Chapter 33
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A kick from a rampaging horse is terrifyingly powerful, and the blood from Ling Hao’s wound couldn’t be stopped by a small pair of hands.
Seeing the frantic little prince trying to cover his wound, not only did Ling Hao’s arms drop, but his head also began to feel fuzzy and heavy from the blood loss.
“Little Seven.”
Ling Hao’s lips moved, but Ling Rui couldn’t hear what he said.
The master finally subdued the crazed horse, and others who heard the commotion quickly rushed over.
Among Ling Rui’s temporary study companions, Jiang Yan and Chen Zhou arrived first. Chen Zhou pulled Ling Rui from Ling Hao’s arms while Jiang Yan anxiously checked him for injuries.
“Your Highness, where does it hurt? Tell me where it hurts.”
Jiang Yan was almost in tears. It was his first day as the little prince’s study companion, and he hadn’t protected him. When he went home, his mother would definitely pull his ears and spank him.
Jiang Yan was frantic.
Chen Zhou managed to remove Ling Rui’s bloodstained outer jacket and wiped his little hands, finally confirming, “The little prince is not hurt.”
Fang Huaiyu and Ling Hao had protected Ling Rui well; he was unharmed, just frightened.
When Ling Chen arrived and saw that Ling Rui was okay, he helped Fang Huaiyu up and asked what had happened.
Ling Hao was taken away for treatment, and Little Seven was too young to explain what had happened, so Ling Chen could only ask Fang Huaiyu.
Fortunately, Fang Huaiyu had calmed down by the time he stood up and recounted the events accurately.
Ling Chen broke into a cold sweat upon hearing the story.
A mad horse could trample a person to death!
“Big Brother.”
Ling Rui broke free from Chen Zhou’s hold and hugged Ling Chen’s leg, sobbing, “Go check on Fourth Brother!”
Ling Chen bent down, picked him up, and took him to find Ling Hao.
The princes hurried back to the palace, while Ling Rui’s temporary study companions stayed behind, waiting for someone to escort them back to their residences.
However, before they could return, they heard some rumors.
“Something happened again… Why is it that every time the Seventh Prince comes, there’s trouble at the hunting ground? We’ve been here so many times before, and nothing ever happened.”
“Exactly, when the Seventh Prince wasn’t around, everything was fine. But as soon as he shows up, the people around him have bad luck.”
“I think we should stay away from him.”
In their hushed discussions, the Seventh Prince was described as a jinx.
Hearing this, Jiang Yan didn’t hesitate to roll up his sleeves and stride over to the group, saying, “Where do you get the nerve to gossip about a prince?”
Jiang Yan looked ready to start a fight, but Chen Zhou quickly assessed the situation, noting that they were outnumbered.
He stepped forward, pulling Jiang Yan back and memorizing the faces of each person in the group.
“Let’s go,” Chen Zhou said quietly to Jiang Yan. “Let’s not start a fight today. The palace is chaotic enough; we don’t need to add to it.”
Though Chen Zhou advised against a confrontation, he reported the matter later.
That evening, the young men who had gossiped about the Seventh Prince were severely punished by their families.
Meanwhile, in the palace, Ling Rui sat by Ling Hao, clutching his hand tightly and refusing to let go despite attempts to comfort him.
“Imperial Physician, how long until my fourth brother recovers?” Ling Rui asked the attending physician.
The imperial physician looked grim.
He lowered his head and cautiously replied, “The Fourth Prince’s life is not in danger, but the extent to which his injury will heal varies from person to person.”
“I will do my utmost,” he added.
Though the physician promised to do his best, he couldn’t guarantee that the Fourth Prince would fully recover. The kick had left a gaping wound in his shoulder, a critical area.
If the horse’s hoof had struck slightly higher, hitting the neck instead, the Fourth Prince wouldn’t have made it back to the palace alive.
He was lucky not to be kicked in the neck, but the shoulder blade connects to the arm.
If it doesn’t heal well, the Fourth Prince’s right arm will lack strength in the future, making archery difficult.
“Apply medicine to Fourth Brother.”
Ling Rui, holding his Fourth Brother’s cold hand and tearfully giving the imperial physician a suggestion, said, “Use the eight-leafed herb. Let a fawn chew it and then apply it to Fourth Brother.”
He had seen it before. In the world of mountains and seas, there was a fierce beast with a broken leg that walked with a limp.
The fierce beast, dragging its broken leg, searched for a long time until it found an eight-leafed purple herb. After picking it, it caught a fawn and had it chew the herb. The chewed herb was then applied to the broken part of the leg, and after some time, it healed.
Ling Rui remembered this fierce beast so clearly because he thought it might be Ah Wu’s father.
After several mistaken attempts to find Ah Wu’s father, Ah Eu finally told him, “Stop looking. I don’t have a father, just like you.”
Ling Rui gave up trying to find Ah Eu’s father, but he never forgot that fierce beast.
The imperial physician, hearing Ling Rui’s words, was momentarily stunned. Then he asked, “Does this herb have a scientific name, Your Highness?”
Ling Rui: “…”
Ling Rui shook his head, “No.”
