Luo Qi stayed with Luo Wei in Yi Jin Garden for the night. The next morning, just as dawn broke and before he could leave, a eunuch from Changming Hall came to Yi Jin Garden.
“What’s the matter?” Luo Wei asked the eunuch while still lying on the bed.
The eunuch knelt down and said to Luo Wei, “Your Highness, His Majesty had a fever last night. Today at morning court, he wishes for Your Highness to take his place.”
“A fever?” Luo Wei sat up. He didn’t know that Long Xuan had stood by Yuxin Lake for about two hours last night. “Is his wound acting up again?” Luo Wei asked. “Have the imperial physicians been called?”
“In response to Your Highness,” the eunuch hurriedly replied, “the imperial physicians have already seen His Majesty. His Majesty has taken medicine and fallen asleep.”
“I understand,” a trace of impatience appeared on Luo Wei’s face. He said to the eunuch, “After morning court, I will bring civil and military officials to Changming Hall.”
After receiving Luo Wei’s reply, the eunuch quickly retreated.
“I’ll go to Changming Hall first,” Luo Qi said beside him.
“He’s injured,” Luo Wei allowed Zhao Fu to attend to his dressing and said to Luo Qi, “It’s not strange for him to fall ill. Elder brother, there is no need to worry about him.”
Luo Qi said, “Still, it’s better to summon the physician who treated His Majesty to morning court. Don’t let the ministers misunderstand you.”
Luo Wei smiled at Luo Qi. His elder brother seemed to be well-versed in the shady dealings of the court.
“Why are you laughing?” Luo Qi asked irritably. “Are these matters so difficult to understand? Do you still think that your older brother and I will never understand them?”
“Of course not,” Luo Wei said. “Elder brother is the one who won three games of go against me in one night. How could he not understand?”
“Do you still remember this?”
“I do. I didn’t expect my elder brother to be so good at hiding his true abilities,” Luo Wei said with some displeasure. “You even deliberately let me win later on!”
Luo Qi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Next time I won’t do that, alright?” he asked Luo Wei. “Will you let me off this time?”
Luo Wei looked at Zhao Fu who was dressing him and who also had a smile on his face. He couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “I’m not a child anymore, elder brother,” he said to Luo Qi. “You’re not treating me like a child, are you?”
Luo Qi shook his head, sat down on a nearby chair, and said to Luo Wei, “This time I might be stationed in Eastern Shang, even further from the capital.”
“Elder brother, don’t go back to Eastern Shang,” Luo Wei said seriously. “Stay at Yunguan.”
“Xiao Wei.”
“Yang Yuansu is not dead,” Luo Wei said. “When he recovers, there will be unrest in Eastern Shang again. How many wars has elder brother fought in his life? I won’t let you be stationed in Eastern Shang.”
Luo Qi smiled bitterly. “This is an imperial decree.”
“This imperial decree is not well-intentioned,” Luo Wei said coldly. “If elder brother stays at Yunguan, he won’t be dependent on others for provisions and supplies. But if he goes to Eastern Shang, everything, including troops and provisions, will be dependent on others. I won’t allow that to happen.”
“You,” Luo Qi said, “are you going to oppose His Majesty again?”
“Let’s go to morning court first,” Luo Wei smiled at Luo Qi again and said, “Winning a war means having merit. Elder brother, when I bring up this matter in court later, those who still want to climb higher will surely seize this opportunity.”
Luo Qi looked at Luo Wei, feeling a bit worried. “Xiao Wei, His Majesty has returned. Do you still want to wield power in court?”
Zhao Fu’s hand which was buttoning up Luo Wei’s clothes trembled slightly.
“I’ve already handed over the government affairs,” Luo Wei said. “Why is elder brother asking me this?”
Luo Qi smiled at Luo Wei. He did have a plan for Luo Wei, but he didn’t intend to share it with him just yet. “I won’t accompany you to morning court,” Luo Qi said to Luo Wei. “I’ll go to Changming Hall to take my leave from His Majesty, then I will visit the military camp outside the city. I’ll come back to see you tonight.”
“That’s fine,” Luo Wei, without doubting Luo Qi’s presence tonight, checked himself over, and then said to him, “Let’s go have breakfast.”
Luo Wei’s idea of breakfast was Luo Qi eating porridge and snacks while he drank the medicinal soup brought by Imperial Physician Wei.
“Aren’t you going to eat something?” Luo Qi asked, seeing that Luo Wei had finished two bowls of medicinal soup and then just sat down to wait for him, “Are you satisfied with just drinking medicine?”
Before Luo Wei could speak, Imperial Physician Wei said, “This medicine spoils the appetite. Young Master can’t eat anything. It’s better to rest for a while and then have some snacks.”
Luo Qi glanced at Imperial Physician Wei and said, “You’ve been with Xiao Wei for years. How come his health seems worse than before?”
Imperial Physician Wei said somewhat stupidly to Luo Qi, “General Luo, can’t you tell?”
“I’m not blind. When did he ever need to drink these two big bowls of medicine as soon as he got up before? What kind of medicine is this?” Luo Qi asked.
“This medicine is…” Imperial Physician Wei wanted to explain the prescriptions he had written for Luo Wei.
“Alright,” Luo Wei interrupted. “Are you trying to teach elder brother medicine?”
Imperial Physician Wei smiled awkwardly and withdrew.
“I still have something to ask him,” Luo Qi said.
“He’s done his best. What else does elder brother want to ask him?” Luo Wei said.
Luo Qi stopped speaking at that point, quickly finished breakfast, and then left with Luo Wei from Yi Jin Garden, walking all the way to the north bank of Yuxin Lake.
Luo Wei boarded the carriage and said to Luo Qi, “Elder brother, when you see His Majesty, don’t say too much.”
“I know,” Luo Qi waved his hand at Luo Wei, letting him go first, and emphasized, “I’ll come see you again tonight.”
Luo Wei rode off in the carriage, but after going a certain distance, he looked back at Luo Qi standing on the shore.
Luo Qi waited until he could no longer see Luo Wei before heading in the direction of Changming Hall.
Long Xuan had slept under the effects of the medication until nearly noon.
Seeing Long Xuan awaken, Fu Dao hurriedly called for the imperial physician and asked Long Xuan, “Your Majesty, are you feeling better now?”
Long Xuan lay there and asked Fu Dao, “What time is it now?”
“In response to Your Majesty, it is almost noon,” Fu Dao replied.
“Has morning court ended?” Long Xuan quickly inquired.
“Not yet,” Fu Dao replied. “Your servant has inquired. Morning court under Prince Jin’s regency tends to run late.”
At this point, Long Xuan turned to see the imperial physician entering the inner chamber, and his expression turned unpleasant.
The physicians approached Long Xuan’s bed nervously. Long Xuan’s high fever last night was entirely due to inflammation from getting his wound wet in the rain. If this were anyone else, the physicians would certainly have scolded this person severely—if they didn’t want to live, then they shouldn’t bother them to save them. But this was Long Xuan, their Emperor, and the physicians didn’t dare to say a word.
“Can I get up now?” Long Xuan asked the physicians.
“It’s better for Your Majesty to rest for a few more days,” the lead physician hurriedly replied.
“Am I very idle?” Long Xuan asked the physician. “Am I someone who can lie down and enjoy a comfortable life?”
Boundless Dao 
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