It is only three quarters past three in the morning, the sky is still dark, and everything is cold and bleak.
"Your Majesty?" The maid guarding the gate of Huixin Palace was stunned for a moment, and hurriedly knelt on the ground, "Long live the emperor, long live the emperor--"
The girl's clear voice immediately broke the morning tranquility of Huixin Palace.
The crows under the eaves were woken up by the shouts of "Long live the jackdaws", which flapped their wings and flew away in all directions.
Hearing the noise outside, Concubine Lan hurriedly put on a fox fur cloak and walked out of the back hall where she was resting. When she saw the person who came, she was shocked: "Your Majesty, you... please come in first."
Concubine Lan originally wanted to ask him what was going on with his bloody temper, but when she saw Xie Bufeng's cold look, she immediately changed the subject.
After saying this, Concubine Lan immediately gave up her seat at the door and quickly turned back to tell the maid, "Go quickly, pour a cup of hot tea and get a new set of clothes."
"Yes, my lady!"
Huixin Palace became lively. The palace servants went about their own business and took the opportunity to stay away from the evil-looking emperor.
Not long after Xie Bufeng was born, he was separated from Concubine Lan.
But no one knows a child better than his mother. So, when Xie Bufeng came today, Concubine Lan was not surprised at all and she could even guess the reason.
—It’s probably related to Wen Qingci’s last move.
Concubine Lan brought Xie Bufeng into the palace.
The faint fragrance emanating from the Boshan furnace instantly suppressed the strong bloody smell on Xie Bufeng's body.
"Your Majesty, please come in and warm up. It's still early before the court session."
As soon as Concubine Lan finished speaking, Xie Fuyin heard the noise outside, rubbed his eyes, and asked the wet nurse to carry him out.
The little girl was originally still sleepy, but when she saw that the person coming was Xie Bufeng, her eyes immediately brightened up.
"Brother!" Xie Fuyin waved at him happily, then signaled the nanny to pick him up and put him on the ground.
Everyone in the entire Taishu Palace knew that Xie Bufeng refused to live in the luxurious Yi Guang Palace and insisted on living in the former Imperial Medical Bureau.
Although he didn't dare to discuss it openly, the news spread around and eventually reached Xie Fuyin's ears.
The little girl didn't quite understand the twists and turns behind this, she only knew that her brother lived in Mr. Wen's small courtyard with rabbits. She couldn't help but gently tug at Xie Bufeng's clothes, and said expectantly: "Brother, can I go with you to the Imperial Medical Bureau to see the rabbits? Mr. Wen said before that I can go there anytime I want to see the rabbits..."
Perhaps because Xie Bufeng's expression was too cold, the little girl's voice became much weaker as she spoke.
The atmosphere in Huixin Palace suddenly became solemn.
Especially the wet nurse who brought Xie Fuyin here, also held her breath for a moment.
Oh my God, why does your Highness bring up such irrelevant issues
How could she say the three words "Mr. Wen" directly
The faces of the palace servants were all pale, even Concubine Lan, who was pouring tea, paused for a moment.
The hall suddenly became quiet.
The murderous aura on Xie Bufeng seemed to be getting stronger and stronger.
A palace maid couldn't help but look at the hem of his clothes, where there were some dark marks.
As someone who used to be in charge of washing clothes, she recognized it at a glance... it was not water stains, but blood.
Xie Bufeng came here covered in blood.
After realizing this, her body began to tremble.
The cold wind blew in from outside the hall, lifting the boy's slightly curly hair and spreading the faint smell of blood to every corner of the hall, making people shudder.
Concubine Lan slowly put down the teacup in her hand and looked at Xie Bufeng nervously.
The young man slowly lowered his eyes and looked at Xie Fuyin.
"… "
The little girl subconsciously took half a step back, and a hint of fear appeared in her eyes.
For a moment, the hall was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
"good."
-good
Unexpectedly, Xie Bufeng was not angry at all. After a long silence, he even said the first word of his day here.
Children's emotions come and go quickly.
Xie Fuyin immediately became happy, and even his sleepiness disappeared: "Thank you, brother! Fuyin knew you would agree~"
After saying this, she actually grabbed the boy's hand and shook it gently a few times.
Not only was Xie Fuyin not afraid of Xie Bufeng, he even acted like he was very familiar with him.
Under normal circumstances, Xie Bufeng would not care about what a child thought of him.
But just now, she mentioned "Mr. Wen".
The young man had become suspicious at the celebration banquet and wanted to ask Xie Fuyin if Wen Qingci had said anything about him in front of her, but he never got the chance.
