Chapter 251 Is He Almost Recovered?

Chapter 251: He's Almost Better?

"You've spent twenty-three years enduring hardship in the palace for our grand plan. I am fully aware of this. I understand your devotion to me. But given the urgency of the situation, our identities cannot yet be made public. I need you to bear with it a while longer."

"Once the Crown Prince ascends the throne, you will become the Empress Dowager, and I the Retired Emperor. Then the hardships we've endured over these years will not have been in vain."

"At that time, we can be together openly and legitimately, no longer needing to heed the judgment of the world. If anyone dares to speak ill of us, I will have them killed to soothe your anger."

Prince Nanxiao's mention of Luo Jingshen only stirred Consort Li's anger.

She recalled the purpose of her meeting with Prince Nanxiao that day. The thought of Luo Jingshen's attitude toward her caused her heart to ache like a knife twist.

Biting her lip, she spoke with deep concern: "Zhenglang, the Crown Prince currently has some misunderstandings about me. I'm worried that when the time comes, if he refuses to acknowledge us, what will we do?"

Consort Li then briefly told Prince Nanxiao what had happened in the Eastern Palace.

"That's the gist of it. He broke his leg coming down from the Six Blind Peaks. I only wanted to visit him with some tonics and mend our relationship. But because of a prostitute, I was driven out of the Eastern Palace by the Crown Prince."

As she spoke, Consort Li began to weep again in grievance, her voice sorrowful.

"For the sake of his future, I've endured twenty-three years in the palace. Every day I live there in misery, and I can't even recognize him as my son. How could he treat me like this?"

Prince Nanxiao detested women's tears. Tonight, Consort Li had wept in his ear all night, and now his mind was filled with the sound of her sobbing.

His patience for soothing her seemed spent. His face turned cold and he spoke with a note of impatience.

"Enough, what are you crying for? He doesn't know about your relationship with him. His behavior is perfectly normal."

"Don't forget: if he wants to sit on the throne, he cannot do without our help. As long as he isn't too stupid, once he learns the truth, there's no way he won't acknowledge you."

Prince Nanxiao was confident. He believed there was no need to worry about that.

They had leverage over Luo Jingshen. Even if there was no father-son affection between them, what did it matter?

Replace Luo Chengyuan and seize the throne—then the whole realm would be theirs.

Consort Li's face still showed visible worry. "But..."

Prince Nanxiao cut her off. "No 'buts.' Since he resents you and doesn't want to see you, just bear with it for now. Don't go near him. You've gotten through twenty-three years—can't you handle these last few months?"

Consort Li grew frantic, her face contorted. "But Luo Junhe is almost better!"

"I truly regret letting Ji Yuntang, that curse, enter the household. I should have had Imperial Physician Zhu kill him sooner. Then I wouldn't have to live in constant fear."

Prince Nanxiao glanced at Consort Li, a faint sneer curling at the corner of his mouth.

"Do you really believe that country girl can cure him?"

Consort Li was puzzled. "Luo Qingge and Luo Sinian both went to see him personally. They said Luo Junhe's condition is nearly healed. How could that be a lie?"

Prince Nanxiao turned and sat down, his expression mocking. "Do you know what poison is in his body?"

Consort Li looked at him uncomprehendingly.

A dark look crossed his eyes as he explained to her.

"This poison is called Bone-Breaking Sand. Anyone afflicted with it will be paralyzed for life, unable to even move, eat, drink, or use the toilet."

"The only antidote is the Dragon Scale Herb, but it grows only within the borders of the Xishu Kingdom. Its growing conditions are extremely demanding—it blooms once every fifty years and takes a hundred to bear a single fruit. Most of the fruits wither before they ripen. It's exceedingly rare."

"Without the Dragon Scale Herb, Luo Junhe will never stand up again. Even if his face and eyes are healed, so what? Would the people of the Dongchen Kingdom ever allow a cripple who cannot even stand to become the emperor?"

Consort Li's mind wavered. She asked again, "The Dragon Scale Herb is so hard to find. Could there be no other alternative in the world?"

Prince Nanxiao narrowed his eyes, speaking calmly. "I've heard that the Xishu royal family possesses one Dragon Scale Herb fruit. They treasure it as a sacred object, offering it year after year and never letting outsiders see it. But I don't know if that's true or false."

"However, even if it is true, there's no need to worry."

"The people of Xishu are skilled at weapon-making, and their military is stronger than Dongchen's. They are a fierce people, admiring the strong. If Luo Junhe were like he was three years ago, leading troops into battle and not paralyzed in bed, perhaps by some means the Xishu Kingdom might have given him the Dragon Scale Herb."

"But now he's a useless cripple with nothing to his name, not even a servant to attend him. Why would Xishu give him the Dragon Scale Herb?"

Consort Li was momentarily stunned, but her heart also relaxed considerably.

She asked, puzzled, "Zhenglang, had you already foreseen all this three years ago?"

Prince Nanxiao took a small sip of tea from the cup on the table, his tone casual.

"Do you think I had you poison him back then without considering all this? What else would you have thought?"

"Don't you get it? I never act without certainty."

His tone shifted abruptly, his eyes sharp as a blade. "Since I couldn't kill him openly, poisoning him to completely cripple him was the only way to eliminate future trouble."

Consort Li was utterly enamored with Prince Nanxiao's self-assured, all-controlling demeanor.

She eagerly sidled up to him, her eyes filled with even more admiration for him.

"Zhenglang, I knew it—you're always supremely capable. You never fail when you act. How could that brat Luo Junhe ever outmatch you?"

"I was wrong just now. Please accept my apology for my rudeness. Don't be angry with me anymore, okay?"

Consort Li's breath was fragrant as she sashayed around and sat on Prince Nanxiao's thigh, her hands roving improperly over his body.

Prince Nanxiao's breathing grew heavier. As a normal man, how could any man resist that?

He immediately scooped up Consort Li, and the two quickly rolled onto the bed.

—

At Prince Ye's residence, the next morning after dawn.

Luo Junhe had just finished his breakfast when he saw Ji Yuntang walking in mysteriously, a faint smile playing on her lips.

"A He, I have a gift for you. I'm sure you'll love it."

Ji Yuntang clapped her hands, and Tao Zhi immediately wheeled something in from the door.

Luo Junhe turned to look and saw that what she had pushed in was a black wheelchair.

The wheelchair was exquisitely crafted, very beautiful, and completely different from any wheelchair he had ever seen.

Especially the material—it was clearly not made of wood.

"A Tang, did you make this?" Luo Junhe asked, full of curiosity.

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