4Chapter 4 Entering the Palace

The beautiful black eyes were tinged with emotion, much more lively than the previous lifeless look. Jing Shao just looked at him with a smile, wanting to tell him that he didn't need to be so timid, but then he thought that it was because he refused to listen to him in his previous life, was arrogant and looked down on others, that he ended up with a miserable end of being pushed down by everyone, and he couldn't help but put away his smile.

"Prince, we have arrived at the Meridian Gate." The little eunuch Chunxi said outside the sedan chair, and then the sedan chair stopped. Usually the sedan chair can go to the palace, but today they have to pay homage to the emperor and empress in the queen's palace, so the two must get off the sedan chair at the Meridian Gate and change to the palace's chariot. The chariot was surrounded by palace servants, so the two did not say much.

After the court, Emperor Hongzheng went to the queen's Luanyi Palace, and sat in the main hall with Queen Wu waiting for the newcomers to come to pay homage. The Hongzheng Emperor, who was in his forties, was in his prime, with the calmness and wisdom of a qualified emperor, and he had a powerful aura sitting there.

Looking at his father who looked a dozen years younger, Jing Shao clenched his hands hidden in his moon-white sleeves into fists, then slowly loosened them, and together with Mu Hanzhang, he respectfully saluted the emperor and empress.

Emperor Hongzheng first praised Jing Shao, then gave him a few lectures: "You are an adult now, so you should think more before you speak or act, and don't let me hear you overturn your mother's tea table again."

"Your son understands, thank you for your father's teachings." Jing Shao just responded lightly, but his face was full of dissatisfaction.

"Your Majesty, don't blame him on this happy day," the queen naturally saw everything, and hurriedly smiled to help, "Today is to meet your daughter-in-law."

A maid had already laid a cushion in front of the emperor and empress. Mu Hanzhang knelt down, kowtowed to Emperor Hongzheng, and then held the tea over his head: "Father, please have tea." All the etiquette movements were very standard, and his every move was full of the elegance of a celebrity.

Emperor Hongzheng took the tea and sipped it, then smiled and said, "I didn't expect the second son of the Mu Jin family to be such a charming person." Then he gave him a pair of mutton-fat jade ruyi.

"Thank you, father." Mu Hanzhang thanked him neither humbly nor arrogantly, and knelt in front of the empress to serve tea again.

The empress took it with a smile, and was not in a hurry to let him get up. She just turned around and chatted with the emperor: "Your Majesty is wise. The second son of the Mu family passed the imperial examination at the age of seventeen. It is said that the noble young men in the capital respect him as 'Mr. Wenyuan'."

"Really?" Emperor Hongzheng was interested now. It was rare for a smart young man to pass the imperial examination at the age of seventeen. Usually, he could only see the prince of Beiweihou's family. He didn't expect that this bastard who he had never seen before was actually a hidden pearl. He couldn't help but feel a little sorry. If such a person could participate in the imperial examination, he would definitely be a talent and a good tool to control Beiweihou. It was a pity.

"It's just a joke from a few childhood playmates. Don't take it seriously." Mu Hanzhang knelt for a long time, and his body became more and more uncomfortable. His face began to turn pale, but he still knelt straight and interrupted the two people at the right time to remind them that he was still kneeling.

"Hey, why does this child look so bad?" The queen said, glancing at Jing Shao beside her. Seeing that he didn't seem to react and didn't mean to help Mu Hanzhang out, she slightly restrained the brilliance in her eyes and smiled and handed Mu Hanzhang an open brocade box. Anyone could see that the glittering jewels in the box were priceless.

Mu Hanzhang looked at such a heavy gift, and remembered Jing Shao's words in the sedan chair, so he took it without hesitation. When he stood up, he felt a little black in front of his eyes. He swayed slightly before he stood up. The palace maid on the side hurried forward to support him.

"If you are not feeling well, you should go back earlier." Emperor Hongzheng waved his hand to indicate that they could leave.

Mu Hanzhang refused the maid's help, and Jing Shao ignored him and walked out after paying his respects. God knows how much he wanted to hold Jun Qing in his arms and not let him go, but he was still in the palace, so he could only pretend to be impatient with a cold face.

After leaving the palace gate, Mu Hanzhang got off the carriage and looked at the indifferent back of the person walking forward in front of him. He smiled self-deprecatingly. What on earth was he expecting? Sure enough, that short-lived tenderness was all an illusion?

He tried hard to keep up with him, but after walking two steps, his eyes suddenly went black and he fell forward. There was no pain as expected, and his body fell into a warm embrace: "Jun Qing, what's wrong with you?" When he opened his eyes again, he saw Jing Shao's anxious face.

Seeing him faint, Jing Shao quickly took him into his arms and walked into the sedan chair: "Chunxi, go to the Imperial Hospital to ask Doctor Jiang Huan to come to the palace, and take the sedan chair back to the palace immediately."

"Yes!" The sedan bearers responded and Chunxi ran towards the Imperial Hospital.

"Junqing, Junqing? Where do you feel uncomfortable? Hmm?" Jing Shao leaned the man in his arms against his chest and touched his forehead, "Why do you have a fever?"

