Chapter 694 The Accident Outside the Palace Gate, He Breaks His Leg!
The sky was very dark. In fact, it was not very late. Chu Liuzhou came out of the Empress’s palace. Looking at the sky, he frowned tightly.
He entered the imperial palace in the evening and had a chat with the Empress. At that time, it had not snowed yet. However, now it was snowing so heavily that the snow had been piled up on the road in a short time.
It was some distance from here to the gate of the imperial palace. He didn’t notice it in the past, but he found the current situation quite unpleasant.
It would be more inconvenient for him to leave if he waited any longer.
As he walked down the steps, a little eunuch followed him closely with an umbrella.
They were followed by guards and servants.
Surrounded by a group of people, Chu Liuzhou walked to the gate of the imperial palace.
They walked unsteadily and much slower than usual. Chu Liuzhou kept frowning and was in a bad mood. Just now, the Empress showed him the list of the consort selection, but Shao Yanru’s name was not on it.
He had planned to marry Shao Yanru, and had always been confident that he could marry Shao Yanru. At the thought that Duke Xing would support him in the future, he even got close to Duke Xing in private and sometimes defended Duke Xing.
The Empress’s words still rang in his ears, and he knew that he should take her advice.
Shao Yanru s.h.i.+fted the blame onto Shao Jie’er for what had happened in the imperial palace, and Shao Jie’er was willing to take the blame. However, there were not a few people knowing it, including Chu Liuyue, him and even Honored Consort Shu, although everyone kept it a secret for various reasons.
Nevertheless, since so many people knew it, Shao Yanru was certainly unqualified to be Princess Zhou.
But he was still reluctant to give up on the support of Duke Xing, who was powerful. He even thought that not only he but also Chu Liuyue was unwilling to give up on it.
However, at the moment, Chu Liuyue was in a similar situation, so Chu Liuyue probably couldn’t make Shao Yanru his Princess either, but what about a consort…
“Your Highness, Prince Chen is here!” The little eunuch reminded him.
Chu Liuzhou looked up and found that he had arrived at the gate of the imperial palace. Looking towards the long path leading to the two gates of the imperial palace, he saw Chu Liuchen getting out of the carriage outside, and showed a mocking smile.
But he restrained his smile at once and strode out.
With Xiao Xuanzi’s help, Chu Liuchen was trying hard to get out of the carriage cautiously and slowly.
He was trying hard indeed. Although there was a small stool under the carriage, although Xiao Xuanzi held this sick and weak Prince Chen with both hands for fear that he would accidentally fall, Prince Chen was getting off the carriage almost as slowly as a snail did. His slow motion could compare with that of a turtle.
Although the guards at the gate of the imperial palace looked steadily forward, they could feel Prince Chen’s tiredness, tremendous tiredness!
In fact, it had been a while since the carriage arrived. Prince Chen got off the carriage slowly indeed, but he had never been fast, so it was normal for him to be slower on such a snowy day.
After struggling to get off the carriage with Xiao Xuanzi’s help, Chu Liuchen stood firm by the carriage and took out a handkerchief from his bosom to wipe the sweat on his forehead.
Needless to say, getting off the carriage had exhausted him.
“Third brother!” Chu Liuzhou, who had walked through the long palace path, said very friendly.
Outside the palace gate, when the coachman of Prince Zhou’s Mansion saw his master come over, he hurriedly drove the carriage over and waited by the carriage of Prince Chen’s Mansion.
“Second brother!” Chu Liuchen said with a smile. It seemed that he was in a good mood and did not give Chu Liuzhou a cold shoulder.
“Third Brother, why do you come to the imperial palace at this time? You’d better rest in your mansion on such a snowy day!” Chu Liuzhou looked at the sky and then looked at him, and said with concern.
“I’m here to visit Imperial Grandmother. I’ll go back later!” Chu Liuchen explained.
“Why do you come out on such a snowy day? You can visit Imperial Grandmother at any time. Seeing you come at this moment, she will be worried!” Chu Liuzhou said reproachfully.
“Well… it’s my fault.” Chu Liuchen accepted his advice and said with a nod, “Forget it. I’d better go back to my mansion now and come to visit Imperial Grandmother tomorrow!”
“That’s good!” Chu Liuzhou nodded and said joyfully.
Chu Liuchen had always been gentle and elegant in front of others, but only Chu Liuzhou and his brothers knew how mean and intractable Chu Liuchen was and he had embarra.s.sed them a lot. Fortunately, they were in front of others at this moment, so Chu Liuchen should accept his advice “out of kindness”.
With plenty of people at the gate of the imperial palace, many of them could see how well he and Chu Liuchen got along with each other. He believed that tomorrow his father must be very pleased after learning that he got along well with Chu Liuchen.
Because his father thought highly of Chu Liuchen, he had to be on good terms with Chu Liuchen. It was a rare opportunity to show love and respect as good brothers should in front of others, so Chu Liuzhou decided to play the role of Chu Liuchen’s good brother for another while.
“Third brother…”
“Second Brother, it’s getting late. Let’s go back. It’s piercingly cold. I… cough, cough, cough…” Chu Liuchen turned his head to cough as he said.
Chu Liuzhou was a little embarra.s.sed because of Chu Liuchen’s interruption, but seeing Chu Liuchen cough, he immediately said with concern, “Third Brother, you are right. You really need to have a good rest and can’t continue staying outside on such a windy and snowy day. Third Brother, after you!”
He stretched his hand as a hint for Chu Liuchen to go back to the carriage first.
