Chapter 131 – Qing Transmigration Tale (40)
Si Ye sat in the tent. Hong Hui took off the nine dragon jade pendant from his belt and placed it on the table, pushing it to Si Ye. “A-ma, you keep this. It is dangerous for this son to possess.”
Si Ye was a bit amused and said, “Isn’t it just a jade pendant? Do not think too much, you can just keep it well.” This item could only be worshipped now and in the future, unless…… Then it could see the light of day again.
Hong Hui shook his head, “It is not this son who thinks too much, this son fears the uncles will think too much.” He pushed the jade pendant forward, looking like he wanted to avoid it. “Outside, it is not at home. A-ma, take it now, and give it to me back home.”
Si Ye smiled and did not insist. “Go, study in your tent these days, do not go out.”
Even if he was to be beaten to death, he would not dare to go out and roam now. He hurriedly nodded and rushed out.
Si Ye called Su Pei Sheng. “Have the servants watch, and do not allow any outsiders to get close to the two a-ge. Be more careful with what they eat and drink. Do not allow anything to happen.”
Su Pei Sheng hurriedly responded. He was not stupid, and naturally knew how important it was right now.
Si Ye then played with the jade pendant in his hand, starting to ponder what the emperor’s intentions were.
The hunt was not something that finished in a day. In the next few days, Si Ye rarely went out. In any case, he had notified the emperor already he had a cold. Not recovering well counted as a reason.
On the fifth day, he suddenly heard that Eighteen was ill, and very seriously, unconscious because of the fever.
Eighteen was just eight years old. A child having a fever was a very dangerous thing.
Si Ye immediately went to visit. This child had been with the emperor in these days. The emperor liked him very much. But speaking of this, all the rumors were just wastes of words. He was just a child of eight, the emperor’s son, and his youngest son. How could the emperor not like him? But now, he was suddenly ill.
When Si Ye entered, only the emperor, Fifteen, and Sixteen were present. The palace physicians kneeling on the ground were already sweating heavily.
“Fourth Brother.” Sixteen came to bow to Si Ye.
Si Ye saw that Sixteen’s eyes were red and asked, “What has the palace physicians said?”
“They say it is a fever, but he cannot consume the medicine, and does not appear well,” Sixteen started to choke up as he spoke.
The emperor’s eyes were also red. Likely, he had not rested for a long time.
Si Ye nodded, and touched Eighteen’s forehead. Maybe because his hand was very cold, he felt it was very hot. He could not help but say, “The illness must be confirmed, and the medicine has to be right. Right now, we are not in the palace. If any medicine is missing, just say, do not just deal with it.”
Kangxi’s expression relaxed a bit. “Make another prescription.”
Huang Sheng was the head of the palace physicians, and he had not been reprimanded for many years like this. Eighteenth A-ge‘s illness appeared for the worse, and he could only acknowledge.
Si Ye looked and sighed. He comforted, “Khan A-ma, you must protect yourself too.” Just as he finished, Li De Quan reported outside. The imperial sons all came. But what was the use in having more people guard here?
The brothers had to wait for the palace physician to feed Eighteen, and then left.
After two days, they heard that Eighteen had woken up. Si Ye even made a visit. Eighteen was very small and thin, eating the porridge that the palace attendant was feeding him. After saying a few exhortations, he saw that Eighteen was a bit uneasy because of his presence, and did not linger, turning to leave.
Halfway through the night, Su Pei Sheng woke up Si Ye from outside the tent. “…… Eighteenth A-ge has passed.”
Si Ye immediately woke up. How could he suddenly have died? Today, he had been awake and eating.
Su Pei Sheng came in and helped Si Ye get up. He said in a low voice, “Should the two a-ge be called to get up?”
Eighteen was young, but still their uncles. They should be woken up.
“Yes!” Si Ye said, “Tell them to dress warmly, and picked good servants for them.” Right now, it was very chaotic outside.
When Si Ye arrived, he saw that one of the palace physicians was been escorted off. He likely would not live.
“…… The pox! You were not able to see this.” The emperor’s furious voice came from inside.
When some people got the pox, they would first get the blisters, and then get the fever. Some people would have the fever, but not the blisters. This kind of illness usually could not be treated. Huang Sheng had been worried about this back then. Now, it was like he had thought.
Si Ye entered and found that his brothers were mostly all here. Which family did not have children who had died early? Si Ye himself had lost two daughters and one son. Even Hong Hui and Hong Yun almost died.
The emperor himself had many more children who had died. Not just the young ones, but several grown princes. But now, he had grown older, and was unable to bear it now.
No one spoke. Everyone understood the feeling.
Hong Hui and Hong Yun were dressed plainly, and burned incense for their eighteenth uncle they had rarely seen. They stood at the side. Fifteen and Sixteen were crying so much they were almost unconscious.
Sixteen held Fifteen’s hand. “When we return, how to we explain to Eniang?”
