The story begins with a power struggle among nine princes, but the protagonist doesn't vie for

At this moment, Cao Jin wished he could slap himself, and even more so, he wished he could yell at the little eunuch who had brought the message. Why did you have to come right after he finished speaking? Wasn't this just deliberately trying to ruin his life?

Emperor Xuanxi's expression instantly shifted from a livid rage to a strange, complex mix of astonishment, fury, absurdity, and an indescribable worry, alternating between pale and flushed.

He was just berating his sons for being troublesome and disgracing the royal family, and now, another son has "run into trouble"?! And at this time, in the form of "fainting"!

The princes kneeling below were terrified, their heads hanging even lower, their bodies trembling like leaves in the wind, each wishing they could bury themselves in the gold bricks.

A deathly silence, an even more chilling silence than before.

Emperor Xuanxi took a deep breath, as if he had just regained his voice. He stared intently at the young eunuch who had brought the news, his voice filled with suppressed, almost hoarse urgency: "What did you say? What happened to the Sixth Prince?!"

The young eunuch was terrified by the emperor's terrifying gaze, and stammered incoherently, "Your Majesty... the Sixth Prince... in his own courtyard... for some reason, suddenly... he fainted!"

Her face was deathly pale, and she wouldn't wake up no matter how much they called her... The palace maids who were serving her were so frightened that they quickly sent a servant to report the news...

"He fainted in his own courtyard..." Emperor Xuanxi murmured repeatedly, his gaze suddenly turning to the group of "culprits" on the ground. His anger, which had just subsided, flared up again like wildfire that had been doused with oil, even more intensely and more "justified" than before!

"Look at all of you! Look at the mess you've made!" Emperor Xuanxi pointed a finger at the mass of his sons lying on the ground, his finger trembling violently with extreme anger and lingering fear. His voice rose sharply, carrying an accusation of utter anguish and overwhelming guilt:

"It's all because of you! It's all because of you unfilial sons who, in front of my Qianqing Palace, disregarded all decorum, fought and brawled, making a deafening commotion!"

"Old Six was terrified! It must have been your lawless and outrageous behavior that startled him and made him faint!"

Emperor Xuanxi, without hesitation and with absolute certainty, attributed the reason for the Sixth Prince's fainting to the princes who had just participated in the fight!

Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince, Prince Zhi, and the others opened their mouths, but in front of the enraged Emperor Xuanxi, they were truly speechless. The blame for the sixth prince's fainting had been placed on their heads.

What could they say? That the sixth prince fainted on his own? That it had nothing to do with them? In front of the enraged Emperor Xuanxi, any explanation would only be seen as an attempt to shirk responsibility and an added punishment!

After Emperor Xuanxi finished speaking, he ignored the princes who were terrified and repeatedly kowtowing in apology. He turned to the eunuch who had brought the news and Cao Jin and said sternly:

"What are you all standing there for! Summon the imperial physicians! All imperial physicians on duty, get to the Sixth Prince immediately!"

"Quickly! Prepare the carriage! Go to the Sixth Prince's residence!"

Emperor Xuanxi was in a state of utter confusion. On one hand, he was worried about the safety of the sixth prince, and on the other hand, he was so angry with his troublesome sons that his heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys were aching.

Cao Jin hurriedly agreed, loudly relaying the imperial decree while jogging to arrange the imperial carriage. Emperor Xuanxi was in such a hurry that he didn't even have time to prepare the carriage. Surrounded by a group of eunuchs and guards, he rushed anxiously toward the palace where the sixth prince resided.

In front of the Qianqing Palace, a scene of utter chaos was once again left behind, along with a group of princes who lay limp on the ground, looking as if they had lost their parents.

In the northeast corner of the palace, lies the Xiefang Courtyard.

Compared to the Tenth Prince's residence, Xiefang Courtyard is located in a more secluded area, close to the Imperial Hospital and the Imperial Pharmacy. The courtyard is planted with flowers and trees, especially orchids and lilies, which are calming and soothing. The environment is quiet and secluded, lacking some of the royal splendor but offering more tranquility for recuperation.

This is the residence of the Sixth Prince, Luo Zhaohua.

The sixth prince, Luo Zhaohua, is over twenty years old and has long been an adult. He ranks high among the princes and should have reached the age of being granted a title, establishing his own government, and leaving the palace to build his own yamen.

Not to mention his older brothers, the third, fourth, and fifth, even his younger brother, the seventh, was granted the title of Prince Chun by Emperor Xuanxi and moved out of the palace.

Only he still lives in this secluded courtyard in a corner of the deep palace, under the name of "Sixth Prince".

The reason is nothing more than that although the sixth prince was born to the late empress, he was weak and sickly from childhood, a deficiency he was born with.

