allonlinenovel Chapter 279 The Emperor's Favor
Chapter 279 The Emperor's Favor
Zhao Yi: "..." So they were already waiting for him here all along.
He took the appointment document and glanced at it with his eyes down.
Emperor Jing'an promoted him to the rank of Fifth-Rank Attendant Scholar, who accompanied the emperor in reading and discussing scholarship. He was a close attendant of the emperor and also served as an advisor, with great potential for future promotion.
Those who could become the emperor's tutors were all people trusted by the emperor.
Zhao Yi vaguely felt that Emperor Jing'an's appointment of him as a Reader-in-Waiting was paving the way for his future, and that there were other intentions as well.
Emperor Jing'an invited Zhao Yi to the palace primarily to see the recovered Zhao Yi in person, and secondly to reassign him to a different position.
Seeing that Zhao Yi's complexion had improved considerably, and with his long-held wish fulfilled, Emperor Jing'an's eyes became bright and alert, and his joy was palpable. He specially invited the young couple to dine in the palace.
Emperor Jing'an knew very well that Shen Qingtan had played a crucial role in curing Zhao Yi's illness.
He was increasingly satisfied with Shen Qingtan and specially instructed the imperial chef to prepare dishes that Shen Qingtan liked to eat.
Shen Qingtan looked at Emperor Jing'an with a sense of flattery upon seeing the food in front of her. She truly hadn't expected that Emperor Jing'an would actually instruct the imperial kitchen to prepare her favorite dishes.
“Niece-in-law, make yourself at home here, don’t be too reserved.” Emperor Jing’an said in a friendly tone, “If these don’t suit your taste, your uncle can just tell the imperial kitchen to make something else.”
Shen Qingtan quickly said, "Your Majesty, these dishes suit my taste perfectly."
Emperor Jing'an said with a gentle smile, "Was the person who cured Yi'er your cousin? Is his eye ailment any better? I will find renowned doctors to treat his eyes."
Shen Qingtan replied politely, "Your Majesty, Brother Changsheng's eyes have improved somewhat. You don't need to search for famous doctors for him; Imperial Physician Chen can cure his eyes."
After all, there is no one else whose medical skills are better than Zhongheng's.
Shen Qingtan continued, "From now on, Brother Changsheng will no longer practice medicine. He should take good care of himself, and his eyes will gradually improve."
Emperor Jing'an nodded, feeling a pang of regret that Gu Changsheng could no longer practice medicine, but at the same time, he was filled with gratitude towards Gu Changsheng.
Gu Changsheng disregarded his own health to treat Zhao Yi's illness, and this selfless dedication deserves a high reward.
Emperor Jing'an picked up his chopsticks and symbolically moved them: "Let's eat."
Shen Qingtan held her chopsticks and waited for the palace maid to serve her food.
Suddenly, a piece of apricot blossom goose meat appeared in the bowl.
She looked up and met Zhao Yi's dark eyes.
Because Emperor Jing'an was present, Shen Qingtan couldn't say anything. She just smiled at Zhao Yi, took a bite of the apricot blossom goose, and ate it slowly.
Next, whichever dish she looked at, Zhao Yi would pick that dish for her.
Although the dishes in front of her were mostly things she liked, she was very picky about food and ate very meticulously. If some dishes had seasonings she didn't like, she wouldn't like the whole dish.
With Liuyue and Tingxue not by her side to serve her, and the palace maids who served her not knowing her habits, they inevitably mixed in food she didn't like.
Zhao Yi probably knew this, so he took the initiative to serve her food.
Seeing the two of them so affectionate, Emperor Jing'an smiled knowingly, but couldn't help thinking of the late Empress, and his expression darkened slightly.
At this moment, Eunuch Cao entered and whispered in Emperor Jing'an's ear, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Concubine has arrived and wishes to see you."
Emperor Jing'an said in a deep voice, "I will not see him."
