Chapter 473: Epidemic (Part One)
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That winter, as Mr. Meng had said, the snow fell incessantly, causing snow disasters in many places. This resulted in many of the vassal lords who were supposed to enter the capital being stranded on the road. And Zhongshan Wang, Yuwen Feng, couldn’t enter the capital to pay his respects due to a fall he had suffered while inspecting defenses. He could only send his son, Yuwen Hao, to enter the capital on his behalf.
The news reached the palace, and the Great Empress Dowager’s mood immediately soured. She angrily threw the memorial into the brazier. Mu Gugu exclaimed softly and quickly rushed forward to snatch the memorial, but the flames had already scorched one corner of it.
“Your Majesty…” Mu Gugu anxiously smoothed out the memorial again and again. The Great Empress Dowager was becoming increasingly irritable. Even if she knew that Zhongshan Wang refused to enter the capital, it must be because he was cautious and harbored ill intentions. But she shouldn’t lose her composure like this. The plan was to lure him in, and if he found out that precautions had been taken, it wouldn’t be good.
The Great Empress Dowager turned her face away, taking a deep breath in the corner.
“How about inviting Xiangye to discuss this?” Mu Gugu cautiously suggested.
“Fine.” The Great Empress Dowager remained silent for a long time before making a decision. After all, if Zhongshan Wang succeeded, everyone would be in danger.
It had been a long time since Fu Cong had been individually summoned to the Changxin Palace for political deliberations. Even though he knew what had happened, he didn’t dare to show that he knew. Instead, he showed even greater respect and compliance, bowing deeply as soon as he entered, paying his respects to the Great Empress Dowager.
Yuwen Fu peeked at him from behind the desk and quickly lowered his head when their eyes met.
Fu Cong smiled gently at Yuwen Fu and silently paid his respects to him again.
The Great Empress Dowager said faintly, “Fu Er, show this to your uncle.”
Yuwen Fu stood up, took the memorial, bowed, and handed it to Fu Cong, performing the proper etiquette with great respect.
Fu Cong, however, didn’t treat him with such formality. He respectfully bent over to receive the memorial and said, “Thank you, Your Highness.”
Yuwen Fu’s face turned pale as he looked to the Great Empress Dowager for help. Did Fu Cong’s reluctance to use formal etiquette toward him mean that Fu Cong only saw him as a rival to Sixth Royal Uncle? Would Fu Cong not hesitate to strike when the time came?
The Great Empress Dowager waved her hand to dismiss Yuwen Fu. “You may leave.”
Yuwen Fu silently retreated, and Fu Cong squinted at his departing figure, deeply feeling that the spirit of this child had been drained by the Great Empress Dowager’s upbringing. He remembered that when this child first arrived at the Changxin Palace, he was much smarter and more cautious. Now he seemed much more dull. But who knows? Perhaps this dullness was intentionally feigned.
The Great Empress Dowager caught his gaze and said calmly, “Second Brother, what do you think of this child?”
“County Prince Sien is a good child,” Fu Cong replied nonchalantly.
“Why didn’t you treat him with formal etiquette? Do you think he addressed you incorrectly as ‘Uncle Grandpa’?” The Great Empress Dowager pressed, “Or do you not want to acknowledge him as your nephew?”
Fu Cong remained silent for a moment before saying, “We’ve already discussed this matter. Your Majesty doesn’t believe my words, but I can’t convince you either. Today, we’re here for state affairs, not for this matter. Please, Your Majesty, give your orders.”
The Great Empress Dowager was furious, staring at Fu Cong for a long time before wearily saying, “You know already, Yuwen Feng has used his injury as an excuse not to come to the capital. What should we do?”
“Kill!” Fu Cong replied.
The Great Empress Dowager immediately stood up. “How do we kill him? Do we kill his heir? But that would alert the enemy prematurely, which isn’t ideal.”
In the matter of assassinating Zhongshan Wang and his son, their interests were aligned. Whether Yuwen Chu or Yuwen Fu ascended to power, they had to eliminate Zhongshan Wang first.
Fu Cong whispered, “First, detain Zhongshan Wang’s Shizi, tempt him to make a mistake, and then capture him and imprison him. Second, send someone to assassinate Zhongshan Wang from afar. If the assassination fails, force him to rebel.”
The Great Empress Dowager firmly opposed, “Force him to rebel? With what army? We can’t compete with him.”
Disappointed, Fu Cong said, “Can we lure him into the capital? Since we can’t lure him in, the only option left is to go to war.”
The Great Empress Dowager sneered, “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re planning. Once the war starts, the elderly and weak can stand aside, and only the young and strong will lead the charge. Only Yuwen Chu is capable of this, and then all the military forces in the world will be under his control.”
When political views clash, no agreement can be reached. Fu Cong decided to keep his mouth shut and say no more.
The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became tense.
“If we must have casualties, then I want Zhongshan Wang’s shizi dead outside the city, and let his sons fight among themselves. There’s nothing more to discuss,” the Great Empress Dowager said, full of grievances but unable to express them. Fu Cong felt the same way, but even more so. If it weren’t for the ties of kinship and mutual need, they might have been at each other’s throats long ago.
Seeing this scene, Mu Gugu was frightened and broke out in a cold sweat. Regardless of whether the timing was appropriate, she hurriedly said to the Great Empress Dowager, “Your Majesty, the epidemic has spread to the palace.”
This was serious! Both the Great Empress Dowager and Fu Cong were shocked. Epidemics had entered the palace before, and every time, several people died, whether they were palace maids, concubines, or princes and princesses. Now, with the situation in the palace being complicated, if they weren’t careful, even more people would die. Most importantly, the vassal princes were about to enter the capital. If they used the epidemic as an excuse not to come, what would they do?
The Great Empress Dowager angrily said, “Didn’t the Imperial Hospital say it was just a common illness? How did it escalate? And why is it only being reported now?” This accusation was directed at Fu Cong, as if the current situation was all because Fu Cong deliberately concealed it and didn’t manage it properly.
Fu Cong was also puzzled. He was definitely not the kind of person who would disregard the lives of the people for his own gain. He had been paying attention to the epidemic, but it had only been described as a minor illness, not serious enough to warrant government intervention. But out of caution, he still didn’t directly answer the Great Empress Dowager’s question.
Seeing him remain silent, the Great Empress Dowager said impatiently, “Second Brother, you are concerned about the country. Please take this matter seriously and make arrangements immediately.”
She also quickly arranged for Mu Gugu: “Notify everyone in the palace, anyone who enters or exits the palace must be documented and quarantined. Summon the Imperial Hospital to come and examine the pulse of all masters, princesses, and princes. Anyone who is sick must be isolated immediately, especially here with Fu Er. Be extremely cautious and do not allow anyone to harm him!”
Mu Gugu responded and hurriedly made arrangements.
Fu Zifei approached while holding a bowl of ginseng soup she had personally brewed, and gently said, “Grandmother, you’ve been busy all day. Take a break and have a bowl of ginseng soup, won’t you?”
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