Rebirth: Making a Fortune in Ancient Times

"Welcome back to the palace, Your Highness the Crown Prince." Upon seeing Zhou Luo and his entourage approaching, Shen Jingheng was the first to kneel down.

"Welcome back to the palace, Your Highness the Crown Prince." The other ministers following behind, upon recognizing Zhou Luo's face, immediately knelt and bowed in greeting.

Zhou Luo swallowed the word "father" that was about to escape his lips, straightened his body, and spoke in a steady voice according to the etiquette his teacher had taught him.

"Gentlemen, there's no need for such formalities. Please rise!"

"Thank you, Your Highness."

After everyone expressed their gratitude, they stood up. They had a very good impression of the crown prince. He was indeed of royal blood and a student of the Grand Tutor. Although he grew up in the countryside, his manners and demeanor were quite good.

Jiang Xue's elder brother, Jiang Pingda, followed the others in bowing and rising. Although his eyes were lowered and he appeared respectful, he was actually secretly observing the child. This was the son the Emperor had given to his sister, the future pillar of the Jiang family.

"Your Highness, the Emperor is unwell and is currently waiting for you in his palace," Shen Jingheng said to Zhou Luo.

"Alright, then please lead the way, Father... Master."

Then a group of ministers escorted Zhou Luo towards the Emperor's bedchamber. When they arrived outside, Li Dequan was pacing anxiously under the eaves. Seeing them approach, he jogged over from a distance, and when he saw Zhou Luo's face clearly, he couldn't help but burst into tears. This really was the Emperor's son; he looked more and more like him.

"This servant respectfully welcomes His Highness the Crown Prince back to the palace."

"Please rise, Eunuch Li," Zhou Luo said gently.

"Your Highness, the Emperor has been waiting for you for a long time. Please come in!"

Hearing Eunuch Li's words, Zhou Luo felt somewhat uneasy. Turning around, he met Shen Jingheng's gaze and saw him give him a barely perceptible nod. He steadied himself, turned back, nodded to Eunuch Li, and said...

"it is good"

Then, under everyone's watchful eyes, Zhou Luo followed behind Eunuch Li and entered the heavily guarded gate.

As soon as Zhou Luo entered the palace, he heard heavy breathing and a gurgling sound in the throat, as if something was stuck in it.

"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has arrived," Eunuch Li whispered to the person on the bed. Zhou Luo stood only three steps away from the imperial bed, looking at the person sleeping restlessly. Even in his sleep, his brows were tightly furrowed, as if he were enduring great pain. Less than a year had passed since their last meeting, yet he had become so thin, the flesh on his cheeks sunken. If it weren't for his head peeking out from under the thin blanket, it would be almost impossible to tell that someone was sleeping in the bed.

"Ah..." The Emperor slowly opened his eyes. In that half-asleep state, he seemed to have returned to his childhood. He saw his father, who was still so tall and imposing. He had been hiding somewhere where no one could see him, watching his father embrace the other princes, his smile so loving, a love he had never received before.

"Your Highness...Your Highness..." He tried to raise his hand, but only managed to lift it a few centimeters before it fell limply back onto the couch.

“Your Highness, the Emperor is calling you! Please come forward so the Emperor can see you,” said Eunuch Li to Zhou Luo, who was standing still. If it weren’t for the constraints of his status, he would have reached out and pulled Zhou Luo to the Emperor’s side.

“Your Majesty, I’m here!” Zhou Luo stepped forward and grasped his thin, bony hand.

"Your Highness, you should address him as Father Emperor," Eunuch Li whispered a reminder from behind.

"Luo'er... I never... imagined... that you were... my... son." The Emperor tried to return the warmth in his hand.

"I'm not... good... good... good... Father!" the Emperor said to Zhou Luo.

"Medicine..." The Emperor was talking to Zhou Luo when he suddenly asked to drink his medicine.

"Quickly bring the medicine over," Eunuch Li said in a low but urgent voice to the palace servants beside him.

