With Ji Su having said that, what else could Ji Weiqiu say? He lowered his head and answered, "Yes."

Ji Su extended a hand. Seeing that this was likely the intention, Ji Weiqiu hesitated for a moment before taking Ji Su's hand and using the leverage to stand. Ji Su said, "It is already late. Go back and rest."

"This younger brother takes his leave." After bowing, Ji Weiqiu walked stiffly out of the main hall. Once he left the side hall, he felt as if every bone in his body was aching. His feet suddenly went weak, and he nearly fell to the ground.

"Oh my, Your Highness, what's happened to you?" Eunuch Xiao Zhuo hurriedly steadied him.

Eunuch Xiao Zhuo also followed Eunuch Qingxi's example, addressing him as 'Your Highness' instead of 'Prince'.

Ji Weiqiu waved his hand. "It's nothing... My legs just fell asleep from sitting in the hall for too long."

"This servant will support you." While helping him, Eunuch Xiao Zhuo said, "Just now, my master asked this servant to inform Your Highness that there are some minor matters to attend to in the Prince's Manor. Brother Xingbo didn't dare to disturb Your Majesty, so he requested to return to the manor himself. He asks for Your Highness's understanding."

Ji Weiqiu nodded upon hearing this, indicating he understood. Xingbo was his chief steward. There was a large household of people to support back home, so what was the point of him staying in the palace to serve him day in and day out? Was he lacking servants in the palace? He should have gone back long ago.

A medicinal bath had already been prepared in the side hall. The tub was even made of jade. The moment Ji Weiqiu lay down in it, he sighed in comfort. But on second thought, he felt agitated and uneasy again.

'He didn't know what his elder brother truly wanted anymore.'

If things followed the original novel, his elder brother was naturally not to be trusted. His elder brother had worn that same calm, indifferent face since childhood; no one ever knew what he was thinking. The original novel, at least, had accurately described what his elder brother wanted. But his elder brother... what exactly did he want to gain through him?

Ji Weiqiu closed his eyes for a short rest. There were some things he didn't want to think about too deeply. He'd just muddle through! The worst that could happen was being under house arrest for life. Thinking of his Prince's Manor, built to be a riot of color with ever-changing scenery through the four seasons, he thought he could live with that.

His Imperial Elder Brother wasn't someone who disregarded old affections. He wouldn't truly let him die in distress.

Having thought it through, Ji Weiqiu felt relieved again. The medicinal bath had been prescribed by Imperial Physician Hu. As for its effects, Ji Weiqiu was completely bewildered, but he knew it was good for his body. He truly took a comfortable nap in the medicinal bath. When he awoke, the medicinal properties had more or less been absorbed. Eunuch Xiao Zhuo came forward to drape a robe on him and dry his hair. Suddenly, someone outside announced, "Your Highness, this old servant, Qingxi, requests an audience!"

Ji Weiqiu's spirits lifted. "Quickly, let him in."

With a creak, the hall doors were opened from both sides by palace attendants. Eunuch Qingxi entered, followed by two young eunuchs carrying two stacks of memorials. A quick count showed there were at least sixty or seventy of them.

"His Little Highness." Eunuch Qingxi bowed. "These were sent by the Emperor for Your Highness."

Ji Weiqiu's scalp tingled. "I don't have to finish all of these today, do I?"

Eunuch Qingxi said with a chuckle, "Your Highness has not yet recovered. How could you be subjected to such toil? Your Highness may read them at your leisure."

Ji Weiqiu breathed a sigh of relief, but before he could fully relax, he heard him continue, "However, they are all memorials concerning Prefect Qian of Quanzhou."

Only then did Ji Weiqiu remember that his elder brother had him look into the Li Yunxiu Case to decide Qian Zhiwei's punishment. Now that he had finished reading about the case, and his elder brother had even analyzed it for him from multiple angles, if he didn't handle Qian Zhiwei properly... he didn't even dare to imagine the look on his elder brother's face.

Ji Weiqiu looked at Eunuch Qingxi with a pained expression and raised a hand slightly. "Eunuch, come here."

Eunuch Xiao Zhuo immediately brought over a chair and invited Eunuch Qingxi to sit. Then, he very consciously led the palace attendants away—since he had been invited to sit, there were matters to discuss.

"Thank you, His Little Highness." Eunuch Qingxi sat on the edge of the chair.

