Chapter 182: Your Highness is Wise
Chapter 182: Your Highness is Wise
Fang Jifan kept a very serious face and solemnly told Emperor Hongzhi,
“Your Majesty, I have become a doctor due to long illness, so how could I not know about brain illness? I am timid and would never dare deceive the sovereign.”
His eyes were as clear as spring water, and his handsome face looked particularly sincere, showing no flaws at all.
This time, he had unexpectedly fallen into a trap; the Emperor actually punished him for his words. This was outrageous.
To prevent such a thing from happening again, Fang Jifan felt he needed to prepare in advance—he was a person with brain illness, and sometimes his words were not entirely truthful.
“…”
Upon hearing this, Emperor Hongzhi fell completely silent.
At that moment, perhaps a slight sense of shame arose within him.
After all, the Emperor was also human. Of course, there were many utterly selfish emperors, but Emperor Hongzhi was not among them. He remained silent and did not speak, his bright eyes fixed on Fang Jifan. He saw sincerity and grievance in that handsome face.
A faint trace of regret involuntarily flashed in Emperor Hongzhi’s gaze.
A young man, a youth with a frail body but strong will, had achieved merit but received punishment instead—this, in terms of both sentiment and reason, and to be honest, really made one feel somewhat sorry.
His brow unintentionally furrowed. Emperor Hongzhi remained silent for a long while before letting out a sigh and smiling slightly at Fang Jifan.
“This time, it was my mistake.”
Fang Jifan, of course, chose to forgive him—should he wait to be dragged to the execution ground?
But in the future… it would be comfortable. Not only could he speak without restraint like a child, but he could also act completely freely.
Zhu Houzhao was shocked upon hearing this; it seemed he had not expected his Imperial Father to admit fault. However, at this moment, he merely lowered his head, lost in thought.
He had an urge to find a block of tofu and crash into it to end his life. Why, oh why, wasn’t he brain-ill?
Seeing that Fang Jifan remained silent, Emperor Hongzhi was relatively satisfied. His gaze softened slightly, he pondered for a brief moment, and then sighed: “You may withdraw. I still have important matters to attend to.”
As his eyes shifted, they fell upon Fang Jifan. Seeming to recall something, he hurriedly added,
“Fang Jifan, you should go and check on the Princess.”
Fang Jifan then stood up: “Your servant takes his leave.”
Zhu Houzhao also stood up: “Your son and servant…”
Emperor Hongzhi pulled a long face, his gaze turning sharp. He nodded toward Zhu Houzhao and then pointed his finger toward the corner.
Zhu Houzhao was a very perceptive person and immediately understood what was meant. His expression turned very grim, and he pouted, looking to Fang Jifan for help.
But how could Fang Jifan bother with that? He had already slipped away, leaving only his retreating back to Zhu Houzhao.
Zhu Houzhao had no choice but to obediently return to the corner. With a thud, he knelt down, hanging his head, looking full of grievance.
However, Emperor Hongzhi paid him no further attention. He lowered his head, calm as still water, and began reading memorials.
Even though the sun was blazing outside, the Warm Pavilion remained rather chilly and dim, with doors and windows closed. Thus, lanterns were lit, their flames flickering softly. The Emperor, like a statue, held a memorial in his hands, intently reading it word by word.
In that obscure corner, Zhu Houzhao felt empty, lonely, and cold—his heart was cold.
In the local dialect, it would be described as his heart feeling icy and desolate.
…
It had been a long time since he last saw the Princess.
When Fang Jifan arrived, Nanny Liu flattered him by bowing in greeting. She had already learned of Fang Jifan’s prowess and dared not provoke him further.
Fang Jifan ignored her, sat down, and the Princess, feeling somewhat embarrassed under his gaze, couldn’t help but blush lightly. Shyly pressing her lips together, she slightly lowered her head.
“I heard that you have rendered great service, and Imperial Father is very pleased.”
“Your Highness is very well-informed.” Fang Jifan’s heart also felt icy and desolate; he couldn’t very well tell anyone that he had been punished to kneel for two hours and his legs were still sore.
Fang Jifan looked at the embarrassed Princess before him, and a trace of emotion stirred in his heart. However, he quickly suppressed it, and then he said gently,
“Your Highness looks well. Let me see—please lift your face.”
The Princess trusted Fang Jifan implicitly. Through several interactions, she had already ascertained that Fang Jifan was not one of those shameless scoundrels.
Although she had also heard some rumors from outside, the more rumors there were, the more sympathy she felt for Fang Jifan.
Young Master Fang is a good person—why do people outside speak of him so poorly? If Young Master Fang knew how others were slandering him, he would surely be deeply hurt.
Clearly, she had underestimated the thickness of Fang Jifan’s skin.
The Princess shyly raised her lovely face, forced to meet Fang Jifan’s gaze. Her sparkling large eyes met his clear gaze, and she grew even more bashful, her face flushing with a rosy glow.
Fang Jifan carefully examined the delicate face before him: “Your Highness, you have freckles.”
“…”
The Princess quickly lowered her head to avoid his gaze, too shy to let Fang Jifan continue looking at her face.
Fang Jifan then smiled: “I need to check your pulse.”
The Princess had no choice but to extend her hand.
Fang Jifan pretended to check her pulse for a while but noticed that the Princess’s pulse was very erratic. The young lady didn’t know whether she was angry or nervous.
Fang Jifan casually withdrew his hand and gave the Princess a faint smile: “The recovery is quite good. Very good.”
