Chapter 456: Old Ailment
Jiang Zhao Yuan took a deep breath. "I am merely concerned for Your Majesty—"
"Elder Jiang, is it that you don’t trust Chutang, or that you don’t trust me?"
The Eldest Princess’s single sentence left Jiang Zhao Yuan speechless.
The few ministers trailing behind secretly exchanged glances and tactfully chose to keep their mouths shut.
Who in the entire Capital City didn’t know that the Eldest Princess was Ye Chutang’s backer?
Ye Chutang had saved her life, so of course she trusted her implicitly. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been so bold as to summon Ye Chutang directly at such a critical moment.
Even if Jiang Zhao Yuan was truly displeased with the Eldest Princess, how could he possibly voice it in front of so many people?
After weighing his options, he could only bow his head.
"...I would not dare."
The Eldest Princess scoffed inwardly.
She had never liked Jiang Zhao Yuan. On a normal day, she might not bother with him, but today was different.
She flicked her sleeve, her expression indifferent. "Chu Qiyuan will be back in a few days. He can take over then. As for other matters... Elder Jiang, you seem to be spread thin and weary lately. You should worry less!"
The color drained from Jiang Zhao Yuan’s face, and his heart began to pound.
He couldn’t help but look up, stealing a quick glance at the Eldest Princess.
Seeing her calm and indifferent expression, as if she had just mentioned it casually, he finally relaxed and breathed an inward sigh of relief.
He had been maneuvering behind the scenes ever since Xiao Chengxuan’s incident. Fortunately, it seemed the Eldest Princess wasn’t yet fully aware.
He didn’t dare argue further. Who knew what this sharp-witted Eldest Princess would say or do if he kept pressing the issue?
He was already exhausted from dealing with Xiao Chengxuan’s affairs.
Jiang Zhao Yuan cupped his hands. "In that case... we shall take our leave."
...
After a flurry of activity, noon had long passed.
The Eldest Princess had a meal specially prepared and invited Ye Chutang to dine with her.
Consort Rong, exhausted, returned to her own palace to rest after confirming that Emperor Muwu’s condition had stabilized.
Her frail constitution could not withstand such a round-the-clock ordeal.
The Eldest Princess dismissed her attendants, leaving only Zhuxin to serve in the room.
Ye Chutang was not overly formal, readily taking a seat with Xiao Wu.
The Eldest Princess sighed. "You’ve worked hard today. Please, eat more."
Ye Chutang placed some food on Xiao Wu’s plate.
Xiao Wu, who had been waiting obediently in the corner for a long time, had her eyes light up. But she still waited for the Eldest Princess and her big sister to start eating before she dug in happily.
Her little cheeks puffed out and her dark, round eyes darted about, making her look just like a little hamster hoarding food.
Seeing this, the Eldest Princess couldn’t help but feel her heart soften.
"Look at that, Xiao Wu has been starving for half the day. It’s my fault for summoning you in such a hurry today."
Ye Chutang shook her head. "Your Highness, to say such a thing is to treat me as an outsider. You were worried about His Majesty. How could that be wrong?"
The Eldest Princess recalled the sight of Emperor Muwu lying in bed when she first arrived, and a wave of fear washed over her.
"I won’t hide it from you. Besides you, I trust no one else—especially not those from the Imperial Hospital."
She had been out of options, which was why she had sought out Ye Chutang.
Ye Chutang lowered her gaze.
’The Third Prince was like this, and now the Eldest Princess is too...’
’It seems the Imperial Hospital’s affairs are more complicated than I first thought...’
The thought was fleeting. When she looked up again, all emotion in her eyes had been suppressed.
Ye Chutang consoled her in a low voice, "In any case, His Majesty is out of danger. You can rest assured."
But the Eldest Princess just stared at her, her eyes filled with a complex expression.
After a long moment, she finally asked, "His Majesty... is he truly out of danger?"
Ye Chutang met her gaze. "His Majesty’s fever has broken. Why does Your Highness ask such a question?"
The Eldest Princess’s expression was tense.
She lowered her voice to a near whisper. "Tell me the truth—what is the state of His Majesty’s old malady?"