Chapter 506: The Emperor Falls Ill

In the Yifeng Hall of Daming Palace, eunuchs and maids came and went in great haste, looking extremely anxious. Several imperial physicians hurriedly left the inner hall with their medicine boxes. From afar, one could hear Empress Dowager Shen asking anxiously, “Doctor Zhang, how is my son?”
“There aren’t many problems. He caught a chill; a few more days of rest will suffice.”
The young emperor of the Tang Dynasty, Li Shi, fell ill. The previous day was the Shangyi Festival on March 3rd, a traditional holiday for enjoying spring scenery. With his youthful nature, he couldn’t resist the temptation of the beautiful spring weather and went boating on the Dragon Pond in Daming Palace. Unexpectedly, when he stepped ashore, his legs gave way, and he fell into the lake. People rescued him and helped him change clothes. It was thought that drying himself off would be enough, but that night he developed a high fever, his body burning hot—his condition was extremely critical. After a whole night of effort by over a dozen physicians, Li Shi’s condition was finally stabilized.
The inner hall was very quiet, filled with the strong scent of medicine. Li Shi lay unconscious on the bed, with the curtains drawn. Over a dozen personal eunuchs stood by, having guarded him all night and now utterly exhausted.
Empress Dowager Shen Zhenzhu sat in front of the bed. Her son’s condition had improved, and she felt relieved. Only then did she realize how exhausted she was, barely able to hold on.
Shen Zhenzhu stood up and said to the eunuchs and maids, “Just two people need to stay. Everyone else, go rest!”
Two eunuchs remained, while the rest left to return to their rooms to rest. Among these eunuchs was the youngest, named Chen Hongzhi. He had accompanied Li Shi on the boat outing since yesterday afternoon and had been busy ever since, truly exhausted. Hearing that the empress dowager allowed them to leave, he was the first to exit the inner hall and hurriedly head to his room.
Daming Palace originally had tens of thousands of concubines under Li Longji. After Li Yu ascended the throne, most of them were sent away from the palace, and many eunuchs and maids were also released, making the once crowded Daming Palace less crowded. Many eunuchs and maids of higher status now had their own private rooms.
Chen Hongzhi was only seventeen years old and had been in the palace for seven years. Normally, he would no longer be considered a newcomer. But due to his youth, according to the seniority system in Daming Palace, it would take him at least another ten years to rise to prominence.

Due to Chen Hongzhi’s intelligence and empathy, coupled with his similar age to Li Shi, he caught Li Shi’s attention and became his playmate. In his spare time from studying, Li Shi would take him around the Daming Palace. Chen Hongzhi, who had originally been a lowly eunuch, quickly became a favorite of the young emperor. With the emperor set to rule alone in the future, his prospects seemed limitless.

Chen Hongzhi’s residence was not far from the Yifeng Hall, in a relatively quiet courtyard. Seven or eight eunuchs lived there. Since it was still early, the others had not returned, making the courtyard very quiet. Exhausted, Chen Hongzhi staggered back to his room. As he took out the key to open the door, he suddenly realized it wasn’t locked. Had he forgotten yesterday?

Anxiety seized him. Having been away all night, could someone have stolen his money and belongings? He pushed the door open, only to have a hand reach out from inside and pull him in.

Chen Hongzhi was terrified, his sleepiness vanishing instantly. A sharp pain hit his back as he crashed against the wall, causing him to feel dizzy. Then, the person who had grabbed him released him. Gradually regaining his senses, Chen Hongzhi saw three people in his room: two burly eunuchs standing on either side, arms crossed, watching him coldly, and across from him was a middle-aged eunuch in his forties. Chen Hongzhi recognized him—it was Li Fuguo, the personal eunuch of the retired emperor.

Chen Hongzhi’s scalp tingled. What did they want from him? Especially Li Fuguo, known for his cruelty. Rumor had it that no fewer than ten eunuchs in the Eastern Palace had died at his hands.

“What… do you want?” he asked.

Li Fuguo smiled amiably and stepped forward to examine Chen Hongzhi carefully. Praisingly, he said, “Indeed, a capable and astute young man. No wonder the emperor values you so much! Good, very good!”

His gentle voice eased Chen Hongzhi’s worries slightly. He asked again, “Eunuch Li, do you have any advice for me?”

“Advice? No, not really. We’re just here to inquire about the emperor’s condition. We heard he’s ill, and we’re quite concerned.”

“Sir, the emperor was seriously ill last night, but after the imperial physicians treated him all night, his fever has subsided significantly. He’s currently in a coma.”

“Oh, I see.”

Li Fuguo nodded and smiled. “Then you must have been very tired, staying by his side all night.”

“Yes, I didn’t sleep at all. I’m completely exhausted.”

Chen Hongzhi’s tone already showed a hint of dissatisfaction. He wanted them to leave quickly so he could rest, but Li Fuguo showed no intention of leaving. He sat down on his bed, head bowed in deep thought, silent.

“Elder, is there anything else?”

