Chapter 419: I Bestow Upon You Unrivaled Wealth and Honor

Consort Jing did not feel that Mei Yuzong had changed.

From the first glance she saw him in the palace, she noticed he was as gentle and composed as before, not at all like the mad Emperor.

The Emperor had already ruined his health with excesses of wine and women, the former Noble Lady Hui, later Consort Qin, both of whom had driven the Emperor to physical ruin. Now, drinking all sorts of tonics could not suppress the old man's scent that clung to him.

The Emperor was no longer young; a serious illness had aged him by more than ten years. Without his Dragon Robe and the wealth and power it represented, the Emperor would appear much older than his contemporaries.

When Consort Jing followed the Emperor, she and Mei Yuzong had been together for nearly a year. But at that time, she was only fifteen, and had just turned seventeen when she gave birth to the Third Prince.