However, Zi Nan only looked at the Empress Dowager and Wanyan Xu awkwardly, only when she saw that everyone was about to burst with impatience did she say, with a voice as small as a mosquito"s: “Do the Empress Dowager and the Emperor... do you still remember... remember the second... second Prince?”
Before her voice had even faded, the Empress Dowager had already cried out in alarm: “What? The person you were referring to was none other than him? Since when did he become an accomplished physician? It doesn"t matter even if has become a renowned doctor, have you forgotten about the late King"s command? It is absolutely forbidden for anybody in the palace to mention him.” As she was speaking, this voice of this Empress Dowager, who usually had impeccable manners and was calm, had began to turn sharp and severe. At this turn of events, Zi Nan became too scared to speak again.
Wanyan Xu was also taken aback, but at such a time, he did not care an iota about such things. As long as he could save Su Yi, it didn"t matter who he was. Thus, he quickly asked again: “Zi Nan, you said that he... he can cure Su Su...”
Before he could finish, the Empress Dowager interrupted with a harsh voice: “So what if he can cure him, don’t tell me you still wish to summon him here? It can’t be that you have forgotten your Royal Father’s command, or forgotten that he is... he is the shame of our Jin Liao Imperial Family? Your Royal Father was already being merciful when he did not kill him on that day, I [1] forbid you to call him over here.”
Wanyan Xu had always shown filial piety and obedience to the Empress Dowager but at this moment he looked straight at her and said gravely: “Mother Empress, if your child the one who is on the verge of death today, will you also refuse to let him come here to save your child?”
The Empress Dowager’s face turned white and she said angrily: “What nonsense are you talking about? There is no reason at all to make such an supposition, I do not wish to bother with you now. In any case, you are not allowed to send for that person.” So saying, she turned and was about to leave, but she suddenly felt her sleeve being tugged. Looking down, she saw that it was none other than Wanyan Shuo. At this time, the little Crown Prince was crying so much that he found it difficult to speak without choking. He pleaded: “Imperial Grandma, let that person come and save Mother Empress.” She was both vexed and fl.u.s.tered, but then she saw that her son had headed straight back to Su Yi"s side. Holding his hand tightly, he enunciated each word clearly as he said: “Mother Empress, it’s not a supposition, if Su Su leaves the world of mortals and it"s sea of bitterness behind, your child will definitely go with him. You can say that your child is being wilful, or even that he is cowardly. Su Su... he is my [2] life”
Complex emotions were swirling in the Empress Dowager"s eyes as she watched her son; with the cold and unfeeling nature that he had exhibited all throughout his life, she had never expected that in the end, even he could not escape the machinations of that word "love". Just as she was about to harden her heart and say something callous, suddenly, she saw that her grandson had rushed to Wanyan Xu"s side and leaning into Su Yi"s arms, he cried out: “Imperial Grandma, Imperial Father and Mother Empress are the people who your grandson loves the most, if they are gone, your grandson also does not wish to live anymore. If we can travel the road to Hades together as a family, it will not be so lonely.”
This grandson was the light of the Empress Dowager"s life and when she heard his words, she couldn"t help but to turn pale with fright as if her heart was being gouged out. She quickly said: “Shuo Er, don’t say things like that, let Imperial Grandma think for a bit.” So saying, she turned to Wanyan Xu and said: “Even if I should agree to this today, but he... he has long considered us to be his enemies, how would he be willing to come and treat your beloved? I"m afraid that he would be happier to watch General Su die and to see you become so grieved that you wish for your own death.”
Wanyan Xu was elated upon hearing that and he said: “As long as Mother Empress agrees, I’m glad. Since he has not been asked, how can we say for sure that he will refuse to come?” Then, he looked at Zi Nan and said: “Zi Nan and Zi Liu, go to Xia Er’s residence and relay to him my verbal decree. Ask him to come here and treat Su Su, if he can successfully bring Su Su to safety from this peril, I will agree to any demands he wishes to make.” Zi Nan and Zi Liu answered in the affirmative and left to summon Wanyan Xia.
