The emperor would rather have a

Chapter 169 The Queen is seriously ill
When the memorial from Tokyo arrived in Huainan by express courier, the emperor's entourage had just stopped at Zhengyang.

Upon learning of Zhe Congruan's illness, Chai Rong issued an imperial decree allowing Zhe Congruan to stay in Luoyang to recuperate.

At the same time, he ordered Xiang Xun, the garrison commander of Tokyo, to send imperial physicians with valuable medicinal materials to Luoyang to treat Zhe Congruan's illness.

As for the memorial mentioning that Zhe Congruan recommended Li Chuyun and suggested promoting him to the position of Right Assistant of the Palace Guard, Emperor Shizong Chai Rong also granted the request.

Meanwhile, reports came from the front lines that Li Chongjin had led his army to the walls of Shouzhou. The emperor issued an edict ordering able-bodied men from Song, Hao, Chen, Ying and other places to assist Li Chongjin's troops in taking the city as soon as possible.

A few days later, Chai Rong appointed Shi Yanchao, the commander of the Imperial Guards, as the vanguard commander of the Huainan Road campaign. He also appointed Si Chao, the patrol inspector of Luzhou, as the deputy vanguard commander, leading troops to Sheng Tang to attack the Southern Tang garrison.

Wang Yanchao, the military governor of Zhongwu Army, was appointed as the deputy commander of the Huainan Road expeditionary force, leading more than 10,000 cavalry and infantry soldiers to Dingyuan to meet the reinforcements of Huangfu Hui, the military governor of Fenghua of the Southern Tang Dynasty.

Wang Kui, the military governor of Wuping and concurrently the Grand Chancellor, was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the southern expeditionary force, and Bai Chongzan, the military governor of Heyang, was appointed as the deputy commander-in-chief of the expeditionary force. They were ordered to lead their troops to attack Ezhou of the Southern Tang.

He then ordered Han Lingkun, the commander of the Imperial Guard Cavalry, and Li Jixun, the commander of the Infantry, to lead three thousand elite troops of the Imperial Guard to advance towards Haozhou.

As military orders were issued, the four armies of the Later Zhou Dynasty set off one after another. Their banners covered the sky and the sound of war drums echoed for miles, their advances heading straight for key locations in the Southern Tang Dynasty.

Chai Rong stood with his hands behind his back in front of the map, looking at the marked marching route, his eyes gleaming with a sharp light—this was the encirclement he had been planning for a long time.

Since ascending the throne, he has harbored a powerful ambition: all land under heaven belongs to the king… he will eventually unify the fragmented world and achieve unparalleled greatness.

May my fame and achievements be praised throughout this land for generations to come!

Chai Rong looked away from the map, closed his eyes slightly, and sighed deeply.

He was already impatient, wanting someone to tell him as soon as he opened his eyes that the whole world had submitted to the military might of the Great Zhou.

However, Chai Rong quickly regained his composure, opened his eyes and carefully examined the arrows on the map, his mind racing through various plans.

The strategy of using Shouzhou City as the core, breaking through the stalemate and reaching the Yangtze River, first dividing and then encircling, is not problematic.

It all depends on whether the various armies can achieve their set goals... but Shouzhou City must be captured; it must not be allowed to hinder the progress of the war.

After pondering for a moment, Chai Rong summoned his close advisors and instructed them, "Send someone to urge Li Chongjin to intensify the attack on the city. I will personally supervise the battle at the walls of Shouzhou in a few days!"

The emperor's words carried weight, and his close advisors dared not delay. They immediately began drafting the edict and sent it to the front lines in Shouzhou.

However, things are always unpredictable. Before the emperor could set off for Shouzhou City, someone suddenly arrived at Zhengyang Headquarters from Yingzhou.

When Chai Rong saw that the person who came was a eunuch who served the Empress, he immediately guessed that the Empress had sent him to report something.

He thought the Empress had a message for him, but he didn't expect the eunuch to kneel down and weep upon seeing him.

"Your Majesty, the Empress is ill and bedridden. She wishes to see Your Majesty one last time."

Upon hearing this, Chai Rong's heart skipped a beat: when he left Chenzhou, the Empress was perfectly fine, only suffering from a slight cough due to spleen deficiency.

Moreover, a few days ago, a report came from Yingzhou saying that the Empress's carriage had arrived in Yingzhou and that her health had recovered well and that she was basically fine.

How could the condition have suddenly deteriorated to this extent?

Chai Rong was furious and cursed, "You damned eunuch, what nonsense are you spouting? What happened to the Empress?"

The eunuch trembled, touched his forehead to the ground, and hurriedly said, "When Her Majesty first arrived in Yingzhou, she was already in good health. But a couple of days ago, she suddenly felt unwell. The imperial physician examined her and said she had caught typhoid fever. After taking the medicine, her condition did not improve; instead, it worsened..."

Upon hearing this, Chai Rong's expression changed several times.

No one can predict when they will get sick, but if even medication is ineffective, it shows how critical the condition is.

