Chapter 215 3/3

She could find herself a “son”!

Lu Qingxi would definitely support her; they were in this together!

If Qi Jun had a biological son, those officials who had remained neutral would certainly support her as well!

With the new emperor being her “son,” she would become the Empress Dowager, her position absolutely secure. Qi An, her adopted child with a disfigured face, wouldn’t be harmed by the new emperor. Qi An could even end up as a prince!

As long as Lu Qingxi was smart, he could step down safely.

This was truly an excellent idea.

As for confusing the imperial bloodline, she didn’t care!

The late emperor’s Concubine killed her daughter and faced no consequences because the late emperor protected her!

She hated the late emperor’s Concubine, hated the late emperor, and even harbored some resentment towards Qi Jun.

So what if the imperial bloodline was confused? She just wanted her An An to be safe.

Moreover, it might not be a bad thing for Qi Jun. If he found out he had a biological son, his health might even improve!

The more Concubine Liu thought about it, the more excited she became.

She knew Lu Qingxi would come to see her. She planned to discuss this with him and then decide whether to proceed.

If they were to go through with it, Lu Qingxi would have to handle the matter!

They needed to find a young man who resembled the emperor and was of the right age!

“An An, mother is here.”

“An An, mother knows you’re in pain. Bear with it; you’ll be better soon.”

“An An, everything will be alright. Mother will avenge you and ensure you live a life of luxury.”

“An An…”

Concubine Liu comforted Qi An in a low voice.

In the palace, the emperor had awakened.

As soon as he woke up, he asked about Qi An’s condition, unable to hold back his tears.

Lu Qingxi reassured him, “Your Majesty, the young master is fine. Although his face is disfigured, timely treatment has saved his life. Rest well, and once you recover, you can see the young master.”

“Really?” Qi Jun asked.

“Your Majesty, when have I ever lied to you?”

Lu Qingxi had indeed never lied to Qi Jun, so Qi Jun felt relieved.

But Qi Jun didn’t know that as soon as Lu Qingxi turned away, he began to ponder.

This past year, he had completely fallen out with both Prince Yan and Prince Jin.

No matter what, he couldn’t let either of them ascend to the throne!

But now that something had happened to Qi An!

Perhaps he could find a child who resembled Qi An to take his place?

Some palace maids and eunuchs, along with a few imperial doctor, had seen the injured Qi An, but the palace was currently sealed off, and no one could leave. The outside world was unaware of the situation inside. If he killed all those who had seen Qi An’s injuries, no one would know how serious they were!

There were many children with similar appearances. Finding one with a similar look, making a small burn on his face, and raising him for a while would surely fool the emperor into believing the child was Qi An!

But he needed to discuss this with Concubine Liu. He believed she would agree.

Concubine Liu was determined to seek revenge on Prince Jin and Prince Yan, so the next emperor had to be someone on their side!

As for the emperor… To Lu Qingxi, the emperor was very important. If sacrificing himself could heal the emperor, he would do it.

But that was impossible, wasn’t it?

Moreover, while the emperor was important to him, so was Concubine Liu.

He didn’t want to die, nor did he want Concubine Liu to die.

In the worst-case scenario, they could wait for the adopted child to grow up and marry one of the emperor’s daughters.

While Lu Qingxi was pondering, someone came to report that Concubine Liu had left the palace with Qi An and found a doctor who claimed to be able to save Qi An.

Lu Qingxi was furious.

Did Concubine Liu not fear danger by leaving the palace at this time?

And… if the imperial doctor had no solutions, how could an outsider save Qi An? Could she have been deceived?

Lu Qingxi decided that after dealing with palace matters, he would bring Concubine Liu back.

With this in mind, Lu Qingxi ordered a medicinal meal prepared for Qi Jun. As for himself, he hadn’t eaten for most of the day and decided to grab a quick bite.

While Lu Qingxi was eating, Concubine Liu was having her dinner.

The dinner was brought by Li Qingzhi’s people—a large bowl of pork stewed with cabbage, wood ear mushrooms, and tofu. It had been years since Concubine Liu had eaten such simple fare, and with Qi An still ill, she thought she wouldn’t have an appetite.

But as she ate, the familiar taste surprisingly made her eat quite a bit.

Just after finishing her meal, Li Qingzhi came knocking, saying he needed to perform acupuncture on the child.

Concubine Liu quickly led her attendants out, giving space to Li Qingzhi, who used some of his restored energy to treat the child.

After finishing, Li Qingzhi fed the child some sugar water.

The child’s injuries were severe; he couldn’t eat anything else for now. By tomorrow, he should be able to handle some broth.

The child was pitiful, but Li Qingzhi still tied his arms to his sides.

His face and hands were injured, and Li Qingzhi didn’t want him scratching the wounds and making them worse.

After completing everything, Li Qingzhi told Concubine Liu he would return at dawn to administer more acupuncture before leaving.

Concubine Liu saw him off, noticing his profile.

This scholar was quite handsome; his nose looked just like Qi Jun’s when he was young.

The way Qi Jun looked when he was young… she rather missed that.