cold clothes

Mother Hu said she would search high and low to find Leng Yi's "accomplices," which inevitably made Leng Yi panic. She was determined not to let Mother Hu discover Yin Jiu. So she forcibly suppressed the urge to go to the herbal medicine shop to find Yin Jiu. However, she was worried that Yin Jiu would come to her on his own initiative and be discovered by Mother Hu, and even more worried that he hadn't come at all...

Leng Yi had a strong feeling that something had happened to Yin Jiu and that she might never see her again.

Meanwhile, at the Inmyeongjeon Hall of the Imperial Palace, Zhao Yin's residence.

Zhao Qun frowned, trying to suppress the unpleasant musty smell of herbs and charcoal mixed together in the room. His eyes fell on his younger brother lying on the bed, and he still felt very frightened.

His pale, thin, and quiet appearance made it hard not to suspect that he might be dead.

Zhao Qun couldn't help but ask Physician Li, "Will the Fifth Prince really wake up?"

"Why do you want him not to wake up?" Imperial Physician Li thought to himself, while respectfully replying, "Your Highness, the Fifth Prince is too weak. He can only barely maintain a pulse and breathing. As for when he will wake up, this old minister is powerless and it is all up to fate."

"What use are you to me!" Zhao Qun shouted angrily, then glanced at Zhao Yin a few more times before turning away.

Behind Zhao Qun's back, Physician Li rolled his eyes so hard they were practically reaching the sky. The old man was almost cured; it was just that the Empress wouldn't let him recover. Instead of cursing this old man, he should ask his mother!

After inwardly grumbling for a while, Imperial Physician Li gave Zhao Yin a deep look. He had watched the Fifth Prince grow up… This child's perseverance was extraordinary. The remaining poison was being cleared smoothly, and he should wake up around the estimated time. When he awoke, that would be his true moment to shine.

As Zhao Qun returned to Renming Hall, he pondered life with a maturity beyond his years.

Due to illness, the fifth prince mostly lived outside the palace, and they only spent a little over a year together. In his opinion, the fifth prince was an easy-going and approachable person who also loved reading military books. Unfortunately, he was in poor health and couldn't even ride a horse, let alone lead troops into battle.

Among all of the emperor's many sons, Zhao Qun was undoubtedly the most watched. However, recently the emperor seemed to prefer his second brother, because his second brother could discuss the way of governing the country with the emperor, something that Zhao Qun had always found quite troublesome.

Once he can no longer help his father, his father will no longer pay attention to him. Will he one day become useless and be ignored like his fifth brother?

Zhao Qun returned to Renming Palace with a somber face, but he did not expect to be greeted by his mother's angry expression.

"Zhao Qun, how dare you do such a thing!" Empress Wang said, her anger barely contained.

"What's wrong, Mother?"

"Don't you know what you did at the Xiuyun Lake Gathering last night? You fell in love at first sight with a dancer at Fengxiang Pavilion and gave her your personal jade pendant; you were also interested in the dancer's male teacher and planned to bring them both into the palace... You're really something! You used to scoff at Fengxiang Pavilion, but as soon as you left the palace, you were blinded by the allure of the world! Do you still want your reputation?" Empress Wang questioned aggressively.

Zhao Qun was more puzzled than surprised upon hearing this, and quickly knelt down, saying, "Mother, these are all rumors. I did not fall in love with that dancer at first sight, nor do I have any homosexual tendencies!"

"Then tell me, did you give your jade pendant to that dancer?"

"This……"

Seeing Zhao Qun hesitate, Empress Wang became even angrier. Pointing at her son, she said with exasperation, "Giving away your own belongings has given people something to gossip about. Whether the rumors are true or not is no longer important; your reputation has already been damaged!"

Zhao Qun panicked. Although he could explain, his mother was too angry to listen, so he could only admit his mistake and say, "Mother, I know I was wrong. I will never give my belongings to others again!"

Seeing his sincerity, Empress Wang's anger subsided considerably, but she still sternly punished him by confinement: "What do you think about the future? This month, you will stay in the Eastern Palace to reflect on your mistakes, diligently study the classics, learn shame and reason, and never brandish swords or spears again!"