Chapter 37
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When Zhao Heng placed the notes of the Zhao family’s ancestors on the table, Zhao Yuan understood.
He wondered whether the emperor was simply curious about the awakening of bloodlines or whether he was trying to get him to reveal who that person was, or both.
To his surprise, Zhao Heng said, “Uncle, I haven’t been feeling well these past few days.”
Zhao Yuan was startled. He wanted to check Zhao Heng’s pulse, but realized it was not appropriate. Zhao Heng then slowly rolled up his sleeves and offered his hand to Zhao Yuan.
His pulse was steady and normal. Zhao Yuan breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that the emperor had only just shown the symptoms.
“How many times have you had an attack, Your Majesty?”
“Twice.”
Zhao Heng asked the question that had been troubling him for a long time. “According to the notes of our ancestors, there is still a long way to go from having symptoms to truly awakening the bloodline. Neither of our ancestors mentioned the specific event that would trigger it. Do you know why they couldn’t say it clearly?”
Zhao Yuan pondered for a moment. Some things, if told too early, would backfire.
“Your Majesty, it is difficult to explain the trigger. Even if I were to explain, it could easily lead the awakening person astray. The person must recognize and confirm it for themselves to be considered a trigger.”
Zhao Heng was clearly dissatisfied with this vague answer. “Uncle, don’t you want to guide me in awakening my bloodline?”
Unexpectedly, Zhao Yuan shook his head. His expression was complicated as he said, “Your Majesty, please believe me when I say that awakening the bloodline is not necessarily a good thing. Everything in this world has its own purpose. Have you considered the purpose of this bloodline? I only wish for Your Majesty’s safety. If there is anything that I do not wish for, it is for Your Majesty to truly awaken your bloodline.”
“Uncle, you…” Zhao Heng was so angry that he wanted to slam the table and stand up.
He glared at Zhao Yuan with angry eyes, his fingertips trembling. However, he saw Su Wang gazing at him with a rare expression of concern fully revealed on his face. That expression was clearly the same as when he was five years old and had stolen a horse, luckily only fracturing his arm. When he was found by Su Wang, he hugged himself in that same way.
Zhao Heng’s anger diminished somewhat. He was always intelligent and sharp, and at this moment he suppressed his anger and began to carefully consider Zhao Yuan’s words one by one.
Have you ever thought about the use of this bloodline, Your Majesty?
The Zhao bloodline can resist all kinds of poisons. Our ancestors used it to save the founder of the Qing dynasty, and another ancestor recorded using it to save his poisoned wife.
How did he become like this these few times? It was every time he couldn’t protect Wei Che.
Zhao Heng thought to himself and began to make some guesses. “Could it be that this bloodline only awakens when it is used to save people?”
Zhao Yuan knew that Zhao Heng could figure out some clues on his own. After thinking for a moment, he spoke first and said to the emperor, “Your Majesty, once this bloodline awakens, it is only for the purpose of saving people. Therefore, it is difficult to say that it is a good thing for the awakeners themselves.”
Zhao Heng suddenly understood. “Because once it is used to save people, the awakener will immediately suffer from the torment of blood poison!”
“Exactly, just like me,” Zhao Yuan said calmly, as if he had not been afflicted with the terrifying blood poison, but just had a slight cold.
The emperor stared at him. “And you call this ‘difficult to say it is a good thing’? Once the bloodline is used, you will suffer from inhuman torture every month. This is basically a death sentence!”
Zhao Yuan did not comment on this, only agreeing, “Your Majesty is perceptive.”
The emperor felt frustrated, first because the matter of the bloodline was not as he had thought, and secondly, because he was unable to pry open the mouth of the regent prince. Everything he could ask had already been told to him by Su Wang. He couldn’t get the regent prince to say anything more.
If even his father, the former emperor, couldn’t pry open his mouth, how could he, with his limited ability, compare to his father? Thinking this, the emperor felt relieved.
Zhao Heng, who understood the emperor’s thinking, couldn’t help but reveal a hint of his teenage feelings, saying with some dissatisfaction, “I always thought that the awakening of this bloodline was some kind of miraculous and wonderful thing. It was really treated as a great miracle by our family and passed down from generation to generation.”
“It is a miraculous thing, but good or bad, it is not something that outsiders can say.”
Zhao Yuan looked at the young emperor, full of youthful vigor and spirit.
Zhao Heng often reminded him of the past, the same youthful time, and the same person who made him feel the awakening of his bloodline.
After thinking about all the experiences he had been through, Zhao Yuan felt a sense of emotion in his heart. He suddenly spoke with great earnestness, “Your Majesty, as an emperor, you must not have any weaknesses. From now on, Your Majesty should consider the country as your top priority.”
“I know,” Zhao Heng responded in a somewhat depressed tone. He took every word of the regent prince’s teachings to heart. He understood the burden he carried and the destiny he had.
However, on that evening, as he took his last steps down the steps of his father’s great hall after leaving, he felt a vague emptiness that he couldn’t explain. He wanted to shake off this feeling and no longer talk about his bloodline.
Rarely did they have such a quiet night. The uncle and nephew sat together as they did in the old days. Zhao Heng allowed the kitchen to send a midnight snack and a good wine, and asked Zhao Yuan to tell him about long-lost battles and wars.
The bright moon outside the palace was like a plate, and the aroma of wine filled the air. Laughter occasionally came from the warm pavilion, and Zhao Heng listened until he was exhausted before allowing the eunuch to carry him back to his sleeping quarters.
Zhao Yuan accompanied the emperor to the palace gate, and when he turned back, Zhao Heng, who was half drunk and red-faced, his long lashes lightly covering his face, said somewhat unclearly, “Fifth Uncle, will you be okay?”
For a moment, Zhao Yuan didn’t know what Zhao Heng meant. Did he mean, after mentioning the blood poison today, whether he would be able to live well in the future, or was he hinting at whether the regent prince would be able to return to power smoothly in the future?
Just as he was about to find the right words to answer, Zhao Heng sighed first, turned his head slightly, and said to Zhao Yuan with red eyes in the dimly lit room, “Fifth Uncle, don’t make… me sad; don’t make… it difficult.”
Whatever the emperor had asked earlier was no longer important.
Regardless of whether Zhao Heng was already drunk, Zhao Yuan solemnly bowed and said, “I promise Your Majesty, I will be fine.”
The young emperor sniffled lightly and said, “Mmm,” before allowing the eunuch to carry him away, falling asleep at ease.
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