Until this moment, Xie Bufeng suddenly felt an inexplicable expectation and nervousness in his heart. The boy couldn't help but ask: "Aren't you afraid of me?"
"Don't be afraid!" Xie Fuyin shook his head seriously. "Mr. Wen told Fuyin that my brother is a very good person and a good brother. Um... he is still a hero of our Wei Dynasty!"
Xie Fuyin had already engraved these words deeply into his mind.
When Xie Bufeng asked, she spoke out in a very clear and clear manner.
It turns out that in his eyes, I am... a very good person and a hero.
At this time, a cup of hot tea was brought to Xie Bufeng's hands. The hot steam made his nose sore.
The young man held the tea in his hands carefully and tremblingly. His restless and restless heart finally calmed down at this moment.
Pain and joy are intertwined in Xie Bufeng's heart.
It was like a silver needle as thin as an ox hair, gently piercing there.
The boy is different from his sanctimonious father.
Xie Bufeng never cared about being a good person, but he never imagined that one day he would feel infinite joy because of being evaluated in this way.
There was even a moment when the pain and sadness were overwhelmed for the first time.
The boy's violent temper weakened a lot.
He slowly leaned down, and just like he did back then, gently held Xie Fuyin in his arms.
"Did Mr. Wen say anything else?" he asked.
"Hmm..." The little girl thought for a moment, her eyes suddenly brightening, "Mr. Wen also said, 'Princess, please remember that His Highness loves you, too.'"
Concubine Lan didn't know that Wen Qingci had actually said such words to Xie Fuyin.
For a moment, even she was stunned, and her eyes suddenly turned red.
The scene from the southern tour emerged in Lan Fei's mind:
That day, Wen Qingci didn't know what he said to Xie Bufeng. The young man hesitated for a moment, slowly walked towards him, then opened his arms and hugged Xie Fuyin in his arms.
In a trance, she seemed to smell the warm breeze filled with the fragrance of grass and trees in Dengcheng Mansion that day.
A tear fell from the corner of Lan Fei's eye, and she hurriedly lowered her head to cover up her loss of composure.
The childish voice was deliberately imitating Wen Qingci's gentle tone. Xie Bufeng seemed to see Wen Qingci at that time through these words and through Xie Fuyin's eyes.
He told Xie Fuyin that he loved her.
Xie Fuyin kept these words firmly in his mind and gave himself extraordinary trust.
"Pity the person in front of you."
And the last trembling hand pointing at Lan Fei and Xie Fuyin...
This was the last bit of scenery that Xie Bufeng was able to see through Wen Qingci's eyes.
Xie Bufeng finally slowly got rid of his madness and calmed down.
Like a wandering soul, it found a temporary body to reside in.
The Hengxin guards who rebelled that day were executed one after another.
The deposed emperor never felt satisfied.
He was imprisoned at the bottom of the prison of the Ministry of Justice, where he was bled and kept alive by various rare medicinal herbs.
Most of his body was submerged in water, and he was tormented by nightmares and hallucinations every day.
When he was sober, he was angry about the failure of the coup and cursed Xie Bufeng loudly.
When he fell into madness, he had hallucinations and thought that he was not in the palace, but sinking to the bottom of the Yinchuan Grand Canal.
There were countless hands hidden in the cold river water, desperately pulling him towards hell.
Life is worse than death, it should be so.
Xie Bufeng did all this openly and honestly.
Any citizen who passed by the Ministry of Justice prison could hear the heart-wrenching curses and cries of pain.
Xie Bufeng was not like the deposed emperor, who did not care at all about his "reputation after death".
As he held military power, he spoke with confidence. In just a few days, he had dealt with all those people in the court who he disliked.
Later, Xie Bufeng even issued an imperial decree, ordering all court officials to wear plain clothes and mourn until 49 days had passed before the mourning period could be lifted.
At this time, the story between him and Wen Qingci had spread throughout Yongdu.
Who would have thought that not only did he not pay any attention to the rumors, he even went a step further and asked court officials to mourn for the imperial physician!
Xie Bufeng was arbitrary and reckless to the extreme.
However, from beginning to end, no one dared to express any objection.
All officials in Yongdu wore white, and funeral bells rang.
This amazing scene remained in the memories of countless people and was also recorded in the history of the Wei Dynasty.
Wen Qingci's departure was like a knife that cut off a part of Xie Bufeng's soul.
In his grief, he became numb and confused.
He followed his reason to handle government affairs, but the rest of his time was filled with emptiness.
After a while, Xie Bufeng would appear in Huixin Palace almost every morning.
