The southern tour took a hundred days, but most of the time was spent on the road.
According to the original plan, the group would only stay in Dengcheng Prefecture for less than ten days.
Just as the date for departure for the next stop was approaching, something unexpected happened on the emperor's side.
He didn't show up at the banquet for several days in a row, and then, from nowhere, rumors began to spread that he was ill.
Wen Qingci, who originally lived in the side courtyard, was also suddenly summoned over.
The noise was so loud that it alarmed the entire operation.
Early that morning, accompanied by Wen Qingci's hurried footsteps, the news that the emperor was seriously ill finally spread throughout the palace.
It was the hour of Mao and it was still dark.
Wen Qingci had just arrived at the Dezhang Palace, and before he had the chance to see the emperor, the medicine box in his hand was taken over by Eunuch Zhao, the eunuch in charge of the emperor's daily life.
This eunuch served in the back hall most of the time.
Therefore, Wen Qingci did not see him very often.
"Mr. Wen, don't worry. This is Dengcheng Mansion's new tea this year. Please try it first before you get busy." Eunuch Zhao's face was flushed, and he did not look like someone who had just taken care of a seriously ill emperor.
Wen Qingci paused and gently opened the medicine box.
He was taken to the tea room by Eunuch Zhao. When he sat down, Wen Qingci asked tentatively: "Your Majesty, are you having trouble adapting to the local climate?"
While pouring tea, Eunuch Zhao smiled mysteriously at him and replied, "Well, His Majesty is still resting... Mr. Wen will know once he examines his pulse."
"Okay." Wen Qingci said no more and took the tea from Eunuch Zhao with a smile.
The emperor called me here early in the morning and made such a big fuss, but in the end he was not in a hurry to see a doctor
But just by looking at the expression on Eunuch Zhao's face, we can tell that the emperor's illness is probably completely different from the rumors outside...
Wen Qingci was still wondering two days ago that whenever the emperor had a headache or fever, or even sneezed, he would hurriedly ask someone to take him to the emperor for a pulse diagnosis.
Why did he just “stay in bed and rest” when he was not feeling well this time, and only remembered himself when he was seriously ill
Wen Qingci got up a little early today and was still sleepy.
After drinking a few cups of tea, he finally woke up.
At this time, a young eunuch walked over quickly and whispered something in Eunuch Zhao's ear.
After he left, Eunuch Zhao bent down and took the medicine box. "Okay, Mr. Wen. His Majesty has awakened." He said with a smile.
After he finished speaking, he took Wen Qingci and walked towards the back hall.
Speaking of which, it has been a while since Wen Qingci traveled into this book.
But before this, he had never been to the emperor's bedroom.
Although it was just a temporary palace, Wen Qingci couldn't help but look around a few more times out of curiosity along the way.
This palace, built at great expense by Dengcheng Prefecture, is said to be only slightly smaller than the Taishu Palace.
The corridor outside the emperor's bedroom in Dezhang Hall is covered with exquisite paintings.
Exquisite porcelain is placed in every corner.
At first glance, Wen Qingci thought he had walked into a museum.
With a slight "creak", the carved wooden door was pushed open from the inside. Eunuch Zhao lowered his voice and whispered in Wen Qingci's ear: "Mr. Wen, please come this way."
Incense burning was popular in the Wei Dynasty, and the emperor was particularly fond of it.
Wherever he appeared, there was smoke.
Although the rear hall of Dezhang Hall is extraordinarily magnificent, it is far smaller than the Ninghe Hall of Taishu Palace.
The small palace was still filled with incense burners as usual.
After burning for a whole night, there was smoke everywhere as if it was on fire. Wen Qingci coughed uncontrollably twice when he entered the room.
The incense in the back hall is not only choking but also has a strong smell.
It's like someone spilled a lot of perfume here, and every breath makes you dizzy.
Wen Qingci couldn't help but pause.
The emperor's voice also sounded slowly at this time.
"… My dear, you are here. It is not long after the morning hour. You probably haven't had breakfast yet, right?"
Xie Zhaolin's voice was slow and sounded a little hoarse.
But it sounded like he was just not fully awake when he woke up that morning, not the serious illness as the rumors said.
He was really pretending to be sick!