The flowers and plants in their place had no names.
Seeing this, the imperial physician asked for a more detailed description of the herb. After hearing Ling Rui’s description, he regretfully shook his head, “I have never seen an herb like the one you described, Your Highness.”
Though the imperial physician didn’t recognize the herb, he remembered its characteristics to ask other physicians at the Imperial Medical Institute.
Time passed little by little.
In the Fenghua Palace, Noble Consort Yi learned that her son refused to leave Consort De’s palace. She massaged her temples and instructed, “Ji Yan, bring the little Seven back yourself.”
Ji Yan nodded.
However, she soon returned, saying, “Niang Niang, the little prince doesn’t want to come back. He was saved by the Fourth Prince today, so he is very dependent on him.”
Seeing Ji Yan return without Ling Rui, Noble Consort Yi pondered for a moment before standing up. “Prepare some supplements. I’ll visit myself.”
Ling Hao had saved her son, so she needed to show her gratitude.
When she arrived at Consort De’s palace, she immediately noticed that Consort De had been crying.
Noble Consort Yi wasn’t fond of dealing with Consort De.
Initially, she didn’t dislike the women in the palace. She understood that as an emperor, Emperor Ling having many women was inevitable.
Though she felt jealousy and harbored fantasies, like the dream of a lifelong monogamous relationship, reality made it clear that such a thing was impossible. Fortunately, the love Emperor Ling gave her was enough to sustain her in the palace.
When she first entered the palace, she met Consort De.
At that time, Consort De, the Empress, and some other women were all vibrant. They would pick on her and fight amongst themselves.
But back then, they also had moments of kindness.
Whether it was the loneliness of the harem or the hardening of hearts with age, for the sake of their own interests, their families’ interests, and their children’s interests…
These women, in her eyes, had all been forced to lose their former selves.
Aside from Consort De, Consort Shu was also present.
Noble Consort Yi glanced at Consort Shu before turning her attention to Consort De.
She asked a few genuine questions about the Fourth Prince.
She was truly grateful because the Fourth Prince had saved her child.
However, judging by Consort De’s expression, it was clear she thought Noble Consort Yi’s words were insincere.
Noble Consort Yi didn’t bother to explain further. She set down the gifts she brought and approached the bed to see the Fourth Prince and her own child sitting beside him.
Seeing Noble Consort Yi approach, Ling Rui finally let go of his Fourth Brother’s hand. He stretched out his little hands, allowing Noble Consort Yi to pick him up and hold him in her arms.
“Why are your eyes so swollen?”
Noble Consort Yi frowned slightly, intending to take him back and apply a warm compress to his eyes.
Ling Rui was pale and delicate all over, especially his tender little face. Whenever he cried, his eyes would become red and swollen, and his face would turn red, making him look very pitiable.
Ling Rui rubbed his eyes, buried his face in Noble Consort Yi’s neck in the presence of many outsiders, and said nothing.
Noble Consort Yi patted his back soothingly, preparing to take him back.
However, sensing that Noble Consort Yi was about to leave, Ling Rui immediately lifted his little face and shook his head, saying, “I’m not going.”
Noble Consort Yi: “…”
Noble Consort Yi didn’t need to look at Consort De’s expression to know that she didn’t want Ling Rui to stay there.
Lowering her voice, she coaxed, “If you want to see your fourth brother, you can come back tomorrow.”
“You see, there are so many people here. Even if you’re not here, they can take good care of your fourth brother.”
Noble Consort Yi usually spoke bluntly to others, but she naturally spoke gently to her little one.
She didn’t say that he wasn’t welcome here, only that he wasn’t needed to keep watch.
Noble Consort Yi coaxed him for a long time, but Ling Rui stubbornly shook his head, refusing to leave.
He had foreseen Fang Huaiyu’s accident and his fourth brother being implicated.
Yet, he hadn’t completely prevented the incident.
The horse had injured someone, and his fourth brother was hurt as well.
While the foreseen events had changed, he didn’t know if the future events would also change or continue as he had seen.
In his vision, his fourth brother was going to develop a fever that night.
The soup medicine brought by Consort De would poison his fourth brother.
“I want to stay with my fourth brother,” Ling Rui repeated, his hoarse cry softening Noble Consort Yi’s heart.
After a while, Noble Consort Yi relented.
“Fine, you can stay here. If you want to come back tonight, have someone bring you back.”
“Okay.”
Though Noble Consort Yi had agreed, Consort De was visibly displeased to see Ling Rui back by Ling Hao’s side.
She opened her mouth to speak, but Noble Consort Yi spoke first, “The Seventh Prince is grateful to the Fourth Prince for saving him today and wants to keep watch over him tonight.”
“Consort De, you wouldn’t oppose the Seventh Prince showing this bit of brotherly affection, would you?”
Consort De: “…”
Consort De’s face tightened, her gaze at Noble Consort Yi filled with hostility.
Noble Consort Yi, unafraid of her, said calmly, “The Seventh Prince is young. If he causes any trouble tonight, I ask for your understanding, Consort De.”
“Tomorrow, I will return with His Majesty to visit the Fourth Prince and take the little one back.”
