Hold His Hand

The emperor did not wake up. Xie Chengze and King Rui stayed in the palace, waiting for the emperor to wake up.

These days, Xie Chengze was reminded by Lu Yanzhou every day to pay attention to his body, so now that he was a little tired, he asked someone to move a stool over for him to sit and then waited.

When he was young, he seldom got along with his father. They only met once during the new year and holidays. After he was in charge of the country, he would send him memorials from time to time, and that only when he met his father more often, but every time he was unhappy.

His father has always disliked him.

But this man was his father after all.

Xie Chengze was in a complicated mood at the moment.

Xie Chengze sat motionless in his seat, but King Rui was different, he paced back and forth, restless.

If his father dies and Xie Chengze ascends the throne, what will happen to him?

Over the years, he and his consort mother have made trouble for Xie Chengze a lot!

Not long after his father ascended the throne, he killed his brother. Would Xie Chengze do the same to him too?

Although the imperial physicians couldn’t see what was wrong with the emperor, they had been trying to find a way to treat him. They didn’t know if the treatment had worked but the emperor finally woke up at midnight.

It’s just that when he woke up, his eyes were crooked and his mouth was slanted, he couldn’t speak clearly.

After he woke up, he quickly realized his situation and immediately order to interrogate the daoist priests who gave him medicine without hesitation: “I will…torture…them! Don’t let go…everyone……don’t let them go!”

The confidant immediately took orders, then the emperor turned and asked the imperial physician to cure him.

But he is like this now, how can the imperial doctor cure him to be the same again?

All the imperial physicians were obedient, but they couldn’t give an accurate answer.

The emperor was furious, everyone could only kneel down.

Xie Chengze was already a little tired from presiding over the palace examination today, so his body couldn’t hold on after working around so late.

But even so, he should still kneel.

No one dared to offend the emperor here.

However, Xie Chengze was holding on when he heard the emperor suddenly say: “Crown prince, you…you are not sincere…kneel outside!”

Xie Chengze was taken aback for a moment, then said, “Yes, emperor father.”

Seeing this, King Rui was a little proud, then he didn’t want the emperor to follow with: “You…you go too!”

King Rui had no choice but to be driven out of the door.

Xie Chengze felt guilty in his heart so he knelt inside before, but when he came outside, he stopped bearing and after kneeling for a while, he pretended to pass out and went back to the East Palace.

He’s dying, so he might as well do as he pleases.

Lu Yanzhou had been waiting in the East Palace. When he saw Xie Chengze being carried back, he was startled: “Your highness, are you alright?”

Xie Chengze wanted to get up first: “I’m fine.”

“Don’t move!” Lu Yanzhou hurriedly said, checking Xie Chengze’s pulse.

Xie Chengze is not fine, his pulse is very abnormal!

Lu Yanzhou immediately asked people to boil medicine.

Xie Chengze looked at Lu Yanzhou in surprise. He thought that after such a thing happened, Lu Yanzhou would be more concerned about the situation in the palace, but as usual, Lu Yanzhou focused on him and didn’t ask a word about the palace.

“Do you want to sit up?” Lu Yanzhou immediately asked after seeing Xie Chengze looking at him.

People with heart conditions are sometimes more comfortable sitting than lying down.

Xie Chengze nodded, and Lu Yanzhou immediately helped him up: “Take a good rest.”

Xie Chengze said: “In the palace…”

“Don’t worry about things in the palace, your body is the most important.” Lu Yanzhou didn’t hesitate.

Xie Chengze smiled.

It would be great if Zhou Xueya didn’t find out Lu Yanzhou’s identity…Maybe he will be happy until his death.

Lu Yanzhou didn’t know what Xie Chengze was thinking. He waited until Xie Chengze fell asleep, seeing that it was almost dawn, he wrote a note with a brush and paper, then left the East Palace.

Xie Chengze made people watch Lu Yanzhou, but he wasn’t restricted from leaving the East Palace, so no one stopped Lu Yanzhou when he left. Not long after, Lu Yanzhou returned to Jingning Temple.

He wanted to come back yesterday to take a look, but it was already night when the emperor’s accident happened, so the city gate was closed long ago, he couldn’t get out.

When he came to Jingning Temple, Lu Yanzhou immediately went to look for Lu Rong. He knocked on the door and entered Lu Rong’s room. He happened to see Lu Qingshan lying disheveled on the kang, and Lu Rong’s child was also gnawing on his stomach. The child has grown a few teeth recently, it seems that his teeth are itchy, so he has to gnaw twice on everything.

