TPATTHU Chapter 84

The guards cleared the way, shouting at the people to retreat to the side. A group of imperial physicians from the palace hurried out of the city gates with their medicine chests. Such a scene was truly a first in the history of dynasties.

The physicians were all at a loss. They thought something had happened to the Emperor outside the capital, but only Zhao Taiyi among them was uneasy, having already anticipated what would happen next.

It must be that Shen Fei was about to fall ill again.

They would inevitably be scolded again. To put it bluntly, if things continued like this, they would probably suffer along with him, losing their lives.

“All of you, get in here!”

Xiao Zhinian’s angry roar in the room startled the physicians who had rushed over, covered in dust. They trembled as they lined up to enter.

The Emperor stood with his back to them by the bed, and there was a person lying on the bed. Because Xiao Zhinian was blocking the view, they couldn’t see who it was.

But judging from the figure, it should be a man.

As they approached, everyone was shocked. Even Zhao Taiyi was stunned. It turned out that Shen Fei was actually Shen Zhejiang, who had supposedly died three years ago!

The Emperor was keeping a man as his lover!!

“No matter what method you use, cure him for me! You will be rewarded with ten thousand taels of gold and promotions!”

The bed had been tidied up, everything was clean. The rope on Shen Zhejiang’s wrist was also broken, cut with a knife.

Xiao Zhinian turned around, his clothes covered in blood, which had gotten on him when he was tending to Shen Zhejiang. He didn’t care about himself and didn’t even have time to wipe the blood from his hands.

He just stood there, watching the physicians take Shen Zhejiang’s pulse one by one, and then walk to the side with solemn faces, huddling together in small groups, discussing in low voices. Most of them shook their heads and said nothing.

Just as Zhao Taiyi had said before, Shen Zhejiang’s body had been pushed to its limit, like an oil lamp that would eventually run out of oil and dry up.

Seeing this, Zhao Taiyi stepped forward, took out a jar of medicine pills from his medicine chest, poured some out, and was about to feed them to Shen Zhejiang, but his action was stopped.

Xiao Zhinian was surrounded by frosty coldness, staring at the dark pills, and said coldly: “What do you want to do to him?”

These were the honey pills that Xiao Zhinian had smashed before. Fortunately, Zhao Taiyi had been prepared at the time and had deliberately kept several bottles.

So, Zhao Taiyi mustered up his courage and explained again: “Your Majesty, I believe this is the only method among no methods, to try anything in desperation, perhaps there is a glimmer of hope.”

“……” Xiao Zhinian was silent, seemingly struggling with himself. In the end, he said, “Feed him.”

“Not allowed to save him.”

Just then, someone came in from outside the door, and everyone turned their heads to look at the newcomer.

“We pay respects to the Grand Empress Dowager!”

It was Liang Grand Empress Dowager.

Xiao Zhinian’s face stiffened: “How did Royal Grandmother come?”

Liang Grand Empress Dowager slowly walked in, bypassing him, and saw Shen Zhejiang’s unconscious face, she couldn’t help but pause: “I guessed right, it really is him.”

Since that was the case, there was nothing to hide.

But before Xiao Zhinian could speak, Liang Grand Empress Dowager said again: “Convey my decree, whoever dares to save Shen Zhejiang will be beaten to death on the spot.”

Xiao Zhinian did not understand why his Royal Grandmother wanted to do this, and said word by word: “Convey my oral decree, whoever dares not to save him will be beaten to death on the spot!”

“This……”

The physicians didn’t know whether to save him or not, and knelt in place.

Seeing them not moving, Xiao Zhinian immediately became angry and kicked the person next to him: “Save him!!”

Liang Grand Empress Dowager also raised her voice: “I said not allowed to save him.”

But Xiao Zhinian suddenly snatched the medicine bottle Zhao Taiyi was holding in his hand, returned to the bedside, half-supported Shen Zhejiang, fed him the medicine, and then fed him water. Only after he swallowed it did he calm down a little.

He lowered his head, in front of Liang Grand Empress Dowager, lovingly placed a light kiss on Shen Zhejiang’s chapped lips.

