allonlinenovel Chapter 276: The Son Wants to Atone for His Sins
Chapter 276: The Son Wants to Atone for His Sins
The side hall of Tai Chi Hall.
Xie Qian'an lay on the soft couch, his eyes half open, his face pale and distorted, beads of sweat the size of beans oozing from his forehead and dripping onto the bed.
There were imperial doctors kneeling around him, taking turns treating him.
Concubine Zhou stood in the outer room. A basin of blood was carried by a palace maid and passed in front of her. Her heart was in a knot when she heard the suppressed groans coming from Xie Qian'an inside.
Tears flowed unconsciously from her eyes. Concubine Zhou kept wiping the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief in her hand, and there seemed to be a little sob in her breathing.
It was unknown how long it took before a group of imperial physicians, led by the director of the Imperial Medical Bureau, came out from the inner room.
Concubine Zhou immediately stepped forward and asked, "Wu Yuanzheng, how is Prince An's injury?"
Wu Yuanzheng wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "Don't worry, Your Majesty, His Royal Highness Prince An's injuries have stabilized."
Then, he bowed to Xie Rong, who was sitting at the head of the table, and said, "Your Majesty, His Royal Highness Prince An has five or six wounds all over his body. The rest are fine and have been treated by the military doctor. He only needs to continue applying some healing medicine."
"The more troublesome issue is the knife wound on His Highness Prince An's chest, which is only an inch away from his heart and lungs."
"If it's a little more off, I'm afraid..."
"The military doctor's skills are limited, and His Royal Highness Prince An's nearly fatal injury was a recent one. He traveled a long distance shortly after being injured and didn't take good care of himself, which led to the pus-filled wound."
"I have just scraped off the rotting flesh and bandaged the wound. I will prescribe a few more doses for Your Highness Prince An to take. He should be fine."
"But this injury is quite serious. After all, I'm afraid he'll have a fever in the next two days. He still needs to be watched day and night."
"Also, His Royal Highness Prince An nearly injured his heart and lungs this time. He needs to rest well during this period. Don't leave the bed or move around for at least seven days."
After hearing what Wu Yuanzheng said, Xie Rong's eyes slowly narrowed, his gaze went blank, and his left hand kept turning the jade ring on his right thumb, not knowing what he was thinking.
After a while, he finally said, "I understand. You can leave first."
The imperial doctors withdrew in response, and the room suddenly became a little emptier.
Concubine Zhou couldn't bear it any longer, and she walked quickly past the screen. At a glance, she saw Xie Qian'an lying on the couch, as white as paper, with thick gauze wrapped around his body.
Tears welled up in her eyes all of a sudden. She took two steps at a time and walked to the bedside. Her hands were shaking but she didn't know where to put them. Her lips moved, "How...how could she be injured so badly?"
Xie Qianan smiled silently. He looked extremely weak at the moment, but he still tried to comfort Concubine Zhou. "Don't worry, mother. Didn't Wu Yuanzheng say that I'm fine. I just need to take good care of myself for a while."
"Compared to those soldiers who died on the battlefield, I am already very lucky."
After the last word fell, Xie Qianan looked behind Concubine Zhou and called out, "Father."
Having said that, he was about to get out of bed and salute.
Xie Rong stepped forward and held him down. "No need to be polite. How do you feel now?"
Xie Qianan said: "I feel much better. Thank you for your concern, father."
After a pause, Xie Qi'an continued, "Father, it was all because of your uselessness that I fell into the Chen Kingdom's scheme and lost the city that we had already recaptured."
Xie Rong patted his shoulder and said, "Let's not talk about the past anymore. The most important thing right now is for you to get well soon."
"As for matters at the border, I have already handed them over to Yuan'er. I believe he will make proper arrangements, so you don't have to worry about it."
Xie Qian'an listened to Xie Rong's words with a calm expression, but his hands hidden under his sleeves tightened unconsciously.
He smiled and said, "I understand. My third brother has led troops in battle for many years and has made great achievements. I have no worries about leaving the border war to him."
"I will take good care of my health and not let Father and Mother worry."
Xie Rong nodded in satisfaction after hearing what he said, "That's right."
Xie Qian'an's eyes darkened, and then he seemed to feel some discomfort in his heart. He covered the wound on his chest and began to cough hard, one cough after another, until his face turned red.
Concubine Zhou was startled and asked in a panic, "An'er, what's wrong with you? Are you feeling uncomfortable or in pain somewhere?"