He paused for a moment, then said, "If the Imperial Concubine is bored, she should invite Princess Guangning to the palace to keep her company and relieve her boredom."
Upon hearing this, Eunuch Cao's eyes flashed with surprise, but he quickly regained his composure and hurriedly went to report back to Consort Ling.
Consort Ling stood at the palace gate with her maids, eagerly awaiting her arrival.
Since the Qingzhou case was exposed, she has not seen Emperor Jing'an again. Today, she came specifically to seek peace with Emperor Jing'an and invite him to have dinner together at Yanxiang Palace.
A moment later, Consort Ling saw Eunuch Cao come out, and her expression returned to normal: "Eunuch Cao, what did the Emperor say?"
"Your Highness, the Qingzhou case has been settled, and His Majesty is busy with the aftermath," said Eunuch Cao with concern. "His Majesty hasn't been able to rest properly these past few days, as he has been dealing with state affairs. This servant is worried that His Majesty's health may not be able to keep up."
Consort Ling knew that Eunuch Cao was a shrewd man, and that he deliberately brought up the case in Qingzhou simply to remind her why the Emperor was neglecting her and her son.
Then, she mentioned that the Emperor was so busy with state affairs that he didn't even have time to rest. If she insisted on seeing the Emperor, she would be an inconsiderate concubine.
If she were to acquire such a reputation, she would be banished to the "cold palace" and could forget about ever receiving the emperor's favor again.
But the next sentence from Eunuch Cao sent a chill down Consort Ling's spine.
"Your Highness, Princess Guangning is a distinguished guest of Great Zhou. You may invite Princess Guangning to the palace and treat her well, thus fulfilling your duties as a host."
At this point, Eunuch Cao added, "These are the words the Emperor instructed you to say."
The color drained from Consort Ling's face. If she were to take charge of the six palaces, and Emperor Jing'an gave her such a instruction, she wouldn't take it to heart.
But now that Consort Xian is in charge of the six palaces, even if it is to show hospitality to Princess Guangning, it should be Consort Xian who makes the move.
Emperor Jing'an had personally appointed her to entertain Princess Guangning, so she had no choice but to delve into the meaning behind his words.
Emperor Jing'an had previously stated his intention to choose one of the two eligible princes as Princess Guangning's husband.
So... Emperor Jing'an wanted Prince Yu to marry Princess Guangning?
Once Prince Yu marries Princess Guangning, he will be completely out of the running for the throne.
Consort Ling was anxious inside, but she showed no sign of it on her face. She said calmly, "Eunuch Cao, as the Emperor's close attendant, you should advise the Emperor to take care of his health."
She paused for a moment, then continued, "Since I cannot share the Emperor's burdens, I will not stay here and cause him any more trouble."
After saying this, Consort Ling returned to Yanxiang Palace with her maids, wrote a letter, and arranged for it to be sent to Prince Yu.
Emperor Jing'an's plan to have Prince Yu marry Princess Guangning indicates that Prince Yu was not Emperor Jing'an's preferred successor.
Who is Emperor Jing'an's choice for heir apparent?
King Rui?
Consort Ling's face was as cold as frost.
She schemed and plotted in the palace for over twenty years, and through her favor to Empress Yuanrong, she climbed to the position of Imperial Concubine, paving the way for Prince Yu.
How could she be willing to let Prince Rui succeed to the throne?
At this moment, a palace maid came in to report: "Your Highness, the Emperor summoned Lord Zhao to the palace today and promoted him, appointing him as the Imperial Reader."
Consort Ling sat upright on the short couch, her gaze fixed on the direction of the Taiji Hall, her expression somber.
Originally, it was thought that Zhao Yi would die young, but unexpectedly, his illness was cured and he was promoted to a close minister of the emperor.
This imperial favor is enjoyed by only Zhao Yi in the entire world.
Consort Ling couldn't help but feel suspicious, and asked herself, "Is His Majesty truly unable to forget his old feelings for Empress Yuanrong, and has transferred his affections to Zhao Yi?"