This winter in Yongdu was both hurried and chaotic.
The first snow finally arrived when the cold wind had left no leaves left to fall.
Less than two days after the heavy snow, the temperature suddenly warmed up again.
The dormant magnolia thought that spring had come, and it couldn't wait to produce buds, which then trembled and bloomed.
The flowers were blooming and the snow began to fall again.
Wen Qingci stood in the small courtyard of the Imperial Medical Bureau with an umbrella, looking up at the tall magnolia tree and the white snow hanging on the treetops along with the flowers.
He hasn't left the hospital for five days.
The ridiculous farce in Baiqiao Tower ended with the emperor becoming emotionally agitated and passing out.
Before he fell asleep, he was extremely stubborn and had always identified Heng Xinwei as the river workers of the Yinchuan Grand Canal. He firmly believed that these people were all out to kill him, and shouted loudly for someone to kill them.
The confused brain blends illusion with reality, making it impossible to distinguish what is true and what is false.
Wen Qingci's words left a vague impression in the emperor's mind, and he still remembered it after he woke up.
But there was the incident of Heng Xinwei admitting his mistake before... For a moment, the emperor himself couldn't help but feel that it might just be an illusion he had created.
He fell seriously ill that night and had a high fever that lasted until the next morning.
Although his confused brain made him regard everything that happened yesterday as a false image and hallucination, Wen Qingci's existence finally made him alert.
—Even if what he said that night was just his own imagination, this young man in white clothes is still not a good person.
He is the "Fairy-faced Rakshasa" known to everyone in the court and the world.
If what happened that night wasn't just my imagination...
The emperor didn't dare to think further.
On the night the emperor fell into a coma, Wen Qingci, the imperial physician, stayed by his side in the Ninghe Hall all night.
After Xie Zhaolin woke up, the first person he saw was Wen Qingci.
He always felt at ease when the imperial physician was by his side, but when he saw Wen Qingci for the first time that day, he felt a chill all over his body.
Driven by fear, he narrowed the scope once again and directly placed Wen Qingci under house arrest in a small courtyard in the corner of the Imperial Medical Bureau.
Even when he was sick, he insisted on not summoning Wen Qingci.
The heavy snow fell, covering the entire Taishu Palace.
The emperor lay on the couch, looking out the window with wide eyes.
Those dark brown eyes had become frighteningly cloudy at some point.
Yu Guanlin, who was taking his pulse, couldn't help but look up at the current emperor cautiously.
As an experienced old doctor, he felt the emperor's pulse as soon as he put his fingers on the emperor's wrist and was shocked... The man lying on the couch is probably at the end of his strength.
Putting aside his mental condition, on the surface, apart from frequent headaches and muscle cramps, the emperor's body was still strong and no different from before.
In fact, after taking his pulse, I realized that all this was just castles in the air.
In just one or two years, the emperor seemed to have aged twenty or thirty years.
There's nothing major wrong with his organs, but his body is aging rapidly.
Aging has always been an incurable disease.
"… Why is Doctor Yu silent? How is my health?"
The emperor is rarely clear-headed today.
His voice was hoarse and rough, as if it had been roasted by fire.
When the emperor called his name, Yu Guanlin immediately laughed. He kept his words to himself and said in a relaxed manner as usual: "Your Majesty's organs are all healthy, there is nothing serious."
"Hmm..." The emperor nodded heavily, and it was unclear whether he believed what he said.
Yu Guanlin couldn't help but get nervous as he observed him silently.
Little did he know that the emperor at this time actually didn't care about Yu Guanlin's answer at all.
He knew that the old doctor was a shrewd man. Even if he was going to die tomorrow, Yu Guanlin would always answer with a smile, "It's nothing serious."
The moment he asked the question, the emperor already had a feeling in his heart - his health was probably not as good as before.
Having finished taking the pulse, Yu Guanlin slowly put his hand down. He stood up, saluted the emperor, and wanted to step aside to write the medical record.
