Chapter 1079: Chapter 1069: After the Rain (Part 1)
The imperial yellow canopy, the tassels hanging down from the beams, incense wafting in the air filled the room with the fine scent of sandalwood...
Le Xiu knelt on the cushion, dressed in a light gray overcoat embroidered with cloud pearl patterns, her hair styled in a round bun adorned with just a wooden hairpin, her face bare of makeup, serene and quiet, her beautiful eyes gently closed as she whispered incantations, the Buddha Beads at her fingertips quietly making a dinging sound. Jinyu stood by her side, hesitating several times to speak, only waiting until after a long time when Le Xiu finally opened her eyes.
Jinyu let out a long sigh of relief and went over to help Le Xiu up: "Your Grace, you’ve been kneeling all morning, take a rest." Supporting her to sit on the corner of the kang covered with a subtly elegant imperial concubine-colored blanket, and handed her tea, whispering: "Chief Su has been waiting outside for an hour."
Le Xiu drank the tea, nodded slightly, and said, "Let him come in." Jinyu concurred promptly, hurried out, and upon seeing Chief Su at the door, smilingly said: "Sir, Her Grace invites you to enter."
Chief Su immediately bowed in agreement, followed behind Jinyu into the meditation room, saw Le Xiu, and knelt on the ground to salute. Le Xiu waved her hand, her demeanor instantly reminded Chief Su of the Empress Dowager’s posture back then, but just for an instant, thinking to himself, Chief Su already said: "His Highness is concerned about Your Grace. The mountain air is chilly in the morning and evening, your body has always been weak, afraid that you might catch cold, especially sent me to bring some thick clothes for Your Grace."
Le Xiu nodded slightly, gestured for Chief Su to sit nearby, and then smiled: "It’s considerate of His Highness." She paused, "How is His Highness doing?"
Chief Su half-sat on the round-edge stool, leaned forward and replied: "His Highness daily reviews the memorials in the Imperial Study Room, sometimes busy to the point of neglecting meals." Looking both pained yet honored: "It pains me, but His Highness said, with you in the temple cultivating in solitude, the hardships he endures are nothing in comparison, please rest assured, Your Grace!" Chief Su finished speaking and looked at Le Xiu.
Satisfaction flickered in Le Xiu’s eyes and she sighed, "That child..." She paused again and said, "Tell him to take care of his health, I’m fine here, don’t let him worry over me."
Chief Su seemed about to say something, but Le Xiu continued: "What is the Second Prince up to recently?" Chief Su heard and replied: "Besides staying at Wenhua Hall, he has been reading in the West Five Houses, occasionally visiting the Imperial Study Room." He paused, with a hint of flattery: "...Other than this, he’s like the Third Prince, he follows His Highness with deference."
Le Xiu sneered slightly, as if remembering that she was in the Imperial Awakening Temple now, lowered her head to drink tea with an indifferent demeanor, then looked at Jinyu: "Go get the ’Heart Sutra’ I just copied, and let Chief Su take it back."
Jinyu concurred, Chief Su stood up, and Le Xiu advised him: "Don’t come often without reason." Chief Su looked troubled: "But His Highness, he..."
"I know his filial piety, that’s enough. Tell him to focus on his studies, there are many things to be done. Constantly worrying over me serves no purpose and would actually delay his own affairs." Le Xiu said, then continued fiddling with the Buddha Beads, uttering a cryptic sentence: "He won’t have to wait long."
Chief Su promptly agreed, then froze for a moment with a stiff expression, seemingly pondering the meaning within Le Xiu’s words, but before he could figure it out, Jinyu was already carrying out an indigo-colored bundle: "...Sir."
"Thank you, Auntie." Saying so, he took it with both hands, and after bidding Le Xiu farewell, he cautiously left the Imperial Awakening Temple, boarding a carriage all the way back to the palace.
Min was in the Imperial Study Room, Chief Su peeked inside and showed his face, Min’s gaze swept across his face as if he hadn’t seen him, then lowered his head to look at the memorial in his hand. The Emperor took a brief rest, grabbed tea to drink, but suddenly coughed violently, causing tea to splatter everywhere, Min startled, quickly put down his brush to assist: "Father." Face full of tension wanting to ease the Emperor’s breath.
"No...problem." Just two words, but the Emperor took a long time to say them. The coughing made his complexion flushed and discolored, he reached again for the tea with trembling hands, Min quickly handed it over to him, the Emperor took it to his lips and coughed several more times...
Min looked at the Emperor’s complexion, his hand gently stroking his back, his gaze falling on the cup from which the tea had spilled, his face changed, his gaze shifted, and he said: "Father, the tea has cooled, let me brew a new cup for you." Saying this, he smoothed the Emperor’s back a few more times before letting go and turning to brew tea.
If one looked closely, one would notice a slight unsteadiness in his steps.
But the Emperor didn’t pay attention, covering his chest, his lips touched the tea and took a sip, only to find it tasted fishy and bitter. His brow furrowed slightly, about to get angry, but he saw the originally clear tea, now tinged with a pale red.
His heart sank, realizing it was the blood from his cough earlier, instinctively turning to look at Min, who had already turned away to brew tea, scrutinizing his back carefully.
Min had his back to him, occasionally turning to glance at him with a worried expression: "Father, please wait." Only thinking that he was waiting for warm tea.
The Emperor was assured, suppressed the unease in his heart, took the lid and covered the reddish-brown tea, and called out: "Let Chief Chang come, you have been busy all morning, take a rest." Then took a handkerchief to anxiously wipe his mouth.
Min still brought the tea over and placed it on the desk, looking down and responding: "I am not tired." He paused and looked at the Emperor, with a sincere expression: "Father, you should rest for a while too."
"I’m fine, you go." The Emperor waved his hand, not wanting to say more, Min bowed his head in agreement, bowed and retreated out, just as he met Chief Chang head-on, with Chief Su following behind, the Emperor saw Chief Su and suddenly asked: "...Who is outside?"
Min stopped at the door, Chief Chang entered, smilingly replied: "It’s Su Lianhui, returning from the Imperial Awakening Temple wanting to report to His Highness."
"Oh?" The Emperor seemed a bit curious: "Went to the Imperial Awakening Temple?"
Chief Su looked at Min, Min nodded slightly at him, Chief Su lowered his head, came in, and knelt on the ground replying: "In response to the Emperor, indeed I returned from the Imperial Awakening Temple." Finished speaking, he sneaked a look at the Emperor, seeing besides the earlier coughing causing slight redness, there seemed no other change, bravely continued faithfully: "His Highness mentioned that the mountain is damp, fearing the Imperial Concubine’s clothes are too thin, thus had me bring some clothes."
The Emperor glanced at Min, Min replied, "Indeed it was my instruction." Without hiding anything, knowing that sending someone to visit Le Xiu couldn’t be concealed, rather directly stating it, leaving it transparent.
Besides, as Le Xiu always looked after him, her residing in the temple was just for solitary cultivation, it was not inappropriate for him to visit.
Sure enough, the Emperor nodded slightly, then looked at the indigo-colored bundle under Chief Su’s arm, asked: "What is this again?" Chief Su replied: "It is the ’Heart Sutra’ copied by the Imperial Concubine for me to bring back for His Highness."
The Emperor raised an eyebrow, Chief Su already opened the bundle, inside revealing sheets of Xuan paper bound together, densely covered with tiny regular script. From afar, the Emperor already recognized Le Xiu’s handwriting but still said: "Bring it here, let me see." He said and then muffledly coughed once more.
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