Ji Weiqiu sat cross-legged, propping his chin on one hand, and asked dejectedly, "Eunuch, you've served by my Imperial Elder Brother's side for so many years. Tell me, why did he say all those things to me today?"

He then tilted his chin, gesturing towards the two large stacks of memorials. "And he's making me read memorials... How could I dare to read these?"

Eunuch Qingxi smiled. "This old servant wouldn't dare to speculate on His Majesty's intentions, but this old servant does know one thing."

"What is it?" Ji Weiqiu asked quickly.

Eunuch Qingxi said, "The Emperor is never wrong. Just follow the Emperor's lead. Besides, the Emperor is Your Highness's elder brother. With over a decade of brotherly affection, how could he possibly harm you?"

Ji Weiqiu's eyes lowered, and he didn't reply. Seeing this, Eunuch Qingxi added, "This old servant has overstepped. The memorials Your Highness read today, the Emperor has read them too. The way the Emperor taught Your Highness today is just like how The Late Emperor taught His Majesty back then... Your Highness need not worry too much. The Emperor values you highly."

He had actually noticed it as well. The memorials were from over a century ago, but the reproduced copies were only twenty or thirty years old. When opened, they already had vermilion annotations. The imperial cinnabar ink does not fade even after a hundred years, but one could tell the writer's habits from the annotations. The vermilion marks on them did not seem to be his Imperial Elder Brother's; they were likely The Late Emperor's.

The Late Emperor had been an enlightened ruler for a time and had once genuinely placed great hopes in Ji Su, his eldest son by the empress, caring for and loving him.

It wasn't that Ji Weiqiu hadn't been moved when he realized this at the time; it was just that he didn't dare to be moved.

"Forget it, I understand." Ji Weiqiu nodded. "I can't figure it out anyway, so I'll just do as my Imperial Elder Brother says."

"Aiya, that's the right attitude." Eunuch Qingxi stood up. "Then this old servant will take his leave. The Emperor cannot be without someone by his side."

After Eunuch Qingxi left, Eunuch Xiao Zhuo and the other palace attendants re-entered to make his bed and change the incense. Ji Weiqiu had thought he would have trouble sleeping that night, having slept too much during the day. Who knew that upon smelling the incense, his head would loll to the side and he'd fall asleep without so much as a grunt.

His last thought before falling asleep was: 'This feeling is so familiar, it couldn't be knockout drops again, could it?'

About an hour later, Ji Su entered the side hall. Upon seeing Ji Su, Eunuch Xiao Zhuo bowed silently. Ji Su sat on the edge of the bed and saw Ji Weiqiu sleeping sprawled out, which made him frown.

Ji Weiqiu had always been a messy sleeper since childhood. He didn't expect it to have gotten even worse now.

Ji Weiqiu was sleeping very soundly, a rosy flush on his face. Ji Su reached out and touched his forehead. Seeing he didn't have a fever, he then touched the back of his neck. It was slightly sweaty, unlike the deathly coldness from a few days ago. Thinking that Imperial Physician Hu's care was effective, he stood up and left.

Eunuch Qingxi was waiting outside the door. He followed after Ji Su when he came out. Ji Su instructed, "Have Imperial Physician Hu come again tomorrow."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Eunuch Qingxi said with a smile, "Imperial Physician Hu also said he would definitely come tomorrow."

Ji Su nodded and gave no further instructions. There was no need.

If a dignified imperial prince could be neglected in the palace, then he, as the emperor, would truly be a failure.

The next day, Ji Weiqiu confirmed that it probably wasn't knockout drops, because when he was woken up before dawn, he didn't have a headache or feel dizzy from lack of sleep. It was likely that he had just been too tired yesterday, relying on mental strength to hold on. He asked groggily, "What's going on?"

What was all this so early in the morning!

Was even the right to wake up naturally going to be taken away?!

Ji Weiqiu focused his eyes and saw Imperial Physician Hu at his side. He immediately behaved himself. Imperial Physician Hu took his pulse and said to Eunuch Xiao Zhuo, "There's nothing seriously wrong. Just continue to recuperate. In the morning, take His Highness to the garden to see some sunlight. He can also take a short nap, but be careful not to strain his eyes."

Eunuch Xiao Zhuo nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes, this little one understands."

