A Foodie Transmigrated into the Palace

Chapter 1484: Chapter 1482: The Illness of Consumption

"Say something!"

Zhao Qichen said coolly.

"It’s all right, just say whatever’s in your hearts. No matter what you say, I won’t get angry!"

He added another line.

The several senior Ministers exchanged glances first, then lowered their heads and thought for a while, before finally speaking one by one.

"Your Majesty, as the saying goes, every craft has its master. For such a complicated assignment, I fear one person won’t be enough..."

"I think so too!"

"This minister seconds that!"

"This minister seconds that as well!"

Looking at the several people speaking in unison, Zhao Qichen’s face grew a bit colder, and he asked faintly,

"How many people do you want to send?"

The few of them were just about to answer when Zhao Qichen blocked them with a single sentence.

"You think it’s not chaotic enough over there already?"

The disaster situation in Guangnan was complicated, and the situation in court was no better.

Factions stood everywhere forming cliques for private gain; these problems could be hidden from others, but not from him.

Only for the sake of mutual checks and balances had he not stepped in to manage it.

Moreover, even if he did crack down on these factions, it would only be a case of the rise of one and fall of another, and wouldn’t solve anything at the root.

After all, wherever there are interests, there are factional struggles.

If they can’t be eliminated, then they might as well be properly used; that’s much better than sitting and waiting to die.

Seeing the Emperor speak this way, the elderly Ministers instantly lowered their heads.

’So the Emperor doesn’t agree to sending more people, huh!’

Thinking about it, that made sense. If several imperial envoys were sent over.

Every day, besides worrying about the victims and the disaster, they would also have to worry about getting screwed over by the people right beside them.

After all, everyone came from different factions; conflict was inevitable.

If nothing blew up, fine. But if something did, it would be a major affair involving the lives of tens or hundreds of thousands of commoners.

By then, whether you were the one scheming or being schemed against, you wouldn’t get any benefit.

So who would willingly take on such an assignment?

"This humble minister did not think it through. I beg Your Majesty’s forgiveness!" they said again in unison.

The corner of Zhao Qichen’s lips hooked almost imperceptibly, and he waved his hand lightly.

"No matter."

"This is also the first time I’ve encountered something like this, so you can’t be blamed."

The several old Ministers instantly let out a breath of relief.

Although the Emperor’s expression still didn’t look good, his tone had softened a lot, which allowed them to relax.

But the next sentence made their knees go weak at once, so weak they wanted to kneel down.

They only heard Zhao Qichen say, light as clouds and wind,

"Since there’s no suitable candidate, then I’ll go personally."

As soon as they heard this, they were so frightened they dropped to their knees, and almost reflexively started to remonstrate.

"Your Majesty must not!"

After that, the several old Ministers were like chickens injected with stimulants, desperately trying to persuade and lobby him.

Things like, ’Your Majesty, you’re still young, you don’t even have a Consort yet, not to mention an Empress...’

Things like, ’The court cannot function without you. If you leave, what will become of state affairs?’

Things like, ’The country cannot go a single day without a monarch; you absolutely must not risk your own person!’

The scene was exactly the same as back when Zhao Junyao wanted to personally lead the campaign and the Imperial Court Officials knelt on the ground to plead with him.

However.

In Zhao Qichen’s ears, these words were like a swarm of flies buzzing.

He waved his hand impatiently and shot back coldly,

"If there’s no one for the court, if I don’t go then you’ll go?"

Trusted Ministers: "..."

’Your Majesty, that’s not how this is supposed to go.’

’Exactly, there’s always a way to solve things.’

’Isn’t that right? Anyway, you absolutely can’t go courting death!’

This was what they truly thought in their hearts, they just didn’t dare say it.

Seeing that they all kept silent, Zhao Qichen said calmly and shamelessly,

"Since you have no objections, then that settles it."

With that, he rose with long strides and left.

