Red Mansion Taoist

Chapter 321 Recognition
After returning to the East Palace from the Cining Palace, the group went directly to the Crown Princess's bedroom.

When they entered the hall, they saw Yinglian, Xing Xiuyun, Yingchun, Tanchun and Xichun waiting there. When they saw everyone coming back, they stood up quickly.

Li Qiang saw a hint of resentment in the eyes of Yinglian and other girls.

"I'm going to handle government affairs first!" He didn't want to be with the girls at this time, so he chose to retreat strategically.

As soon as he returned to the main hall, he saw Jin Dong walking quickly in from outside.

"Master, there is news from the cold palace that the deposed emperor is ill!" Jin Dong reported to Li Qiang.

"Is the illness serious?" Li Qiang asked with a slight frown.

"I heard that the illness is serious and the imperial physician has been invited from Daming Palace!" Jin Dong replied.

Li Qiang knew that the retired emperor was still soft-hearted, otherwise Emperor Jingwen would have been banished to the cold palace and would have had to endure the illness on his own.

If he couldn't make it, it would be Emperor Jingwen's doom.

But it was obvious that the retired emperor still considered Emperor Jingwen to be his son and did not want Emperor Jingwen to die of illness.

"Go and ask Miss Qin to come over!" Li Qiang thought for a moment and ordered.

Since Qin Keqing entered the palace, she has always lived a secluded life and is rarely seen at Lin Daiyu's place on weekdays.

She was observing mourning, but Qin Keqing was not the daughter of Qin Bangye, the Minister of Works, but the daughter of Emperor Jingwen.

Li Qiang didn't know whether Emperor Jingwen could hold on this time, but no matter what, he had to tell Emperor Jingwen about this matter, as a way of repaying Emperor Jingwen's kindness.

Qin Keqing lowered her head. She was wearing a plain long dress and no extra ornaments on her head, but her natural charm could not be concealed as she walked.

When she heard that Crown Prince Li Qiang invited her over, her heart began to beat wildly.

Yesterday, Crown Prince Li Qiang married Miaoyu and four other girls. She thought that Crown Prince Li Qiang was discussing the matter of taking a concubine with her today.

She had this awareness when she agreed to enter the palace.

"Miss Qin, I'm taking you to see someone!" Li Qiang said with a smile when he saw Qin Keqing. He turned to Jin Dong and ordered, "Go prepare two sedan chairs!"

When Li Qiang and Qin Keqing, who was full of confusion, walked out of the palace gate, two sedan chairs were already waiting.

Qin Keqing didn't know where they were going, but since Li Qiang had invited her, she had to follow.

The two sedan chairs were moving in the palace, becoming more and more remote and desolate.

Qin Keqing looked at the scene outside the sedan and wondered how such a place could exist in the imperial palace.

Two sedan chairs stopped in front of a yard. At first glance, there were almost no bright colors here. It was all gray and lifeless.

"Your Highness, where is this?" Qin Keqing got off the sedan chair, took two quick steps to Li Qiang's side and asked.

She was frightened by the environment here, it seemed like another world.

"This is the cold palace. The person we want to see is in the courtyard of this cold palace!" Li Qiang said, pointing to the gate in front of them.

The gate was not locked and opened with a slight push.

Two eunuchs were standing in the yard. When they saw Li Qiang, they were stunned at first, then they quickly knelt down and saluted.

"What are you doing here?" Li Qiang asked calmly.

"I am here to bring Imperial Physician Sun on the orders of the Supreme Emperor!" replied the eunuch on the left.

"Dr. Sun has examined it. How is the situation?" Li Qiang asked again when she heard that the imperial physician had arrived.

"Doctor Sun is still in there, and there is no result yet!" the eunuch replied quickly.

"You guys step aside, I'll go in!" Li Qiang waved her hand and ordered.

The two eunuchs immediately stepped aside and made way for entry.

"You stay outside too, and Miss Qin follows!" Li Qiang turned around and ordered.

Jin Dong and several eunuchs who followed him stopped the two sedan chairs aside, and Qin Keqing followed Li Qiang in a daze.

Li Qiang walked into the main room and heard a sound coming from the bedroom next door. He followed the sound and went into the bedroom.

At this moment, Doctor Sun was speaking and gesticulating anxiously.

The old eunuch opposite him was also gesticulating, but it was obvious that neither of them understood what the other meant.

Li Qiang then remembered that because of the poisoning case in the Cining Palace, Xia Shouzhong, who was beside Emperor Jingwen, was killed, and the eunuch beside Emperor Jingwen was replaced by an old eunuch who was deaf and dumb. It seemed that this was the one in front of him.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince!" When Imperial Physician Sun saw Li Qiang, he knelt down and saluted.

"Doctor Sun, please stand up. How is his illness?" Li Qiang stepped forward and helped Doctor Sun up and asked.

