Peerless Physician: The Path of a Foolish Eldest Daughter's Rise to Power

In the imperial study, Emperor Yongfeng looked at the twelve parchments in front of him, which he had ordered people to dig out from the Seven Courtyards.

These long-forgotten letters were given to him by Gu Siming. If Gu Siming cannot be found, these letters will remain buried underground forever.

Today, the Third Prince told him that he had found Gu Siming. He heard the details, but the shock he felt was not as great as what he had seen. Gu Siming looked like a ghost, so thin that it was unbearable to look at.

When Gu Yong learned that his son had been found, his first instinct was not to go see his son, but to report to him, which shows that he had no intention of disloyalty.

They made a pact that whenever they were feeling down, they would go to the Seventh Hospital, sit for a while, look at the big locust tree, and all their troubles would drift away like floating clouds.

"From now on, this courtyard will be called the Seventh Courtyard, and it will be the Seventh Brother's courtyard. It will only hold the Seventh Brother's happiness."

"Elder brother, I will fill the whole courtyard with happiness. From now on, whenever you are unhappy, come here, make a pinky promise, and it will never change for a hundred years."

That was a promise he made when he was twelve and his seven-year-old brother when he was six, but he never went to keep it after he became emperor.

When did their brotherly relationship become strained? Probably when he learned that the late emperor favored Consort Xian the most, and by extension, also favored his seventh brother.

The late emperor intended to make his seventh brother the crown prince, but Consort Xian refused. Consort Xian was his aunt. But with such a great temptation as the throne, how could his seventh brother not be tempted by something so readily available?

He was the eldest son of the legitimate wife, so it was only natural for him to inherit the throne. The previous emperor was also the eldest son of the legitimate wife, which is why he inherited the throne.

Why would he cause such trouble after inheriting the throne? Which emperor wouldn't be wary of someone eyeing his throne? Besides, the late emperor intended for his seventh brother to be the heir apparent.

He was quite tolerant, allowing his seventh brother to retain military power. Of course, his seventh brother was also very capable. Other countries would have to think twice before attacking the Great Leap Forward. Some people were terrified at the mere mention of his name and dared not easily start a war with Great Leap Forward.

He wanted to see what his seventh brother had written. Was it meant to mock him for becoming emperor only because he was the eldest son? Or was it meant to boast that he was the late emperor's favorite son?

He picked up the parchment and looked at it; it had a number on it. He slowly unwrapped it.

"Brother, every time I go to an important battlefield, I will leave you a letter. Consider it my last words. I just wanted to write to you, but you are very busy and may not have time to read it. You have a lot of things to do as emperor. No matter how busy you are, please remember to eat on time. Your good health is a blessing for the people of the Great Leap Dynasty."

"Brother, don't envy my love with my wife. You can call me stingy or show off if you want, but my heart is too small to hold more than my wife."

The person you've been longing for might be right beside you. Perhaps you're too busy, or perhaps you have too many concubines to attend to. Haha, no excuses! You're the emperor, the chosen one; even heaven will help you. If you pay close attention, you'll definitely find them. Perhaps they really are right beside you—not perhaps, they definitely are.

Emperor Yongfeng's lips curled up in a smile; this brat had guessed correctly.

“Brother, we are guarding the border, and we still need to check the enemy spies in the city regularly. We should not send the princess to marry foreign rulers again. The princesses are our blood relatives, and they are not living well in foreign lands. I will keep the border impregnable, and you can create a prosperous and prosperous era.”

Emperor Yongfeng's eyes welled up with tears. He had created the Yongfeng era of prosperity, and the one who truly understood him was his seventh brother.

......

“Brother, Xiling is not wealthy, yet they can still persist in fighting. I have a bad feeling about this. I need to investigate who is secretly supporting Xiling. Every war drains the national treasury and harms the people. I hope for peace in the world and for the people to live a peaceful and prosperous life.”

“Your Majesty, I often think about who will protect the Great Yue Dynasty if I were to die on the battlefield. I hope that the Third Prince can break the prophecy, live well, and protect the Great Yue. If I were to die on the battlefield, please treat my generals well.”

Tears blurred Emperor Yongfeng's eyes. His seventh brother was broad-minded and cared about the people of the Great Leap Dynasty. Yet he suspected his seventh brother of disloyalty. He was filled with regret, but time could not be turned back.

He was the emperor, and his ulterior motives regarding his seventh brother turned into suspicion and distrust. Even when he was accused of treason, there was a moment when he believed it. It was only when the Empress Dowager was so angry that she vomited blood that he withdrew his thoughts.

