Chapter 75
Emperor Huizhong
Bai Yuwen Hong
Bai Shen Hong
"Your Majesty is awake!" the Grand Imperial Physician kowtowed. "Good news," he turned to his assistant, "Go and announce it to Her Highnesses." By that, he meant Yuwen Hong's mother and grandmother.
Yuwen Hong groaned as the roof moved even though his body was still.
"Slowly, Your Majesty. You are still weak." The Grand Imperial Physician came at his side.
"Why do I feel quite tired?"
The physician hesitated a little before going on. "His Majesty fainted three months ago, and has been in deep sleep ever since."
"Three months?" His mind became a jumble. Three months was a long time to spend sleeping.
He tried to rise but failed before excruciating pain ceased in his left leg. "If I just fainted, then why does my leg hurt."
"Answering to His Majesty. Since My Liege was asleep for so long, it resulted in the development of bed sores. The leg was the most affected by the bed sores, although we have managed to keep it under control. Furthermore, with His Majesty awake, there is nothing to worry about anymore."
He sighed. "Help me to sit."
The physician came to his side and aided him until he sat, though his posture was like that of a child learning to sit.
"What caused me to faint and sleep for so long?"
"That..." The physician struggled for words. "This servant will get to the point. We thought it was an infection as you had a fever in the first few days, however over the days we realized your pulse was uneven. It could only be a heart problem."
"I am figuring out it is the heart disease."
"We thought so as well, but Your Majesty, we cannot confirm this for sure."
"What do you mean?"
The physician became dramatic. "The heart is missing, Your Majesty!"
"Preposterous!" he yelled.
All the physicians and physician assistants in the back of the room went on their knees. "Your Majesty, please appease your anger! Please take calmness as your helm!"
Yuwen Hong felt his forehead bid with sweat. "How did you lose my heart?"
"When we checked for His Majesty's heart in the box, it was a goat's heart instead."
"Call my generals!"
Luo Meng, who he had not realized was in the room, saluted him and was on his way to act on his orders.
Yuwen Hong did not understand it. His heart was the most protected item in the palace, considering what happened to his father and that his life depended on it not getting stabbed. Every week, the Grand Imperial Physician was allowed to go in and check on its wellness and change the blood content.
In his last week, before he succumbed to deep sleep, nothing seemed amiss. Who had managed to take away his heart?
"We greet Your Majesty!" His three selected generals bowed before him.
"Where is the War General? You must be four."
"Answering to His Majesty," the Research General spoke. "The War General has been leading the battle in Huticah."
He remembered back to the day he fainted. He ordered the War General to commence the attack and sent him on his way. Three days later, Yuwen Hong was to lead the military into Furia as well.
"Attacking the weak Huticah has taken three months? Must you not have taken siege of all the cities?"
"We managed to take siege of 10 cities. Soon, we will start the attack on their Capital," the National General responded.
"That is not good enough, and you know it. It should not take three months to take down Huticah." The anger in the pit of his stomach had bobbed its head up. "Completely incompetent. I will not accept this."
"Since Furia found out His Majesty was bedridden, they were confident no attack would come to them and sent their best men as reinforcements, most they would have kept for themselves if we attacked Furia and Huticah at once."
Yuwen Hong's fingers paused on his temple. Since the War General had already received the command to commence the attack, he had no choice but to start even though he knew there would be unforeseen loss with his emperor ill and things no longer going to plan. An emperor who was bedridden was not a good thing for the morale of the military.
Orders were to be followed through even though the situation had changed. Yuwen Hong was the head of the military, and unless he commanded Furia to be attacked, the War General could not move against Furia as well.
The plan was to attack Huticah and Furia three days apart. It was meant to find Huticah defenseless with Furia occupied to help. The end result would be Huticah being ruled by Nevoria and becoming part of his expanding empire and Furia to go on its knees and consider being reunited with Nevoria as one again.
Now that the situation had turned out this way, they had to come up with another plan.
"Any more news?"
"The Crown Princess of Furia gave birth today," the National General reported. "It is a prince."
Yuwen Hong swayed and caught himself with his fist on the ground.
"Your Majesty is still in recovery. Please rest. National matters can wait." The Grand Imperial Physician came to his aid from the shadows.
Yuwen Hong nodded, and the physicians went on to shoo the generals out. Li Lian had a child, and it wasn't his. The monster in the pit of his stomach became liquid and flowed in his veins. Undoubtedly so, he was jealous and angry!
S.V