Mu Hanzhang remained silent. This man was so unpredictable that he was hot and cold. Today, the emperor's regretful eyes made him feel heartbroken. He felt uncomfortable and sad. He felt discouraged and his consciousness became more and more drowsy.

"Looking at Shao'er, it seems that he is not very satisfied with the marriage arranged by me." After the two left, the queen said with embarrassment.

"He is still young, so he can't understand the queen's painstaking efforts, but this child is really sincere." Emperor Hongzheng was very satisfied. He saw Jing Shao's reaction just now clearly. He showed his dissatisfaction and displeasure. If he lost his inheritance and still looked grateful, he would be too cunning.

Back to the palace, Jing Shao ran into the house with the person in his arms: "Bring a cold towel."

Covered Mu Hanzhang with a quilt, took the towel handed over by Zhixi and put it on his forehead.

"Jun Qing, are you feeling bad?" Jing Shao looked at him distressedly. In the last life, Mu Hanzhang's health was getting worse and worse. In the last few years, he even took medicine as food. This time, he must be taken care of carefully and keep him healthy.

"I'm fine. Don't I have to go to the Second Prince's Mansion? Don't delay." After saying that, he struggled to get up, but was held down by Jing Shao.

"I have sent someone to talk to my brother. He won't blame me." Although he felt that he should go to his brother, courtesy was one aspect, and more importantly, to avoid misunderstandings, but Jing Shao felt that these were not as important as Jun Qing's health. He would explain to his brother later.

"Your Highness, the imperial physician is here." Zhixi came in to report.

Imperial Physician Jiang was not the highest-ranking doctor in the Imperial Hospital. Although his medical skills were good, he never thought that King Cheng would ask him to come to the mansion for treatment, even though they had no intersection before.

"This..." Imperial Physician Jiang took the pulse and looked at Mu Hanzhang's face, and looked at Jing Shao with some embarrassment.

Jing Shao understood and asked the servants to leave: "Doctor, please go ahead."

"Looking at the princess' pulse, it must be caused by injuries and depression." Doctor Jiang looked at Jing Shao again. This kind of fever is not a serious illness. King Cheng must have a deep meaning for asking him to come today, so he continued, "Forgive me for being blunt. Although the princess is a man, men are more vulnerable to sexual intercourse than women. Your Majesty should be more compassionate."

This sentence made Mu Hanzhang blush, and Jing Shao touched his nose awkwardly: "It was me who was reckless."

"Your Majesty, please forgive me." Doctor Jiang was also a little nervous, not knowing whether his words were in line with the king's wishes.

"Haha, the king likes straightforward people like Doctor Jiang." Jing Shao took the prescription handed over by Doctor Jiang and asked Meng Xi to boil the medicine. He took out a string of coral beads from his sleeve.

"Your Highness, this is unacceptable." Doctor Jiang immediately broke out in a cold sweat. He always emphasized moderation and did not want to get involved in the disputes between the princes and grandchildren.

"This is not for you," Jing Shao said impatiently when he saw that he did not accept it. "I heard that your son is very skilled in martial arts and has passed the martial arts examination this year. This is a gift for your son." The red coral beads can avoid blood, and it is indeed given to people who practice martial arts. Doctor Jiang could not refuse it. Besides, the prince meant that he had taken a fancy to his son, so he could rest assured.

"In this case, I, the old minister, thank you for the reward on behalf of Xiaoquan. I will ask you to come to thank me another day." Doctor Jiang put away the coral beads and bowed to leave.

Jing Shao asked Duofu to send the doctor away, and he sat back on the bed and changed the handkerchief on Mu Hanzhang's forehead.

"Let the maids do these things. Your Highness, go and take a rest." Mu Hanzhang said lightly. This person's temporary gentleness may just be because he feels fresh and fun. In fact, he is not really good to him. Whether a person is sincere or not can be seen from the details. The actions in the palace today made his heart, which had just warmed up, freeze into ice.

"Jun Qing?" Jing Shao saw that the person who had loosened up in the morning had become cold again. He thought that the things in the palace made him sad. He was always impatient to talk too much. Jun Qing's temperament was even more suppressed. It seemed that he would have to talk more in the future. He scratched his head in embarrassment and sighed, "Today in the palace, you were wronged."

Mu Hanzhang opened his eyes and looked at him. This person actually knew?

"It's just kneeling for a while. I'm not a woman. I won't be wronged because of my mother-in-law's power. Your Highness is too worried." The gentle voice was very pleasant to the ear, and the words he said did not carry any resentment, but Jing Shao just felt that he was angry.

"Everyone in the capital city laughs at me, saying that I have made great contributions but cannot inherit the throne. As a legitimate son, my status is not as high as that of the eldest prince born to a palace maid..." Jing Shao said this with self-mockery. He had been holding this anger in his heart for more than ten years. Now that he said it, it really came from the bottom of his heart.

Mu Hanzhang's hands under the quilt gradually clenched, and his heart became colder and colder as he listened. Sure enough, he was not drunk last night. Everything was just to torture him: "All these ministers know that I don't ask for anything else from the prince, but only for a divorce letter from the prince when he is successful."