"Incompetent!" Chai Rong roared, his expression terrifyingly grim. "Are those imperial physicians all a bunch of good-for-nothings? They can't even handle a simple case of typhoid fever!"

The eunuch who came to deliver the message was so frightened that he knelt on the ground, trembling all over like a leaf, his forehead pressed tightly against the blue brick, not daring to utter a word.

"I will depart for Yingzhou immediately." Chai Rong suppressed his anger and decisively ordered, "Go and order the palace guards to accompany me."

Half an hour later, Ma Renyu, the commander of the inner palace guards, led more than a thousand cavalrymen, lightly armed and simply, to escort the emperor to Yingzhou.

In order to travel faster, Chai Rong did not bring any ceremonial regalia, but instead rode his horse himself, traveling day and night with few stops, and arrived in Yingzhou in just over half a day.

After a short rest at the post station, the cavalry, numbering over a thousand, set off again and finally arrived outside Yingzhou City the following afternoon.

……

The inner courtyard of the government office in Yingzhou has become the Empress's temporary palace, guarded by layers of imperial guards.

The eunuchs and palace maids coming and going all walked carefully and quietly, afraid of making too much noise and incurring punishment.

Since the Queen contracted typhoid fever, her condition deteriorated rapidly in just two or three days, and she is now bedridden. At first, she could still eat some oily or greasy food, but now she can hardly swallow even plain rice porridge.

Seeing that she was already terminally ill, everyone couldn't help but guess that the Empress might not make it through this ordeal... but they only dared to think it in their hearts, who had the courage to say it out loud?

"Has the Emperor...has the Emperor arrived?" Fu asked weakly, lying on the brocade couch.

Wang Shanggong, who was standing by, quickly leaned closer, only to hear Fu Shi repeat herself. Before Wang Shanggong could respond, she suddenly coughed violently, and her face instantly turned even paler.

"Your Majesty, please rest well and speak less, lest you harm your health." Wang Shanggong hurriedly helped Fu Shi turn over slightly and gently stroked her back.

At the same time, she comforted him, saying, "This servant has already sent someone to the front lines to report to His Majesty, and His Majesty will arrive in Yingzhou by today at the latest."

"That's good..." Madam Fu breathed a sigh of relief, a hint of sorrow appearing on her gaunt face. "If I couldn't even see His Majesty one last time, I wouldn't be able to die in peace..."

Perhaps speaking was too exhausting, for after speaking, Madam Fu stopped talking and stared blankly at the bed frame, her thoughts seemingly drifting elsewhere.

Upon seeing the Empress's appearance, Wang Shanggong fell silent, but couldn't help feeling a pang of sadness in her heart.

She had served the Empress for many years and had always treated her well; there was a bond between them, so she naturally felt bad seeing this scene.

"This servant will go check if the medicine is ready..." said Wang Shanggong, but Fu Shi did not respond. She could only tuck Fu Shi in with the brocade quilt, then got up and quickly walked out.

A moment later, Lady Wang returned with the medicine. Seeing that Lady Fu's eyes were closed, she was immediately startled and almost dropped the porcelain bowl in her hand.

Wang Shanggong hurriedly went to the bedside, and tremblingly reached out to touch Fu Shi's nose.

Sensing the weak but steady breath, she immediately breathed a sigh of relief and softly called out, "Your Majesty, it's time to take your medicine."

After being called several times, Lady Fu slowly opened her eyes. She was stunned for a moment before realizing it was time to take her medicine. Lady Wang patiently fed her the medicine, and Lady Fu drifted off to sleep again.

When she woke up again, it was almost dusk, and the afterglow of the setting sun shone through the window, bathing everything in the room in a dim, yellowish light.

This scene possesses a strangely beautiful atmosphere.

But Fu felt something different. As she looked at the setting sun outside the window, an unprecedented fear welled up in her heart—would her life, like the setting sun, be swallowed up in the boundless darkness in an instant?
In a daze, she remembered a Taoist priest who had read her face and said that although she had the appearance of nobility, she was destined to have a bad end... Did that mean she would die young?

No, I can't die!

Xun Ge'er is still very young, he cannot lose his mother... Thinking of this, she became more and more afraid, feeling as if the world was dark and oppressive, making it hard to breathe.

"Your Majesty... please teach my son..." Madam Fu suddenly gripped the brocade quilt tightly, her fingertips turning pale, and she muttered to herself.

Just then, she suddenly heard a noise outside, followed by a series of hurried footsteps.

Fu turned her head with difficulty, only to see Wang Shanggong stride in, her face showing some excitement.

"Your Majesty, His Majesty has rushed back from the front lines to see you!"

……

The emperor arrived in Yingzhou without stopping, and without even having time to rest, went straight to the government office in Yingzhou.

On the way here, Chai Rong had already prepared for the worst: if the Empress really died, he must not hold a grand funeral, but could only secretly send her back to Tokyo to handle the funeral arrangements.

