Chapter 679: Longing
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Jiang Zhouzi worked tirelessly until late at night before finally stopping. He was assisted by his beautiful maid, Meimei, to his guest room. While Mingzhu respectfully saw him off, she couldn’t help but ask him, “What are the conditions you mentioned earlier, sir?”
Jiang Zhouzi smiled bitterly, “Don’t think being a miracle doctor is easy. I’m exhausted. Let me rest for a bit, and you can see the results before we discuss further.”
Seeing how tired he was, Mingzhu didn’t want to push him and instead had Fu Lin and An Rushan attend to him carefully. Fu Mingzheng was still awake, so she sent him off, “You’re tired too. Go rest. I’ll take care of Father, and I’ll wake you up when he wakes.”
Mingzhu adamantly refused to leave, reasoning that she had slept too much these past few days in the palace, so she would definitely suffer from insomnia tonight. Insomnia was painful, so she might as well endure it and maybe it would pass.
Fu Mingzheng had been busy these past few days and was exhausted, “Suit yourself. I’ll take a nap on the couch here. If there’s anything, just wake me up.” He then fell asleep in no time.
Mingzhu, busy as ever, first made sure Fu Cong’s condition had improved slightly, then made sure Fu Mingzheng was warmly covered, and finally sent away Lady Qian and Li Shumei, who had come to visit and brought them gifts. She sat down beside the fumigation stove and felt dazed.
She knew people’s hearts were wavering now, and Yuwen Chu’s foundation was unstable, so it must be very difficult. She didn’t know if he had eaten, rested, or if anyone was bothering him. There had been too much happening between them lately, and at this moment, she unexpectedly missed him like never before. She wanted to see him immediately, and she couldn’t wait for even a moment. She glanced at the sleeping Fu Mingzheng, then at the peaceful Fu Cong, and instructed Su Ju to prepare breakfast for Yuwen Chu.
At four in the morning, Fu Mingzheng was awakened by Mingzhu. He rubbed his sleepy eyes, “Has Father woken up?”
“No.” Mingzhu felt a little embarrassed, “I want to visit His Highness, so I need Fourth Brother to watch over Father.”
Fu Mingzheng suddenly became alert. Seeing her dressed in men’s clothing, he joked, “Are you planning a secret rendezvous?”
Mingzhu said, “Otherwise, I’ll be followed by a large group of people wherever I go, which is inconvenient. If I dress as a man and ride a horse, I can quickly come and go.”
“Go ahead, but be careful. Take a few more people with you.” Fu Mingzheng took the handkerchief handed to him by the maid and wiped his face, “And send him a message for me. Though it’s difficult, I will always stand by his side. If he wants me to go anywhere, I will go without hesitation.”
“Mm.” Mingzhu nodded vigorously, “Fourth Brother, why don’t you ask me if I told him about that matter and how he responded?”
Fu Mingzheng said, “No need to ask. Since you’re so eager to see him, it means there’s something about him worth missing. So, I’m willing to charge ahead for him. Go.”
Mingzhu felt warm in her heart, “Fourth Brother, you’re really kind.”
Fu Mingzheng impatiently said, “Enough with the sweet talk, go, go.”
Mingzhu strode through the sleeping Fu Mansion, went out through the side gate, mounted her horse, and galloped away with Donghui and others. Although it was forbidden to gallop in the capital normally, at this moment, no one cared about such trivial matters before dawn. Even if they encountered night patrols on the way, they simply checked their identities and let them go, without further delay. Thus, when she arrived at the palace, it was still before dawn.
In the Hall of Chongzheng, Yuwen Guang was dozing off in his chair, while Yuwen Chu and others were discussing strategies against the enemy in low voices. Zhongshan Wang had been plotting for years, his momentum was fierce, not only did several tens of thousands of soldiers under his command rebel, but also several other generals and royal relatives conspired with him to raise troops. The situation was already extremely severe, not to mention the discord among the courtiers, which made things even worse.
So every time Yuwen Chu put forward an opinion, someone would always disagree. The arguments would escalate, and the roof almost seemed like it would be blown off, yet no concrete plan was produced. Yuwen You stood by with his arms crossed, watching coldly from the side, wanting to see how this newly appointed “Regent” would handle things. Governing a country couldn’t be accomplished through mere plotting and scheming, nor could it be achieved by killing those who opposed him. Without the right tools, it was best to retreat early.
But Yuwen Chu remained calm and composed. He didn’t get agitated when someone cursed at him, nor did he show excitement when someone sincerely offered advice. Instead, when everyone thought they had won the argument, he would casually drop a sentence. And that sentence would be the conclusion, one that nobody could find fault with, and it had to be followed, or it would be seen as disobeying military orders.
They thought Yuwen Chu wouldn’t dare to kill someone in public, but they witnessed him personally execute two ministers who had caused too much trouble that night and detained three ministers who had been disrespectful. Under his firm pressure, a plan was finally drawn up by dawn, and orders were quickly dispatched to various fronts.
Everyone was exhausted, so they rested on the spot and replenished their food and water. Yuwen You received a meal identical to Yuwen Chu’s, but he didn’t dare to eat it. He was afraid that there might be something in the food that would turn him into a living dead like Fu Cong.
Wei Tiande hurriedly entered and whispered a few words into Yuwen Chu’s ear. Yuwen Chu immediately put down his chopsticks and got up, following Wei Tiande out briskly.
Yuwen You finally found a reason and promptly put down his bowl and chopsticks. With a mocking tone, he provocatively said, “Sixth Brother, do you find this food unsatisfactory, so you’re sneaking away from us to find something better to eat?”
Yuwen Chu glanced at him indifferently, “Your sixth sister-in-law sent me food and clothes for use in the palace. I’m going to see her.”
Answering with justified self-satisfaction, Yuwen You felt a pang of frustration, unable to even muster a fake smile. He said, “Sixth Brother and Sixth Sister-in-law are truly deeply affectionate, unable to bear even a night’s separation…” He was about to say they couldn’t endure even a night apart, but Huayang Wang, Yuwen Xin, rudely interrupted, “Sixth Brother, don’t show off. My Wangfei is ill, otherwise, she’d also be sending me delicious food and warm clothes. Let me make it clear, whatever good things Sixth Sister-in-law brings, you can’t keep them to yourself. You have to share with us!”
Many others chimed in, lightening the previously tense atmosphere. Yuwen You was furious. He intended to paint a picture of Yuwen Chu and Mingzhu as prioritizing their private affairs over important matters, but Yuwen Xin’s interruption made it seem like only his own Princess Wusun was unworthy and unkind.
Before he could think of a comeback, Yuwen Chu had already strode out. Immediately after, his confidant sneaked in and whispered in his ear, “Ying Wangfei has met a strange but capable doctor and has brought him to Prime Minister Fu’s residence!”
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