Chapter 683 - 503: Making a Grand Display

"Minister Lin Miao pays respects to the Crown Prince!" Lin Miao approached, slightly clasped his fists, and bent over to salute.

"Please dispense with the formalities, Mr. Lin!"

Crown Prince Zhao Yuanze stood up directly from his seat and extended his hand with a smile, showing much more enthusiasm and regard than he had just displayed towards Pei Jian and Su Mobai.

"Thank you, Your Highness. I was treating patients outside the city and couldn’t personally greet you. I hope Your Highness can forgive me!" Lin Miao said.

Certain formalities still need to be observed; it’s all about giving face to each other.

You can choose to be individualistic, but you also have to bear the consequences of that individualism. Lin Miao is someone who avoids trouble—as long as it doesn’t concern principles, what’s the harm in saying a few words?

"You are establishing quarantine treatment points outside the city for those infected with the epidemic. This is a priority task; how could I blame you?" Zhao Yuanze said. "If it weren’t that I needed to speak with you, I wouldn’t have wanted to call you back and delay your work in treating the sick."

"Your Highness is benevolent!" Su Mobai and Pei Jian said in unison.

"Both of you have done a commendable job. The epidemic has been ongoing for half a month, yet the order in Dongshan City remains intact, clearly due to your efforts."

"Your Highness overpraises us."

"There are no outsiders here—please, all three of you sit down, and let’s talk." Zhao Yuanze invited while signaling the guard next to him to leave and not let anyone in. He intended to have a conversation with the three of them.

This indicated that the conversation wasn’t to be recorded and only those involved would know about it.

Lin Miao also sensed something was amiss, but having come this far, he decided to stay calm.

Now, even if he wanted to back out, he couldn’t.

"Mr. Pei, perhaps you should explain the situation to Mr. Lin," Crown Prince Zhao Yuanze suggested.

Slightly surprised, Su Mobai realized that Lin Miao was just a lowly Physician, a subordinate official of the sixth rank, and wondered when he had gained the qualifications to be involved in such high-level political maneuvers.

What exactly is the relationship between this young man and the Crown Prince?

"Mr. Lin, here’s what is going on..." Pei Jian began, succinctly summarizing the current situation in the capital and the Emperor’s sudden stroke and loss of speech.

"The Crown Prince was attacked in the same location, and the Emperor suddenly suffered a stroke at this time. You suspect this isn’t a coincidence, right?"

"Yes, the attack on the Crown Prince and the Emperor’s stroke occurred virtually simultaneously, which is indeed too much of a coincidence," Su Mobai said.

"In other words, there is no direct link between the Emperor’s stroke and the attack on the Crown Prince."

"The news of the Emperor’s stroke hasn’t been confirmed yet!?" Pei Jian responded.

"Alright, you received the news of the Emperor’s stroke after the attack—if it was delivered by carrier pigeon, how long would it take from the capital to the Cloud-Riding Ridge?"

"At least one day and night."

"Then if the Emperor truly had a stroke, it should have happened before the Crown Prince was attacked. At that time, the Emperor couldn’t have known about the attack, so if the Emperor wasn’t shocked into a stroke by the attack, the link between these two events is debatable," Lin Miao analyzed.

"Mr. Lin’s analysis is reasonable," the Crown Prince nodded.

"How did Your Highness learn of this news?"

"It was relayed to the Eastern Palace by a eunuch I had placed in the Emperor’s residence. Then one of my people got the message and immediately sent it to me by carrier pigeon."

It seems the Crown Prince isn’t foolish; he knows to plant spies around his father. Those who can become Crown Prince aren’t stupid.

"Your Highness doesn’t trust this spy, or is it the Emperor you suspect...?"

"Mr. Lin, do not be disrespectful to the Emperor."

"Mr. Su, since Father sent me to Dongshan to combat the epidemic, he wouldn’t use such a means to bring me back," Zhao Yuanze said, acknowledging his father’s good reputation. He wouldn’t do something that would damage his legacy.

Dispatching him on an epidemic mission only to feign illness and recall him right afterward—if recorded in history, it’s something he certainly wouldn’t do.

"Since Your Highness has determined the authenticity of this news, why do you hesitate?" Lin Miao wondered.

"If the Emperor has indeed suffered a stroke and is incapacitated, someone would need to administer governance. If the Crown Prince isn’t present, then it falls to King Qi," Pei Jian explained.

"Does the Crown Prince need to be in the capital to manage the government?" Lin Miao countered. "The Crown Prince is the Crown Prince; if the Emperor is gravely ill, governance should naturally fall to him. This is the protocol. If whoever is in the capital can administer governance when the Emperor is away on inspection, is he not the Emperor?"

"Mr. Lin, do not speak recklessly!" Su Mobai’s temples throbbed with anxiety as he hastily reprimanded.

Pei Jian pondered for a moment, his eyes lighting up: "That’s right. The Emperor being gravely ill and the Crown Prince governing is indeed the protocol unless there’s no Crown Prince or the Crown Prince is incapable of ruling. In that case, others would step in. The Crown Prince just isn’t in the capital, not unable to manage affairs, so he can naturally govern."

"Mr. Su, if the Crown Prince isn’t in the capital, how can he control the situation? What if the Emperor decrees that King Qi governs?"

"Then let the Crown Prince return to the capital and appoint someone else to oversee epidemic control," Lin Miao suggested. To him, no matter who manages the epidemic, as long as they don’t make a mess of things, if they follow the current methods and pace, they’d just be here to claim credit.

Even if someone is bound to fail, with Pei Jian and Su Mobai joining forces, they can manage the situation.

As long as the Crown Prince supports them in court, even if King Qi is sent over to control the epidemic, no one can overturn the current policy."

"If I go back now and appoint someone else, what about Mr. Pei and Mr. Su?"

"Your Highness, you can leave an order for Mr. Pei and Mr. Su to continue controlling the epidemic as you wish. Once you return to the capital and govern, everything will be under your command. Consort Xue and King Qi have no official standing; even if they cause a ruckus, it’s useless." Lin Miao directly pointed out.