Although Li Fuguo had great seniority, he was after all someone close to the retired emperor, not the master. Moreover, Chen Hongzhi was highly favored by Li Shi, which gave him a sense of arrogance, making his tone toward Li Fuguo less polite.

Li Fuguo slowly raised his head, looking at him in surprise, and asked, “Eunuch Chen, are you trying to drive me away?”

“I didn’t mean that. I’m just very tired and want to rest…”

Before he could finish speaking, Li Fuguo gave a signal to an eunuch nearby. The eunuch grabbed him by the collar and struck him hard in the abdomen with his knee. Chen Hongzhi curled up in pain, feeling as though his internal organs were turning upside down.

The eunuch then punched him in the left waist, knocking him to the ground. Immediately, two more eunuchs began beating him with fists and feet, leaving Chen Hongzhi struggling for his life as he begged for mercy.

“Grandfather, please spare me! Please!”

Li Fuguo watched coldly as he was beaten. He knew well that for such ignorant little eunuchs, fists were the best lesson—hadn’t he gone through the same thing himself?

“Be careful, don’t hit his face.”

He kept reminding the eunuchs. Only when the beating was almost over did he give a signal. The two eunuchs stepped back, and Li Fuguo, lifting one leg, sneered, “Eunuch Chen, do you still want to drive me away?”

“No… I dare not,” Chen Hongzhi moaned, his words slurred.

“I suppose you don’t dare. Change into another outfit. Come with me to see the retired emperor.”

……

Li Heng actually learned about Li Shi falling ill after falling into the water right away. He had people in the Daming Palace who could provide him with the latest news at any time. But he needed someone trusted by Li Shi. After observing for a long time, he decided that Chen Hongzhi was the perfect candidate. There was a detailed file about Chen Hongzhi on his desk.

Chen Hongzhi was from Xinfeng County. His mother had died early, and his father and brother were idle. At the age of ten, he was sent to the palace to become a minor eunuch. Chen Hongzhi harbored deep hatred for his father and brother and never went to see them again after entering the palace.

This put Li Heng, who always liked to use his family as leverage, in a bit of a bind. But Li Heng also discovered Chen Hongzhi’s weakness—he was involved in petty theft. In his room, many items belonging to Emperor Li Shi were found, including a top-quality jade Pixiu paperweight on his desk and several gold and jade ornaments. Of course, these were not given to him by Li Shi. When the jade Pixiu went missing, many palace servants were tortured. Who would have thought it was Chen Hongzhi who had stolen it?

Li Heng sneered. Wasn’t it easy to deal with such a minor eunuch?

At that moment, Li Fuguo came in and said, “Your Highness, he’s here.”

“Bring him in!”

Chen Hongzhi was brought in. He had no injuries on his face but limped as he walked, his face pale with fear. This was not the Zichen Hall of the Daming Palace, but Li Heng’s home in the Prince of Yong’s mansion.

Trembling, he knelt down and kowtowed, saying, “Your humble servant pays respects to the Retired Emperor.”

Li Fuguo signaled to Li Heng from behind, indicating that Chen Hongzhi had been dealt with. Li Heng nodded and said, “Do you know why you were called here?”

“Your humble servant does not know.”

“Hmph! If you don’t know, then where did the jade Pixiu in your room come from?”

Li Heng’s words sent Chen Hongzhi reeling. He had hidden the jade Pixiu and the other gold and jade ornaments in an iron box and buried them in a one-foot-deep pit under the bed—undetected by anyone. How could they have found them? His body went weak, and he collapsed to the ground, trembling uncontrollably. If the vengeance-driven Empress Dowager Shen found out about this, he would surely die.

“Please spare my life, Retired Emperor!”

“Do you want me to spare your life?”

Li Heng leaned down and stared at him, slowly saying, “You should know that killing you is as easy as killing a bird. If you want to live, you must obediently do what I ask.”

By now, Chen Hongzhi understood that the Retired Emperor was using this matter to intimidate him—there was another purpose behind it. Chen Hongzhi lowered his head and remained silent. He knew that whatever the Retired Emperor wanted him to do would be extremely difficult. Another kind of fear took hold of him.

Li Heng smiled and reassured him, “Don’t worry. I won’t ask you to do anything terrifying or put you in trouble.”

“Retired Emperor… what do you want me to do…?”

“It’s simple. I don’t want my grandson to recover too quickly. I want him to stay sick for a few more days.”

“Is that… all?” Chen Hongzhi asked, his voice trembling.

“Yes, just this one thing. As long as you handle it well, I won’t bother you anymore. I’ll pretend I don’t know anything, and you can go on with your life. I won’t disturb you either.”
“Really?”
“Of course. I’m the retired emperor. Though my words may not be as binding as sacred scriptures, they still carry great weight. Rest assured!”
Chen Hongzhi had no choice but to grit his teeth and agree, “Alright! I have a way to make him sick for a few more days. I just hope the retired emperor keeps his promise.”
Li Heng narrowed his long eyes and smiled faintly, “Of course. I will keep my promise!”