TV Series: When the Villain Chooses to Stand by

Chapter 173 Yixiu 42

"No need, just give it to me directly, it's so bitter."

"I'm afraid the candied fruit will affect the efficacy of the medicine. I will change the prescription later." Wen Shichu wanted to slap himself as soon as he finished speaking.

Stop talking nonsense. This medicine is bound to be bitter.

It takes a lot of effort to make it taste less bitter and not affect the efficacy of the medicine.

"Then I'll trouble you, Doctor Wen."

Seeing Wen Shichu closing his eyes in regret, Shen Meizhuang suddenly felt that the dizziness in her head was not so uncomfortable.

Wen Shichu didn't know how he walked out. The fragrance around him that was so calming and concentrating seemed to have taken his brain away as well.

This must be a misunderstanding.

When the epidemic broke out, the emperor was busy discussing solutions every day. Finally, among the series of bad news, there was something different.

"Haha, the number of people reporting being sick has been increasing, but the number of people dying from the disease has been kept under control."

Seeing that the emperor finally smiled, Su Peisheng quickly brought up the chicken soup.

"This is great news. The Emperor has been so worried about this that he's lost a lot of weight. The Empress Dowager has specially sent some chicken soup. Your Majesty, please try it."

The emperor placed the memorial on the table and raised his hands to stretch his aching arms and back.

He brought the chicken soup over.

"It's a good thing indeed. Even though it can't cure the disease, at least it buys us some time."

"Mrs. Shen also contracted the epidemic. How is she now?"

"Your Majesty, the imperial physician is already taking care of him. I heard the condition has improved a lot, and the epidemic has not spread for the time being."

The emperor nodded. He didn't have much feelings for Shen Meizhuang. He felt tired of seeing such dignified and polite concubines.

"Tell the Imperial Hospital to hurry up and research the prescription. Don't delay."

After the emperor finished speaking, he picked up the memorial again and began to read it, but this time his brows were deeply furrowed.

Su Peisheng cursed his bad luck inwardly and tried hard to reduce his presence.

With a loud "bang", the paper was thrown heavily onto the table.

"Queen, why is it the Queen? What does she want to do?"

"Su Peisheng, have someone investigate how much property the Queen has privately, especially the dowry she brought into the palace."

Su Peisheng ran out in fear.

The emperor was terrified when he saw the contents of the paper. When did the queen start owning pharmacies all over the country?

The reserves of medicinal materials even exceed those of many century-old stores.

It's certainly a good thing to come forward and sell medicine at a fair price at this time, but what is her purpose? Is a queen trying to win over the people?

No, these pharmacies are not under the Queen's banner.

Local drug dealers came forward to cause trouble, almost resulting in a loss of life, and only then did the officials discover the truth.

This memorial praises the royal style, so it doesn't seem like a bad thing.

The emperor asked people to pay attention to the queen's actions while waiting anxiously.

After some time, Su Peisheng suppressed the shock in his heart and handed the results to the emperor.

The whole process went extremely smoothly, and the other party seemed to have no intention of hiding anything.

The above content was extremely detailed, and the emperor read it word by word.

Unconsciously, he said aloud, "Jewelry, clothing, furniture, carriages, glass, snacks?"

"Have you checked all of this? Are there any tax issues?"

Su Peisheng didn't dare to look up. "Yes, I arranged for several different groups of people to investigate, and the results were the same."

The emperor's heart was in turmoil. He never imagined that the queen, who had always been virtuous and polite, would secretly control so many industries.

Not only that, it also controls upstream raw materials and downstream channels, and there is almost no risk of being destroyed.

Those papers with various gimmicks were making a lot of money in the Jiangnan area.

The taxes recorded above are enough to prove how terrible the returns are.

Even Lao Jiu, who was the best at business at the time, did not have this ability.

It would be impossible to achieve this scale without loyal subordinates. At this moment, the emperor's vigilance against the queen reached its peak.

"Fortunately...fortunately Honghui is gone."

Su Peisheng lowered his head, pretending not to hear anything, and waited quietly for the emperor's order.

In his heart, the queen was in great danger.

The emperor did have the intention to kill. Since his wife could do such a thing under his nose, it was inevitable that she would have bigger plans in the future.

He thought for a long time and his eyes fell on the memorial from the Ministry of Revenue.

The war in the northwest requires military funds, the plague among the people requires money and food to quell, and such a big country needs money everywhere.

Concubine Hua is too weak to manage palace affairs, and the money in the Imperial Household Department is also limited...

The queen's private property is probably even more abundant than her own treasury.

Thinking of this, the emperor had other ideas in mind, and he stood up and walked towards Jingren Palace.