"When the qi of the internal organs and meridians is blocked and not flowing smoothly, qi stagnation in the spleen will reduce appetite, causing fullness and pain; qi stagnation in the liver will cause liver qi to be rebellious, causing flank pain and irritability; qi stagnation in the lungs will cause lung qi to be unclear, causing excessive phlegm and wheezing and coughing.

His illness has been delayed for too long and he has not received medical treatment. I am afraid he may not have much time left!" Doctor Sun explained, shaking his head.

Li Qiang had read medical books, so he understood what Doctor Sun said. This was a symptom caused by a disorder of the heart's qi and physical weakness. It was not a serious illness, but it became one after being delayed for a long time.

I think that after Emperor Jingwen was deposed, he was in a bad mood, and then Xia Shouzhong was killed. He had no one to talk to around him, so his illness became more and more serious.

Imperial Physician Sun was also in a dilemma and did not dare to mention the name of Emperor Jingwen.

"Go down!" Li Qiang waved her hand and ordered.

"Your Highness, what about the Emperor?" Doctor Sun was willing to leave, but he still reminded him worriedly.

"I will explain to Grandpa Emperor myself!" said Li Qiang.

Doctor Sun bowed and left the room, his steps becoming much lighter as he walked away.

When it comes to deposing the emperor, he doesn't want to get involved. Who knows if he will end up in a bad situation because of this.

Anyone who gets involved in such things in the palace will suffer bad consequences no matter what their status is.

Li Qiang waved to the old eunuch. The old eunuch understood the gesture. If he didn't have this insight, he wouldn't have lived to this age.

The old eunuch knelt down, kowtowed, then backed out of the room.

The only people left in the room were Li Qiang, Emperor Jingwen, and Qin Keqing standing behind Li Qiang.

Li Qiang sat on the stool beside the bed and looked at Emperor Jingwen lying on the bed.

Emperor Jingwen's hair had turned completely white, and his face was extremely thin. Due to his serious illness, his lips were completely bloodless.

Li Qiang felt that Emperor Jingwen's life flame was like a candle in the wind, constantly swaying and could be extinguished at any time.

He sighed and held out his hand, waving it gently.

'Healing Spell [Advanced]' was performed, and a healing energy flowed into Emperor Jingwen's body.

"Water, water!" Emperor Jingwen woke up from his coma and called out instinctively. Li Qiang looked around and found the kettle on the table next to him.

Qin Keqing was also smart. She stepped forward, took a cup of water, poured it in, and handed it to Li Qiang.

Li Qiang took the cup of water, gently lifted Emperor Jingwen's shoulders, and brought the water to his mouth.

Emperor Jingwen felt the cup of water and immediately drank it in big gulps.

When the water entered his stomach, he opened his eyes.

He immediately saw Li Qiang holding a cup of water in front of him. He widened his eyes in disbelief and confirmed that it was Li Qiang sitting next to him.

"Are you here to laugh at me?" Emperor Jingwen's voice was a little hoarse, and he even sounded unskilled in speaking.

Because the eunuch serving him was a deaf-mute one, Emperor Jingwen had not spoken to anyone for a long time.

"I heard that you were sick, so I came to see you!" Li Qiang said lightly.

With his current status, position and power, he no longer needs to care about Emperor Jingwen. Not to mention that Emperor Jingwen has been deposed, in fact, even if Emperor Jingwen had not been deposed, he would still have the ability to suppress Emperor Jingwen.

"Are you dissatisfied that I am not dead?" Emperor Jingwen said in a deep voice.

"Just now the imperial physician said that he could not cure you. It was His Highness who saved you. How can you wrongly accuse His Highness!" Qin Keqing spoke up at this time.

Emperor Jingwen then saw Qin Keqing, and he was stunned for a moment.

He stared at Qin Keqing, seeming to have fallen into madness.

Qin Keqing was frightened by the look of Emperor Jingwen and hurriedly leaned against Li Qiang. She only felt safe when she was with Li Qiang.

"Concubine Qing, are you here to pick me up?" Emperor Jingwen murmured.

When Li Qiang heard the name Concubine Qing, she couldn't help but think of the reason why Emperor Jingwen was assassinated when he went out of the city, which was because he went out of the city to worship Concubine Qing.

It seems that Concubine Qing has a different status in Emperor Jingwen's heart. Emperor Jingwen does not care about women, but Concubine Qing is an exception.

"Her name is Qin Keqing. After the old Prince Yi Zhong died, Qin Bangye and his men stole her from the palace, raised her in his home, and named her Keqing!" Li Qiang explained.

Emperor Jingwen certainly knew Qin Keqing. When he was emperor, he knew the secrets of many families in the capital, and he knew about Qin Keqing's affairs.

But he never imagined that Qin Keqing was actually his daughter.

