Chapter 44: Prince Han Falls Ill (4)

Upon hearing the stuttering words of the young eunuch kneeling on the ground, Zhu Zhanhe was momentarily stunned.

In an instant, he realized that this was an arrangement by his grandfather to confiscate his father's military tally and control over the city's defense!

However, considering that his father was bound to lose miserably this time and even faced the risk of being beheaded by the old patriarch, and moreover, as an elder brother paying a visit, he as the younger brother had to step forward to welcome him.

Added to the fact that his father was currently "critically ill," only he, the son, could go and greet the visitor.

"Mother, your child will go and take a look. Please set your mind at ease," Zhu Zhanhe said with a smile as he looked at his mother.

"Yun'er, Jian'er, accompany her ladyship for a stroll. The air is nice here. If your mother feels tired, remember to have someone serve some tea and pastries," Zhu Zhanhe turned his head to look at the two timid young maids who were shrinking together not far behind, and gave his instructions.

"Yes, Your Highness the Heir."

"Yes, Your Highness, please rest assured." The two little maids were very obedient.

"Mother, this son takes his leave." Having given his instructions to the maids, Zhu Zhanhe turned and walked away, leaving the kneeling young eunuch looking utterly helpless.

Princess Consort Wei watched her son stride away with a face full of pride. This was her son; he had truly grown up and possessed such imposing demeanor! As long as her son was here, no one would ever be able to bully her Prince Han's Manor again.

At this moment, facing the strong presence her son had just exhibited, Princess Consort Wei was filled with the joy of seeing her son mature.

"Alright, everything is fine. You two, come and walk with me," Princess Consort Wei said with a smile, looking at the two timid young maids behind her. She was quite satisfied with these two girls—they knew their boundaries and were well-behaved. If they could keep this up, they could continue to follow her son, and perhaps be given a proper status in due time.

Hearing the Princess Consort's words, the two maids were startled at first, and then their radiant smiles could simply no longer be concealed. Still, they obediently acknowledged the command and hurried over to accompany her.

"You may withdraw as well. Today you disturbed the heir's mood, so I will let it go, but be more observant in the future." Princess Consort Wei was in a very good mood, so she offered a word of advice to the young eunuch who was still trembling on the ground.

"Thank you, Your Highness the Princess Consort! Thank you, Your Highness the Heir!" The young eunuch was instantly moved to tears, thinking he was done for today. Yet he was quick-witted enough to thank the heir as well, which greatly pleased Princess Consort Wei. With a wave of her hand, she dismissed him...

***

Meanwhile, Zhu Zhanhe had already arrived before his cousin, Zhu Zhanji.

"Greetings, Eldest Brother. Father is ill, yet it has troubled you to make this trip. You have worked hard, Brother." Zhu Zhanji actually held no ill will toward Zhu Zhanji. The two of them were about the same age, having studied together at the Imperial Academy since childhood. Even though Zhu Zhanji was later taken away by the old patriarch for private tutoring, their bond remained quite good.

Perhaps the only potential future grievance he might hold against Zhu Zhanji was that the latter would eventually sire a certain "Two-Dog God of War," but that was a matter for the future. It was still a long way off, and future events were hard to predict right now!

Therefore, upon meeting, Zhu Zhanhe took the initiative to wave and greet him.

"You are too polite, Brother Zhanhe. Hearing that the Second Uncle is ill, I have come to visit under the Imperial Grandfather's decree." Zhu Zhanji also held a favorable view of this cousin. The two of them had no conflicts, and even though their fathers were vying for the crown prince's position, their personal relationship had not soured and remained cheerful.

"Then I thank you, Brother. Father is recuperating in his bedchamber, please lead the way." Zhu Zhanhe took wide strides, leading the way inside without a single attendant by his side.

"Let's walk together, walk together." Zhu Zhanji enthusiastically caught up. He originally intended to hook his arm around the other's shoulder just as they did in childhood, but seeing how tall Zhu Zhanhe had grown—so much that he couldn't reach—he silently gave up and walked alongside him.

As he followed behind, Zhu Zhanji noticed that the Zhu Zhanhe in front of him seemed twice his size! Surprisingly, it did not detract from his appearance at all; instead, he looked even more slender, robust, and imposing. He was actually almost as handsome as himself, Zhu Zhanji couldn't help muttering inwardly.

"Elder Brother, my father is impulsive in his actions. If he does anything inappropriate in the future, I ask you and the Eldest Uncle to be more forgiving!

When you return, tell the Eldest Uncle that I shall kowtow to him then, and beg him to be lenient. But if I kowtow during the Lunar New Year, remember to give me a red envelope." Zhu Zhanhe delivered these words in a joking manner, leaving the following Zhu Zhanji somewhat dazed.

"Alright, I'll tell my father to prepare a red envelope for you as soon as I get back." Zhu Zhanji was quick-witted and immediately picked up the banter.

Before they even entered the room, Prince Han's coughing could be heard, deafening in its intensity.

Upon entering the room, the first thing that caught the eye was a large brazier placed right in the center, raising the indoor temperature by several degrees and making it stiflingly hot.

Looking toward the bed, Prince Zhu Gaoxu of Han had a pale complexion, a hazy gaze, and a deafening cough that sounded as if it might dislodge his internal organs. Draped in a thick mink coat, he was additionally covered by a heavy quilt, yet even so, Prince Han shivered with cold from time to time.

On the inner side of the bed, a court lady was continuously feeding him something that resembled medicine. Seeing someone enter, she stopped feeding him.

***

Witnessing this scene, Zhu Zhanji was utterly dumbfounded, wearing an expression of sheer astonishment. Before entering, he had thought his Second Uncle was faking illness to avoid handing over the military tally; now it appeared he was genuinely on the brink of death?

Zhu Zhanji hurriedly stepped forward, intending to offer a few words of comfort, check on the illness, and then seize the opportunity to take away the military tally and the defense seal.

However, the moment he pushed aside the thin gauze curtain by the window, his Second Uncle began to cough violently, sending a spray of saliva directly toward his face. Frightened, Zhu Zhanji hurriedly retreated, shielding his nose and mouth, and could only offer a few words of soft comfort from afar.

Then, gritting his teeth, Zhu Zhanji prepared to step forward to speak about the military tally when the voice of a eunuch echoed from outside the door.

"His Highness the Prince of Zhao has arrived!" The loud cry of the young eunuch outside once again interrupted Zhu Zhanji's actions, prompting him to hurry to the entrance to pay respects to his third uncle.

"Zhanji greets Third Uncle."

"Zhanhe greets Third Uncle." Both Zhu Zhanji and Zhu Zhanhe respectfully bowed to the stubborn fellow, but the Prince of Zhao wore a profoundly displeased and gloomy expression at the moment.

"Zhan'er, how is your father today? Has he taken his medicine?" The Prince of Zhao directly ignored Zhu Zhanji standing to the side and asked Zhu Zhanhe, clearly in no mood to give Zhu Zhanji a pleasant look.

"Replying to Third Uncle, Father has already taken his medicine, but his cough is still severe." Zhu Zhanhe played along with his father, putting on a sincere act with his third uncle.

Zhu Zhanji, standing to the side, was on the verge of jumping in frustration. What medicine had he been fed? There wasn't even the slightest hint of medicinal smell in this room—it was just unbearably hot!

Unable to stand the heat, Zhu Zhanji took one last look at his Second Uncle on the bed, turned on his heel, and retreated to the cooler, well-ventilated doorway of the bedchamber to catch his breath.