Unexpectedly, just as he took a half step back, he was suddenly stopped by the emperor: "If I remember correctly, your father was also an imperial physician?"
How come the emperor suddenly has time to chat with me
Yu Guanlin was shocked, but he didn't show it on his face.
He pretended to be surprised and replied with great fear: "That's right, Your Majesty is not mistaken, my ancestors have been doctors for generations, not only my father is an imperial physician, but my grandfather was also an imperial physician."
"Oh... So, are all your medical skills passed down from generation to generation in your family?" the emperor asked slowly.
The emperor's voice was too hoarse today, and Yu Guanlin couldn't tell what emotion was hidden in his words. He could only tell the truth: "Only part of it is inherited from my family. When I was young, I also worshipped a few teachers... And no matter where it comes from, I will read all useful medical books carefully."
After saying this, he secretly praised himself a few times.
Hearing this, the emperor finally laughed slowly.
"That's good."
Yu Guanlin: “…”
The old doctor's heart sank heavily. His intuition told him that what the emperor said was not simple at all.
Xie Zhaolin likes to beat around the bush when speaking, and he has the habit of expressing what he thinks through other people's mouths.
But today, whether it was because there was no one around or because he was really sleepy due to his illness, he finally didn't beat around the bush and just asked directly what he really wanted.
"So, my dear, you should know how to make pills with blood?"
This time Yu Guanlin was finally completely frightened by his words. The old doctor stood there for a long time, unable to move. He felt the chill in the hall running along the soles of his feet and penetrating into his body.
In just a moment, my heart felt cold.
Using blood to refine pills is against ethical principles and few people would do this, but in fact it is a basic step in alchemy.
If I said no, the emperor probably wouldn't believe me.
But if he said it, Yu Guanlin didn’t even have to guess what would happen next.
The emperor is finally planning to use Wen Qingci's blood to make medicine.
Yu Guanlin slowly clenched his fists. At this moment, he only regretted that he had not told the matter of begging for bones earlier and stayed away from Yongdu, a place of trouble.
"Why don't you speak, my dear minister?" asked the emperor.
Yu Guanlin smiled, nodded, and forced out the word "yes" from between his teeth.
"That's good." The emperor laughed and looked out the window again.
At some point, the Taishu Palace was completely covered in white. There was no scenery outside the window, and it looked particularly deserted.
The emperor paused for a moment and muttered to himself, "As an imperial physician, my duty is to diagnose people... no matter what method he uses. He has made the best use of his abilities."
The four words "make the best use of everything" are really scary.
Hearing this, all the blood in Yu Guanlin's body seemed to be frozen by his words.
He never stood out and never interfered in government affairs, but after experiencing two dynasties and living safely in Taishu Palace until now, Yu Guanlin's mind is clearer than anyone else.
The emperor had this idea ever since he knew that Wen Qingci was a medicine man.
At the beginning, seeing that Wen Qingci could give his blood to Xie Bufeng without hesitation, the emperor was still waiting for Wen Qingci to take the initiative to give him blood for medicine.
But later he gradually came to regard this as a trump card.
The trump card always has to be played till the end.
Wen Qingci's temperament is different from that of the imperial physician in the palace. After all, he is a man of the world.
Wen Qingci would never swallow this insult if he was forced to take her blood.
No one knows what he will do by then. It is possible that he will kill one thousand enemies but lose eight hundred of his own.
If that happened, the emperor would suffer a great loss.
Not to mention that he had to pretend to be wise before.
As a Hanlin and the emperor's confidant, Wen Qingci has a strong presence in Taishu Palace and even in the entire Yongdu.
If he suddenly disappeared, it would surely arouse the suspicion of countless people.
Therefore, in the emperor's view, forcibly taking Wen Qingci's blood was a one-time deal.
Now, realizing that his physical condition was extremely poor, he finally couldn't help but want to use this trump card.