As he said this, the emperor waved his hand and asked Eunuch Zhao to pass the cakes over.
"I heard that Your Majesty was not feeling well. Do you need a pulse check now?" Wen Qingci temporarily suppressed the doubts in his heart and asked calmly.
After a pause, the emperor, who always cherished his life and paid attention to his health, nodded and said, "Okay, let's take your pulse first."
After saying that, he stretched out his wrist.
No doctor could hide the fact that he was faking illness, let alone himself, who was known as a "miracle doctor".
How come he isn't afraid at all of accidentally exposing himself and telling others about this
Wen Qingci was just wondering when Eunuch Xian stepped forward and said with a big smile, "Mr. Wen, the side hall of Dezhang Palace has been cleaned up for you. You can stay here temporarily for the next few days and concentrate on recuperating the health of His Majesty."
The emperor is "seriously ill", so it is only right for the imperial physician to be by his side and take care of him at all times.
No wonder the emperor was so reckless, it turns out this was his idea.
I just don’t know why the emperor pretended to be sick this time.
"Okay." Wen Qingci nodded gently to Eunuch Xian, then patiently took the emperor's pulse.
Just as Wen Qingci guessed, the emperor's pulse was neither floating nor sinking, but calm and strong, almost healthier than his own.
In the previous few days, he just lay down and slept in the back hall of the palace.
Wen Qingci gently withdrew his hand and told the truth: "Apart from the old illness, your Majesty is in good health."
The emperor closed his eyes and dozed off without knowing when.
"Then Mr. Wen, please take advantage of this time to take care of His Majesty's health," Eunuch Zhao lowered his voice and took over with a smile, "By the way, you can also have a good rest in the side hall."
"By the way, if you need any medicinal herbs, no matter how precious they are, we will find them for you as soon as possible."
Anyway, I can't get out for the time being, so I can only do as he said and have a good rest here for a few days.
Wen Qingci smiled, packed up the medicine box, turned around and nodded to Eunuch Zhao: "Thank you for your help."
When I was taking the patient's pulse just now, the smoke in the room gradually dissipated and the pungent smell became much lighter. It was probably because the incense in the incense burner had burned out.
Before Wen Qingci could breathe a sigh of relief, the emperor, who had been dozing off, opened his eyes as if realizing this and looked towards the corner of the back hall.
"Eunuch Zhao, light the incense."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
After saying this, Eunuch Zhao hurriedly trotted to the corner, took out a brocade box from somewhere, and prepared to add some incense.
Wen Qingci subconsciously followed Eunuch Zhao's movements and looked over there.
He just took a casual glance, but he didn't expect that he would see an unexpected scene.
—Eunuch Zhao opened the lid of the incense burner and was about to add incense inside.
This was an extremely common scene both in the imperial palace and in the entire Wei Dynasty where the art of incense was prevalent.
Even the incense burner was particularly inconspicuous.
But what was different from the usual situation was that through the curling smoke, Wen Qingci saw that what was placed in the jade incense burner was not the common incense sticks or other powdered spices.
But... a pill
Wen Qingci, who was originally planning to leave the back hall, paused and involuntarily took two steps towards where Eunuch Zhao was.
Through the thick green smoke, the things in the incense burner became clear.
He was not mistaken just now. What was placed in the incense burner was indeed a pill-shaped object.
The bright red pill is particularly eye-catching in the green jade incense burner, making it difficult to ignore.
Wen Qingci's gaze was somewhat obvious. Seeing this, the hand that Eunuch Zhao was holding to add incense suddenly trembled heavily.
But the next second, he smiled and stepped aside, and said softly to Wen Qingci: "This is a calming incense."
There was nothing unusual in Eunuch Zhao's expression.
The color of the pill in front of him was so iconic that Wen Qingci almost subconsciously read out its name: "... Dansha?"
Cinnabar is indeed often used to treat palpitations, insomnia and nightmares, and it is not wrong to call it a "calming incense".
After all, it was originally a heavy sedative.
"Yes, it's made of cinnabar," Eunuch Zhao crushed the incense pills and flattered him with a smile, "As expected of Mr. Wen, you recognized it at the first sight." After saying that, he lit the incense and closed the lid of the stove.