This was openly showing Liang Grand Empress Dowager the relationship between himself and Shen Zhejiang.

“You—simply absurd!”

Liang Grand Empress Dowager was so angry at this scene that she staggered forward, slapped Xiao Zhinian hard on the face. When she raised her hand again, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her chest, and took two steps back, maintaining the posture.

Lan Shu immediately rushed forward to support Liang Grand Empress Dowager, and turned her head to shout urgently: “Physician!!”

All around, Liang Grand Empress Dowager was helped to a stool to sit down. Some were looking for medicine for her, and some were giving her acupuncture. It was a busy scene.

And Xiao Zhinian?

He only sat by the bed, with a red palm print on his face, letting Shen Zhejiang lean on his arm, looking down at Shen Zhejiang’s face, which was gradually improving. He was finally relieved.

In fact, he had expected that doing so would bring Royal Grandmother’s reprimand, but he accepted it.

It didn’t matter, they would know sooner or later that Shen Zhejiang was his.

Liang Grand Empress Dowager finally caught her breath, but she had caught a cold before, and coupled with her old age, she suffered from various old ailments, and her breath was very weak.

She swept her cloudy eyes around the people present, waved her hand to tell them all to retreat, leaving only Lan Shu: “I have something to say to the Emperor, you all go out.”

Some things were not suitable to be said directly.

Everyone was pardoned, breathed a long sigh of relief, touched their cold necks and quickly left one by one.

“Lan Shu, take it over to him.”

“This servant obeys.”

Lan Shu took out a picture album from her sleeve, held it in her hands, and presented it to Xiao Zhinian: “Please take a look, Your Majesty.”

Xiao Zhinian thought it was something important, and immediately took it.

Opening the first page, he didn’t expect it to be a portrait of a woman, even using small characters to mark the eldest daughter of a certain family, her age, and so on.

He flipped through several more pages, all of them like this.

“What does Royal Grandmother mean by this?”

Xiao Zhinian threw it aside as if he had taken a hot potato, glared at Liang Grand Empress Dowager opposite him, clenched his fists, and asked directly.

Liang Grand Empress Dowager continued: “These are all the unmarried girls from various families in the capital. Their appearance is not bad, and their personalities are also good. They are very suitable for you. Choose one. If you like any of them, bring her into the harem.”

Was she trying to make him take concubines again?

What was going on?

“Thank you for Royal Grandmother’s trouble, I don’t need it.”

But Liang Grand Empress Dowager ignored his words and gave Lan Shu a look. Lan Shu then presented another album, but this time Xiao Zhinian did not take it.

“If you don’t like women, Royal Grandmother won’t force you,” Liang Grand Empress Dowager paused and took a breath, “This contains handsome men from all over the world that Royal Grandmother had people search for, with clean family backgrounds. See if there are any you like?”

“……” Xiao Zhinian’s heart trembled for a moment, but his face was cold, and he said, “Did Royal Grandmother come from so far away to tell me these irrelevant things? If that’s really the case, I’ll have someone send Royal Grandmother back to the palace immediately.”

“Don’t you still understand Royal Grandmother’s meaning?”

One sentence stunned Xiao Zhinian.

How could he not know?

“When you wanted to announce to the world that you were conferring a title, you gave the surname ‘Shen’. Why was it such a coincidence? Last night, you rushed out of the palace in a hurry, not caring about your life. Royal Grandmother thought about it and realized that there was only one person who could make you so anxious,” Liang Grand Empress Dowager actually continued calmly at this time, “The person you want to marry is Shen Zhejiang, right?”

“Yes,”

“Listen to Royal Grandmother’s advice and break up with him. In this vast world, you can have whoever you want, but Shen Zhejiang is the only one you cannot.”

Xiao Zhinian admitted frankly: “In my life, I only love Shen Zhejiang. Without him, I will be alone for the rest of my life.”

Xiao Zhinian couldn’t understand, and suddenly felt a little bitter, as if there was something stuck in his throat. Why was everyone blocking him and Shen Zhejiang?