vstars Chapter 590 Life-Extending Pill
Chapter 590 Life-Extending Pill
Princess Xuannan dined at the Empress's palace. Although the two had not seen each other for many years and had not been in frequent contact, their feelings for each other had not faded.
On the contrary, Princess Xuan Nan's trip to the capital this time was not because she missed her husband, but specifically for the Empress.
Whether intentionally or unintentionally, the Prince of Xuan Nan revealed some information about the Emperor's condition in his letter home, which made the Princess of Xuan Nan somewhat uneasy in the southern border region.
She was one of the few who knew the true situation of the Second Prince. Although the Prince of Xuannan did not know, the Princess Consort of Xuannan was confident in influencing his stance.
After dinner, the two dismissed their attendants and had a long talk in the inner room.
Princess Xuan Nan said softly, "Your Highness, my trip to the capital this time is for the sake of the Second Prince. His Majesty's condition is now worrying, Your Highness should make plans as soon as possible."
Princess Xuan Nan went straight to the point, and the Empress knew that she genuinely cared about her.
The Empress sighed deeply, her eyes filled with worry: "Aunt, how could I not be worried about this matter? But..."
"Your Majesty, tell the truth, how many days does His Majesty have left?"
"I also asked the head of the Imperial Medical Academy about this issue. Although he was vague and unwilling to take responsibility, I could still tell from his words that His Majesty would not live past next spring."
The charcoal brazier inside the hall crackled, and the last withered leaf on the tree branch outside the window fell along with the snowflakes.
It stood out so starkly against the pristine white snow, only to be instantly covered by the falling snowflakes, eventually blending into the snowscape and disappearing from sight.
When spring comes next year, it will turn into spring mud, which will also become nutrients for the tree roots, nourishing new buds.
"Next spring..."
Princess Xuan Nan murmured, as if she were calculating something, or perhaps she was just lost in thought.
Princess Xuan Nan came to her senses and looked at the Empress with a firm gaze: "Your Majesty, I have a way to help His Majesty last for another six months to a year. During this time, you can do your best to plan and strategize for the Second Prince."
"Six months to a year? Aunt, you really want that? No, no! That's too precious. Even your Yun family probably can't afford much right now."
"It's just a longevity pill that can extend a person's lifespan, not some kind of elixir of immortality."
If it were truly possible to live forever, I would definitely keep it for myself. Not to become a thousand-year-old tortoise or a ten-thousand-year-old turtle, but simply because I like my younger self.
Princess Xuan Nan's gaze was firm, leaving no room for the Empress to refuse.
"If His Majesty can only hold on until next spring, I will have to ask my prince to find a way to return to the Southern Territory to prepare."
If Your Majesty could have another six months to a year, I believe that Your Majesty would be able to help the Second Prince achieve his wish.
Sometimes weapons are useful, but they shouldn't be used indiscriminately, and they should be avoided if possible.
Of course, I will still try to get the prince back next spring and summer, just in case.
“Aunt, we shouldn’t have involved the Prince and the Crown Prince. His Majesty has been in a state of flux these past few months, and even I can’t fathom what he’s thinking right now.”
If he wanted to make arrangements for Chang'er and me, he didn't take any concrete action. If he wasn't thinking of us, then the successive dismantling of the private army camps did eliminate many potential threats.
Before arriving in the capital, Princess Xuan Nan had already gathered a great deal of intelligence, including but not limited to information about His Majesty the Emperor and the princes.
Now that the Empress mentioned the private army camp, she was reminded of the guard team that the Prince brought into the capital, which must have been stationed outside the city.
"Your Majesty is actually quite shrewd; he has always been very sensitive to matters of war."
The Empress chuckled. She hadn't seen her aunt for many years, and her aunt was still the same as before, occasionally throwing out a novel word.
"Sensitive nerves?"
"Oh, so Your Majesty is very perceptive. Those private soldiers must have been very well hidden, yet Your Majesty still managed to find them. It's clear that this was a long-planned scheme."
The Empress nodded. Who could disagree? She had originally orchestrated this whole poisoning drama in the palace, hoping to give everyone a false sense of security.
Who knew that fate would play such a cruel trick on him, and he would fall into the hands of a muddle-headed imperial physician. In the end, man proposes, God disposes.
"I just wonder if there are any more hidden ones besides those that have been removed. I guess that's what His Majesty is worried about right now."
After thinking for a moment, Princess Xuannan finally voiced her thoughts.
"My prince's personal guards outside the city might be of help, but I don't know if His Majesty would be willing to use them."
The Empress also knew about the group of people that Prince Xuan Nan brought to the capital last year. Although the number of people was small, they were all elites.
In fact, His Majesty's own Imperial Guards are no weaker than the Prince of Xuan Nan's personal guards. However, the Imperial Guards still have the duty of guarding the palace and cannot easily leave His Majesty's side.
"Thank you, Aunt. I will try to sound out His Majesty's opinion in the next couple of days. But perhaps you should ask Uncle's opinion first?"
“My opinion is the same as His Highness’s opinion. Husband and wife are one, and His Highness will not sit idly by.”
A barely perceptible glint appeared in the Empress's eyes: "With my aunt's help, my son and I have gained confidence. What we dared not do before, we can now give it a try."
Princess Xuan Nan patted the Empress's hand: "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will make proper arrangements in secret. For now, we should stabilize the situation first, and then proceed gradually."
"Your Majesty, His Majesty treats you differently. The affection between young lovers should only deepen with the passage of time."
The Empress nodded silently. Of course she knew this, but she had never completely resolved the knot in her heart.
She could endure anything for the sake of her only son; she had plenty of patience.
As the lamplight flickered, Princess Xuan Nan solemnly produced a small sandalwood box from her wide robe and sleeves.
"This is the life-extending pill I just told you about, also known as the longevity pill. The recipe has indeed been lost."
This one was part of my dowry when I got married; I'm the only one among the Yun family's married daughters who has one.
The Empress looked at the small sandalwood box, her eyes filled with emotion, and slowly took it: "Aunt, this is too precious, I..."
Princess Xuan Nan waved her hand: "It's just an inanimate object. Do you expect me to take it into my coffin?"
Besides, as I said before, this thing is precious, but its function is really useless. For ordinary people, having it or not makes much difference.
On the contrary, using it on His Majesty is where it truly makes the best use of its resources; that is its purpose.
The Empress nodded solemnly and carefully put away the sandalwood box.
When I looked up again, my eyes were already red.
"Thank you very much, Aunt. You've gone to so much trouble."
The moon was adorned with stars, and Princess Xuan Nan did not leave the palace that night, but stayed in the Empress's palace.
Since the time for setting the key had long passed, to avoid any trouble, the Empress insisted that her aunt stay in her palace.