Just as Ji Weiqiu was about to say that if he was just taking his pulse, why did he have to be woken up, he saw a palace attendant carrying a bowl of medicine that smelled bitter. Ji Weiqiu instantly stiffened. "Grandpa Hu, I haven't had breakfast yet..."

Imperial Physician Hu stroked his beard. "This improves appetite and aids digestion..."

For the past two days, Ji Weiqiu had suffered enough from not being able to eat much. He would feel full after just a few bites, only to get hungry again a short while later. Eating anything greasy would upset his stomach, while plain food left him restless and craving more. Hearing this, he didn't say another word, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one go. Eunuch Xiao Zhuo held up a sugar pot. "Your Highness..."

Ji Weiqiu said with his eyes closed, "Don't ruin the medicine's effect."

Which meant he wasn't going to eat it.

Imperial Physician Hu smiled, took the sugar pot from Eunuch Xiao Zhuo's hands, picked out a lychee candy and popped it into his mouth. He stuffed the rest into his medicine box. "This old subject takes his leave."

Eunuch Xiao Zhuo: "...?!"

That was a tribute bestowed by the emperor... You're just taking it like that?!

Eunuch Xiao Zhuo stared helplessly as Imperial Physician Hu left, not daring to go after him to get the sugar pot back. When he turned around, he found that Ji Weiqiu had fallen asleep again. He sighed and quietly went to arrange for the palace attendants to get things done. His master had said that when serving a master, one must think and act more. One must prepare what the master has thought of, and also prepare what the master hasn't. If you put your heart into it, the master will naturally see your good qualities.

He thought that this Highness enjoyed entertainment, and considered arranging a stage for him... but he didn't dare. Who would dare to set up such things in Qingning Hall? However, finding someone who could play some elegant music wasn't difficult. He had asked Brother Xingbo before, who said that His Highness usually slept until late morning when he had nothing to do. It would be better to pick a good spot in the garden and prepare a couch. He also had to prepare food and drinks. What if His Highness was suddenly in the mood to have breakfast in the garden?

......

And so, when Ji Su returned from the morning court session, before he had walked more than a few steps, he saw Ji Weiqiu in the garden, wearing a bright red outer robe with his eyes covered, sunbathing, eating fruit, and listening to a pipa and a storyteller.

There were even people massaging his shoulders and legs.

Ji Weiqiu hadn't yet noticed that his elder brother had finished court. With one leg crossed over the other, he commanded a palace attendant, "A grape~"

A dark purple grape was placed in his mouth. With a gentle bite, the juice burst forth, sweet and thirst-quenching.

Ji Su walked over slowly. As he got closer, he realized it wasn't a storyteller, but a eunuch who served in the Imperial Study, reading aloud the memorials impeaching Qian Zhiwei.

"...corruption and bribery, an intolerable crime against nature..."

"...abducting women... opening brothels..."

When the attendants noticed his arrival, they were about to greet him, but Ji Su raised a hand slightly, so the palace attendants could only brace themselves and continue. Ji Weiqiu spat out the grape skin. He had a silk ribbon tied over his eyes. The sunlight at this hour was still a bit harsh, and he was afraid it would be inconvenient if he fell asleep, so he had simply blindfolded himself. Now, he was suddenly a little interested in pretending to be blind, so he didn't take it off.

"How many memorials have there been impeaching him for corruption?" Ji Weiqiu asked.

The eunuch replied, "Prince, this is already the tenth one."

"Add the five scolding him for lax governance, that makes fifteen read?" Ji Weiqiu changed the subject. "Since it's been fifteen, go have a cup of tea and rest for a bit. My Imperial Elder Brother should be finishing court soon. Forget it, I'll read the rest myself... Xiao Zhuo, give him a big reward."

Eunuch Xiao Zhuo peeked at the stern-faced Emperor and pulled a large pouch from his sleeve—it was truly large, almost the size of a saddlebag. The reading eunuch also glanced at Ji Su, and only after seeing Ji Su nod did he accept the incredibly heavy pouch.

"Many thanks for Your Highness's reward!"

Ji Weiqiu fumbled to his feet, stretched, and waved his hands about randomly. "Come, lead me back to the side hall."

He grabbed a hand and squeezed it subconsciously. The fingers in his palm felt smooth, the bones long and slender, like bamboo or jade. They must be extremely beautiful. He praised casually, "Your hands are really beautiful..."