Like most people in the palace, Yu Guanlin had long realized that the emperor was doomed. He usually went along with the emperor, but couldn't help but point out what the emperor hadn't finished saying: "The blood of the medicine man can cure all kinds of poisons, but your majesty is not poisoned..."
As an imperial physician, Yu Guanlin was naturally curious about medicine men.
He once asked Wen Qingci and talked with him about the magical uses of blood - his blood could indeed cure all kinds of poisons, but "reviving the dead" was a bit too fantastic and exaggerated.
But people have always only believed in exciting rumors and would not delve deeper into the matter.
The emperor laughed, and his laughter was chilling.
Realizing that he had said the wrong thing, Yu Guanlin hurriedly knelt on the ground, his body shaking uncontrollably.
Recently, the emperor's hysteria has become more and more serious, and his emotions are completely out of control. He has dealt with quite a few people in the past few days.
He didn't want to be the next one.
Unexpectedly, the emperor was not angry. After the laughter stopped, the hoarse voice sounded again.
"It is said in the martial arts world that the blood of a herbalist can restore vitality and save lives," the emperor said after a pause, "... How can we know if it works if we don't try it?"
This is the most widely circulated rumor in the martial arts world. The emperor is already certain that it is the truth, and Yu Guanlin has no way to refute it.
"Yes, Your Majesty." After a long silence, Yu Guanlin had no choice but to bow and shut up.
Fatigue came over me again like a tide.
The emperor's eyelids began to twitch and noisy phantom sounds rang in his ears again.
Worried that he would be seen losing his composure again, he waved his hand impatiently and said, "Okay, you can leave now."
"yes… "
It was snowing heavily in Taishu Palace, and a thick layer of ice had already formed on the surface of the lake not far away.
But after walking out of the hall, Yu Guanlin realized that he had been sweating all over without knowing when.
He couldn't help but look back at the hall, then he took a deep breath and slowly tightened the handle of the medicine box.
When using blood as medicine, it is best to take fresh blood and add it to the prescription to make a decoction, or just let Xie Bufeng drink the blood as Wen Qingci did when he helped him detoxify.
The only advantage is that it is easy to store.
But the emperor only mentioned the elixir...
His purpose is obvious.
Wen Qingci is definitely not someone who is easy to control.
In order to prevent any unexpected events from happening, the emperor actually put aside the Fuxuanhua Pill and his headache, and made up his mind to make a one-time deal. He drained all of Wen Qingci's blood and made it into pills and stored them.
"Ah..." The old doctor sighed heavily.
He was originally planning to walk back to the Imperial Medical Bureau, but he paused and suddenly changed direction, heading towards Huixin Palace where Concubine Lan was.
Having worked in Taishu Palace for decades and always being obedient, he chose to disobey the imperial order this time.
—
Unlike the always busy front yard, the back yard of the Imperial Medical Bureau is always deserted.
Silence amplifies all sounds.
There was no snow that afternoon and the sun was dim. Wen Qingci was sitting under a magnolia tree reading a book. When he heard footsteps outside, he subconsciously put aside what he was holding and stood up to look outside.
Heng Xinwei, who was guarding the corner of the yard, suddenly became nervous.
Before they could ask who the person from Heng Xinwei outside was, a familiar voice reached their ears.
"Mr. Wen, how do you open this door?"
It turned out to be Xie Fuyin.
She was less than two years old and did not understand what "house arrest" meant. She only knew that she wanted to come and play with Wen Qingci, but she could not push open the door for a long time.
"Your Highness, please don't be anxious..." Wen Qingci said as he walked towards the door, intending to persuade Xie Fuyin to leave.
Before he finished speaking, he heard Xie Fuyin ask Hengxinwei who was guarding outside: "Can you help me open this door?"
The little girl's voice was childish and ignorant, and she didn't seem to realize why so many people were guarding the Imperial Medical Bureau.
