The morning court session was as tedious as ever. Zhu Jie often entertained the thought of feigning illness to avoid it, but the mere image of imperial physicians hounding him for a pulse-taking and the endless stream of concubines from the inner palace clamoring to send him medicinal soups instantly extinguished that desire. He decided that if all else failed, he would simply drift off in a daze during the proceedings; after all, no one dared say a word against him.
Zhu Jie strolled through the Imperial Garden once more, yet he still could not muster any spirit. Fú Quán, observing the Emperor’s sullen complexion, asked with concern, "Has Your Majesty not been sleeping well lately? You look so fatigued. Would you like me to summon the Imperial Medical Institute for an examination?" Fú Quán’s own honor and disgrace were tethered to Zhu Jie, so his concern was genuine.
"This old servant deserves to die; it is all my fault for not serving Your Majesty well."
Chapter 499