood near the bed and looked at his father. The same face that his mother had carried when she had fallen ill.
"Father will wake up soon. Let our father take a good rest," Jian Guozhi suggested to Sheng Li.
"First Brother shall leave," Sheng Li told Jian Guozhi, who did not argue and left the chamber. Eunuch Jin brought the chair for Sheng Li.
"Your Highness, please sit on this," Eunuch Jin requested him. Sheng Li sat down on the chair and took the hand of his father. Deep frowns appeared on Sheng Li's forehead. On the other hand, Sheng Li caressed his father's chest.
"Call Xiao Zhan," Sheng Li ordered Eunuch Jin, who dashed out of the chamber.
Outside the chamber, Ying Lili was waiting for Sheng Li to come out. Instead, she met Jian Guozhi, and the two greeted each other. "The Crown Princess shall go back. The Crown Prince will take time to come out," Jian Guozhi advised Ying Lili.
"I will wait for him, Brother Jian," Ying Lili answered. Their attention was grabbed by Eunuch Jin, who was rushing to the military barracks to bring Xiao Zhan.
"It was sudden," Ying Lili murmured.
"Hu Jingguo had found the cure for our father's illness. Then, why is it happening?" Jian Guozhi confusedly queried.
"It was not a permanent cure. Hu Jingguo stopped the growth of terminal illness for some time. Brother Jian also knows what Hu Jingguo told about the Imperial Father's health," Ying Lili asserted and frowned.
"We cannot even tell anyone in the family about this. Because who knows what any of them could do," Jian Guozhi concluded. Ying Lili agreed with him.
"Did Brother Jian find out about Brother Yongzheng?" Ying Lili inquired from him.
Jian Guozhi hesitated to answer first but then refused. He did not want any kind of at this moment. He had thought to converse with Yongzheng one more time and made him understand.
"Crown Princess, I shall leave. Everything will turn alright," Jian Guozhi assured Ying Lili. He bowed and then left. Xiao Zhan reached the manor. Since Ying Lili was standing a few meters away from the main door of the chamber, Xiao Zhan did not notice her and walked in.
"Your Highness, you called my presence," Xiao Zhan humbly asked.
"Yes. Tighten the security of the Emperor's manor and check every single thing or person before letting him inside including me, and the Crown Princess," Sheng Li ordered him.
"Crown Prince, you shall go back. As soon as the Emperor awakens, I will inform you," Eunuch Jin advised Sheng Li, who put Han Wenji's hand down on his chest and stood up from the chair.
Ying Lili saw Sheng Li, who had come out of the chamber. She walked to him, and her maidservants also followed her.
"Sheng Li," she pronounced his name and stood by him.
"Lili, do you know anything about this? You are good at medicine," Sheng Li said with a lot of expectations.
"Let's go to the chamber. Then, I will tell you," Ying Lili suggested to him, and the two left the manor.
In Ying Lili's chamber, she gestured to Sheng Li to sit on the bed while she went to a cupboard. Taking a notebook out, she came to Sheng Li.
"What is this in your hand?" Sheng Li asked Ying Lili, who sat on the mattress beside him.
"Hu Jingguo's entire knowledge is in these pages. He handed it to me before leaving the Imperial Palace," Ying Lili moved her hand over the notebook. "Hu Jingguo told us that the Emperor cannot survive more than a year. However, he told me that in any case if the Emperor's condition worsens before the one year, then I shall go through this," Ying Lili informed Sheng Li.
Sheng Li was glad to learn about that. Hu Jingguo did more than everything he could do as a friend for him. He missed his presence. He recalled the smile that Hu Jingguo used to pass whenever Sheng Li passed through his toughest time.
"He could have told you directly about the medicine if he had a doubt that Father's condition could deteriorate," Sheng suddenly raised a doubt.
Ying Lili tilted her head and peered at him. "He also did not know. It depends on the symptoms that the Imperial Father gets," Ying Lili stated. "I will read it and then will discuss this with the Royal Physician," Ying Lili asserted.
She put her hand on Sheng Li's and said, "Don't worry. Father will not leave us this early. He still has to see his grandchildren," Ying Lili cheered up Sheng Li's mood, who smiled a little.
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Please add my new Historical Story - 'A Touch of the Heaven.'
I will appreciate it if you will read that story. It is based on Korean History.
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