He didn't really understand his seventh brother. The little follower who used to fawn over him had long since grown up and was capable of standing on his own, but he was still stuck in the past. The Empress Dowager understood his seventh brother very well, but he failed to do so.

He had always thought their relationship had become distant, but the warmth in his seventh brother's words was still the same as before. It turned out the problem lay with him.

At the morning court session, the emperor reinstated Gu Yong as Grand Commandant. He had previously held the position, but during his period of blindness, he had not participated in court affairs. Even after his sight was restored, the emperor had not explicitly stated it, yet today he announced his reinstatement at the court assembly.

After the court session ended, many people came to congratulate him, and Gu Yong responded with a smile.

In the imperial study, the emperor entrusted the task of investigating spies from various countries to the crown prince, who gladly accepted and asked the third prince to assist him.

Emperor Yongfeng did not see that Chu Yize was unhappy. He had found out about these things first. He also told the Crown Prince many details and his own insights, just like a teacher sharing his experience with his favorite disciple. Did he not covet the throne?

The fourth prince would compete with the crown prince whenever he had the chance. The crown prince needed to be tempered, so the fourth prince turned a blind eye to it. They were all his sons. But why didn't the third prince compete with the crown prince?

When Emperor Yongfeng arrived at Cining Palace, the Empress Dowager had just finished her afternoon nap. He told her about Prince Rui's situation, saying that his remains had not yet been found and that he should be buried in the royal mausoleum, but only as a cenotaph.

The Empress Dowager was surprised. Since becoming emperor, Emperor Yongfeng had never mentioned Prince Rui. What was wrong with him today? No matter what, she would only be worthy of her sister's support if she could ensure that the seventh prince was laid to rest.

Seeing the Empress Dowager's pleased joy, Emperor Yongfeng knew that he had fulfilled her wish.

“Yiming has grown up and it’s time for him to inherit the title.”

"Alright, once Prince Rui is buried in the imperial mausoleum, Yiming will inherit the title. Your Majesty, it's best if you can accept some things. You are busy with state affairs, so please take care of your health."

The Empress Dowager was always very worried about his health.

After leaving Cining Palace, Emperor Yongfeng went to Yongchun Palace. He dismissed the palace maids, wanting to speak with Consort Ling.

"Consort Ling, what are your plans, Third Prince?"

"After the wedding, let him go to his fiefdom of Dengzhou. What do you think, Your Majesty?"

"What's so good about it? Dengzhou is not only poor, but the climate is also bad. Can't we choose a better place?"

"Your Majesty, he is a prince of Great Yue. Why can't he live in a place where the people of Great Yue can live?"

"Doesn't he want to stay in the capital? Doesn't he want to consider that chair?"

Consort Ling looked at the Emperor in horror, then quickly knelt down. Her son had been poisoned several times, and she had suffered miscarriages—the memories were still vivid in her mind. She didn't want her son or herself to be involved in these conflicts.

“Your Majesty, Aze has no such intentions. There is only one Crown Prince, but there are many princes. As a prince, he enjoys the honor of the royal family, and it is his responsibility to build the Great Leap Forward. The Crown Prince is his family, and it is his duty to assist the Crown Prince.”

After Consort Ling finished speaking, tears streamed down her face, but she remained kneeling upright without crying, quietly looking at the Emperor.

Emperor Yongfeng saw every expression on Consort Ling's face and felt a pang of heartache. He never expected that Consort Ling would say that it was her responsibility and duty.

The late emperor favored the third son the most. Before his death, the late emperor intended to make the third son the crown prince. The next day, the third son was poisoned, and Consort Ling miscarried. A Taoist priest predicted that the third son would not live past the age of twenty.

"Get up."

"Your Majesty, I have something to say. Could you please forgive my great disrespect?"

"You know it's unpleasant to say, but you still say it. Go ahead and say it, and I will forgive you."

"Your Majesty must not say such things in the future. If the Crown Prince finds out, he will inevitably feel uncomfortable. It would be good if the Crown Prince eventually understands. But if he doesn't understand, those discomforts will become a knot, and eventually he will not be able to tolerate Aze."

Emperor Yongfeng sat quietly without saying a word. Wasn't this how he and his seventh brother were? He withdrew his thoughts and decided to focus on nurturing the crown prince.

Consort Ling, unaware of what was wrong with the Emperor, remained kneeling quietly without disturbing him.

After a long time, Emperor Yongfeng got up, helped Consort Ling up, patted the back of her hand and said, "You are good, and the third prince is good too." Then he turned and left.