Fang Jifan carried himself with the demeanor of a renowned doctor. It was rare in this world to find a doctor who, through long illness, had accumulated such rich treatment experience.
“Alright, I’m leaving.” Fang Jifan stood up and was about to leave.
The Princess was very surprised and couldn’t help but look up at him.
“So soon.”
These unconscious words made Nanny Liu’s eyes flicker, and she was speechless. But she didn’t dare interfere with Fang Jifan anymore, so she simply acted as if nothing had happened.
Fang Jifan turned back with a smile, looking at the beautiful and graceful figure.
“I have important matters to attend to. We’ll talk next time…”
In truth, Taikang Princess already felt she had spoken out of turn. Her face turned extremely red, and her ears buzzed. She was a Princess and had to know propriety—how could she act like this? Thus, she wished she could immediately vanish into a crack in the ground, letting out only a barely audible “Mm.”
But curiosity stirred within her. Staying in the Imperial Palace all day was naturally very dull. Hearing that Fang Jifan had urgent matters, she mustered her courage and gazed at the extraordinarily handsome Fang Jifan.
“What matters?”
Fang Jifan turned back and smiled at her: “Praying for rain.”
Pray…ing for rain…
Before Taikang Princess could react, Fang Jifan had already strode away.
Taikang Princess frowned. Could rain really be summoned by prayer?
After the time of the Chenghua Emperor, the palace had learned its lesson well and was quite resistant to tales of gods, ghosts, and supernatural beings. The Emperor and Empress Zhang had especially emphasized this point in their children’s education. Naturally, Taikang Princess did not believe such “nonsense” about praying for rain.
She couldn’t help but feel somewhat annoyed. Just like her own brother, Fang Jifan was also someone who caused worry.
…
Zhu Houzhao limped out of the Warm Pavilion, supported by a eunuch as he exited. Fortunately, his vitality was quite robust, and soon he forgot the day’s unpleasantness. Excitedly, he left the palace. Although his legs were still somewhat uncomfortable, they gradually recovered a bit.
Just after exiting the Meridian Gate, he saw Fang Jifan standing outside, waiting.
The sky had turned dusky, and the sun wasn’t too fierce, but the prolonged drought had made the land as hot as a steamer. Fang Jifan had waited there for half the afternoon and felt as if he were being steamed alive, his clothes soaked through with sweat.
“Good brother! Old Fang…”
Zhu Houzhao’s eyes lit up. Ignoring the eunuchs from the House of the Crown Prince who were waiting for him at the palace gate, he hurried forward with a limp.
“Crown Prince, did His Majesty give you a hard time?” Fang Jifan asked with a grin.
Zhu Houzhao immediately became depressed. Clasping his hands behind his back, he looked up at the sky and sighed.
“I don’t know what’s going on, but Imperial Father has recently been targeting This Palace without reason. I’ve heard that when women reach a certain age, their temper becomes strange. Imperial Father is usually rather timid and hesitant, like a woman. Perhaps… he’s caught this nasty habit too.”
“…” Fang Jifan didn’t know how to respond.
He thought to himself, if the Emperor had two sons, it would truly be a miracle if you, Zhu Houzhao, could still be alive. You’re really asking for death.
“His Majesty still cares deeply for you, Your Highness,” Fang Jifan consoled.
Zhu Houzhao sniffed: “Oh.”
Fang Jifan smiled again and said, “Your Highness, look at this dreadful weather. The continuous great drought has already caused disaster. Didn’t you hear just now? His Majesty is deeply worried about it, and there are even petty troublemakers spreading rumors and causing trouble. It’s truly worrying.”
“What does that have to do with This Palace?” Zhu Houzhao pursed his lips, his face showing clear displeasure. He was still holding a grudge in his heart.
Fang Jifan had to admit that Zhu Houzhao was a person of strong character. Couldn’t he at least pretend on the surface?
However… Fang Jifan clearly had a greater sense of responsibility than Zhu Houzhao. He smiled at Zhu Houzhao and said,
“Has Your Highness ever considered what would happen if, at this moment, a heavy rain came? How would His Majesty react?”
Upon hearing this, Zhu Houzhao couldn’t help but stare deeply at Fang Jifan. He showed a bit of interest but then shook his head and said, “This Palace can’t summon rain. What does it have to do with me?”
Fang Jifan finally revealed his true intention: “But I have a grand-nephew in the sect who can pray for rain.”
Zhu Houzhao gave a dry laugh: “Heh heh… Stop trying to fool me. This Palace doesn’t believe in those scruffy, stinky Taoists. Can a stinky Taoist really bring rain?”
Fang Jifan nodded very seriously: “He’s professional.”
Zhu Houzhao showed a hesitant expression, feeling a little tempted. He trusted Fang Jifan quite a bit, but… he obviously also felt that something like praying for rain was too unreliable.
He thought for a moment before firmly refusing.
“Forget it. If Imperial Father finds out I’m messing around, he’ll hang me up and beat me. You’re not the one getting hit—you always manage to slip away every time.”
This time, Zhu Houzhao had learned his lesson.
Fang Jifan remained unhurried and patiently said, “Your Highness, if the rain is successfully summoned, His Majesty will then understand how you share his worries and will recognize your filial piety. Moreover, if we really do bring rain, it would be a great achievement for both you and me. Even if we fail, we can just kill that scruffy Taoist, immediately go to the palace to admit our fault, and say that we were deceived by that stinky Taoist but have now realized our mistake. Even if His Majesty is unhappy, he probably won’t beat us too severely.”