Nanny Qing has been very worried about Prince Jin recently.
With the Retired Emperor passing away these past two days, she was even more worried.
She had originally thought that at least the Retired Emperor would still be in charge in the capital, and that the Retired Emperor favored the Prince, so he could back him up in any situation. She never expected that the old man would pass away just as Prince Jin returned to the capital.
Nanny Qing was very worried about what would happen to Prince Jin without anyone to protect him in the future.
And what would happen to Prince Jin's leg?
Perhaps because she was too worried and anxious, she hadn't slept well these past few nights.
Last night, Nanny Qing even dreamed of the Retired Emperor.
In her dream, the Retired Emperor was stomping his feet, pointing, huffing, and glaring at her, as if scolding her. But when Nanny Qing woke up, she couldn't remember what he was scolding her about.
She just woke up with a bad headache and felt very unwell.
She felt that if she didn't sleep well again tonight, she would likely fall ill tomorrow, already sensing a trace of sickness.
That evening, as Nanny Qing prepared for bed, she saw the sachet on her outer garment.
That servant girl, Qing Yin, seemed to really believe in Second Miss Lu.
She normally wouldn't take anything to bed with her, but looking at the sachet, Nanny Qing didn't know why, but she still picked it up and put it in the inner pocket of her undershirt.
She lay down, closed her eyes, and let out a soft sigh.
That night, Nanny Qing slept exceptionally well.
Meanwhile, in the Ancestral Temple, the Retired Emperor's spirit tablet suddenly fell face down on the table with a thud in the middle of the night.
The next morning, a young monk came to light incense and was shocked to see the fallen spirit tablet, looking around.
The doors and windows were all closed, and there were no other doors or windows in the hall. The other spirit tablets were all fine, the incense burner was also fine, and there wasn't even a trace of incense ash being blown away by the wind.
Why was it only the Retired Emperor's spirit tablet that fell?
The young monk, Juechi, scratched his shiny little head in confusion, then used both hands to pick up the tablet and place it upright again.
"Juechi, what are you doing?"
Another young monk, a few years older than him, walked in and saw his junior brother holding the spirit tablet with both hands, so he couldn't help but ask.
Little Juechi was actually only seven years old.
They were supported by the Imperial family and cultivated in this Ancestral Temple.
There were only eight monks in the Ancestral Temple in total; sometimes they would swap with other monks from Huguo Temple outside the city.
But little Juechi had grown up in the Ancestral Temple.
"Senior Brother, the Retired Emperor fell down," Juechi turned and said to his senior brother.
His senior brother was stunned upon hearing his words.
After recovering, he quickly recited "Amitābha."
"Quickly set it upright, don't speak nonsense."
What did he mean, the Retired Emperor fell down?
If the Emperor heard this, there would be trouble.
"Oh, I've already set it upright. Should I light incense?"
"Light the incense. Prince Jin instructed that three sticks of incense should be lit every morning."
The two senior and junior brothers lit the incense sticks, bowed, and inserted them into the incense burner in front of the spirit tablet. Just as they inserted them, with a 'thud', the spirit tablet fell again.
"Senior Brother, the Retired Emperor fell down again. Does he not want to get up?" Juechi asked his senior brother, surprised.
His senior brother, Sizhen, was also stunned.
"What's going on?"
He went forward and propped the spirit tablet up again, but after a moment, with another 'thud', it fell again.
Sizhen's face changed.
"Quick, go tell Martial Uncle!"
This matter from the Ancestral Temple quickly spread into the palace.
With the Retired Emperor's funeral currently underway, such a strange thing happening to his spirit tablet could not be kept from the Emperor.
The Emperor also found this very strange when he heard about it.
"The spirit tablet was written by Prince Jin, is its base unstable?"
The Emperor personally went to Ningshou Palace. Since yesterday, Prince Jin had been keeping vigil there.
He sat on a cushion, eyes closed, seemingly asleep.
Besides him, there were several other young men, these were the Crown Prince and other Imperial Princes.
Prince Jin was their Little Imperial Uncle, and since he had been keeping vigil, the Crown Prince and other Imperial Princes naturally followed suit.
But they were all kneeling.
After kneeling all night, everyone's face was a bit pale.
When the Emperor arrived, he glanced at them, "Everyone, take a break."
Since the Emperor had spoken, the Imperial Princes secretly sighed in relief and struggled to stand up.
"Greetings, Imperial Father."
"Mm, you all show filial piety." The Emperor said, then looked at the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince still hadn't stood up; he remained kneeling beside Prince Jin.
The Crown Prince's features resembled Prince Jin's by a couple of points; these uncle and nephew looked quite close.
The Emperor felt a bit uncomfortable.
"Crown Prince, aren't you getting up?"
"Imperial Father, I'm not tired," the Crown Prince said.
The Emperor was a bit exasperated.
"Your Imperial Uncle is sitting."
Everyone said that Prince Jin had been keeping vigil here, showing heaven-shaking filial piety, but he wished they would come and see that Prince Jin was sitting! He hadn't even knelt!
Moreover, he still had his eyes closed, looking as if he were asleep.
"A-Yue," the Emperor called out. Even though he knew the Emperor had arrived, Prince Jin remained motionless; the Emperor didn't believe Prince Jin hadn't heard his voice.
Only then did Prince Jin open his eyes and slowly look at him.
"Imperial Brother has arrived?"
"You've been sitting all night, are you tired? How about going to the side hall to rest?" the Emperor asked.
"No need."
Prince Jin glanced at the others. The Imperial Princes didn't dare to meet his gaze. They didn't know why, but they were a little afraid of this Little Imperial Uncle.
Before, they were clearly the children, and the Imperial Uncle's seniority was higher than theirs, yet the Retired Emperor favored the Imperial Uncle more, always siding with the Little Imperial Uncle no matter what.
The Little Imperial Uncle was not someone with a good temper; if anyone displeased him, he would directly resort to violence.
The Second Prince here had been beaten by him quite a few times when he was a child.
"A-Yue, I ask you, is the spirit tablet you wrote for the Retired Emperor unstable?" the Emperor asked.
If he had indeed carelessly made the spirit tablet, then the Emperor would have found a fault in Prince Jin.
"What does 'unstable' mean?"
Prince Jin asked, but quickly understood.
"It fell again?"
When the Emperor heard his words, he also paused, "What do you mean, 'fell again'?"
"Again?"
"It seems it really did fall."
"It fell. They said it fell last night, and today it was set up twice, and fell twice again! How can you be so careless with just a piece of wood? This is too disrespectful to the Retired Emperor."
The Emperor said sternly.
Thinking about it, he found it a bit strange. Was Prince Jin really that unreliable? Did it really keep falling?
"Is that so? I'll go take a look."
Prince Jin stood up, and at that moment, the Crown Prince quickly stood up too, supporting him.
The Emperor looked at the Crown Prince's behavior and felt that he was somewhat obsequious towards Prince Jin.
"Are you going to the Ancestral Temple now?"
"Otherwise, Imperial Brother, would you like to come along?"
The Emperor was actually a bit curious, and they also needed to go to the Ancestral Temple to light incense for other ancestors, informing them that another one was joining them, and asking the ancestors to look after the Retired Emperor. So, the Emperor nodded.
"I'll go too."
The funeral arrangements were handled by the ministers; it was fine for them to leave the palace for a while.
"Imperial Uncle, I'll go too." The Crown Prince supported Prince Jin.
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