Lu Yanzhou breathed a sigh of relief: “Brother-in-law came out early? Fortunately!”

Hearing Lu Yanzhou’s words, Lu Qingshan realized something: “What happened?”

“The emperor fainted. Didn’t brother-in-law leave the palace after knowing about it?”

“I don’t know about it. I came out of the palace to watch the Zhuangyuan scholar parade through the streets.” Lu Qingshan sat up with a dignified expression.

Not long ago, Lu Qingshan came out of the palace to see Lu Rong. At that time, Lu Rong said that Lu Yanzhou should be able to be admitted to the number one scholar, and she was very much looking forward to it. Lu Qingshan promised Lu Rong that on the zhuangyuan parade day, he would come out and see Lu Yanzhou together with Lu Rong.

The two of them didn’t go into the same shop yesterday, but went into two shops opposite each other and watched Lu Yanzhou’s parade across the street together, and then disguised themselves and came to Jingning Temple together.

Lu Qingshan asked for three days off. He planned to hide in Lu Rong’s house for a day to develop a relationship with his son, and then he will return to the daoist temple…In the end, something happened to the emperor?!

“Brother-in-law is lucky.” Said Lu Yanzhou. If Lu Qingshan was in the palace, he would definitely be arrested. At that time, he could only go to Xie Chengze to find a solution.

“That’s right.” Lu Qingshan let out a sigh of relief, then asked Lu Yanzhou about the situation in the palace.

“I don’t know the specific situation, but I’m afraid the emperor’s situation is not optimistic.”

Lu Qingshan said: “I’m afraid I added too many ingredients to the pill the day before yesterday…I don’t know what will happen to him.”

What is the emperor’s situation, they are not sure, what needs to be discussed now is what to do next.

After getting Lu Yanzhou’s advice last year, Lu Qingshan did not personally contact the emperor, but taught those things to his master and pushed his master to the front of the stage.

Then, because his master was favored, Lu Qingshan knew a lot of things, such as what kind of confidants the emperor had.

Because he knew that the crown prince and Lu Yanzhou were close, he deliberately paid attention to it and found that the emperor was very wary of the crown prince.

As for the reason…the crown prince is too capable.

If the crown prince hadn’t suffered from a heart condition, the emperor might not have tolerated him for such a long time!

When Lu Yanzhou heard about this, his expression changed.

He asked Lu Qingshan some things in detail before returning to the East Palace.

When Lu Yanzhou went back, Xie Chengze had already woken up. Seeing this, Lu Yanzhou hurried forward and asked Xie Chengze how he was feeling.

Xie Chengze smiled: “I’m fine.”

Lu Yanzhou took Xie Chengze’s pulse and made sure that Xie Chengze was fine, then he breathed a sigh of relief and asked, “Your highness, what happened in the palace?”

Xie Chengze didn’t hide anything and told what happened yesterday.

Knowing the emperor’s current situation, Lu Yanzhou said: “Your highness, the capital may not be peaceful in the future, do you want to arrange some people to be by your side?”

Based on Lu Yanzhou’s understanding of King Rui, facing the current situation, King Rui will never let the opportunity go.

The emperor isn’t dead yet but he doesn’t know whose side he will be on.

Lu Yanzhou knew it, and of course Xie Chengze knew it too: “What do you think I should do?”

“Your highness, it’s best to contact some familiar generals, lest someone take advantage of the chaos and do something,” Lu Yanzhou said, “In my opinion, King Rui will not be quiet.”

Xie Chengze has also tried to win over generals before, so now he frowned and said, “I don’t have any generals I know well.”

Hearing this, Lu Yanzhou couldn’t help sighing.

King Rui made a lot of tricks. In the past two years, the original owner also helped King Rui win over some generals.

As the crown prince, Xie Chengze didn’t know how to train more of his people?

His family AZe is really too simple!

When he was cultivating the ruthless dao before, Xie Chengze was always bullied because he didn’t care about anything and needed his help to get out. Now Xie Chengze’s soul fragments are being bullied in every world too.

Let’s just talk about this world…Xie Chengze was completely unprepared, and in the end he was killed by someone like the original owner.

Lu Yanzhou looked at Xie Chengze worriedly and said, “I do know a few generals, why don’t your highness transfer them to the capital.”

The generals Lu Yanzhou knew were naturally his two cousins-in-law. By the way, both of his cousins-in-law were born in a general family, so other members of their family were also in charge of the army.

He could definitely call them to the capital.

