The Second Master of the Red Chamber

The sudden turn of events left everyone bewildered.

The Third Prince's gloomy expression faltered for a moment, then he too quickly stepped forward. After assessing Emperor Ningkang's condition, he immediately shouted at Jia Lian in a stern voice:

"Jia Lian, how dare you plot to murder my father?"

The Third Prince's words caused everyone present, including the Imperial Guards, to feel their hearts skip a beat, completely at a loss for what to do.

Any illness of the emperor is a major event in any dynasty.

Not to mention collapsing in front of everyone like this.

If he doesn't wake up, the fate of the Great Wei Dynasty will likely be completely changed...

Jia Lian remained calm and did not take the Third Prince's barking seriously.

Even if he were the crown prince, it would be impossible for him to frame someone on his own turf, in front of all his supporters.

"Is the accompanying imperial physician present?"

Jia Lian glanced around but didn't see the imperial physician.

Dai Quan's face turned pale and bitter. He immediately replied, "His Majesty left the palace in haste and did not have time to bring a physician."

Dai Quan was filled with remorse and fear.

He was in charge of most of the emperor's internal affairs. Normally, the emperor would arrange for a physician to accompany him when he went out.

Not to mention that he knew the emperor was in poor health, yet he ignored it today.

If the emperor were to suffer any misfortune, this alone would be enough to make him pay dearly.

Fortunately, Jia Lian didn't waste any words. He nodded to Princess Zhaoyang, who had also stood up with a solemn look in her eyes, and then said to the Empress, who was holding Emperor Ningkang and looked completely lost, "Your Majesty, please help His Majesty to a side room in the mansion first, and then let the imperial physician come to diagnose him. You must not be too sad and delay His Majesty's treatment!"

"Nonsense! How could my father, the Emperor, be allowed to reside in your mansion, let alone a side room?"

Moreover, the Emperor suddenly fainted in your residence out of the blue; who knows if you tampered with the food and drinks?

Do you intend to keep Father Emperor here so that you can continue to harm him?
Your Majesty, you must not listen to Jia Lian's words and put Father Emperor in danger.

The best course of action now is to bring Father Emperor back to the palace as soon as possible and have the imperial physicians treat him.

Most people, including the Prince of Bei Jing, certainly didn't take the Third Prince's words seriously.

He could only sigh inwardly that the rumors were indeed true; the Third Prince was a master of disguise and a hypocrite.

Clearly, when he came to offer his congratulations with Emperor Ningkang earlier, he was all smiles and extremely humble.

Now that Emperor Ningkang has just met with misfortune, he immediately turns hostile.

This also confirms the rumors that Jia Lian supported the Fourth Prince's ascension to the throne and was at odds with the Third Prince.

However, Prince Bei Jing and others had a good relationship with Jia Lian and were willing to trust him, though this did not include everyone.

For example, those who came purely to freeload at the wedding banquet, or the imperial guards and imperial guards who came to escort the emperor.

Regardless of the circumstances, the emperor was there to attend Jia Lian's wedding banquet, and the incident occurred at Jia Lian's residence.

On this point alone, Jia Lian is certainly implicated.

Some guards, fearing responsibility, quietly surrounded the emperor, ready to control anyone who might harm him.

Seeing the Empress hesitate, Jia Lian suddenly turned around and shouted towards the rear, "Where is Imperial Physician Wang?"

In fact, even without Jia Lian shouting, some astute people had already pulled out Physician Wang and Physician Chen, who had also come to the wedding banquet.

The two imperial physicians also looked flustered. Although they did not bring any medical tools, they rushed forward at the urging of the crowd.

Seeing this, the Empress seemed to have found her pillar of support and quickly stepped aside to allow the two imperial physicians to examine her.

Inside the spacious courtyard, everyone held their breath; you could hear a pin drop.

After a long while, the two imperial physicians looked at each other and seemed to exchange some opinions.

Then, the Imperial Physician Wang said to the Empress: "Your Majesty, His Majesty must have been overworked and worried about state affairs for many years, which has led to a deficiency of qi and blood and a weak constitution."

In addition, he had been drinking alcohol today, which is why he fell into a coma.

The Empress said, "So, His Majesty was not poisoned?"

“No…” Both imperial physicians quickly shook their heads.

The Empress asked this question not because she suspected Jia Lian, but to dispel the suspicions of others.

Even if the emperor were to fall ill, the news would be kept secret.

However, if the emperor faints in front of everyone today, and rumors spread, some villains may seize the opportunity to cause trouble.

"Since it's not poisoning, is there any way to wake His Majesty up?"

If an ordinary person faints, you can try to wake them up by pinching their philtrum or other methods.

However, given the emperor's condition, no one dared to make any moves without the imperial physicians' permission.

"If Your Majesty is allowed to administer acupuncture and supplement with a tonic to replenish your Qi and calm your mind, Your Majesty may wake up in one or two hours."

The Empress breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the news.