“Second brother… after you. Cough, cough…” As Chu Liuchen said, he coughed again and stepped aside.
“Your Highness, please take another step aside. Your cough may be caused by the wind!” Xiao Xuanzi advised cautiously.
Chu Liuzhou looked at the place facing the palace gate and then looked at the long path, showing a complacent smile. The place facing the palace gate was not a good place. The heavy snow and the chilly wind in winter made it much colder in the place than in other places.
He had intended to talk with Chu Liuchen for another while outside on such a windy day, but it seemed that this invalid couldn’t stand it. Well, he had better go back early, in case this invalid got sick again tomorrow and he had to take the blame for it.
“Third brother, I’m leaving now,” Chu Liuzhou said with a smile, saluted Chu Liuchen with joined hands, and then turned around and walked to his carriage gracefully. Judging from Chu Liuchen’s sickly complexion, it seemed that he couldn’t get in the carriage in a short time. Chu Liuzhou didn’t have the patience to stay with him at the gate to be exposed to the chilly wind.
Speaking of this, the wind was really chilly. If he kept being exposed to the wind, he couldn’t stand it either.
The carriage of Prince Zhou’s Mansion was stopped beside the carriage of Prince Chen’s Mansion. The two carriages were both facing the large gate of the imperial palace. Seeing that Prince Chen was still coughing with Xiao Xuanzi’s help on one side, the coachman of Prince Chen’s Mansion, who was very perceptive, drove the carriage towards them, leaving the carriage of Prince Zhou’s Mansion there.
The carriage of Prince Zhou’s Mansion was the only carriage stopped at the gate. Seeing Chu Liuzhou coming over, the coachman drove the carriage towards Chu Liuzhou in order to please him.
After the carriage stopped in front of Chu Liuzhou, Chu Liuzhou got in the carriage. Hearing Chu Liuchen having a bad cough behind him, he turned his head on the carriage and asked with a very concerned look, “Third Brother, are you okay?”
He put his hands on the door of the carriage, but did not get in, with all his attention on Chu Liuchen, who was coughing so hard that he could not stand up straight. Although Chu Liuzhou felt delighted, he showed great concern.
The accident happened at this moment.
A horse in front of the carriage of Prince Zhou’s Mansion suddenly raised its hooves and roared. Chu Liuzhou, who was standing on the shaft of the carriage, fell accidentally off the carriage and fell heavily on the ground in front of the palace gate. Everyone was shocked. The horse put its hooves down and was going to step on Chu Liuzhou, who fell to the ground and could not get up in a short time.
If it really stepped on Chu Liuzhou, he could probably be killed on the spot.
“Quick… Save my second brother!” Chu Liuchen held Xiao Xuanzi’s hand and said loudly.
Several guards at the gate of the imperial palace immediately reacted. One of them reacted very quickly, drew the sword at his waist and threw it directly at the horse’s hooves.
Another two guards went over and pulled Chu Liuzhou, who fell to the ground and could not get up in a short time, out of the carriage.
The sword came swiftly and happened to p.r.i.c.k the horse’s front hooves before it put them down. The horse roared in pain and fell down. Fortunately, Chu Liuzhou had been pulled away by two guards.
“Quick… Report it to my uncle and the Empress!” Chu Liuchen came over with Xiao Xuanzi’s help and gave an order anxiously with his hand on his chest.
A eunuch at the gate of the imperial palace had rushed inside swiftly to report it. No one dared to mention what had happened to Prince Zhou at the gate of the imperial palace.
Chu Liuchen squatted down to check on Chu Liuzhou. It was a terrible accident indeed. Chu Liuzhou fell straight from the carriage and fell heavily to the snowfield.
Although the snow was soft, Chu Liuzhou obviously fell in a very wrong way. He twisted his body when falling down. Looking at his left leg, which was also a little twisted, Chu Liuchen realized that Chu Liuzhou’s leg was injured, because his twisting leg was obviously not caused by spraining.
Chu Liuchen instructed someone to fetch a soft couch for Chu Liuzhou, while sending someone to report it again. No one noticed that the coachman of Prince Zhou’s Mansion also fell on the ground and was also unconscious at the moment.
Both of them fell from the carriage. Chu Liuzhou was surrounded by people, while no one paid attention to the coachman.
As Chu Liuzhou’s soft couch was carried to the Imperial Inst.i.tute of Medicine, Chu Liuchen also headed for the Imperial Inst.i.tute of Medicine with Xiao Xuanzi’s help while coughing from time to time. At this time, although he was weak, he could not leave at will.
The imperial physicians in the Imperial Inst.i.tute of Medicine had got the news. When Chu Liuzhou was carried here, they hurriedly began their diagnosis and asked Prince Chen, who was weak and sick, to the warm room. He, who didn’t look very well either, would probably get sick if he kept being exposed to the cold.
The Empress was the first to come. As soon as she entered the room and saw Chu Liuzhou in such a miserable situation, she immediately burst into tears. It was the nanny beside her who persuaded her to take a rest aside so that the imperial physicians could treat him.
Later, the Empress Dowager also came. When the Empress Dowager came, the imperial physicians had made a definite diagnosis that Chu Liuzhou had broken his leg! Yes, he had broken his leg.
After hearing this news, the Empress Dowager sighed helplessly and turned to check on the other grandson of hers. When she heard that Chu Liuchen had a recurrence of his old illness and had lain down now, she was as anxious as the Empress. Chu Liuzhou, who had broken his leg, could recover after resting for a period. But if anything happened to her sickly grandson, he would die…