Leaving these words, Noble Consort Yi departed with her entourage.
Ling Rui, watching his mother leave, held onto Ling Hao’s hand again.
Consort De disliked Noble Consort Yi and, naturally, the little prince from her palace as well.
Despite her dislike, she couldn’t harm the little prince.
After treating Ling Hao’s wound and writing a prescription, the physician withdrew.
Remaining in the room were Consort De, Consort Shu, and some palace maids.
Consort Shu, seeing the little one on the bed, felt a deepening gloom in her eyes.
The presence of this small child made it inconvenient to discuss what she had intended with Consort De.
“Consort De, I’ll come back tomorrow.”
Finding an excuse, Consort Shu left Consort De’s palace.
Once Consort Shu had left, Consort De sat by her son.
Seeing the bandage on his shoulder, her eyes filled with sorrow, followed by anger.
For the sake of an eldest prince’s companion and a little prince who shouldn’t even be alive, her precious son had injured his arm!
No crown prince in history had ever had a physical defect.
If her son’s arm was truly crippled, she wouldn’t spare those responsible.
Ling Rui was somewhat afraid of Consort De.
He clung tightly to his still unconscious fourth brother, his bright, watery eyes fixed on Consort De.
“Do you like your fourth brother?” Consort De suddenly asked.
Ling Rui nodded, his voice small, “Yes.”
“Why do you like him?” Consort De continued.
Ling Rui was puzzled by the question.
Holding his fourth brother’s fingers, he paused before answering, “Because he’s my fourth brother.”
Because he was his fourth brother, he liked him.
Consort De didn’t understand his words.
Sensing her confusion, Ling Rui patiently added, “Fourth brother is good. I like him.”
Consort De was even more puzzled by the word “good.” She had never taught her son to be a good brother.
She had taught him to strive, to fight, to become the most outstanding child of Emperor Ling.
But she had never taught him to be a good child.
Although Ling Rui was somewhat afraid of Consort De, talking to her like this made him less fearful.
“Niang Niang,” Ling Rui mustered his courage to ask, “Will you do something bad to my fourth brother?”
Consort De: “?”
Consort De: “What do you mean by ‘something bad’?”
Ling Rui didn’t dare speak too bluntly; he couldn’t mention the poison directly.
Ah Wu had said he couldn’t reveal his foresight to anyone.
If people discovered his foresight, they would treat him as a monster.
Moreover, although he had the identity of a human child, his true form was still a Rui beast.
Rui beasts, as divine creatures, possessed foresight, a power that mortals couldn’t comprehend.
He could tell Ah Wu everything he foresaw, but he couldn’t share his visions with anyone else.
“Something… something that would hurt my fourth brother.”
As Ling Rui finished speaking, Consort De’s brows furrowed tightly.
She recalled the times when she lost control of her emotions and would hit Ling Hao.
“Why are you asking this? Do you think I would hurt him?! I am his royal mother! If he disobeys, isn’t it right for me to discipline him?!”
Consort De’s response grew sharp in reaction to the question.
Ling Hao was her biological son. After his birth, he cried every night, and she tirelessly took care of him, personally feeding him.
She loved her son deeply. Back then, she felt like everyone was trying to take him away from her.
Although his crying often drove her to the brink, she persevered and raised him bit by bit.
Now that her son had grown up, was it wrong for her to discipline him?
Seeing her get so agitated over his fourth brother, Ling Rui didn’t dare ask further.
Remaining silent, Consort De’s emotions gradually calmed down.
After a while.
Consort De, now completely calm, looked at her pale son on the bed and spoke softly, “I have hit him, but I would never harm him.”
“No one in this world will be better to him than I am.”
Ling Rui murmured an acknowledgment.
Finding it difficult to continue talking with Consort De, he ate the dinner brought by the palace servants, washed up, and carefully climbed into bed beside his fourth brother.
Consort De was strange. Although Ling Rui believed she wouldn’t poison his fourth brother, he couldn’t ignore the scenes from his vision.
Time passed slowly.
In the Duke Manor, young master Jiang Yan was slapping the table, declaring, “I’ve decided! I must become Little Seven’s study companion!”
His mother, who was close to the noble consort, also called the seventh prince “Little Seven.”
Having learned it at home, he used the same term, though in public, he respectfully called him “His Highness.”
The Duke Madam rolled her eyes at her son, who was slapping the table, and said, “You think you can just decide to be his study companion? Who knows if Little Seven even likes you yet.”
On the first day of serving as his study companion, he had witnessed Little Seven being frightened.
She thought her son wasn’t clever at all, not like her.
While Jiang Yan was clamoring to be a study companion, another boy, Chen Zhou, who had also returned home, began documenting everything he had seen that day. He wrote it all down, placed it in an envelope, and locked it in a drawer.
The next day, he planned to send the letter, directing it to Great Qing.
Each study companion went about their own business. Meanwhile, in the palace, Ling Rui clung tightly to his fourth brother’s uninjured arm, sticking closely to him.
Tonight, while he was here, no one would be able to give his fourth brother any poisoned medicine!
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