"Someone, come! Go and call Wu Yuanzheng back!"
Xie Qian'an then hurriedly stopped coughing, stopped Concubine Zhou, and said in a weak voice: "Mother, I am fine, you don't need to be so nervous."
Then he looked at Xie Rong again, his expression revealing a hint of request, and said, "Father, I have an unwelcome request, and I hope you can agree to it."
Hearing this, Xie Rong frowned slightly, and the slight concern he had just shown disappeared. He said nothing and waited for Xie Qian'an to continue.
Xie Qianan said, "Father, I hope that after my injuries are healed, I can make a small contribution to the border war."
After the words were spoken, there was a moment of silence in the air.
Xie Rong raised his eyebrows, and after a while he said, "You should know that you are seriously injured. Even if your injuries heal, it is not suitable for you to go to the battlefield again in the short term."
Xie Qi'an said in a resolute voice, "Your Highness knows this, and I dare not embarrass you, Father."
"It's just that the border battle this time was not going well, and part of the responsibility lies with me. I want to atone for my sins with my merits."
"No matter what I do, as long as I can do something for the people living on the border and for the army, I will be satisfied."
Xie Rong looked gloomy and did not agree.
Seeing this, Xie Qianan adjusted his posture and knelt down on the bed. "I just want to make my conscience feel better. I hope that the emperor will allow it."
As he moved, the wound burst open, and the white gauze wrapped around his chest faintly revealed a hint of crimson. Concubine Zhou saw this and hurriedly said, "An'er, lie down quickly. The wound has opened again. Doctor Wu said you need to rest."
Xie Qian'an looked stubborn and expectant at Xie Rong.
Xie Rong's expression was hard to tell, he neither agreed nor refused, he just said calmly: "You should recuperate first, and we'll talk after you've recovered."
Then he stood up and was about to take a step when he suddenly paused and said, "You can stay in the palace for the time being. Wu Yuanzheng will take care of you and you will recover as soon as possible."
"Noble Concubine Zhou, take good care of Prince An."
Then he left the side hall calmly.
Back in the main hall where government affairs were handled, Xie Rong sat on the dragon throne, his eyes deep, staring at the memorials on the table in a trance.
Li Shunquan tiptoed in with a tray and gently placed the teacup next to Xie Rong's hand.
Just as he was about to withdraw his hand, he realized that the emperor's eyes were already on him, "How is Prince An?"
"His Royal Highness Prince An has been re-bandaged and has returned to the Yanx Palace with the Royal Concubine to recuperate." Li Shunquan bowed and said respectfully.
Xie Rong hummed lightly, without revealing any emotion, and picked up the teacup at hand.
When I opened the tea lid, the fragrance hit me in the face. Just as it reached my lips and I was about to take a sip, I suddenly put it down.
Li Shunquan caught a glimpse of this scene out of the corner of his eye, and his heart, which had just been relieved, suddenly rose again.
As expected, Xie Rong heard: "Prince An said that he wants to contribute to the border war after he recovers. What do you think?"
In the hall, apart from Xie Rong, only Li Shunquan was serving on the side. It was obvious whose opinion Xie Rong was asking for.
Li Shunquan secretly groaned in his heart, but he had to answer the emperor's questions.
He pondered this in his mind for a moment, then smiled and said, "I feel that His Highness Prince An is very filial to the Emperor. Even though he was seriously injured, he did not forget to share the Emperor's worries."
"The young masters in this palace are all doing well. The princes are fighting outside and serving the court, the princesses are enjoying the emperor's caress and making him happy. Even the youngest, the fifth prince, has been studying much harder recently."
"The princes and princesses are filial to the emperor, and the emperor is compassionate to them. He couldn't bear to see His Royal Highness Prince An seriously injured and still worried about the border affairs."
"As for what to do, I don't know. Even I, a childless person, feel the dilemma."
Li Shunquan knew exactly what Xie Rong was asking, but he chose to take a different approach, pretending to be stupid and misinterpreting Xie Rong's meaning.
Listening to Li Shunquan's words, Xie Rong snorted coldly, glanced at Li Shunquan, and said, "Old fox."
Li Shunquan said with a smile: "What I said is the truth."
Those compliments obviously made Xie Rong feel much better.
Li Shunquan saw Xie Rong pick up the teacup and drink most of it in one breath, then began to review the memorials, and he knew that the matter was over.
I breathed a sigh of relief, and my back felt wet. Then I realized that I was sweating coldly.