At this, both Wanyan Shuo and Zi Nong turned from grief to happiness, and Wanyan Xu returned to Su Yi"s bedside, saying to him joyfully: “Su Su, did you hear that? There is someone who can save you.” In excitement, he set about straightening Su Yi"s dishevelled hair as he said with deep love: “Su Su, don’t worry, when you have recovered, I will never let you suffer again. Because I am seated on the Dragon Throne, my heart is full of a.s.sorted considerations, but I almost sacrificed your life. I do not wish to defy my own heart"s desires anymore, just this once, I will do exactly as I wish. When posterity judges me, even if there are people who would say that I was an incapable ruler, I will accept it. As long as I can be with you, I will accept any criticism levelled at me.”
At the side, Zi Nong smiled and said: “Your Majesty, as long as the track record of your accomplishments is presented, there is no way that the annals of history will claim that you are an incapable ruler just because you pardoned your Empress.” She looked at Su Yi and said: “Young Master, what do you say to that? His Majesty is so good to you, does your heart feel happy to see that too?”
Su Yi gave a drawn-out sigh in his heart, thinking of those literati, thinking to himself that in the end, he was still unable to save them. Seeing that Wanyan Xu was so deeply devoted to him, if Su Yi really recovered from his bout with illness, how could he bring himself to harden his heart and hurt him once again? At this thought, he felt like there were two people who had grabbed hold of his heart and were pulling it in different directions. The pain was unbearable and he spit out another large mouthful of blood which immediately caused Wanyan Xu and the rest to return to a state of panic.
Zi Yan gave a sigh, approaching Su Yi"s she personally wiped away the blood stains on him. As she did so, she said: “Young Master, the most important thing for you to do now is focus on recuperating. Don"t think too much about other things. As the saying goes, the reformation of a prodigal son is worth more than gold. As long as you a.s.sist the Emperor loyally after you have recovered, who else in the world could be more blessed than you?”
Almost in disbelief, Su Yi raised his head to look at her. Obviously, this woman had used a play on words [3] in her speech, hinting to Su Yi that she had the notion of going back on her original intentions, but the condition was that Su Yi must be true to Wanyan Xu in future and support him in his rule. There was a burst of agitation in his heart; forcing himself to contain his ecstasy, he made like her and couching his true meaning behind innocuous words, he asked: “Miss"s words are apt, don"t tell me that Miss knows [4] of my troubles? This is indeed remarkable.”
Zi Yan raised her head and said with a smile: “Young Master, you can rest easy and concentrate on your recovery. Zi Yan has given you much cause for offence in the past, I hope that Young Master will be able to forgive me.” When Su Yi heard her say that he could rest easy, he knew that she had a way of saving those members of the intelligentsia. The bliss that her words brought to him was so immense that he found it impossible to describe. As for Wanyan Xu and the rest of the bystanders, they only took the exchange to mean that Zi Yan had finally relented on her hard stance on Su Yi and would no longer oppose him as Empress, but this knowledge also pleased them greatly.
As the Empress Dowager observed all of this from the side, she could only secretly sigh and thought to herself: Aii, General Su wins over hearts so easily, it is indeed a rare quality. He is worthy of my making an exception and letting that person come over here to treat him. Looking out the window at the night sky, she saw that fireworks were being released, and they were brightening up the sky with their brilliant colours. Distant "pi pa" sounds could be heard in the room and she said to herself: “Great King, it"s not that I wish to go against the wishes of the deceased, but in these circ.u.mstances I cannot do otherwise. I have only have done this as a last resort.”
As she was thinking over what had happened, suddenly the curtains over the door were stirred. Zi Nan and Zi Liu had returned, and both of them wore a look of dejection on their faces. Also, there was n.o.body following behind them. The Empress Dowager"s expression changed, and she said in a grim voice: “How did it go? Did he refuse to come?”