Since the campaign to conquer Jiangnan had just begun, if news of the Empress's death were to spread, it would have an immeasurable impact on the morale of the army.

However, even while considering these important matters, Chai Rong couldn't help but feel a little sad.

On the one hand, Empress Fu was chosen by the late emperor, who specially arranged the marriage to her to solidify his position.

On the other hand, he and Lady Fu had a very good relationship, and she gave birth to his son, Prince Chai Zongxun. The two were very affectionate and never had any disagreements.

Whether from a public or private perspective, Fu was very important to Chai Rong, and he naturally did not want to lose his wife.

It was this feeling that made him immediately put aside his affairs and rush to Yingzhou City to see the Empress.

But Chai Rong also knew very well that even the most revered emperor in the world could decide the fate of millions of people with a single word.

But he was powerless to defy the laws of birth, aging, sickness, and death... When facing death, all living beings are equal!
May His Majesty live a long and prosperous life!

As soon as the emperor stepped into the inner courtyard, everyone immediately knelt down with a clatter, their foreheads touching the ground, and no one dared to show the slightest disrespect.

"Rise!" Chai Rong didn't have time to say anything more and quickened his pace toward the bedroom.

Upon reaching the door, he suddenly noticed the Imperial Physician, who was about to stand up from the ground.

Chai Rong was instantly enraged and kicked the man. The Imperial Physician, whose hair was already turning white, never expected the emperor to suddenly attack him.

In an instant, he staggered back a few steps. If his colleague hadn't instinctively steadied him, he might have been seriously injured.

"Useless wretch!" Chai Rong, still furious, demanded, "You all diagnosed the Empress with typhoid fever, so why is her condition worsening instead of improving after taking the medicine? Could it be that there's something wrong with the medicine?"

"Your Majesty, please calm down!" The Imperial Physician trembled and immediately knelt down, crying out that he was innocent.

"After preparing the herbal medicine for Her Majesty, the leftover dregs are still kept. Your Majesty can have them checked... Those medicines have been taken by healthy people without any problems, so how dare we prescribe medicines for Her Majesty indiscriminately?"

The position of Director of the Imperial Medical Bureau is temporarily vacant. As the current highest-ranking official of the Imperial Medical Bureau, the Assistant Director of the Imperial Medical Bureau naturally has to accompany the emperor on expeditions, so he is the first person responsible if anything goes wrong.

Hearing this, Chai Rong's anger subsided slightly. But then he realized what he meant and said sternly, "Treatment requires the right medicine for the right symptoms. If you just prescribe useless medicine, aren't you delaying the Empress's treatment?"

"This..." The Imperial Physician immediately fell silent, unsure how to respond.

Fortunately, someone came to the rescue of the imperial physicians. Wang Shanggong quickly came out of the bedroom, knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, please come in."

Chai Rong nodded slightly and walked straight into the bedroom.

He had thought the Empress's condition was critical, perhaps too weak to continue, which was why she was so eager to see him one last time.

But to everyone's surprise, Lady Fu was able to sit up. She was half-leaning on the bed when she saw the emperor come in, and she forced a smile on her face.

"Jin Huan—" Chai Rong softly called out Fu Shi's maiden name, quickly walked to the bedside, sat down, and took Fu Shi's hand that was outstretched from under the brocade quilt.

He looked closely at his wife; her face had become noticeably thinner, her skin dull and pale, almost bloodless, and she certainly looked terminally ill.

As for why it can still hold on for now... Chai Rong thought that this was probably what people often call a "last gasp before death."

"It's been so long since Your Majesty called me by my childhood nickname..."

Lady Fu gripped her husband's large hand tightly, her face flushed, and she said emotionally, "I don't want to die. I can't bear to leave Your Majesty, and I can't bear to leave Xun-ge'er."

Upon hearing this, Chai Rong felt deeply saddened and could only comfort him, saying, "You won't die. Just focus on recovering. I'll stay in Yingzhou with you for a few more days until you're better before I leave."

Lady Fu was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled bitterly and said, "It's all my fault for being willful. I shouldn't have insisted that Your Majesty take me on the expedition... I not only failed to take care of Your Majesty, but also hindered the important affairs of the court."

She was truly filled with regret at that moment; the fear of death was suffocating her.

But what has already happened is useless no matter how much you regret it... It's just a pity that these truths can only be understood after experiencing them firsthand.

As she thought about it, Fu's eyes gradually welled up with tears, which began to swirl around the corners of her eyes and soon rolled down her cheeks.

"You... should get some rest." Chai Rong felt a mix of emotions and gently wiped his wife's eyes.

"Hmm." Madam Fu stared blankly ahead, her eyes vacant, and nodded subconsciously.

Seeing this, Chai Rong said no more and turned to Wang Shanggong, who was standing by, and instructed her: "Take good care of the Empress. If anything happens, report to me immediately!"

"This servant will obey Your Majesty's command!" Lady Wang bowed and replied hastily.

Chai Rong glanced at his wife again, sighed softly, and then got up and walked outside.

(End of this chapter)