Chapter 709: 709
Originally, when he heard about the incidents that had occurred to her, the Emperor had secretly speculated that perhaps this was her destined trial. At the age of ten, she experienced having her family torn apart, became displaced, and after enduring countless dangers, travelled a thousand miles to seek refuge with her relatives, only to find herself ensnared in a nightmare of a life-threatening situation, but eventually was saved by a master.
At that time, he thought the ordeal was over. As long as she didn’t remember it, she would be fine, forever well under his protection.
But this time, he entirely lost his complacency, realizing that the tribulations of his Little Concubine were merely hidden and had been for nearly seven years, yet they were far from over.
If it were overt plots and covert enmities, the Emperor was confident in his ability to keep her safe. However, the hidden danger had been sown many years ago, filling his heart with worry and a sense of powerlessness.
Nevertheless, compared to seven years ago, things were much better now. His Little Concubine had him and the child in her womb; she was reassured that her family was still alive. Her yearning for the human world was incomparable to the past; it wasn’t as perilous as before.
Yet the Emperor still dared not gamble or hold any illusions. During dinner, all he thought about was proactively seeking a solution.
Reuniting her with her family was the best remedy and the most urgent task. He had a gut feeling they were very close. Yet, they were always just a little bit out of reach...
Besides that, he also lacked a Divine Doctor to be in charge. The itinerant doctor from those years had disappeared, so naturally, the retired Thousand Gold Miracle Healer became the first choice.
Thus, after dinner, the Emperor left the grand hall and summoned Zhang Qing to call Huang Zude. Once he arrived, the Emperor asked Huang Zude to tell Divine Doctor Huang that he wished to visit him personally after the Longevity Festival and requested his presence at the palace.
Upon hearing this, Huang Zude was flattered and firmly said, "Your Majesty, it is absolutely not advisable. You are the Son of Heaven, and to personally visit my father is really too humble. Although my father is a bit eccentric, he often praises Your Majesty as a wise emperor to me and tells me to share Your Majesty’s worries. My entry into the Imperial Medical Bureau was also supported by my father. Once I finish my duties, I will go back and speak with my father, and I believe he will surely agree to come to the palace to ease Your Majesty’s anxieties."
Huang Zude’s every word was sincere, his admiration for the Emperor an undeniable influence set by Divine Doctor Huang.
Divine Doctor Huang didn’t like dealing with the nobility because in his earlier years, he had seen how domineering and oppressive those nobles could be, each of them exploiting the common people, yet regarding human life as mere grass, and he had not been lightly persecuted by these people.
However, after the Emperor’s ascension, these scenarios underwent radical changes. The nobility began to behave modestly, no longer daring to exploit and brutally kill the common people. The noble who had persecuted the Huang Family was executed by the Emperor, which indirectly avenged Divine Doctor Huang.
Therefore, Divine Doctor Huang held immense respect for the Emperor. Whenever he traveled as a roaming doctor and saw even a slight improvement in the marketplaces or fields, he would mention it to Huang Zude, like once when he was surrounded by a few old men who watched his medical practice. He would tell Huang Zude that in the past, the common people, from the elderly in their seventies and eighties to the children aged four or five with their hair in small buns, all had to work the fields yet could hardly eat their fill. Unlike nowadays, they could leisurely watch the excitement, which all reflected the good governance of the current Emperor.
Another example was when he saw two dogs fighting at the entrance of a village. Divine Doctor Huang commented that in the past people couldn’t even feed themselves, let alone keep dogs. Even if they had dogs, those dogs were too malnourished to have the strength for such aggressive displays—unlike now, where those dogs would stop fighting upon seeing people and chase them so vigorously; this was all because they were well-fed, thanks to the current Emperor, allowing even the dogs in the households of common people to eat their fill.
This constant exposure inculcated in Huang Zude great admiration for the Emperor, more devoted than to his own ancestors.
Initially, when Huang Zude wanted to join the Imperial Medical Bureau, Divine Doctor Huang was extremely supportive. One of the Huang Family’s ancestral teachings was to heal the world, having seen the destitution and open sores of society back then. Divine Doctor Huang deeply understood that no matter how skilled his medical abilities were, he couldn’t save all the people by himself.
But now, with a wise Emperor in power, using his medical skills to ease the Emperor’s worries and helping the Emperor live a long and healthy life was a true blessing for the people and far more effective than just healing others. Thus, Divine Doctor Huang supported it.
Now, hearing that the Emperor intended to visit his father’s home personally, Huang Zude’s first reaction was that it was not possible. The Emperor, who managed innumerable affairs daily, should not be so wearied to visit for such a minor matter.
The Emperor was somewhat surprised. It was rumored that this Divine Doctor was very stubborn and had declared that he wouldn’t treat nobility. The Emperor had been worried that it would be difficult to invite him.
But now, the moment had become critical. He had originally thought it would be troublesome, yet hearing what Huang Zude said made it seem quite easy.
He nodded in agreement, asking Huang Zude to go back and inform Divine Doctor Huang about the matter.
After sending Huang Zude away, the Emperor felt somewhat relieved and was about to re-enter the East Side Hall when someone hastily arrived at the door requesting an audience.
The visitor reported in a low voice, "Your Majesty, a mother and son visited the House of Duke Zheng yesterday. The Duke of Zheng, who has not appeared for many years, personally welcomed the mother and son and even opened the main gate."
His spirit rejuvenated, the Emperor asked, "What do the mother and son look like? What is the situation?"
Such a formal reception; it must mean that the mother and son had prevailed upon the Duke of Zheng to speak against the Guo family at the grand court meeting.
The visitor began to report in detail what he had found out.
After listening, the Emperor pondered for a moment and said, "Quickly investigate this mother and son thoroughly. If there is any news, report it to me immediately without delay."
"Yes," the visitor responded, and immediately began to withdraw.
"Wait," the Emperor recalled something, lifting the Little Lotus Jade Pendant from his waist to a brighter spot, then showed it to the visitor and said, "That man might be skilled in martial arts; you must not confront them forcefully. Do not harm them in any way. If you find the whereabouts of this mother and son, show them the drawing on this jade pendant and bring them to see me."
The visitor, without any doubt, replied and withdrew promptly.
When the Emperor turned back toward the East Side Hall, two young eunuchs were standing guard not far from the door. They hurriedly bowed upon seeing him.
The Emperor signaled for them to rise and walked toward the hall door.
With this news, he felt somewhat lighter.
Although there were still some things he could not figure out—such as the relationship between the Lian Family and the House of Duke Zheng, why the Duke of Zheng would stand up for the Lian Family, and why he did not intervene when the Lian Family was framed and exiled years ago.
But he was ninety percent certain that the mother and son were relatives of his Little Concubine.
At the court meeting, seeing the mention of the Lian family in the memorial, he was fifty to sixty percent sure that the Duke of Zheng’s action against the Guo family was related to the Lian Family. After listening to the report, this certainty increased to ninety percent.
The youthful appearance and manner of the young man, as well as the demeanor and speech of the mother, closely resembled what the Little Concubine had described in her letters.
At that moment, he was somewhat eager to discuss this matter with his Little Concubine.
"Nannan." Before he even entered, the Emperor softly called out.
As he walked into the foyer, he looked around, but the person was not there.