Chapter 39.1
Yuan Jia, while carrying a lantern, walked out from the deep corridor of the witch temple.
Standing with his hands clasped behind his back all the time, with a condensed expression, Emperor Yuan, who stood still in front of the Great Witch Temple, finally moved.
The emperor who exuded coldness and solemnness all over his body turned around, and carefully scrutinized the person behind Yuan Jia, the sword eyebrows couldn’t help tightening when his gaze landed on the bandage around the latter’s neck.
“How come the neck is like this?”
Zong Luo: “…….”
Zong Luo: “Answering to Your Majesty, just accidentally knocked it.”
He couldn’t say that Yu Beizhou pressed him to the edge of the pool and gnawed on it.
That guy is probably a dog, he didn’t show any mercy when taking a bite at all. It is still sore at present.
Fortunately, Zong Luo’s slightly distorted facial expression was covered by the bronze mask, not letting Emperor Yuan notice anything.
Because Zong Luo had already agreed with Emperor Yuan long ago that he would not restore his prince status on the surface until his eyes were fully treated and recovered, thus Emperor Yuan did not pay much attention to his address.
The tyrant paused for a long time, and suddenly asked in a stiff tone, “Taken the medicine yet?”
Yuan Jia, who hung his head at the side, sighed heavily in his heart.
His Majesty had just fainted from a fit of rage, vomited blood, and finally woke up after the imperial physician gave him acupuncture. When he went back and was given acupuncture, halfway through, he suddenly remembered that he hit the Third Highness with a teacup in a fit of anger, so he hurriedly opened his eyes and ordered someone to go down. He ordered people to rush to the storeroom in the palace to take the fastest-acting Jinchuang medicine, and have someone send it over.
As a result, after that tossing died down, in the end, it was just a faint sentence of “Taken the medicine yet?” at present. He didn’t intend to let the Third Highness know how the medicine was handed to many people behind the scenes, and how it was sent to the Great Witch Temple.
Yuan Jia had followed Emperor Yuan for many years, and he was also aware of His Majesty’s stubborn temper.
Emperor Yuan was never willing to say many things, but silently kept them in his heart.
Including His Majesty’s concern for the Third Highness, for so many years, it had never been revealed on the surface.
However, this deep gaze had never diminished. In previous years, as long as it was the military reports handed over by His Highness the Third Prince, it would always be specially sorted out and be separated in the middle area of the desk. Even if Emperor Yuan was resting, he would also want to be notified as soon as possible.
When the Third Highness led troops outside, military rations were always prepared early and were the first to be supplied. The equipment and weapons developed in the Kaogong room were also sent first to the Xuan Cavalry’s side. (TL: The Kaogong room is a workshop for making equipment under the Shaofu(ancient official title)
As long as the Third Highness returned to the capital, ice cubes in summer, silver charcoal in winter, fresh seasonal fruits, and silk fabric tributes from the Western Regions…all seemed to be sent over, costing nothing.
It’s just that Emperor Yuan seldom bestowed rewards on the surface, and never said so. The chief steward of the Third Prince’s Mansion used to be colleagues with Yuan Jia, both of whom were elderly people following the Yuan Emperor, that even on ordinary days, was also considered as being in someone’s good graces. Everyone thought that the chief steward had a big face, but no one expected that in fact it all depended on His Majesty’s orders.
Nevertheless, in such a situation, Zong Luo couldn’t help being stunned for a moment.
It couldn’t be said that he was overwhelmed by such an unexpected favor, but this was indeed the first time Emperor Yuan asked about his injury.
Usually, even if he was about to die, he wouldn’t see Emperor Yuan come to take a look. This time, on the contrary, he bothered to ask about such a small injury. It seemed that it was due to his blindness.
He considered for a moment, “Many thanks to Your Majesty for the concern, the best-quality medicine has been taken.”
Emperor Yuan’s face remained expressionless, and only replied coldly with the word “Um”, withdrew his eyes, and went straight to the stairs paved in front of the Great Witch Temple.
All the courtiers, who were stunned by this scene while observing in concentration, followed behind.
They really didn’t expect, His Majesty standing at the gate of the Great Witch Temple for so long without saying a word just now, was only for the sake of waiting for someone???
This scene was really astounding.
Who has such a big face that it also needs the current emperor to lower his noble status and be modest?
Moreover, it’s not only the matter of waiting for others, but Emperor Yuan’s attitude could really be described as amiable. It was impossible for such pure words of concern in the past to come from the mouth of this tyrant. The last time he sent his regards about the health of a minister’s family members, the grass on the grave was almost several meters high after the house was searched and confiscated. Every courtier sincerely hopes that when he’s summoned, he would not receive such considerate and heavy care from the emperor.
Now that Zong Luo had put on a mask and put on the same attire, others couldn’t recognize whether this was the person that the Prime Minister Pei brought over before.
However, in the next second, Pei Qianxue walked over very naturally, and called out Jin Yu in a low voice.
Now, those who guessed that this was not the Third Prince slapped themselves.
‘Is it? Could it be that the Third Prince really is alive?’
The shock in the hearts of the courtiers couldn’t be described in words at all, they met each other’s eyes, full of disbelief. On the long staircase leading to the Great Witch Temple, it was unknown how many people almost tripped over the corners of their robes.
Today’s Qingsi, if it wasn’t because generals like Mu Yuanlong and Duan Junhao were needed to patrol the Imperial City thus failing to show up, they might have been the first to rush up and ask.
When he reached the high platform of the Great Witch Temple, Zong Yuanwu was the first to be unable to hold back.
He was the first one to call Zong Luo third imperial brother at the Baijia Banquet. Although he hadn’t heard any news for so long, he still had doubts in his heart.
“Father Emperor, this is……?”
Emperor Yuan glanced at him indifferently, with a ferocious ghostly face that imposed a heavy and terrifying coercion. Zong Yuanwu’s heart trembled, and he immediately knelt down on one knee. “It was this son who was reckless.”
Although Zong Yuanwu usually looked casual on the surface and appeared unintelligent in everything, he was definitely not stupid. Especially to his father emperor, Zong Yuanwu had always been respectful and fearful, with the most reverent and cautious attitude.
But it’s also normal, there was no one in the entire Great Yuan who was not afraid of Emperor Yuan, and even Yu Beizhou, who had always been perverse and wanton, was quite well-behaved in front of him.
Emperor Yuan didn’t say anything.
He subconsciously waved towards the back, just halfway through the movement, after realizing that Zong Luo couldn’t see anything now, he quickly closed his fists and called out, “Come up.”
Pei Qianxue gave Zong Luo a gentle push.
Just now, as if waking up from a big dream, the latter walked up step by step, and under Yuan Jia’s guidance, he stood on the steps below Emperor Yuan, closest to the Son of Heaven.
The audience became dead silent, and for a moment they even forgot to move their feet.
Zong Yuanwu’s eyes widened.
He had experienced Emperor Yuan’s wrath before, and was too aware of the current situation to dare to speak up again. In fact, among the people present, except for Zong Chengsi and Pei Qianxue who knew the truth long ago, everyone else seemed to be stuffed with an egg in their mouths.