Yixiu also guessed that the emperor would come, and what Su Peisheng found out was what she wanted him to know.

"Queen, look at what you have done."

The emperor walked in slowly and threw the memorial on the table. He seemed casual but revealed an aura of majesty without anger. His eyes were fixed on Yixiu.

I want to see the other person begging for mercy in panic.

Yixiu scolded him in annoyance, saying, "You're quite good at pretending. Who are you trying to scare?"

She tapped the memorial in her hand a few times and asked in a puzzled manner, "Is there a problem? Why did the emperor order people to investigate these shops?"

Seeing that Yixiu was not scared, a hint of disappointment appeared in the emperor's eyes.

Then he continued to press, "Is this a simple shop?"

"As the Queen, you've forgotten the palace rules and ancestral teachings. Your duty is to manage the harem well. You're so obsessed with profit and greed. How can I believe you can shoulder the responsibility of being the Queen?"

"Then you will be deposed!"

Yixiu's nonchalant look irritated the emperor, and his eyes turned red. "Queen, please don't be so presumptuous."

"You've been so outspoken so many times. Don't think that the Queen Mother can protect me and I won't destroy you."

"You always say the same thing. You don't have to act. Just tell me what your purpose is."

The emperor felt a little embarrassed when his thoughts were touched.

An emperor should not show his emotions on his face, and he really hated the feeling of being seen through.

"Epidemics have occurred in many places. The Queen should set an example and show love to all the people."

The emperor had been as tactful as possible; he couldn't bring himself to ask the queen for money.

I can only hint that I hope the queen will be like Nian Shilan in the past, and as long as I frown, she will take out a lot of money to show off.

"I will follow the emperor's instructions."

Yixiu responded with the same politeness.

The emperor left satisfied, thinking that the queen understood what he meant, and couldn't wait to escape from Jingren Palace.

Somehow, he couldn't find any sense of superiority as an emperor here.

During the middle age of Yuanmingyuan, Shilan had always maintained contact with the palace, and the wind and rain outside had no impact on this place.

There was a floor heater in the warm room, and an extra charcoal basin.

Dancers danced gracefully in the hall to the melodious sound of stringed instruments.

Songzhi walked in holding a bouquet of peach blossoms. "Look, Your Majesty! The Fourth Prince sent someone to deliver the peach blossoms. You just said it, and the Fourth Prince actually did it."

Nian Shilan, who was resting with her eyes closed, slowly opened her eyes when she heard the voice, and saw delicate peach blossoms.

"It's so beautiful. In spring, it wouldn't be a big deal if the whole yard was covered with them, but it's only at a time like this that they seem so precious."

Her fingertips touched the soft petals, feeling the unique fragrance of peach blossoms.

"Put it in the house. I think the Fourth Prince has put a lot of effort into it. I'll send him a generous gift later."

Seeing that her master liked it, Songzhi smiled and turned back to make a gesture, and the palace maids came in one after another holding pots of peach blossoms.

Different from the broken branches in Songzhi's hands, these are small trees grown in the soil, and they are also covered with flower buds of various sizes, unlike those artificial flowers made of pearls and jade.

The unique sweet fragrance of peach blossoms spread throughout the house, as if returning to spring.

"Your Majesty hasn't been out for a long time. No matter how beautiful those artificial flowers are, they are still dead things. These potted plants will serve as decoration in your room. It will make you feel happier when you see them."

Nian Shilan raised her hand to let the dancers go out. There was a place for them to stay in the hall, and a few young eunuchs came in holding flower pots.

The impact caused by a beam and a piece is completely different, and Nian Shilan finally felt like getting up.

She personally directed the palace servants to place peach blossoms in every corner, and from a distance it looked as if the ground was covered with sunset glow.

Nian Shilan admired it for a while before lying back down.

She had long known what Hongli was thinking.

She was dismissive of a child's proposal of cooperation, and the only convincing thing was that the queen also had high hopes for him.

Out of caution, Nian Shilan set a deadline for both parties.

She needs to see Hongli's strength during this period of time, and Hongli also needs time to confirm the value of the Nian family.

"Fourth Prince really has a lot of capable people under his command. Is there any news from my brother?"

Songzhi was peeling freshly roasted chestnuts. She took out the golden and soft flesh and brought it to Nian Shilan's mouth. She watched her finish it and then peeled another one.

"Everything is fine with the general, I'm just worried about your health."

"Now that an epidemic has broken out outside, the emperor is extremely busy. Some people in the palace have also been infected with the epidemic. Even the Fourteenth Master, who was originally in the imperial mausoleum, feels a little unwell."

"Fourteenth Master?"

"Yes, the general sent a letter saying that he sent someone to deliver medicinal herbs to establish a good relationship with the other party."