Xie Chengze said: “Okay.”

Lu Yanzhou was helpless: “Your highness, don’t you even ask who is the general I am talking about?”

Xie Chengze said, “I believe in you.”

Xie Chengze didn’t want to cause more troubles and let the common people suffer too, so he simply did as Lu Yanzhou wished. After Lu Yanzhou said the names of his two cousins-in-law, he wrote a secret letter in front of Lu Yanzhou to invite Lu Yanzhou’s two cousins-in-law to come to the capital, then stamped it with a seal and sent it out.

In fact, Xie Chengze was also surprised, did Lu Yanzhou trust him so much? It’s fine to live in his east palace unprepared, but now he even tell him his ace card in his hand without any scruples.

When he said that Lu Yanzhou is the knife in his hand, Zhou Xueya could believe it because of Lu Yanzhou’s performance.

When all is said and done, Lu Yanzhou being bold because of his high skill, or…is he sure that he loves him deeply?

Lu Yanzhou was neither, he simply trusted Xie Chengze.

He guarded against King Rui and others, but he never thought of guarding against Xie Chengze, or the people around Xie Chengze.

Now he feels that Xie Chengze is too innocent, so he just wants to protect Xie Chengze.

Xie Chengze rested at home for a day, and then entered the palace again. In the following days, the court continued to operate as usual, and Lu Yanzhou was also appointed as an editor in the Imperial Academy.

But the Emperor’s condition was bad.

The emperor kept all the imperial physicians by his side and forced them to heal him, but the imperial physicians were helpless facing the emperor’s condition, and the emperor’s physical condition was getting worse and worse too.

Those who are well-informed have basically got the news — his majesty may not live until this winter.

At the same time, the interrogation results of those daoist priests have come out.

None of these daoist priests were clean. Some of them used to live by cheating and abducting people.

And the daoist priest that the emperor favored the most recently…the so-called ‘miracles’ he created were all tricks.

These little tricks were taught by the daoist boy beside him!

As for the emperor becoming ill like this…There is something wrong with the pill that this person made, the pill that the emperor took before is also problematic!

Such a group of people, the emperor had been regarding them as treasures…Tsk tsk!

The ministers didn’t like to talk about it, but in their hearts…they all think the emperor is a bit stupid!

But no matter how stupid the emperor is in this regard, he is still the emperor!

The emperor couldn’t believe this at first and firmly believed in the existence of gods. Later, he fainted for a while, then when he woke up, he suddenly seemed to realize something and he ordered all the daoist priests to be executed. He also wanted to arrest the little daoist boy who had run away.

That’s right, the culprit, the little daoist boy, ran away before the emperor’s accident!

Of course, the daoist boy also left some clues. The emperor sent people to search his residence, judging from the things left in his residence, he is a member of a certain family.

Without any hesitation, the emperor immediately arrested the men of that family and brought them back for interrogation. Afterwards, although nothing was found from the interrogation, several people were still beheaded.

This family was the one that bought the Lu family back as servants because of some minor grudges with the Lu family and humiliated them in every possible way.

Lu Qingshan’s only remaining family members died from being humiliated by this family, he hated this family deeply.

However, the family was arrested and killed, but there was no news of the little daoist boy.

Regarding this, no one knows better than Lu Yanzhou.

Lu Qingshan is also a ruthless person. After knowing that he was wanted, he left Jingning Temple, went to a place he had arranged before, and then ruthlessly ruined his appearance.

It’s not the kind that simply makes a few scars, it’s the kind that smashes his face forcefully!

He has been in the palace for a long time, so many people know him. This face is no longer usable.

After recovering for a few days, Lu Qingshan came to Jingning Temple to beg for food, and after seeing Lu Rong, he called out ‘wife’…

He stayed in Jingning Temple as Lu Rong’s husband who went out to do business but disappeared.

He was very close to Lu Rong, so no one doubted his identity.

The capital is very chaotic and the emperor has done a lot of things, and this makes the officials in the imperial court respect Xie Chengze even more.

They have no other ideas, they just want his highness the crown prince to ascend the throne quickly!

At this time, two armies traveled thousands of miles to the vicinity of the capital.

These two armies are small in number, but they are all elites in the army. Not only that, they are also fully equipped.

Riding a tall horse, wearing gold and steel armor, and holding a sword!

Even to eat, they also eat meat!

When they came to the vicinity of the capital, they stopped moving forward, but looked for a place to camp and cook. During the meal, large pieces of pork went into the pot.