Wen Qingci hesitated for a moment: "It seems that your majesty has never used this kind of incense pill before."
His tone was exceptionally calm when he spoke, but his heart was already beating at an accelerated rate.
"Your Majesty only uses this calming incense when you sleep." Eunuch Zhao replied with a smile. His movements and expression were very natural, and there was nothing special about them.
"I see."
Now is not the time to dig into the root of the problem.
Wen Qingci then shifted his gaze, picked up the medicine box again, exchanged a few words with Eunuch Zhao, and followed the young eunuch to the side hall that had been tidied for him.
As you walk out of the back hall, the fragrance dissipates.
Wen Qingci's slightly dizzy head finally became clearer.
It is true that “Cinnabar” can calm the mind, but in modern times, it has a more straightforward name - mercury sulfide.
It can directly decompose mercury when heated.
When Wen Qingci first came through and saw the emperor, he immediately identified the symptoms of heavy metal poisoning in him and suspected that it was Dansha who was to blame.
—After all, it is the most famous heavy metal raw material in ancient elixirs.
But what puzzled Wen Qingci was that there was no record of the emperor ever taking elixirs.
Wen Qingci didn’t understand why this happened before, until he unexpectedly saw Eunuch Zhao burning incense at this moment, and then he realized... It turned out that the answer was not "eating", but was hidden in the ubiquitous incense culture of the Wei Dynasty.
Mercury sulfide is heated and decomposed into mercury, which then evaporates silently into the air...
The emperor was poisoned in this incense-filled room day after day!
People of this era did not have a correct understanding of heavy metal poisoning - this can be seen from the countless emperors who died of heavy metal poisoning after taking "magic pills".
However, from the medical books left by the original owner, we can know that the Valley of Divine Doctors already had this concept.
Was the emperor's poisoning an accident, or was it intentional
Wen Qingci couldn't help but frown.
The emperor had strict requirements on incense. As soon as the incense around him burned out, the eunuchs would immediately replace it.
As the eunuch in the imperial court, Eunuch Zhao would not be unaware of his habit.
But just now, the smell of incense in the hall was about to dissipate, and Eunuch Zhao, who was always careful and cautious, seemed to have forgotten about it and refused to add more incense.
It wasn't until the emperor spoke that he seemed to remember this...
Moreover, facing his gaze, Eunuch Zhao's hands trembled strangely - he was afraid.
Physiological reactions cannot be concealed.
This can't be an accident.
Wen Qingci could almost confirm that Eunuch Zhao knew that cinnabar was poisonous, and he also knew the meaning behind his actions... He was intentionally poisoning the emperor.
But who is behind this eunuch
Wen Qingci clenched the handle of the medicine box and recalled everything he knew about Eunuch Zhao.
—
Early in the morning, the news that the emperor was seriously ill spread throughout the palace.
Along with it, there was also an imperial edict.
Although rumors had already been circulating, when the news was officially announced, everyone pretended that they had just learned about it and prayed for the emperor with great sorrow.
The threshold of the temple where Wen Qing resigned last time was almost broken by ministers and concubines in just one day.
Although her son temporarily holds power, Concubine Hui does not look happy at all.
She appeared outside the back hall early in the morning with all kinds of supplements and medicines, and repeatedly asked the eunuch to take her in to see the emperor.
"Empress Hui, His Majesty is still recuperating, you cannot go in now..." said the eunuch Xian who was guarding outside the palace with some embarrassment.
Most people understand this principle, and except for Concubine Hui, no one else came here today.
But this lady has always been the type to do whatever she wants without thinking.
As expected, she frowned and said, "I just want to give the medicinal food I made to Your Majesty, is that not okay?"
At the end, Concubine Hui added: "This is your majesty's favorite flavor."
The eunuch smiled and said helplessly, "Your Majesty has someone to take care of him, so your Majesty doesn't have to worry."
Although the old eunuch had a smile on his face, he was already feeling a little impatient.
He and Concubine Hui had wasted too much time here early in the morning.
Concubine Hui has been in the palace for almost twenty years, but she still has no clear understanding of her own identity and always can't help but treat the emperor as an ordinary husband.
