Step 1: Understanding the Combination.
To combine these sentences, we can use a participle phrase to show the relationship between the two events in a concise manner.
Step 2: Combining Sentence (ii).
The combined sentence is:
The king being ill, the people heard the news and went to the palace.
Final Answer:
\[
\boxed{\text{The king being ill, the people heard the news and went to the palace.}}
\]