Looking at the concerned crowd around her, she nodded and said, "In that case, let's follow the Duke of Rong's wishes and settle His Majesty here first. You all do your best to treat him."

"Mother..."

The Third Prince was about to say something when the Empress interrupted him, saying, "Alright, the imperial physician has already said that your father's fainting has nothing to do with the Duke of Rong. You must not make any wild guesses."

The best course of action now is to revive your father as soon as possible.

Seeing that everyone around him looked convinced after the Empress finished speaking, the Third Prince, though unwilling, had no choice but to obey.

So the Empress, Princess Zhaoyang, and others worked together, led by Jia Lian, to help Emperor Ningkang to the nearest side room.

After such an incident, no one in the room was in the mood to enjoy the wedding banquet.

Some of the more timid ones even took advantage of the chaos to slip away first...

The Jia family was a prestigious family with a history of over 100 years. Although they did not employ physicians, they did have a complete collection of silver needles and ordinary medical tools.

However, just as Jia Lian was about to hand the item over to the two imperial physicians after receiving it from Jia Zheng, the Third Prince stopped him, saying:

"Wait! The reason for Father's sudden coma has not yet been fully investigated. At this time, how can we touch the Emperor's body with something of unknown origin?"

"What if someone tampered with these things? Wouldn't that endanger Father's life?"

The Third Prince's words caused the Empress, Prince Bei Jing, and others to frown deeply.

This shows they are determined to frame Jia Lian as a suspect in treason and regicide.

Seeing the two imperial physicians hesitate, Jia Lian frowned and asked, "In your opinion, what should we do?"

"I have already sent someone back to the palace to summon the physicians on duty. In order to prevent certain people from joining forces to murder Father Emperor, it is better to wait for the palace physicians to arrive before treating Father Emperor."

The Third Prince's meaning was quite clear: both imperial physicians were invited by Jia Lian to the wedding banquet, and they might be colluding with Jia Lian.

We must wait until all the palace physicians arrive before we can prevent Jia Lian and his gang from resorting to underhanded tactics.

His words silenced the few people in the room.

Those anxiously waiting for news outside the courtyard had no idea what was happening inside and thought the emperor was already receiving emergency treatment.

The fourth prince suddenly stood up and angrily shouted at the third prince, "Enough! From the very beginning, you have been hindering everyone from saving Father Emperor. I think you are the one who has wolfish ambitions and wants to kill Father Emperor!"

Do you think that the throne is yours now that your father is in trouble?

Let me tell you, stop dreaming.

Even without your father, you have no right to be emperor. Now, either get out of here, or find a way to wake your father; otherwise, stop making a scene and embarrassing yourself.

No one expected that the first person to erupt would be the Fourth Prince.

Even Jia Lian and Princess Zhaoyang looked at him in surprise, and suddenly felt that sometimes, some things are best said by a naive young man.

The third prince's face was as black as a pig's liver, and he stared at the fourth prince with fierce eyes.

At the same time, he was also observing the actions of everyone in the room. Needless to say, Jia Lian and Princess Zhaoyang were definitely supporting the Fourth Prince.

Prince Bei Jing and Jia Lian were very close, and Prince Bei Jing always responded vaguely and ignored Jia Lian's attempts to win him over.

Although the Empress's attitude toward the succession has always been ambiguous, she seems to be inclined to protect Jia Lian.

Besides, the high-ranking officials such as Zhao Dongsheng and Wang Ziteng who were gathered at the entrance to watch were obviously people who were close to Jia Lian, otherwise they would not be here today.

Seemingly having finally grasped the situation, the Third Prince snorted coldly and walked to the side.

Seeing this, Physician Wang and the others finally took the tools from Jia Lian and prepared to provide first aid.

Out of professional caution, they checked the tools to make sure there were no problems before using them on Emperor Ningkang's body.

……

The mansion was in complete chaos long ago.

What an honor it is for the emperor and empress to personally come and invite you to a celebratory feast!

But just as the emperor was about to leave, something unexpected happened.

Isn't this a case of great joy turning into great sorrow?
Anyone with a modicum of knowledge should know that if the emperor really did get into trouble at the Jia family's residence...

The entire Jia family is likely to never have a good life again.

Who knows, great joy might turn into great sorrow.

Everyone in the mansion, including the nearly one thousand guests and their servants, was praying that the emperor would wake up soon.

Time passed by minute by minute.

All the imperial physicians in the palace, both those on duty and those not on duty, have arrived.

However, there was still no news of the emperor waking up.

At this point, more guests fled out of fear, causing the number of people inside and outside the two mansions to decrease from what it had been at the beginning.

The situation was much better inside the Grand View Garden.

However, Sister Feng was also alarmed.

If she weren't heavily pregnant, she might have come out to check on the situation herself.

"How is it? Any news from the Second Master? Has the Emperor woken up?"