Therefore, Concubine Hui often did inappropriate things and said things that she shouldn't say.
If Wen Qingci knew what Eunuch Xian was thinking, he would probably summarize it like this for him—Concubine Hui has a low emotional intelligence and is a little too lovesick.
This is also the impression everyone has of her.
"Special person..." Concubine Hui repeated these two words reluctantly.
Seeing that the other party really had no intention of letting her in, she finally gave up.
"Then bring in the soup I made." She took a step back and said.
"Good!" The virtuous eunuch who had been busy here for a while hurriedly took the things over, "Your Majesty, go and have a rest. You have been busy all morning!"
Concubine Hui took a deep look at the back hall, finally sighed, and walked back with the help of the palace maid.
After that, she ignored Eunuch Xian and acted as if she was angry with him.
Concubine Hui always wore brightly colored clothes, and she did not bring any plain clothes during her southern tour this time.
After the news of the emperor's illness spread today, everyone in the entire palace kept a low profile, except for her, who was dressed in peach pink, extremely dazzling.
Seeing this figure, Eunuch Xian couldn't help but frown.
The second prince is good in every way except that he has an unreliable mother.
Concubine Hui was born in a poor family, but later she rose to fame and became a phoenix. She then relied on the emperor's favor and became arrogant.
There is always a bit of frivolity in his behavior and conduct.
But that's why she's easy to guess. Although it's a bit troublesome to get along with her, it doesn't require much brainpower.
Every seven days, official business from Yongdu would be delivered here at full speed. Each time it was delivered, it was a thick pile and it took a lot of time to process.
Although he was mentally prepared, Xie Guanzhi still stayed up late on the first night.
I don't know what time it was, but Concubine Hui walked into the study room carrying a bowl of chicken soup.
"Since His Majesty has entrusted you with such an important task, Guanzhi, you must take full responsibility and never slack off," Hui Fei gently placed the soup bowl on the table and put a cloak on Xie Guanzhi, her movements were rare and gentle, "Although your father did not say it explicitly, he was able to entrust you with the official duties when he was seriously ill, which means he must have regarded you as the crown prince..."
Concubine Hui was much calmer than her usual noisy self, but the concern and pride in her words were still there.
Under normal circumstances, Xie Guanzhi would not care much about what his mother said.
But when he heard this today, he subconsciously put down the pen in his hand.
"Don't mention the crown prince anymore." He reminded with a frown.
"What's the big deal?" Concubine Hui looked at him in confusion. "If we don't bring it up, should Concubine Lan bring it up?"
The boy shook his head and stopped talking.
Although the emperor asked him to handle official business, he still had no intention of giving up power.
After a busy night, Xie Guanzhi just felt a headache.
Amid the intertwined feelings of discomfort and fatigue, the young man couldn't help but recall the look Wen Qingci gave him in Ninghe Palace that day.
It was a compassion he had never seen before.
It was fine when he and Wen Qingci looked into each other's eyes that day, but as time went by, Xie Guanzhi felt something was strange no matter how he recalled it.
At this time, the palace was divided into two completely opposite worlds inside and outside by a courtyard wall.
The people outside the courtyard wall were busy, either busy guessing the emperor's current situation or busy clinging to the second prince.
Inside the courtyard walls, the emperor, who was not ill at all, took this opportunity to put aside his official duties and take a vacation.
After he had some free time, even his headaches became less frequent.
Therefore, Wen Qingci, who was called into the back hall early in the morning without bringing anything with him, became particularly free.
There was nothing in the newly built palace. The scenery in the courtyard where the emperor lived was indeed nice, but one would get tired of it after two days.
After resting in the side hall for two days, Wen Qingci even made up for the sleep he had been lacking since entering the palace.
If only there was a book to read at this time.
It was the fifteenth day of the lunar month, and the silver moon was exceptionally round and bright.
The moonlight penetrated the window paper and came into the house. In just a moment, it woke up Wen Qingci, who was already in a light sleep and not feeling sleepy.
He slowly opened his eyes, hesitated for a moment, then put on his cloak, opened the door and walked out.
The palace is huge in scale, but built very elegantly.
The side hall where Wen Qingci temporarily stayed was located on a small hill, with weeping willows and a pond next to it, and a high courtyard wall further away.