When the soldiers smelled the scent of meat, they were all excited: “The days are going so well these days!”

“Where did the two generals get so much money?”

“Give us meat every day! Tsk tsk!”

“Even a landlord won’t have such a life!”

…

While chatting, someone ask: “What are the surnames of the wives of the two generals, do you know?”

“Their surname is Lu, what’s the matter?”

“I heard that the armor we are using now was once used by the Lu family army before, and our money is also left by the Lu family…”

So this is the case? Everyone was shocked: “I heard that the Lu family army was very brave back then. If they had such good food and such weapons, they shouldn’t even think of not being brave!”

“Isn’t the Lu family imprisoned seventeen years ago…then now we return to the capital suddenly, what are we going to do?”

“Could the two generals have some ideas?”

…

Something happened to the Lu family because of treason, and they suddenly ran back to the capital. Could it be that the two generals wanted to do something?

“Where are all your thoughts going?” The person who mentioned the Lu family said: “Who is the general, do you still not know? He won’t push us to our death. This time we went to the capital, we spent not only the Lu family’s money but also the crown prince’s money.”

“The crown prince’s money?” All the soldiers were a little surprised.

The man continued: “From today onwards, you guys shouldn’t leave the barracks anymore, I will explain the matter clearly to you…The capital is not peaceful, so his highness the crown prince wants us to enter the capital.”

So that’s it!

Lu Yanzhou’s two cousins-in-law stationed their troops in one place, waiting for his highness the crown prince’s orders, and at the same time they were full of expectations for the future.

When they help the crown prince complete this job, they should be promoted, right?

The Lu family will definitely be redressed!

Alas! It would be great if the emperor in the palace could die sooner!

Xie Chengze was the first to know about Lu Yanzhou’s two cousins-in-law’s arrival near the capital. These two sent him many letters, they always expressed their loyalty in the letters.

It’s just that he was about to die. Lu Yanzhou knew about it, so they should know it too. If that’s the case, how can they be so loyal? Mostly it was just acting.

Xie Chengze didn’t take these seriously, but he sent a lot of military supplies to these two people and asked them to train their troops outside the city.

Recently, the way his father looked at him was not quite right, Xie Chengze always felt that the mountain rain was about to come.

But even if the mountain rain is about to hit, it doesn’t prevent him from having a spring night with editor Lu every night.

This is the carnival of the dying person before death.

Lu Yanzhou: “…” His family AZe is really simple-minded, he still thinks about this every day at a time like this.

The point is that Xie Chengze’s body can’t bear it at all, so for him, it has become torture.

Fortunately, the merits are almost enough.

In a few days, he can finally help Xie Chengze heal his body.

With Xie Chengze’s illness, he shouldn’t be startled, so Lu Yanzhou hoped that if King Rui would take action, it would be after he helped Xie Chengze heal his body.

However, things turned out to be contrary to expectations. Lu Yanzhou was busy that day, and someone handed him a note — King Rui asked him to meet.

When he came to the place mentioned on the note, Lu Yanzhou saw King Rui.

King Rui’s appearance made Lu Yanzhou feel defensive from the bottom of his heart.

It has been more than a month since he became an editor in the Imperial Academy. During this period, he met King Rui once. At that time, King Rui was not in a good mood and looked anxious, but now King Rui’s eyes are full of excitement. His original depression has also been swept away.

“Wangye!” Lu Yanzhou looked excited.

When King Rui saw Lu Yanzhou before, he would act for a while to ‘pacify’ Lu Yanzhou, but this time King Rui didn’t do that but cut to the chase and said, “Jizhi, I have something for you to do!”

“What does wangye want me to do?” Lu Yanzhou asked.

King Rui took out a bag of something weighing about one catty from his arms and gave it to Lu Yanzhou: “This is arsenic, which is highly poisonous. Try to put it into the crown prince’s meal!”

“I don’t have access to his highness meals…” Lu Yanzhou worried.

Xie Chengze is very simple, so there are very few people serving in the East Palace, and there are not many people in the courtyard where he lives. King Rui probably doesn’t know about his relationship with Xie Chengze.

King Rui said: “If you can’t get in touch with his food, you can also put it into the well water.”

Lu Yanzhou: “…” No wonder he gave him a catty of such a poison at once.

King Rui continued: “You go back today, use the poison immediately, and then excuse yourself that you are not feeling well and don’t eat anything.”

King Rui explained a lot and Lu Yanzhou also complied, and then he watched King Rui go away.

King Rui told him to poison so casually, he certainly didn’t expect him to succeed, since that was the case, King Rui must have had other plans.

