Joyful Motherhood in a Rural Family-Chapter 943 - His Majestys Stratagem
Chapter 943: Chapter 943: His Majesty’s Stratagem
Chapter 943 -943: His Majesty’s Stratagem
Di Yelei was as busy as a spinning top.
Taking advantage of the fact that the news had not spread yet, he sent everyone who had had contact with Sisi to the small manor, waiting to bring them back once the commotion had subsided.
The children were all precious to him, and he took the opportunity to send them out of the city before daybreak. That way, even if His Majesty eventually pursued the matter, perhaps they could escape unscathed.
Those three incompetent doctors said there was no cure for smallpox. Remembering that when Di Ying and Di Xuan met Old He it was on Huangshan Mountain, he had to send someone there quickly.
Moreover, tomorrow was the bi-monthly early morning session, and he wondered what he should say when attending the court…
With these matters, one after another, weighing on his mind, by the time he finally finished dealing with them, it was time to attend the early morning session.
He couldn’t afford to visit and inquire about Sisi’s condition, so he pretended as if nothing was wrong and went to the court as usual.
Indeed, during the early morning session, His Majesty asked about Liu Sisi’s condition, which he managed to evade with excuses.
Only after the session did he realize that his back was covered in cold sweat.
Forcing down the anxiety in his heart, he walked slowly out of the Xuande Gate, only to see Old Cheng anxiously pacing in front of the palace gate.
Upon seeing Di Yelei emerge, he quickly approached and lowered his voice, “Old Master Marquis, something has happened!”
Di Yelei glared at him, mounted his horse, and said, “Let’s go, we’ll talk when we’re back!”
Old Cheng held back the discussion and quickly followed.
–
Inside the Palace.
After the early morning session, His Majesty sat in the side hall, lost in thought.
Even when the eunuch reported and Taoist Master Zhu stood before him, he didn’t react right away.
“Your Majesty, are you preoccupied with something?”
Taoist Master Zhu’s face was full of smiles as he made himself comfortable in the chair opposite Zhao Yuanlang.
“Oh! It’s Immortal Chief, please have a seat.”
The other party was clearly already seated, and His Majesty’s offer for him to take a seat was somewhat after the fact.
“Your Majesty, if you have any concerns, please speak freely. If poor Taoist can be of assistance to Your Majesty, I most certainly will.”
Zhao Yuanlang’s face immediately relaxed quite a bit, “Immortal Chief is too kind. Was it not the Chief who recently suggested a perfectly valid method that would allow Princess Ruyu to escape her predicament? I have already instructed as per the Chief’s orders, but the three imperial doctors I sent out last night have not returned to the Palace with their reports. This is what concerns me. Immortal Chief, do you think there might be some special significance behind this?”
Stroking his snow-white beard, Taoist Master Zhu appeared indifferent, “Your Majesty, this should mean that Your Majesty’s strategy is taking effect, and the other party has started to panic. In a few days, everyone will naturally know what choice they will make.”
“Is it truly so? But my heart still worries. You said that after consuming that medicine, the symptoms would resemble a case of smallpox. I personally watched as Princess Ruyu ingested that… It shouldn’t be possible that our plan has failed, right?”
Zhao Yuanlang was still somewhat anxious, hoping it wasn’t real smallpox.
“Your Majesty, this is concern leading to confusion. Princess Ruyu is a person with fortunate blessings; she will not succumb to such trouble easily. Besides, it’s just a strange poison. Although it looks frightening on the surface, in reality, it does no harm to the body. Should the Princess truly encounter any anomalies, Your Majesty only needs to send the antidote to the Marquis Mansion in advance for her to take, and the poison will be neutralized.”
Taoist Master Zhu spoke with ease, yet inside he cursed Zhao Yuanlang to death.
He couldn’t actually predict Liu Sisi’s fate at all, so how could he know her situation? However, he couldn’t reveal such things to His Majesty and could only speak in vague and ambiguous terms in hopes of bluffing his way through.
“If it’s as the Immortal Chief says, I am relieved,”
Zhao Yuanlang’s anxiety gradually eased. Thinking that he had secretly helped Princess Ruyu and that Di Yelei would soon expose his true colors, if he truly dared to abandon Princess Ruyu, knowing her personality well, the next steps to be taken were likely to be resolved quickly.
What he hadn’t anticipated, however, was the unexpected variable of Zuo Xingyu. He directly took Liu Sisi out of Marquis Yongping’s Mansion and also missed the optimal time to take the antidote.
Everything had been calculated perfectly, but in the end, the development of events had completely exceeded Zhao Yuanlang’s expectations, something he had never considered.
–
Di Yelei rushed into the small courtyard like the wind. Just as Old Cheng had said, Liu Sisi was nowhere to be seen in the house. Even the items at the head of the bed were gone; the place was empty.
“Old Master Marquis, the old servant found this letter at the front of the courtyard door. Please take a careful look,”
Old Cheng handed Di Yelei a letter addressed to “Di Yelei, for your eyes only.”
Di Yelei snatched the letter, immediately tore open the envelope, and skimmed through it. In a moment, the letter paper fluttered from his hands, and he seemed to age considerably, looking utterly drained.
The content of the letter was simple, explaining a bit about Di Xuan and Thirteenth Luo’s wedding and also mentioning a few children. It also mentioned the concubine Xing Pan’er, saying they could get married only after news of her death spread. At the very end, it mentioned she had taken Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua, telling him not to look for her. The letter ended with the words “written on behalf of by Zuo Xingyu” in large characters.
“This letter was written on behalf of by Zuo Xingyu… I knew it, that man is up to no good! He actually took Sisi away…”
Di Yelei gritted his teeth as he spoke, his entire being seeming to deflate.
She chose to leave with him rather than stay to face hardships together with me? Then he thought of her terrible illness and, without a moment’s hesitation, began organizing everyone to search for her.
“Search carefully! Dig three feet into the ground if necessary. Whoever finds them first will be rewarded 10,000 taels! And 500 taels for anyone providing clues that prove true upon investigation,”
To find her as quickly as possible, Di Yelei announced a large reward.
In an instant, the whole capital city was stirred!
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.
People were abuzz with speculation, assuming that the two had had a serious falling out over the concubine, with no one considering the possibility of smallpox.
But there were always exceptions!
On the day of Liu Sisi’s incident, a few children stood by her side. Although the three imperial physicians were detained, this didn’t affect the judgment of the three children. That their father would detain three imperial doctors meant that something serious must have happened, but what disease Princess Ruyu was suffering from was unclear.
Especially Di Cheng!
Di Cheng, no longer young and quite sensible, was conspicuously absent from the list Di Yelei had ordered to compile. The reason was simple—Di Cheng had abided by strict social rules whenever he requested to see Liu Sisi. He had truly never been in close contact with her.
“Third Uncle, what illness exactly did Third Aunt contract?” Di Cheng asked curiously.
Di Yelei initially wanted to keep it a secret, but considering that they couldn’t find anyone, he decided there was no point in hiding it any longer and told her about Liu Sisi contracting smallpox.
“…I have already sent people down to search. Hopefully, news will arrive soon.”