At this time, Qin Keqing on the side was also stunned. She did not expect that she was the daughter of the old man in front of her.

The old man in front of her called himself "Zhen", and since this was the cold palace, she guessed the old man's identity. He was none other than the former deposed emperor Jingwen.

"Miss Qin, I think you have heard clearly that the person in front of you is your father!" Li Qiang said to Qin Keqing beside him.

"You are Qingyue, Concubine Qing, this is our daughter, I have found our daughter!" Emperor Jingwen said with tears and laughter.

Qin Keqing found it hard to accept that her most respected father, Qin Bangye, was the one who stole her out of the palace. Qin Bangye's behavior affected her life.

If she were still in the palace, she would be Princess Qingyue, loved by her father.

But it was too late for her to recognize the father in front of her now. Emperor Jingwen had already become the deposed emperor. She was afraid that Emperor Jingwen would affect her life.

She is very satisfied with her current life.

Li Qiang gave her the best life, so that she would not be bullied by others, and she would marry Li Qiang and become a concubine like Miaoyu.

But with the appearance of Emperor Jingwen, it is unclear whether all this can continue.

"Li Qiang, I beg you for a favor!" Emperor Jingwen was a man of great character. When he saw Qin Keqing's expression, he guessed the current situation and said to Li Qiang.

After knowing that Concubine Qing and his daughter were still alive, he regained the courage to live.

Qin Keqing's happiness is his greatest hope, and he is willing to give everything for it.

"Go ahead!" Li Qiang said without any hesitation.

"I will not recognize Qingyue, and don't let anyone else know about this. You must take good care of her and make her happy!" Emperor Jingwen looked at Li Qiang with expectant eyes and said.

"Miss Qin is your daughter and also of royal blood. How can I be with her?" Li Qiang shook her head.

"So what? We are not blood siblings. This is my last request to you. If it weren't for the fact that you are Prince Yi Zhong's child, you and I would still be the best monarch and subject!" Emperor Jingwen tried to persuade.

Li Qiang thought about how Emperor Jingwen trusted him back then.

He had made great contributions outside, and Emperor Jingwen did his best to seek rewards for him, which allowed him to obtain the title of marquis at a young age, as well as the official position of the first-rank inspector of nine provinces.

It was just as Emperor Jingwen said, if it weren't for fate, he and Emperor Jingwen would never have become enemies.

In fact, even though they became enemies, Li Qiang still showed some friendship and did not kill them.

If Li Qiang really wanted to kill someone, no matter if he was a mortal or an immortal, it would only take a matter of using poison.

Immortals might know what was going on, but mortals would not know who did it even if they were poisoned.

"I will take care of Qin Keqing!" Li Qiang said with a sigh.

"Qingyue, you have to live a good life. I can only give an explanation when I meet Concubine Qing in the underworld! Concubine Qing is your mother. She is the most beautiful woman in the world. Her smile is so gentle. The year you were stolen away, she lost her mind and died of depression!" Emperor Jingwen said, tears streaming down his face uncontrollably.

Emperor Jingwen looked at a painting on the wall beside the bed. This painting was painted on the worst paper and with the worst ink. It must have been painted in the cold palace.

But when Li Qiang saw this painting, she felt the emotions contained in the painting.

The painting shows a woman who is 80% similar to Qin Keqing. The person in the painting has sad eyes and eyebrows, as if she is complaining about something.

"Daddy!" Qin Keqing felt Emperor Jingwen's deep affection for her and finally couldn't help but shout.

"Daughter!" Emperor Jingwen also put aside his self-righteous status and responded like an ordinary father.

He stretched out his hand, and Qin Keqing lowered her head, allowing his hand to stroke her hair.

"Go, you can't stay here any longer, and don't come here again in the future!" Emperor Jingwen withdrew his hand and said in a deep voice.

Qin Keqing wanted to say something more, but she didn't know how. This sudden fatherly love was too sudden and too heavy for her to adapt to for a while.

"I will send two more eunuchs to take care of you. Once the emperor has calmed down, perhaps I can let you move to a palace somewhere!" Li Qiang said lightly.

"Li Qiang, I've long been used to this. You promised me to take good care of Qingyue. Just doing this is enough!" Emperor Jingwen waved his hand and said.

"I will certainly do what I promised!" Li Qiang assured again.

"Then I feel relieved!" Emperor Jingwen looked at Qin Keqing with some reluctance and said with a smile.

"I will bring Miss Qin here again if I have the chance!" Li Qiang said goodbye.

Without waiting for Emperor Jingwen to say anything else, he pulled Qin Keqing out of the bedroom.

In the bedroom, Emperor Jingwen looked at the portrait on the wall with gentle eyes, muttering something. The woman in the portrait seemed to come alive, and the sorrow in her eyes was gone.

(End of this chapter)