Sure enough, Heng Xinwei rejected her in a bad tone.
As a princess, Xie Fuyin naturally has a temper.
After hearing what Heng Xinwei said, she sat down by the door, snorted angrily, and then said to the people inside: "If you don't let me in, then I won't come in~"
Because of the door, Wen Qingci couldn't see Xie Fuyin's expression, but he could guess that she was definitely pouting.
Although Wen Qingci was under house arrest here, the emperor did not point this out after all. He only said "strictly guarded."
The most important thing is that Hengxinwei is not qualified to expel the princess from here.
Hearing the noise outside, Wen Qingci couldn't help but stand there and smile softly.
The boring and depressed mood of the past few days seemed to have eased a little.
The wooden door of the small courtyard of the Imperial Medical Bureau was very thin, so Xie Fuyin's voice was clearly heard by Wen Qingci.
Although Wen Qingci is much older than her, he never treats her like a child. Instead, he is gentle and serious to her.
The little girl had no playmates, so she didn't know when she developed the habit of coming to the Imperial Medical Bureau to chat with Wen Qingci.
Xie Fuyin chattered on and on about what he had done in the past few days.
Seeing that the little girl had no intention of leaving for the time being, Wen Qingci also sat on the other side of the door.
"... I, I originally wanted to come and play with Mr. Wen yesterday, but my father likes to come and see me recently, as well as my mother."
"Sometimes he would ask me to find him!"
The little girl didn’t understand anything, she just thought it was a very happy thing that her father could play with her.
In fact, this matter had already spread throughout the entire Taishu Palace. Perhaps only Wen Qingci, who was under house arrest, did not know about it.
Hearing the little princess' words, the two Hengxin guards guarding outside looked at each other but did not interrupt her.
She didn't see it because of the door. After hearing what she said, Wen Qingci's face suddenly changed.
All the adults in the palace knew that the emperor was not a father who had the leisure to play with the princes and princesses.
"That's right! Father told me to move in with him a few days ago... Oh, mother wants to go too."
The little girl's voice was full of anticipation.
After she finished speaking, Wen Qingci suddenly guessed the emperor's intention.
The war is about to end, and the northern army should be returning to Yongdu soon. The emperor wants to keep Xie Fuyin and Concubine Lan by his side as "hostages."
Wen Qingci's heart immediately became uneasy.
Along with the worry, there is also a faint sense of regret and guilt.
When Xie Bufeng returned to the palace, he always remained "strange" from his mother.
But I tried to get closer to them some time ago...
If Xie Bufeng, Concubine Lan and Xie Fuyin had always kept their distance, the emperor might not have made such a decision.
However, now the emperor saw that the intimacy between the two sides was different from before, and believed that this was Xie Bufeng's weakness.
Xie Fuyin and Concubine Lan were instantly in danger.
These are plots that did not appear in the original book.
If he had not done this unnecessary thing before, Xie Fuyin and the others might not have been in danger.
"...Mr. Wen, Mr. Wen, why are you silent?" Seeing that Wen Qingci remained silent, Xie Fuyin couldn't help but ask curiously.
"Nothing." Wen Qingci heard that his voice became hoarse at this moment.
He paused for a few seconds, smiled and explained to Xie Fuyin outside: "I'm sorry, Princess, I just suddenly remembered a complicated prescription and accidentally lost my focus."
“Oh…” Xie Fuyin didn’t think much about it.
The little girl is always talkative. She wants to share with others whatever she sees and hears, and her associative ability is also very strong.
After hearing what Wen Qingci said, she subconsciously said, "It seems that Imperial Doctor Yu has also encountered a problem recently. He has been studying how to make elixirs all day long."
The last time Yu Guanlin went to Huixin Palace, he and his mother chatted for a long time.
Most of the content of the chat was related to medicine. Although Xie Fuyin did not understand the content, he could hear that the other party seemed to have a headache.
"Alchemy?"
