Xiao Qing served melon seeds, pastries, and tea, with instructions to entertain Doctor Huang and make sure to keep him at the Canglan Court until His Majesty returned.
Xiao Linzi stood guard at the gate of Canglan Court. As soon as he saw His Majesty returning, he would signal them, and they were responsible for tricking Doctor Huang into the Side Hall. When His Majesty entered, they would surprise him, compelling Doctor Huang to take His Majesty’s pulse.
To ensure that no one was prepared in advance, only those in the Side Hall were aware of the plan; all others, including Doctor Huang, were not to be informed.
This was the master’s plan.
The master felt that His Majesty was secretive and skeptical about medical advice, and if there was something wrong with him, he might try to hide it from her; thus, she wanted to find out what was wrong with His Majesty.
But taking His Majesty’s pulse was not something to be done casually; it was forbidden, and he always felt it was inappropriate.
He hesitated for a while, pondered, and then attempted another angle to persuade her, "My lady, every now and then, Chu Yuanzheng takes His Majesty’s ’Pulse of Peace’..."
"Oh, enough," Lian Hua said impatiently, picking up the rattan stick by her side and slapping it onto the table with a "thwack."
She knew that, just like her, His Majesty had his ’Pulse of Peace’ taken every now and then, but she didn’t know what was wrong with him; his abnormal behavior without any warning worried her.
"It’s not necessary to see it," she told Xiao Jizi, "Do you know what’s wrong with His Majesty?"
Xiao Jizi shrank his neck, choking up suddenly, and shook his head helplessly.
"There you have it!" Not knowing and still obstructing her!
Lian Hua then turned and asked, "What about Nanny, does Nanny know what’s wrong with His Majesty?"
Nanny Qi, who had been silent and just watching the drama unfold, felt a sudden thump in her heart, not expecting the trouble to reach her.
The young girl was sharp. Ever since she made this discovery, she had been brooding over it all day, distracted, and her usually smiling face was twisted with worry and draped in anxiety.
Thus with just a hint from her, the young girl sprung into action, determined to personally verify if the Emperor was unwell.
At this moment, when asked if she knew what was wrong with the Emperor, of course, she knew; the matter even related to the young girl’s family affairs, and the Emperor had mentioned a thing or two to her, but that was also not something she could disclose to the young girl, as revealing it would spoil things.
Despite the turmoil in her thoughts, Nanny Qi remained expressionless and shook her head: "Nanny doesn’t know either. If you want Doctor Huang to take a look, then let him. It would give peace of mind."
The Emperor wasn’t really unwell, and a check wouldn’t hurt; not letting the young girl see for herself would leave her restless.
With someone supporting her, Lian Hua felt relieved and immediately looked back at Xiao Jizi, saying, "See, Nanny agrees."
During Nanny Qi’s speaking, Xiao Jizi picked up on the implication.
If Nanny Qi thought it was okay, then it should be alright, shouldn’t it? He pondered, no more objections.
"Alright, my lady, whatever you command me to do, I will do. Master Huang it is, and if you wish to invite Chu Yuanzheng as well, I will gladly summon him too, ensuring your satisfaction," he said, as he began to walk out.
Lian Hua was pleased but reminded him, "Only invite Charcoal Head, not that uncle."
That Imperial Physician uncle was His Majesty’s man, often taking His Majesty’s ’Pulse of Peace.’ Just a glance from His Majesty, and the man would understand everything, letting him come could prevent her from finding out what was wrong with His Majesty.
Although Charcoal Head did glance at His Majesty with that slightly unusual gaze, he was honest—answering everything asked of him without understanding His Majesty’s subtle cues, and in the rush, he certainly had no time to prepare.
His Majesty was so clever, what she wanted was to catch him off guard, so he wouldn’t have time to react and she could get the thing done.
Xiao Jizi replied with a "Alright" and disappeared in a flash.
The plan had been arranged perfectly, and now it all depended on His Majesty!
Lian Hua strutted confidently, feeling incredibly smart and even wanted to show off a bit.
But then she thought about what might be wrong with His Majesty and her face fell, her worries returning.
The Emperor had yet to learn that the Little Concubine had prepared a comprehensive treatment plan for him.
He said to the people below, "Since the evidence is there, has the Ministry of Punishment arrested all the necessary people?"
"Your servant obeys," the Minister of Punishment respectfully took the order, then recalling something, he said, "Your Majesty, the chief culprit, Zhao Zhong, has been personally escorted to prison by Minister Xie, but your servant remembers that during a court session in the presence of the civil and military officials, you asked Zhao Zhong whether he knew the crime of deceiving the sovereign. At that time, Zhao Zhong declared that deceiving the sovereign is a crime punishable by extermination of nine generations. Your Majesty, please consider..."
This was inquiring about the extent to which the case should be handled.
Zhao Zhong was recklessly bold, openly deceiving the sovereign during a court session and misleading the court officials with his public statements; solely on this count, he deserved the extermination of his nine generations, and moreover, he had admitted it himself—he could blame no one but himself.
However, involving nine generations would have extensive implications, and he could not decide this alone.
The Emperor looked downwards, silent and contemplative.
Immediately, one of the ministers loudly said, "Zhao Zhong is unforgivable. He dared to act recklessly, conspiring with others to harm the Imperial Heir, framing Consort De, and planting evidence on the Noble Consort, openly committing the crime of deceiving the sovereign in court; each and every charge a capital offence. Such heinous crimes merit nothing less than the extermination of his nine generations. Moreover, as the Assistant Deputy Censor-in-chief of the Imperial Censorate, whose duty it is to monitor the court officials, he knowingly broke the law which adds a further degree to his crime. Your Majesty, Your servant believes that exterminating his nine generations would serve as a warning to others!"
Every word was forceful and powerful.
At this point, he knelt to the ground, removed his official hat, and said earnestly, "Your servant is ashamed of being the Left Deputy Imperial Censor of the Imperial Censorate for failing to distinguish between loyalty and treachery, allowing such a traitorous official to emerge from the Imperial Censorate. Your servant is incompetent and resigns from the position of Left Deputy Imperial Censor of the Imperial Censorate. Moreover, Your Majesty, please punish your servant for this oversight."
After saying this, he bowed deeply to the ground.
Such matters left him with no excuse.
This revelation shocked the Minister of Punishment to his core.
He knew Left Deputy Imperial Censor Xie Qing, who excelled in both civil and military affairs, was capable, just, incorruptible, and impartial; the cases he handled had always been flawless, and the court officials he monitored had never been wronged. Along with the Minister of Rites Fan Shao, he was considered one of the two pillars of this dynasty.
During the Late Emperor’s reign, Minister Xie had been ostracized from the capital, later resigning to live in retirement. After His Majesty ascended the throne, he personally went to invite him back to impart his strict discipline within the official ranks and monitor the conduct of the officials.
It was precisely because of such a just and stern person as Minister Xie that the civil and military officials were kept in check; corrupt officials who caused troubles feared him the most, while those who were innocent had no reason to fear being wronged.
Minister Xie led by example in his work, never fearing to offend anyone and was deeply respected by the officials of the Imperial Censorate.
But at the same time, Minister Xie was also strict with the conduct of officials in the Imperial Censorate. Before anyone entered the Imperial Censorate, they were personally warned by Xie Qing to never break the law knowingly; if they did, they would be severely punished.
Concerning the Imperial Heir, Minister Xie was more anxious than anyone. Initially, when His Majesty had ascended the throne for many years without an heir, Minister Xie, knowing that many court officials who advised to expand the harem had ulterior motives, reluctantly agreed to also present a memorial advising the same, for the sake of the Altar of Soil and Grain.