Reborn as the Crippled King's Beloved

Chapter 198: Chapter 198: Let Prince Ling Assist The Third Prince Chapter 198: Chapter 198: Let Prince Ling Assist The Third Prince The Third Prince was also having a tough time.

Although he had the Emperor’s favor, the injuries the Third Prince had initially sustained were severe, and a full recovery would require at least half a year.

Moreover, the Imperial Physicians all said that even if his leg healed, he would not walk as he had before, there would definitely be some flaws, just like his eldest brother.

When the Third Prince recalled his eldest brother’s clearly limping stride when he walked quickly, the thought of himself walking in the same way in the future made his heart ache.

And what caused him even more pain was that just two days ago, he discovered that his ability in that particular area had also been affected and was no longer functioning well.

Apart from his confidantes, few people knew that when he was attacked, he was actually in his favorite concubine’s bed, in the throes of passion, when suddenly assassins burst in, striking his thigh. Panicked, he had urinated involuntarily, pushed the concubine out to block the knife for him, ran out disheveled, and even pushed out the teacher who came to his rescue.

These past years, the Third Prince had no troubles at all; although he seemed less favored, he was actually the most favored. He only needed to act more low-key, and the troubles around him would be taken care of by the Emperor.

He watched coldly as the Second Prince fought with the Eldest Prince, and his heart was full of scorn.

He knew that no matter how fiercely the other princes fought, the Emperor’s throne would only be his.

No matter how the others struggled and contested, they held no place in the Emperor’s heart compared to him.

So on the surface, he appeared humble and inconspicuous, but in reality, he looked down on everyone.

The throne would be his to sit upon sooner or later; the others were just fighting for loneliness.

But these past few days, his psyche had begun to warp.

He had tried many times and failed, regardless of what type of palace maid he brought in to try.

The Third Prince was very clear that no matter how much the Emperor liked him, he would not allow a prince incapable of procreation to become the Crown Prince!

And with the possibility of being lame, his psyche became even more twisted. Having had an easy life for so many years, because of the Second Prince’s assassination attempt, not only was he exposed in front of others, but his ability to have descendants was also compromised—how could he bear it?

Fearing that the palace maids would reveal his secret, he had already strangled six of them in the past two days.

Thankfully, the Emperor doted on him and merely thought he was in a bad mood from his injury and allowed him to vent his emotions, never suspecting anything else.

Only the two eunuchs who were his closest aides knew about this.

“Your Highness, don’t worry, this is surely only temporary. Once you leave the palace and His Majesty grants you a mansion, we can discreetly find a famous physician to treat you, and you are bound to recover quickly!”

“Yes, Your Highness, your body has not yet recovered from the injury, it needs time to recuperate.”

It was only after hearing such words that the Third Prince felt a bit better.

Moreover, the Emperor was about to confer a title upon him. He had come specifically to see him, and this thought finally brought a smile to the Third Prince’s face.

The next day.

In front of all the civil and military officials, the Emperor conferred the title of Prince Rui on the Third Prince, bestowed upon him a vast territory, twenty thousand Personal Guards, and countless gold and jewels.

Upon hearing this, the officials’ faces changed drastically.

Twenty thousand Personal Guards!

Personal Guards equaled private soldiers, even Prince Ling, renowned for his military exploits, had at most a thousand Personal Guards. Prince of Yundian, located in the far southwest, was only allowed to have a limit of five thousand Personal Guards.

From ancient times to the present, no prince in any dynasty had been allowed to have twenty thousand Personal Guards!

The Emperor’s intention was now crystal clear.

The Second Prince’s Faction’s faces all looked very unpleasant.

The Second Prince’s hands, hanging by his side, were clenched into fists, the veins bulging prominently.

However, just when he thought that he too was going to be granted a title, the Emperor unexpectedly announced the ending of the court session.

