When open spaces get cold, they become even colder.
It was already noon when Second son of Jiang family entered the palace.
Consort Zhang had already quarreled with The Emperor.
An old woman going mad is not easy to deal with.
The aging Emperor's face was scratched.
It had been many years since a woman had scratched The Emperor's face.
And it was the usually composed Consort Zhang who did it.
Moreover, when Consort Zhang went mad, The Emperor discovered that this woman was actually stronger than him.
He felt somewhat angry and somewhat sad.
"You have so many children, while I only have one."
The Fifth Prince was his son too, how could he not be heartbroken?
After all, they were an old married couple, so The Emperor didn't pursue the matter of Consort Zhang scratching his face.
He ordered a thorough investigation.
If the culprit wasn't found, those in the Ministry of Justice would all accompany him in death.
Of course, he didn't say it quite like that, but the meaning was similar.
So having a mother does make a difference - the former Crown Prince's funeral was hastily concluded.
For the Fifth Prince, after Consort Zhang made a scene, at least The Emperor ordered people to seek justice.
Death is a terrifying thing.
Even more terrifying is to die unjustly, not knowing who the murderer is.
The person was already dead, and Consort Zhang's only demand was to find the killer.
At the same time, she also sent people to bring the children from the Fifth Prince's Mansion into the palace.
By the time Second son of Jiang family arrived, Consort Zhang had already left.
The Emperor was also in a gloomy mood.
His face was injured.
Not only was he gloomy, but it also hurt.
The Emperor's skin wasn't that thick.
Despite Wenxin's comforting words, he was still very unhappy.
"I am the Son of Heaven, but I am not in control of my own fate. I can't even protect my own child, alas."
When Jiang Changtian entered, he saw The Emperor with scratches on his face.
The Emperor hadn't ordered for the imperial physician.
He took the initiative to have the eunuch quickly bring the medicine box.
Disregarding The Emperor's objections, he stepped forward and said, "Your subject is presumptuous, but I know medical skills. Let me treat Your Majesty's wounds."
The Emperor indeed felt his face stinging with pain.
But because of his mercurial temperament, the servants didn't dare to call for the imperial physician on their own.
He himself hadn't thought of it either, being in a state of anger.
If it were someone else, they might have been scolded harshly for touching a sore spot.
But Second son of Jiang family was different - not just a subordinate, but also his nephew, a family member.
The Emperor didn't refuse.
Jiang Changtian carefully treated The Emperor's facial wounds.
They weren't actually that serious and would have healed on their own if left alone for a while.
Even in her frenzied state, Consort Zhang had shown some restraint.
She had come to avenge her son, and though she wanted to die, she at least wanted to exact revenge before dying.
However, Jiang Changtian treated it as if it were a severe injury.
His movements were gentle and careful.
Then he began to talk about treating Feng's wounds in the past.
"Feng is my only son. When he was young, he was actually very intelligent, almost had a photographic memory, and learned everything quickly. But later, when Old Lady Jiang deemed me unfilial and disrespectful, I couldn't take the imperial exams, and Feng wasn't eligible either. I didn't teach him much about reading, so he liked to hang around on the streets."
Jiang Changtian gave a bitter smile. "The sisters at the Yihong House in the county all liked him and even gave him gifts because, at such a young age, he would help them attract customers."
This kind of life was probably something the palace eunuchs and maids had never heard of.
Even The Emperor was somewhat stunned.
He listened attentively.
"One day, he came home injured, covered in blood. We were poor, and the first thing his mother said wasn't about his injury, but about how his clothes got dirty. It wasn't that she was cold-hearted, it was just really like that."
"I knew medical skills and could treat external injuries, so I treated his wounds. I thought he would be fine since he was young and strong with good recovery. The next day he even went to the county town to buy medicine himself."
The Emperor felt his cheeks cooling a bit.
"What happened then?"
"Unexpectedly, on the second night, his wound actually festered. He fell into a high fever and lost consciousness. The weapon used by the person who injured him was poisoned. I had to steel my heart and use a red-hot knife to cauterize the wound, scraping away the rotting parts. It was like scraping my own heart, bit by bit removing the decayed areas."
"At that time, I actually thought my son couldn't be saved, but I wanted him to look good when he went to the underworld. I even drew a flower on his wound, so that if I also went to the underworld, I could find my son by that flower."
"Sister Xia was calculating our family's savings to see if we could afford a decent and beautiful coffin for our son. In our village, this was very important. They say the dead deserve respect, and perhaps with a decent coffin, one could be reborn into a better life and not suffer again."
Jiang Changtian finished treating The Emperor's facial wounds.
He applied some ointment.
The ointment was a bit cool, and being close to the eyes, it caused tears to form - this was just a physical reaction.
"I've been through countless hardships, but I've always thanked heaven because heaven gave Feng back to me. Feng didn't die. So I can forgive all the hardships because my son is alive. But Your Majesty, I also did something wrong later. The person who injured my son was the guard of Old Lady Jiang's eldest grandson. He had applied poison to his weapon, intending to kill my son."
"I wanted to avenge my son. I carefully inquired about that guard and learned that he was having an affair with a married woman. I found a way to inform that woman's husband, letting him return home early and catch them in the act. The woman's husband killed that guard, and I got my revenge. Your Majesty, I'm actually a person with deep thoughts, maybe even a bit vicious, but I don't regret it. If it happened again, I would still do the same, because whoever tries to kill my son, I'll fight them to the death. Consort Zhang and you must feel the same way, but Your Majesty, no matter what, remember to take good care of your health. Only when you're well can you avenge your child."
The Emperor originally wasn't that emotional.
He was more angry than sad.
But after listening to Second son of Jiang family's words, he felt a sense of empathy, as if he truly became sad for his child.
Then he seemed to become invigorated.
In fact, his original state was normal, but now after Second son of Jiang family's speech, it became grieving for his son and then finding strength, appearing to show affection.
Jiang Changtian chatted for a while, treated The Emperor's minor wounds, and then took his leave.
What he did was trivial - he simply picked up his superior's fallen face, patched it up, and added a few brushstrokes to make it appear righteous and noble.
Perhaps this could be considered a new level of flattery.
Flattering about something the other person hasn't even done yet.
Others flatter by praising what already exists, trying hard to exaggerate.
Second son of Jiang family flattered by praising what didn't exist, and making it exist.
The path in the deep palace is long, and so are its schemes.