They had went out, and lost their youngest brother.
Hong Yun’s tears suddenly came down. So pitiful.
The later days were a bit depressed. But the emperor still did not appear to have intentions of returning to the capital. He only sent Fifteen, Sixteen, and Seventeen with Eighteen’s coffin to return to the capital. Originally, Si Ye wanted to use this to call Hong Hui and Hong Yun to go back. But thinking about it, never mind. Here, he could watch over them. On the road, with just the young children, he would be late if anything happened.
After settling the children down and preparing to go to the emperor, he got news that the emperor had reprimanded the crown prince for not being compassionate. Eighteenth A-ge had died early of misfortune, but he did not even go to visit, and did not even ask. He was truly too cold.
Si Ye sighed, and felt wronged for the crown prince. The crown prince did not even have freedom right now. Without the emperor’s summons, he could not even leave his tent. How could he visit Eighteen?
If he was in the crown prince’s position, he likely would feel that the emperor was very hypocritical. He had almost driven mad his adult sons, so how could he feel such sorrow for his young son?
Had the crown prince done something that he did not know of?
Si Ye could not help but speculate.
He had not thought of anything, when news came from the capital. Nara Mingju had passed away.
This was very unexpected.
He had been an important official for decades. The Ministry of Rights did not dare to slack off and sent a memorandum, wanting to see if the emperor would give some grace. But the emperor read it, and did not say a word, much less give any grace.
Commandery Prince Zhi sat in his tent. He did not know what he was feeling. This cousin-uncle had supported him greatly in the early years, until he slowly realized that the other had not supported him for nothing. The other slowly taught him what power tasted like, what was ambition. When he truly understood these things, and looked back, he found that on the other side, his a-ma was one of the hands pushing him. What Thousand Years, what Commandery Prince, what great power, it was just a battle between ruler and subject. He was a pawn between the two.
Back then, he frequently thought of a story. One family had lost their child, stolen by a childless family. The mother discovered this, and wanted to get her child back. But the other insisted that it was their child, not stolen. The two of them ended up in front of the official. The official put the child in the middle. Who could pull the child to their arms would takes possession of the child. The true mother did not bear to do this, and won back her child.
Back then, he had been the child the two of them had been pulling on. But the difference was that his own a-ma never felt any pain.
On the grass lands in the autumn, it was very cold inside. The fire in the tent was bright red. Hong Hui listened to the wind outside, wrapped up in the sheep skin. He could not help but shrink back into his blankets. Fu Chi had accompanied him out this time and sat by the fire. Xiao De Zi came in with a teapot, huffed on his hands and said, “Master, it is snowing outside.”
Hong Hui was stunned and then said, “Lucky that we brought winter clothing.”
He thought of Eniang muttering about “snow flying in the eighth month for the Hu lands.” He could not help but want to laugh. In the Qing, people rarely dared to mention the “Hu people”. Si Ye came in from outside in a big cloak. Hong Hui was about to get up when Si Ye stopped him. “Go to sleep, do not get up tonight, keep a few more people on guard, the fire cannot be allowed to go out.” Then he could not help but say to Hong Hui, “How about moving to A-ma‘s to live?”
He did not want to!
While a few years ago, he had slept with his a-ma and eniang for half a year, he could not allow himself to sleep with his a-ma now.
Si Ye did not insist and after a few exhortations, he left. He had to see Hong Yun.
The wind mixed with the snow was very strong and harsh, causing the tents to flap hard.
Hong Hui could not go to sleep, and just practiced his martial arts before he felt a bit warmer.
Suddenly, there seemed to be hoofbeats coming from afar. His senses were more sensitive than others. He believed that he did not mishear. The hoofbeats were not just a dozen people, but hundreds.
Something had happened! This was Hong Hui’s first feeling. He jumped off his bed. “Quickly get up.”
Fu Chi was sleeping. He slept on the couch beyond the screen in Hong Hui’s inner room. When Hong Hui shouted this, his heart jumped. He wrapped himself up in a cloak and said, “Master, what is it?”
“Go to Second A-ge, and take him to A-ma,” Hong Hui dressed as he spoke.
Fu Chi first stilled and then seeing that Hong Hui’s expression was not false, he hurriedly dressed and went to the next tent.
Hong Hui put on his cloak, and hung his blade from his belt. Thinking about it, he also carried his bow and arrows.
Outside the tent, the snow and wind danced. The wind seemed to cut on his face like blades. Other than the sound of wind, it was so quiet nearby it was unbearable.
People were standing guard outside Si Ye’s tent. The guards saw it was Hong Hui and hurriedly stood up. “Eldest A-ge, how come you have come?”
“Announce me, I want to go in.” Hong Hui’s voice was unquestionable.
Before the guards spoke, Si Ye’s voice came from inside. “Come in.”
Si Ye saw that Hong Hui was carrying blade and bow so he said, “It is fine! Do not worry.” He clearly had gotten the news already.
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