The palace servants quickly brought the warm medicine to the emperor's bedside. Just as Eunuch Li was about to feed the emperor the medicine, Zhou Luo stopped him.

"give it to me!"

Seeing Zhou Luo about to personally feed the Emperor his medicine, Eunuch Li's eyes welled up with tears again. The Crown Prince is a filial and good child.

Zhou Luo first tested the temperature of the medicine, then patiently fed it to the Emperor spoonful by spoonful, considerately wiping away any medicine that dribbled from the corners of his mouth. Seeing Zhou Luo serving the Emperor so attentively, Eunuch Li's eyes were constantly wet with tears; he would wipe them away, only to have them flow again. How wonderful it would be if the Crown Prince could return to the Emperor's side sooner! But this thought was quickly suppressed; if he returned earlier, wouldn't he have already been murdered?

After nearly fifteen minutes of feeding, the emperor finally finished the small bowl of medicine. His strength was somewhat better than before. The medicine contained century-old ginseng, which would give him a brief respite.

Looking at his son, who resembled him so much, he finally came to a full awakening from his half-dreaming state.

"Who protected you here?" the Emperor asked his son softly.

"Your Majesty, it is my teacher and Sister Xiaxia." Zhou Luo still couldn't bring himself to call him "Father."

However, the emperor didn't seem to care about these things. It was useless anyway, as he didn't have much time left and wanted to personally entrust some matters to his son.

"You may all leave. I have something to say to the Crown Prince," the Emperor instructed Eunuch Li.

"Yes"

Once everyone had left, the palace doors were closed again.

The Emperor looked at his son, whom he had only met twice before, and said softly.

"Luo'er, come closer to my ear."

Zhou Luo obediently leaned closer to listen as the emperor revealed to him the secrets known only to emperors throughout history.

Outside the main hall, everyone stood with their hands at their sides. No one dared to leave now, because the emperor could die at any moment.

When the palace doors opened again, Zhou Luo came out and addressed the crowd standing outside.

"The Emperor summoned Wenfu Township Princess and Grand Tutor Li."

The two men standing behind the ministers heard the emperor's summons and hurriedly followed him inside, but this time the doors to the main hall were not closed.

"Grand Tutor..." The Emperor extended his hand to Grand Tutor Li as he approached.

The Grand Tutor, disregarding the formalities, quickly stepped forward and grasped the Emperor's hand.

"Your Majesty..." The Grand Tutor held his bony hand, tears streaming down his face. It was one thing to not see him, but to see the child he had watched grow up, who had once possessed the aura of an emperor and reigned supreme over the world, now reduced to a flickering lamp in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment, how could he not feel heartache?

"Grand Tutor, I am sorry, I have failed your teachings. Luo'er is very well-mannered, all thanks to you. My health is failing me, I cannot continue. From now on, I entrust Luo'er to you. The way of being a ruler still needs your slow and careful instruction." The Emperor seemed to be in much better spirits. He was no longer panting when he spoke, and his face had regained some color.

But everyone present knew that this was a final burst of energy before death. He was holding on to his last breath just to see the Crown Prince. Now that the Crown Prince had arrived, he had finished what he needed to say, and the last bit of strength that had sustained him had dissipated.

"Your Majesty, this is what this old minister should do. The Crown Prince is still young, and the ministers cannot do without you." The Grand Tutor knelt before the bed, his face covered in tears.

"Teacher, I know my own body. I can't take it anymore, I can't take it anymore." After saying that, he looked in the direction where Xia Yu was standing.

"Wenfu, come closer."

Xia Yu did as instructed, taking a few steps forward and kneeling before the dragon bed.

Looking at Xia Yu's energetic face, the Emperor felt his mood brighten considerably.

"Wenfu, Luo'er told me everything that happened on your way here. You are a blessed person. Those who are close to you will have good fortune. Luo'er is young and has no one to support him in this palace. Minister Shen and the Grand Tutor are both men and face many inconveniences in the palace. I hope you can stay by Luo'er's side to protect him until he comes of age. Are you willing?"