The court officials looked at one another in dismay.
"Isn't King Rui infected with smallpox?"
Why isn't he staying put in his residence at such a time, instead of coming to court?
Amidst the confusion, Wei Jin had already appeared outside the Chongde Hall.
He was meticulously dressed in his court attire, but his face was covered with a thick layer of gauze, revealing only his eyes, which bore a strong scent of alcohol.
This signified that he had strictly disinfected himself before coming.
However, Emperor Yue was still displeased and asked sternly, "King Rui, why have you not been recuperating properly? Did I not grant you permission to be absent from court these days?"
Although the phrase "granted permission to be absent from court" was used, the implicit message was more like, "Didn't I tell you to stay inside your residence and not to run around? And yet here you are hopping about."