The night wind blew, and Wen Qingci, who was not sleepy to begin with, woke up completely. He gathered his clothes, slowly sat down beside the pond, and looked up at the moon.
In Wen Qingci's previous life, the world was seriously polluted by light. He had the impression that he had never seen a moon so bright and so big.
After looking at it for a long time, I always felt that the moon would sink from the sky and fall into the pool at any moment.
Wen Qingci subconsciously looked away.
His eyes inadvertently fell on the distant courtyard wall, and then suddenly stopped.
what is that
There seemed to be a dark shadow on the high vermilion wall.
Wen Qingci stared at the moon for a long time, and the bright moon left a shadow in his eyes.
For a moment he couldn't even tell what it was.
Just when Wen Qingci was lost in thought, a black shadow suddenly fell from the palace wall and approached him little by little.
As silent as a ghost, yet carrying an oppressive pressure.
"…Your Highness?"
Wen Qingci finally recognized that the dark shadow on the palace wall was Xie Bufeng.
"Why are you here?" he couldn't help asking.
Xie Bufeng did not answer Wen Qingci's question. He walked over slowly and handed over the thing in his hand.
With the help of moonlight, Wen Qingci saw… Xie Bufeng seemed to know that he was bored, and he brought over a few medical books that he had been reading recently.
There was a rare hint of surprise in Wen Qingci's eyes.
He slowly reached out and took the book.
At the same time, it rubbed against the back of Xie Bufeng's hand inadvertently.
Wen Qingci's body temperature was already low, and a gust of cold wind just now hit him.
To Xie Bufeng, it was like a piece of thin ice sliding across the back of his hand.
Wen Qingci's movements were very light, but they made the young man's fingers tremble.
Xie Bufeng could feel that his ears suddenly became hot.
In order to avoid being discovered by Wen Qingci, the boy subconsciously turned around, imitated what he had just done, and slowly sat down by the water: "No one is always watching you here."
His voice was deep and a little hoarse, and the Suzhou accent he had a few months ago had disappeared without a trace.
In a trance, Xie Bufeng seemed to have matured a lot.
Wen Qingci was stunned for a moment before he understood what the young man meant.
Although the emperor did not allow him to go out, he did not send anyone to guard here.
Firstly, he was sure that he would not run away, and secondly, if the place was heavily guarded, it would expose the fact that he was faking illness.
Seeing Xie Bufeng sitting down, Wen Qingci, who was still not sleepy, slowly walked over and sat next to the young man.
The moon is bright at night, and the silence amplifies every sound.
Wen Qingci felt that he should say something at this moment to break the silence.
But such tranquility makes people reluctant to destroy it.
Perhaps it was the boy's body that shielded him from the cold wind.
After sitting down, Wen Qingci, who originally couldn't sleep, actually slowly began to feel sleepy.
I don’t know how long it was quiet.
In a daze, his forehead accidentally touched the boy's body.
Wen Qingci did not tie her hair up at night, and the ink-black color accompanied by a bitter fragrance spread out from her shoulders like a waterfall.
In his sleepiness, he couldn't help but wonder, how did Xie Bufeng know that he was in the yard
He couldn't sleep either and just happened to come here, or he has been here for a long time...
The night wind lifted up her long hair and brought the fragrance towards Xie Bufeng.
The boy's heart began to beat wildly.
The sound was so loud that he couldn't help but worry about waking Wen Qingci up.
Xie Bufeng turned around cautiously and looked towards the moon-white figure.
—The pale forehead was resting on his shoulder.
Wen Qingci still had a slightly frown on his face after falling asleep, exuding a hint of fragility and compassion like a god.
Xie Bufeng's heartbeat was so loud that it seemed to shatter his eardrums.
The young man slowly approached Wen Qingci, even holding his breath.
The moonlight is imprinted in the amber eyes.
There is nothing here except tenderness.
Kiss it, kiss it.
The voice in his heart was urging him frantically at this moment.
However, just as he was about to kiss Wen Qingci's cheek, Xie Bufeng seemed to be suddenly awakened from his sleep.
He suddenly turned his head and sniffed the long hair of the person next to him with great care and greed...
(End of this chapter)