“Your Majesty, please wait! The Second Prince is the legitimate son, and The Third Prince is younger than the Second Prince. Why have you only conferred a title upon The Third Prince? The Second Prince has already left the Prince Mansion, yet he has not been given any title. How is the Second Prince supposed to cope with this? I fear he may become the laughingstock of the entire realm!”

An official said loudly.

The Second Prince knelt on the ground, “Father Emperor, your son does not know what he has done wrong, please enlighten me!”

The Emperor harrumphed, “Why the hurry? I just haven’t decided what title to bestow upon you yet. When I have made up my mind, you shall be conferred accordingly.”

Having said this, he turned and strode away.

A shadow flickered in the depths of the Second Prince’s eyes. His father Emperor was no longer willing to show the affection between father and son, not even granting him the slightest dignity.

To say he hasn’t thought of a title yet – when would he ever think of it?

He just wanted the people to ridicule him, to let the officials who sided with him weigh their choices clearly!

If that were the case, then there was no need for him to be courteous anymore!

Far away in Tea Ridge County, Murong Jiu and Jun Yuyan had not become involved in the whirlpool of power in the Capital City. The mining of iron ore was soon to commence, and after settling the matters at hand, Jun Yuyan was no longer as busy as before, leisurely enjoying the company of Murong Jiu in the rustic countryside.

But within a few days, the Emperor suddenly summoned Jun Yuyan and Murong Jiu to the palace, even instructing Murong Jiu to bring her medicine chest.

“It seems something has happened in the palace, there’s no need to rush. If something had happened to Father Emperor, they would have come directly here,” Jun Yuyan said.

Murong Jiu nodded, changed her clothes, and then climbed into the carriage.

Fortunately, they rode in a carriage from the Prince’s Mansion. It was well cushioned, for otherwise, given the eunuchs’ urgency, the ride would have been terribly rough.

A journey that would normally take half a day was completed in less than two shichen.

When they arrived at the palace gates, it was already getting dark.

Jun Yuyan had guessed correctly; the mishap did not involve the Emperor but rather the much-relied-upon Eunuch Chen by his side.

He had been tasting dishes for the Emperor, initially without issue, but as soon as the Emperor took a bite, Eunuch Chen suddenly fell ill. The Emperor promptly induced vomiting, and the Imperial Physician declared there was no poison in his system, but the Emperor still felt dizzy and weak, hence the summon for Murong Jiu to have a look.

After taking the pulse, Murong Jiu also determined that the Emperor was not poisoned; the dizziness was likely psychological.

Moreover, the Emperor had previously depleted his energy, and his health had greatly deteriorated, so it was not unusual for him to feel frail.

To put the Emperor’s mind at ease, she prescribed a calming and qi-boosting formula and presented to the Emperor a ginseng plant she had found in the deep mountains of Tea Ridge County.

“Father Emperor, this is a ginseng that Prince personally harvested from the deep mountains for you. You need to take good care of yourself; certainly, you can return to the vigor of your prime.”

However, she had perhaps exaggerated a bit; the ginseng was found accidentally while mining.

There were two hundred-year old ginseng plants; this one, at most, was fifty years old.

Upon hearing this, the Emperor’s face showed a look of satisfaction.

Perhaps the Second Prince had been too disappointing, for he now found Jun Yuyan far more agreeable, primarily because he thought Jun Yuyan had the sense not to vie for anything, which aligned with the Emperor’s wishes.

Otherwise, no matter how much ginseng was offered, it would not have moved him.

“Good, both of you have done well. In the future, if you need anything, just tell your Father Emperor. Also, Yu Yan, your third brother has been severely injured and has become quite reclusive. When you have the time, you should visit him more at Prince Rui’s Mansion,” the Emperor said.

His implication was for Jun Yuyan to get closer to The Third Prince, to act as an aid and support for him.

Murong Jiu sneered inwardly.

This Emperor truly kept all the best things for his beloved Third Prince, demanding that everyone else make way for him!

Such selfishness was to the extreme.