Chapter 444 - 444 Recovering His Ident.i.ty
444 Recovering His Ident.i.ty
“Also, the Second Prince was born by the Queen, a child that you carried with you for ten months. This can’t be wrong. The Second Prince is not in good health, so why don’t you pity him? Your coldness makes me want to ask, are you really the Second Prince’s biological mother?”
Zhou Heng looked at Wei Ling without avoiding her gaze.
How dare he question the empress?
But he couldn’t stand it. He was too sad.
!!
He did not understand. In his mother’s heart, what were they?
Did his mother really like him only because she liked this child? Or perhaps, she liked that ridiculous possibility, that ridiculous prophecy.
This made Zhou Heng feel too painful. He was in pain and angry. Why did a mother not love her child? Why?
“How dare you! How dare you, you—”
Wei Ling was infuriated. The anger in her heart burned. She couldn’t help but fly into a rage, but she was interrupted before she could finish speaking. The person who interrupted her was none other than the emperor, Zhou Zhao.
“Alright, stop shouting. It’s so noisy.”
Zhou Zhao interrupted Wei Ling and showed an impatient expression.
“Third scorer Zhou is right. The truth has not been found out. They are not guilty. Those who are not guilty do not need to kneel.”
Zhou Zhao glanced at Zhou Heng and said. Then, he waved at Eunuch Lian, who was serving him. “Zhi’er is not in good health. He has been kneeling for so long and his face is pale. Bring a stool for him to sit down.”
Wei Ling was speechless and immediately felt angry. The emperor had never embarra.s.sed her in front of the courtiers. Now, he didn’t give her any face in front of the courtiers. This was really hard for her to accept.
She clenched her fists tightly.
Zhou Zhao only frowned and didn’t look at Wei Ling.
To be honest, he really didn’t know what the empress was thinking. Master Kong Zhi wasn’t a G.o.d. If he wanted to give a prophecy, so be it. He wasn’t the heavens. He wasn’t the one who could decide on anyone’s fate.
Moreover, even if Kong Zhi was right, the empress should still love her children. She was a mother. In the palace, which concubine didn’t protect her children? Who would care about some prophecy?
Now, his two sons were kneeling below. Although the two brothers did not have any similarities, their feelings and mannerisms could not be deceived. Even he could tell at a glance that they were his sons. Zhou Zhi and Zhou Heng’s mannerisms were actually very similar. The difference was that Zhou Zhi had experienced the darkness and his eyes were no longer pure.
As for Zhou Heng, he did not experience the darkness in the palace. He still retained the innocence of a young man.
Even Zhou Heng, who was most likely to become enemies, cared about Zhou Zhi, but the empress did not have any sympathy at all. How could he not be disappointed in such a mother-son relationship?
Eunuch Lian brought over a soft stool.
Zhou Heng stood up and reached out to help Zhou Zhi. There was worry in his eyes. “Ah Zhi…”
Zhou Zhi looked at Zhou Heng and shook his head gently. “It’s fine.”
He was very cold. He only said two words before he stopped talking. He wanted to push Zhou Heng away, but he did not expect Zhou Heng to hold his arm steadily. Even so, it was still very difficult for him to take two steps.
A piercing pain came from his leg.
“Imperial physician, take a look at Zhi’er. Zhi’er is extremely intelligent and never disappoints me. Last year, he even contributed greatly to quelling the chaos in Jiang Lin and the plague in Furongzhou. I like him very much.”
Zhou Zhao emphasized Zhou Zhi’s contributions so that everyone could hear that he liked and valued this son very much.
Even if he could not give him the throne, he would not treat him badly.
The mutilation of Zhou Zhi’s limbs could not hide his brilliance.
Qin Shoucheng took Zhou Zhi’s pulse immediately.
“Imperial Physician Qin, I won’t trouble you anymore. I’ll trouble Miss Su instead.”
Zhou Zhi looked at Qin Shoucheng and said.
Qin Shoucheng was surprised for a moment. Then, he smiled and said, “Your Highness is right. With the divine doctor around, I’m ashamed of my inferiority.”
“Divine doctor?”
Zhou Zhao asked in surprise.
Qin Shoucheng nodded and replied, “Your Majesty, this Miss Su has received the teachings of a divine doctor from Minggu. She is very talented, and at such a young age, she is already very accomplished in medicine. From what the Second Prince said, he should already know Miss Su.”
Zhou Zhi said slowly, “Father, Imperial Physician Qin is right. Miss Su and I are old friends. Last year, when Furongzhou was plagued, the person who developed the antidote was also Miss Su.”
“Is that so? In that case, Miss Su is really a genius.”
Zhou Zhao looked at Su Xiaolu and said.
Su Xiaolu went forward to take Zhou Zhi’s pulse. She said confidently, “Your Majesty, you flatter me. I only studied medicine for the sake of money.”
Zhou Zhao’s interest was piqued. “Miss Su, you only learned the divine doctor’s true teachings for money. Then I want to ask Miss Su to verify it. How much money do I have to pay?”
Su Xiaolu looked at Zhou Zhao and said calmly, “The emperor is a good emperor who serves the country and the people. I’m also a subject of the Great Zhou Dynasty. My family and friends are also protected by the Great Zhou Dynasty. If the emperor needs me, I should not take a single copper coin. However, I only study medicine for the money. If I don’t take a single copper coin, I won’t feel good, so I’ll only take one copper coin.”
Su Xiaolu was neither servile nor overbearing. She would not treat people for free, but like her Master, how much she accepted depended on her mood.
The little girl had her own pride. This was the same for everyone.
Zhou Zhao smiled and asked with interest, “What if I am not a good emperor? What would you do then?”
Zhou Zhao wanted to scare the little girl. He was the emperor.
He also wanted to see if the divine doctor of Minggu’s disciple was still as unruly as before.
Su Xiaolu retracted her hand from taking Zhou Zhi’s pulse and took out a medicine bottle from her pocket. She gave it to Zhou Zhi and said, “Take one.”
Then she cupped her hands at Zhou Zhao and said coldly, “If the Emperor is not a good Emperor, it will depend on how much Your Majesty can pay. If the consultation fee is enough to move me, I will save him. Even if he is a heinous person, I will still save him.”
She wanted money. As long as he had enough money to buy his life, she would save anyone.
“Hahaha, as expected of Minggu’s disciple.”
Zhou Zhao laughed out loud. He thought that he could scare the little girl. He did not expect that even a little girl would remember the rules pa.s.sed down in Minggu. To do things her own way and not fear the secular world was the inheritance of Minggu Medical Valley.
“Miss Su, I really have to ask you to verify it. Help me see if this Zhou Heng is my bloodline.”
Zhou Zhao stopped smiling and became serious.
“Your Majesty, they are old friends. They—”
Wei Ling glared at Su Xiaolu.
Su Xiaolu looked at Wei Ling and interrupted her. “Her Majesty is right. I’m old friends with them. When I became my master’s disciple, Zhou Heng’s legs had yet to recover. I treated him myself and he witnessed the entire process of me becoming my master’s disciple and learning medicine. I’ve been a disciple for many years, and my Master’s whereabouts are uncertain. He didn’t return to the capital and stayed at my house for nearly ten years.”
“We’re old friends. It doesn’t mean that we’ll commit this great crime because of him.”
Su Xiaolu’s words were irrefutable.