Wen Qingci narrowed his eyes slowly.
What kind of elixir is the emperor making at this time
And what kind of elixir would make Yu Guanlin, who has been practicing medicine for decades, find it so difficult to cure
"Yes!" Xie Fuyin answered crisply, "It was my father who wanted it."
Heng Xinwei didn't hear anything wrong with her words, but when they heard Xie Fuyin mention the emperor, they both interrupted each other at the right time: "Princess, it's getting late, you should go back."
Wen Qingci stood up slowly and placed his hand on the thin wooden door.
Apart from the sound of Xie Fuyin speaking, there was always silence in his ears. Wen Qingci always felt something was strange, until now he finally understood what was wrong.
Every time Xie Fuyin came here, the wet nurse and palace maids following her would exclaim from time to time to remind her to be careful or pay attention to her manners.
But until today, Wen Qingci has not heard their voices.
Didn’t this group of people follow
Or maybe he followed but deliberately didn't interrupt Xie Fuyin
Wen Qingci is a man of delicate mind. Being imprisoned here at this moment, any slight disturbance will be infinitely magnified in his mind.
He suddenly realized that Xie Fuyin might have said this at the suggestion of someone.
It was Lan Fei and Yu Guanlin.
They are reminding themselves through Xie Fuyin's words!
After realizing this, Wen Qingci's heart calmed down.
"Your Highness, please don't let Concubine Lan worry. You should go back soon. I will go out and chat with you in a few days." Wen Qingci's voice came through the wooden board, and it still sounded so gentle.
Xie Fuyin pouted and said, "Okay then, it's a deal!"
"It's a deal."
After a while, the footsteps gradually became smaller and finally disappeared from my ears.
This afternoon is destined to be restless.
Wen Qingci's heart was beating nervously because of what Xie Fuying had just said.
He slowly sat back under the magnolia tree, and before he had time to pick up the medical book to read and calm his mind, he heard a loud noise erupting outside the palace.
The Imperial Medical Bureau is located in a corner of the Taishu Palace, not far away from the long street of Yongdu.
The palace is heavily guarded, and ordinary people dare not make loud noises when they walk here. Therefore, people inside often forget that this place is only separated from the noisy world by a wall.
Before Wen Qingci could figure out what the noise was, he heard a deafening cheer coming from outside the palace:
"We won, we finally won—"
"Great victory over Beidi!!!"
"The army is about to return to the capital!!!"
The noise outside the palace was so loud that it seemed to overturn the sky.
The people gathered together and repeated the messenger's words loudly, trying to spread the good news throughout Yongdu as quickly as possible.
Wen Qingci heard from their cheers that just a few days ago, the Wei Dynasty's army won a great victory over the Northern Di and captured the royal court.
The Northern Di nobles either died or surrendered, and they no longer had the power to fight back.
The two parties have signed the treaty, and the original Northern Di will now become part of the Wei Dynasty.
This battle is completely over!
It ended faster than anyone imagined.
It’s a pity that just like in Yongdu, the sky in the north was also changing constantly at this time.
For a while, the wind was strong and the snow was raging. Only the messenger went back to Yongdu alone to report the good news.
However, the large army will return to Yongdu in a few days.
Wen Qingci saw from the corner of his eye that the faces of the Hengxin guards who were guarding him suddenly became extremely ugly, and as the cheers came, they clenched the swords in their hands, as if they would rush out at any time to swing their swords and kill the noisy crowd outside the palace.
But Wen Qingci had no time to pay attention to them at this time.
Wen Qingci stood in the small courtyard of the Imperial Medical Bureau and slowly turned to look towards the north.
The sky, which was clear just now, suddenly began to snow lightly again.
Wen Qingci slowly closed his eyes... In a trance, he seemed to smell the cold air of the north again, and saw the young man wearing black armor, walking southward in the wind and snow.
In a few days.
Xie Bufeng will be back in a few days.
(End of this chapter)