Nian Shilan thought that when the Fourteenth Master went out on an expedition, it was her brother who was in charge of logistics in the rear, so it was not surprising that the two had some interactions.

But why was the Fourteenth Master mentioned separately?

……

The emperor waited and waited, but the queen did not take any action.

In anger, he was ready to go to the Queen Mother to file a complaint. As soon as he entered Shoukang Palace, he saw palace servants running out in a hurry.

"Your servant pays respects to the Emperor. The Empress Dowager is unwell, and I am just about to call the imperial physician."

Upon hearing this, the emperor strode into the room. Looking at the pale-faced empress dowager holding her chest, he felt inexplicably uneasy.

"What happened to the Empress Dowager? She was fine yesterday."

The Queen Mother's eyes lit up when she saw the Emperor. "Emperor, the Fourteenth Prince has caught a cold in the Imperial Mausoleum. Please have him brought back. He can't stand the freezing weather."

The emperor's eyes darkened and he silently withdrew his hand.

"Don't worry, Empress Dowager. We have already arranged for servants to attend to the imperial mausoleum. Fourteenth Brother is fulfilling his filial duty, so please do not disturb him."

"Fourteenth brother has always been in good health, he will be fine."

The empress dowager's expectations were dashed, and there was a hint of resentment in her eyes as she looked at the emperor.

"Is the emperor going to kill his own brother?"

"My son doesn't dare. My Queen Mother is worrying too much."

The Queen Mother could no longer control the tears in her eyes, and she gasped for breath in an attempt to calm the excitement in her heart.

She knew that the man in front of her was the emperor, who held the power of life and death over all people. He was not just her son.

As the final winner, she defeated all her enemies. Her current position of honor and glory were all thanks to her son. As the empress dowager, she should always stand on the side of the emperor.

But the fourteenth son is her youngest son who she has raised since childhood, so he is different after all.

"Your brother is a proud person. He would never have written to ask for help if he had no other choice. How could it be a simple cold? What if he had an epidemic?"

The emperor closed his eyes numbly, feeling his mother's hands tightly holding his arms, and his body swayed slightly.

This is the Queen Mother, his biological mother, the former Consort De.

In front of me, my mother was always restrained and polite, and all her behavior was kept in the best appearance, dignified but distant.

When is there such a moment of loss of composure?

When he opened his eyes again, the emperor's last bit of warmth disappeared. "Madam, please forgive me. The epidemic is getting out of control. I have been busy for a long time and I am a little tired."

"If Fourteenth Brother were to contract an epidemic, I would naturally send the best imperial physician to treat him, and I would not slack off in the slightest."

"You're always like this, with a cold face and no regard for brotherly love. I know you don't care about me, your biological mother, at all."

"My heart is full of Tong, who was born into a wealthy family..."

The emperor clenched his fists and his emotions finally burst out. He sternly scolded the empress dowager to stop her from saying anything else.

"Empress Huang's mother!"

"Please be careful with your words."

Those close to you know best where the knife hurts the most.

"Fourteenth Brother should report to me first if anything happens to him, instead of sending a message directly to the Empress Dowager."

"I don't want to bother about this matter, but..."

The emperor's words were full of threats. If you look closely, it would be reasonable to charge Fourteen with the crime of disrespect.

The empress dowager looked at the emperor in disbelief, and after a while she coughed violently a few times.

The imperial physician rushed over in such a cold atmosphere.

"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager is simply suffering from a heart attack caused by anger. She is not seriously ill. She should just take some medicine and recuperate."

The emperor felt even more sad after hearing this.

He left a few words and then waved his sleeves and left. From then on, he only paid his respects by bowing and kneeling outside Shoukang Palace. He refused to go in easily and ignored Zhuxi's urging.

Facing the sick empress dowager, the emperor's attitude remained very firm.

This made the Queen Mother even more anxious. She sent out letter after letter, but there was no response for a long time.

Shoukang was filled with a strong smell of medicine, and the palace servants who came and went were very cautious and did not dare to make any sound.

The empress dowager dragged her weak body and stared out the window in a daze. Only when she saw Zhu Xi come in did she become a little more cheerful.

"How's it going? Is there any news from Fourteen?"

Zhuxi shook her head in embarrassment. She already had some bad suspicions in her mind, but at this moment she could only bite the bullet and comfort him.

"Don't worry, Queen Mother. The Fourteenth Master is blessed by fate. He might have recovered by now. Even if we take a step back, that person only said that the Fourteenth Master was feeling unwell, not necessarily an epidemic."

Upon hearing this, the Queen Mother closed her eyes, leaned her head back on the edge of the bed, and did not take Zhu Xi's comfort to heart.