And King Rui is so confident…he’s afraid that the emperor is behind him.

While Lu Yanzhou was guessing this, Xie Chengze already knew what King Rui was going to do.

After the emperor’s accident, they had been targeting those daoist priests at first, but then they started targeting Xie Chengze.

This is not surprising.

The ministers in the imperial court all prefer Xie Chengze, this matter has been known for a long time, and recently, these ministers have become more obvious.

Not to mention those ministers…when Xie Chengze gave the emperor medicine before, the emperor threw a bowl at him. Seeing that Xie Chengze was injured, the imperial physician present stepped forward one after another, trying to treat Xie Chengze’s wound.

This kind of scene naturally hinders the current emperor’s eyes.

The most important thing is that the current emperor is suspicious of Xie Chengze. He felt that what happened to him this time might have something to do with Xie Chengze — Xie Chengze had planted many people in the palace, and he finally found some clues today.

The current emperor has always had a serious case of suspicion. If he was able to kill his own brother back then, he can naturally do it to his own son this time.

“Your highness, someone close to the Emperor came to spread the news that the Emperor gave King Rui the tiger token…” Zhou Xueya reported to Xie Chengze.

Now that he is lingering on the sick bed, the more he looks at Xie Chengze the more displeased he feels. Rather, he was worried that Xie Chengze would get rid of him after ascending the throne, so he was very close to King Rui.

King Rui is also obviously easier to control, as for Xie Chengze… Xie Chengze is not willing to follow the emperor’s meaning when dealing with the memorial!

“He can’t sit still.” Xie Chengze said.

“Your highness, how should we deal with it?” Zhou Xueya asked.

Xie Chengze said: “I have already transferred troops to the capital, just let them enter the city.”

“Your highness, they belong to the Lu family…”

Xie Chengze laughed: “You don’t believe me?”

“I dare not.” Zhou Xueya said hastily.

Xie Chengze said: “Lu Yanzhou is mine, he listens to me, you just need to follow my orders!”

Hearing what Xie Chengze said, Zhou Xueya immediately went to work.

As soon as Zhou Xueya left, Lu Yanzhou came back.

When Lu Yanzhou returned to the East Palace, he said to Xie Chengze: “Your highness, King Rui may attack you.”

“Why did you say that?” Xie Chengze asked curiously.

Lu Yanzhou said: “King Rui gave me a pack of poison and asked me to put it in the well water of the East Palace.”

Xie Chengze frowned and looked at Lu Yanzhou: “Why did he give you poison?”

Lu Yanzhou had never told Xie Chengze about his relationship with King Rui.

He and Xie Chengze were very affectionate, and talking about these things is also very unpleasant!

And…he was also afraid that Xie Chengze would be jealous and make trouble.

In the past few worlds, after he was with Xie Chengze, Xie Chengze was quite jealous…

He had told Xie Chengze about his acquaintance with King Rui early on, if Xie Chengze found out all the things the original owner had done for King Rui…then he wouldn’t be able to wash himself even if he jumped into the yellow river!

But the situation is urgent right now, in order to win Xie Chengze’s trust, he should confess when he should.

Lu Yanzhou said: “Your highness, in fact, I have known King Rui two years ago. I am from the Lu family, the Lu family that was ransacked and beheaded seventeen years ago…I wanted King Rui to help redress the Lu family case, so I helped do something for him.”

Xie Chengze was stunned, he didn’t expect Lu Yanzhou to confess to him suddenly.

Lu Yanzhou’s various behaviors were a bit inconsistent with what he thought. At this time, if Lu Yanzhou confessed to him, wouldn’t he be afraid that he would get angry and put Lu Yanzhou in jail?

Of course Lu Yanzhou is not afraid, he trusts Xie Chengze: “That’s why King Rui thinks that I belong to him, and after I know your highness, he always makes me watch your highness..Your highness, it’s because of him that I know your identity in advance. It was because I was afraid that he entangled me that I insisted on following you into the East Palace.”

Xie Chengze: “…” This person actually round up the lied, and even make him seem so innocent!

If his father was not still lying on the bed, he would have believed that Lu Yanzhou was really innocent and kind.

Lu Yanzhou didn’t know what Xie Chengze was thinking. Seeing that Xie Chengze was not very angry when he heard his confession, he seemed to believe it completely instead, he felt that Xie Chengze was really too simple: “Today, King Rui suddenly want me to poison, I suspect that he may want to do something…Your highness, you must be prepared early!”