Leaving behind a group of Ministers with faces full of shock, looking at each other in dismay, helpless at heart yet angry without daring to speak.

What if the Emperor really appointed one of them to go?

They’d lived to such an old age, but who wants to die?

...

The news that the Emperor was going to personally go to Guangnan to oversee disaster relief spread throughout the court the very next day.

The Imperial Court Officials all tried to stop him, reenacting the scene from before the Taishang Huang personally led the campaign back then.

However, Zhao Qichen was not buying it.

He directly threw down one line,

"Whoever dares block me, I’ll send him."

After that, not a single person in the entire court spoke up again.

The corner of Zhao Qichen’s lips curved slightly as he sneered inwardly.

’With that level of courage, they still have the nerve to pull this act openly in court. These old Ministers are really like old loaches, getting slipperier and slipperier.

One by one, all high-sounding on the surface, but when trouble comes they only know how to shrink back!’

To be fair, there were indeed some who genuinely worried for him.

But when weighed against their own families’ safety, they naturally chose the latter, and that was understandable.

The court remained quiet for a long while; seeing that they said nothing, Zhao Qichen had no choice but to speak again.

"If there’s business, present it. If not, court is dismissed."

All around was still quiet; you could hear a pin drop.

"Court dismissed!"

Li Deming’s peculiar drawn-out cry seemed able to pierce the soul.

Only after Zhao Qichen rose and left did the people in court feel as if shackles had been removed.

They left in groups of twos and threes, walking out together and talking as they went.

"The Emperor’s going to Guangnan—what are we going to do?"

"Exactly. What if by any chance... sigh!"

"Isn’t that it. Thinking it over, I still feel I ought to submit a memorial. Even if he really goes, he should at least take more people with him..."

"Yes, yes!"

Their opinions were rarely so unified.

Everyone deliberately avoided talking about ’persuading the Emperor to change his mind,’ because no one wanted to go die.

And so, this matter was thus settled.

...

The next day.

While Zhao Qichen was wholly preoccupied with preparations for the tour.

Li Deming suddenly, mysteriously, placed a medical record booklet in front of him.

"Your Majesty, this is something your servants went to great effort to secretly obtain. We only have one Shi Chen; please look quickly!"

Zhao Qichen looked up to see a little booklet so rolled it was out of shape.

The whole thing was crumpled; it didn’t look like fresh creases, but rather as if it had always been rolled up and hidden somewhere.

He even managed to find this? Zhao Qichen gave Li Deming an appreciative look.

"Come claim your reward later."

Li Deming was inwardly excited and hastily kowtowed in silent thanks.

Zhao Qichen set aside the matters at hand and began flipping through the medical record page by page.

As time ticked by, his expression grew more and more grave.

By the end, there wasn’t a trace of calm left in his eyes, only helplessness and panic.

"Li Deming!"

"Your servants are here!"

Li Deming stood off to the side with his hands tucked in, waiting.

"Go outside the palace and find a few doctors of good skill. Do it quietly; you must not let anyone know!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Li Deming didn’t dare ask more and turned to leave.

In less than one Shi Chen, he brought in two elderly doctors with white hair and youthful complexions.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, these two are attending physicians from the Capital City Baicao Hall. They’re experienced and highly skilled..."

Zhao Qichen said nothing and directly handed over the medical record.

"Take a look—what illness is this?"

The two old doctors had seen their share of high-ranking nobles, but even so, once they entered the palace they still didn’t dare raise their heads.

Trembling, they took the booklet, and the two of them flipped through it in turn.

Then they both dropped to their knees.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, this medical record appears to indicate a case of tuberculosis."

"What did you say?!"

With a clear answer, Zhao Qichen was even more desperate; his voice carried a quivering note of panic.

The two doctors were so frightened they both plopped down heavily on their knees.

"Y-Your Majesty, this commoner... would not dare deceive the monarch! This is indeed tuberculosis!"