Chapter 99

Emperor Xing Wu has been holding a question, a suspicion in his heart. Did Luo Wei really discover the plot by accident when they caught the messenger heading to the Northern Yan camps? Was the war just won by Luo Wei going with the flow? But faced with Luo Wei, Emperor Xing Wu didn’t know how to get this question out in words. He was afraid that if he asked what he wanted to ask, it would put more distance between himself and Luo Wei than ever before. A ruler and his minister cannot coexist in peace without trust, never mind father and son.

Luo Wei let himself be pulled up to his feet by the emperor. The fall of the Liu family didn’t make him as happy as he thought it would, but he wasn’t sad either. It felt as if his heart was dead, incapable of feeling anything.

“He deserves to die for degeneracy and treason by his own hands,” Emperor Xing Wu said, finally, “Wei Er, you’re right. No one pushed him towards the execution grounds, he walked there himself.”

Luo Wei nodded and made a quiet noise of agreement.

“Wei Er, is there anywhere you’d like to go?” Emperor Xing Wu was testing the waters now as he asked Luo Wei.

Luo Wei answered, “Not particularly.”

“Is there no place in our magnificent Greater Zhou you’d like to go?”

Luo Wei didn’t understand why the emperor was suddenly asking him this all of a sudden. He knew a few of the famous spots and sights in Greater Zhou, but he’d never particularly cared about them.

“There’s no hurry, think about it.” Emperor Xing Wu was still ambivalent about whether or not to trust the Grand Priest’s words. He couldn’t really believe that Luo Wei would live a life of suffering with him here protecting the boy. “When you’ve thought about a place you’d like to go, let me know.”

“Understood,” Luo Wei didn’t understand, but he accepted the command none the less.

“Your Imperial Majesty,” Zhao Fu rushed in again, this time from the direction of the main hall.

“What is it?” Emperor Xing Wu asked.

“The second prince has just fainted,” Zhao Fu reported, his tone urgent.

“Fainted?” Emperor Xing Wu took a step towards the main hall, ready to rush to see his son, but a few steps later, he stopped himself, “Have him taken back to the Hall of Literary Transcendence and summon the imperial physician for him.”

Zhao Fu accepted the orders and rushed away again.

“Why don’t you go and visit him, Wei Er?” Emperor Xing Wu said to Luo Wei, “You don’t need to accompany me to the morning audience today,” With that, Emperor Xing Wu left to take audience with the ministers.

When Luo Wei arrived at Long Xuan’s bed chambers in the Hall of Literary Transcendence, an imperial physician was applying acupuncture needles to the second prince.

“Young master,” Fu Yun saw Luo Wei walking in, and wiped the tears off his face before jogging forward to pay his respects.

“His Imperial Majesty commanded me to visit,” Luo Wei said quietly to Fu Yun, “Go tend to your master, don’t worry about me.”

Fu Yun quickly nodded and turned aside for Luo Wei to enter.

Luo Wei walked up to Long Xuan’s bedside and asked the other imperial physician standing aside, “What’s happened to His Imperial Highness?”

“To answer the young master,” This imperial physician was quick to reply, “His Imperial Highness caught a chill yesterday. He lacks energy, and the fainting spell just now might be because of a moment’s weakness.”

Seeing that Long Xuan’s eyes were still tightly shut, Luo Wei asked again, “Why hasn’t he woken up yet?”

“I’ve already finished applying the needles,” The imperial physician replied, “His Imperial Highness should be awake shortly. Young master,” The imperial physician took a few steps closer to Luo Wei, and spoke to him in hushed tones, “There’s too many people here, could you ask them to go outside for now?”

Luo Wei glanced over Long Xuan’s bed chambers. A veritable group of servants were amassed there, just standing. He waved Fu Yun over, “Take them outside and wait in the outer hall for now.”

Luo Wei came under the command of the emperor, so Fu Yun wasn’t comfortable with leaving him alone here with Long Xuan. Yet, there was nothing else he could do but obey. His master had tread so close to being under house arrest, and him, a mere servant, wouldn’t dare offend the emperor’s favorite by being disobedient.

When the people cleared out of the room, the imperial physician who spoke to him walked to the window to open one of the shutters, letting some fresh air into the bed chambers.

As the other imperial physician adjusted the needles further, Long Xuan woke up.

“Is Your Imperial Highness still dizzy?” The physician standing aside leaned over to ask.

Long Xuan’s gaze shot past the imperial physician and landed on Luo Wei. What was he doing here?

“Your Imperial Highness?” When Long Xuan didn’t answer, the only thing the physician could do was to ask again.