From the moment he was born, he was constantly taking medicine. He was sick for half the year, and he couldn't stand the wind or the rain. He was afraid of the heat in summer and the cold in winter. He was a well-known "medicine pot" in the palace.

Emperor Xuanxi pitied his frail health and feared that he would be left unattended after leaving the palace, which would delay his treatment. He was also worried that the daily affairs of establishing his own residence and military headquarters would weaken his already fragile body. Therefore, he did not grant him the title of prince, but allowed him to stay in the palace. He specially chose the Xiefang Courtyard, which was close to the Imperial Hospital and had a quiet and elegant environment, so that the imperial physicians could examine him at any time and that the precious medicinal materials in the palace could be supplied in a timely manner.

This special treatment was unique among all the princes.

At this moment, the Xiefang Courtyard was filled with a tense atmosphere after the chaos had just subsided. Upon learning that his beloved son had suddenly fainted, Emperor Xuanxi was extremely anxious and rushed over, leaving behind his group of rebellious sons who had caused trouble.

Inside the bedroom, the air was thick with the scent of medicine, and the windows were tightly closed, leaving only a small gap for ventilation.

The sixth prince, Luo Zhaohua, lay in the brocade quilt with his face as pale as paper, devoid of any color, his lips tinged with a faint bluish-purple, his eyes tightly closed, his breath weak, and his chest barely rising and falling.

He was thin, and his wrists, which were exposed outside his nightgown, were so slender that they looked as if they would break at any moment. Although his handsome features could still be vaguely seen, his face was dull and lifeless due to years of illness.

At this moment, being unconscious, he appears even more fragile, like a candle flickering in the wind, as if he might be extinguished at any moment.

Several imperial physicians were gathered around the bed, exchanging hushed conversations with grave expressions. The head physician, Dr. Sun, the chief physician of the Imperial Medical Academy, immediately led the others to kneel and pay their respects upon the emperor's arrival.

"Get up, all of you! How is the Sixth Prince?!" Emperor Xuanxi waved his hand, walked quickly to the bedside, looked at his son's lifeless appearance, his brows furrowed, and his eyes were filled with undisguised worry.

Imperial Physician Sun bowed and reported cautiously: "Your Majesty, the Sixth Prince's pulse is floating, slippery, and rapid, which is a sign of deficiency of heart and gallbladder qi and internal stirring of liver wind."

Fortunately, it was discovered in time. The old ministers have already applied acupuncture and administered Angong Niuhuang Wan (a traditional Chinese medicine). The phlegm has slightly cleared, the pulse has become somewhat normal, and the patient's life... should be out of immediate danger.

He paused, glanced at the emperor's face, and continued, "However... the Sixth Prince is born with a weak constitution and his heart meridian is weak... His health will likely become increasingly weak in the future, and he will need to take good care of himself."

Physician Sun spoke tactfully, but his meaning was clear: the person had been temporarily saved, but his condition was worse, and how long he could survive depended entirely on fate.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Xuanxi's expression turned even more unpleasant.

Cao Jin whispered a word of advice, "His Highness is a lucky man. With the imperial physicians taking good care of him, he will surely turn misfortune into good fortune. The most important thing right now is to let His Highness rest and recuperate."

Emperor Xuanxi took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He solemnly instructed Imperial Physician Sun:

"Use the best medicine and the most meticulous care to ensure the Sixth Prince recovers as quickly as possible. Any medicinal herbs needed, simply obtain them from the Imperial Treasury. From today onwards, the Imperial Medical Academy will assign personnel to guard the Xiefang Courtyard on a rotating basis; there must be no mistakes!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Physician Sun replied hastily.

Emperor Xuanxi then looked at the sixth prince's personal maid and eunuch standing by the bedside, their faces pale with fright, and said sternly:

"Serve your master well! If there is any further mishap, you'll all lose your heads! From this day forward, Xiefang Courtyard is to be closed for quiet recuperation. No unauthorized personnel are permitted to disturb him! Anyone who dares to visit or cause trouble will be thrown out on sight!"

"Your servant obeys!" "Your servant obeys!" The palace servants hurriedly knelt down to respond to the order.

After giving his instructions, Emperor Xuanxi stood by the bedside for a long time, looking at Luo Zhaohua's slightly heaving chest with a complex expression.

Because of his illness, he felt mostly pure pity for his son.

Finally, Emperor Xuanxi sighed and said to Cao Jin, "Return to the palace."

Before turning away, he took one last deep look at his unconscious son.

After this incident, the matter of the sixth prince being made a king is probably even more distant, and he may even... be confined to this corner of the palace for the rest of his life, accompanied only by medicine and stones.

Stepping out of Xiefang Courtyard, the summer sun was still dazzling, but Emperor Xuanxi felt a chill all over his body.