Ping'er shook her head with a solemn expression and said, "The Emperor's whereabouts are still unknown. The outer courtyard rooms have long been guarded by the Imperial Guards, and ordinary people cannot enter."

However, the Second Master did send a message back, saying that Miss Xue and Miss Lin should wait a little longer, and if they got tired, they could take off their phoenix coronet and wedding robes and leave them for a while, and put them back on when he returned.

Sister Feng was slightly taken aback, then complained, "He really cares about these two people. Even at this time, he doesn't forget to show concern for them, afraid that they might get tired."

then……"

Sister Feng wanted to say that she had also waited in the bridal chamber for a long time back then, but upon closer reflection, it wasn't actually that long.

Because Jia Lian was in such a hurry at that time, he went around toasting everyone outside and then rushed back to drink the nuptial wine with her...

Thinking of the scene in the bridal chamber back then, a blush appeared on Sister Feng's face.

Quickly shaking off these chaotic thoughts, Sister Feng immediately ordered, "Send a few more people out to keep watch, and report back to me immediately if there is any news."

"Yes, Second Grandmother."

Similar dialogues to those at Jiaying Hall took place at the same time in various locations in both prefectures.

Everyone was very concerned about the situation inside the side room, fearing that an unexpected disaster might occur.

However, the situation inside the room where the emperor was housed was not as bad as outsiders thought.

After a consultation with the imperial physicians and drinking the prepared herbal decoction, Emperor Ningkang's complexion visibly improved.

Finally, as the Empress was personally feeding the Emperor his medicine for the third time, a cough was suddenly heard.

Everyone was startled, and the Empress repeatedly called for the imperial physician.

After examining His Majesty, the Imperial Physician Wang and others said with great relief, "Your Majesty, His Majesty's pulse is stable; he is about to wake up."

Sure enough, not long after the imperial physician finished speaking, Emperor Ningkang's eyelids, which had been closed for almost two hours, began to twitch. He then opened them, revealing his cloudy yet deep eyes.

"Your Majesty, you have finally woken up."

The Empress grasped Emperor Ningkang's hand, nearly weeping with joy.

Emperor Ningkang seemed to frown, and it took him a long time to realize where he was.

"I... cough cough..."

Just as he was about to speak, he coughed repeatedly, startling the Empress into calling for the imperial physician again.

The chief physician and others stepped forward and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, His Majesty is suffering from phlegm blockage and is currently very weak, so it is not advisable for him to speak."

We have already prepared a medicinal soup to clear phlegm, replenish qi, and calm the mind. Your Majesty should feel better after taking it.

Upon hearing this, the Empress looked at Emperor Ningkang with heartache and comforted him, "Your Majesty, please listen to the imperial physician and do not speak. I will stay by Your Majesty's side."

Emperor Ningkang indeed did not speak again, but his gaze towards the Empress softened considerably.

The onlookers all breathed a sigh of relief.

Even Jia Lian, faced with the sudden turn of events, was on tenterhooks, and had to start thinking about what he would do if Emperor Ningkang were to die.

Although I don't think I can't defeat the Third Prince, without Emperor Ningkang's support, there are always many uncontrollable variables.

Only the Third Prince, whose face was full of joy, had a fleeting look of disappointment that no one else could detect.

His own miscalculation led to the rise of the Fourth Prince.

In just one year, with the rise and fall of their respective strengths, his fourth brother, whom he had always looked down upon, had become a great threat to him.

He originally thought that the Fourth Prince was just a stepping stone for Emperor Ningkang to punish or temper him.

Just like how Emperor Ningkang used him to train the eldest prince back then.

But as time went on, he gradually realized that something was wrong.

First of all, the fourth prince began to change; he was no longer that carefree, ignorant fool.

He began to show his true colors.

Not only did he not respect his elder brother, he also frequently embarrassed him.

Secondly, the Emperor's attitude was too unpredictable and difficult to fathom.

In particular, he has recently begun arranging for cabinet ministers to take turns giving lessons to the fourth prince in the Imperial Study...

This action deeply touched him.

He began to feel fear.

Therefore, when he saw Emperor Ningkang faint, a strong impulse suddenly surged in his heart: it would be great if Emperor Ningkang could fall ill and never recover, or even die directly.

Even if the blame cannot be completely shifted to Jia Lian, it can at least severely damage the interest group of Jia Lian and Princess Zhaoyang.

Most importantly, without Emperor Ningkang's support and paving the way, what could the Fourth Prince use to compete with him?

Less than a year is ultimately too short a time.

It should be noted that it took him and the eldest prince a full ten years from their initial struggle for the position of heir apparent to their later struggle for the position of crown prince, and finally to the decisive victory.

In other words, he had ten years more of a foundation than the fourth prince.

With this foundation laid over the past ten years, he is not afraid of being unable to suppress the Fourth Prince.

Unfortunately, it seems that Emperor Ningkang is still alive. His father's thoughts are too difficult to fathom.

Unpredictable, that's the variable. (End of Chapter)