Concubine Lan was both surprised and happy, as if she wanted to make up for the maternal love and care that she had been owed over the years.
The two of them went from being silent at the beginning to occasionally talking to each other.
Xie Fuyin would go to the Imperial Medical Bureau with Xie Bufeng every day to feed the rabbits left by Wen Qingci.
In no time, the little guy was raised by the two of them and became plump and white.
But this brief peace made Xie Bufeng more uneasy.
—It’s like the unusually quiet air before a rainstorm.
—
In the Divine Doctor Valley, a crowd of people gathered under a huge mulberry tree.
They were huddled together, talking excitedly about something.
"… Yesterday I went to Songxiu Mansion to buy medicinal herbs. Guess what I saw?" A medicine servant said mysteriously to the people around him.
"What did you see!"
"I saw a lot of people gathered in front of the Second Valley Master's grave! Even Prefect Song Xiu came to pay his respects. It was so grand!" The medicine servant's tone was faintly excited. "They said that now all the civil and military officials in Yongdu are wearing mourning clothes when they go to court. They are mourning for the person in the grave."
"Even the young emperor who just succeeded to the throne did not live in his palace, but stayed in the courtyard of the Second Valley Master all day long."
"That Ergu—"
"What kind of funeral is this? What kind of grave? What unlucky things are you saying here all day long?" The medicine servant on the opposite side had not finished his question when he was interrupted by a familiar voice, "Don't mention this matter in the valley anymore!" Song Junran, who appeared out of nowhere, said with gritted teeth.
"Tell me what happened outside..." People outside are spreading this.
Yao Pu was about to retort, but the next second he saw Wen Qingci walking slowly behind Song Junran.
"Second, Second Valley Master is here for a walk too?" The medicine servant was gossiping in the previous second, and bumped into the person involved in the next second. The face of the medicine servant was instantly filled with embarrassment.
Little did he know that Wen Qingci was even more socially dead than him at this time.
The Second Valley Master, who was wearing a moon-white robe, forced a smile and nodded to the other party, then turned to Song Junran and said, "I'm a little tired from walking, so I'd better go back and rest first."
Thick eyelashes blocked the light in her eyes.
Wen Qingci's emotions were also hidden.
At this moment, Wen Qingci really wanted to ask the original owner why he wanted to use his big name to venture into the world
"Okay, go back." Song Junran glared at the medicine servant, turned around and left with Wen Qingci.
Several gossipy medicine servants finally breathed a sigh of relief.
They couldn't help but look at each other, and at this moment, they saw the curiosity that was hard to hide in each other's eyes.
—Are the rumors outside true? What is going on between the Second Valley Master and the new emperor
Did they really have a past full of love and hate
Willow catkins are flying in the Divine Doctor Valley, creating a picture of early spring.
"Although you can get up today, it doesn't mean that you have recovered. As a doctor, you need to take care of yourself. Especially your left hand..."
At this point, Song Junran suddenly stopped and said, "Qingci, what are you thinking about?"
“… Hmm? Nothing.” Wen Qingci paused, then realized that he had been distracted.
"Left hand, I'm thinking about my left hand." He hurriedly found an excuse to put Song Junran off.
"So you care about your hand?" Song Junran did not doubt him, and turned to teach Wen Qingci a lesson with a little anger, "If Dad were here, he would have crippled his hand when he knew you were going out. I'm afraid I would be punished like you."
Wen Qingci smiled. According to the original owner's memory, Song Junran was often implicated by him.
He had just been able to stand up and walk, and his range of movement was limited, so he walked back to his room in just a few steps.
Song Junran had other things to do, so after sending Wen Qingci back to his residence, he left.
Wen Qingci's surroundings became quiet again, and the only sound in his ears was the chirping of birds coming from the distant window.
The words he just heard once again echoed uncontrollably in his mind.
I don’t know how Xie Bufeng is doing now.
Thinking of this, his heart trembled slightly.
Wen Qingci sighed softly, opened the medical book, and forced all distracting thoughts out of his mind.
The "Imperial Physician Wen Qingci" of Yongdu has passed away, and what happens there from now on will no longer have anything to do with me.
Better not to think about it...
*
The heavy snow in Yongdu fell endlessly.
In some places, the snow has reached above the calves.
In order to prevent the heat from escaping, the doors and windows of Huixin Palace were closed.
The scent of incense mixed with the heat made people feel a little dizzy.
"Your Majesty, the succession ceremony will be held in a few days. These are the auspicious clothes sent by the Clothing Bureau. There are three sets in total. Can you see if there is anything that needs to be modified?"
The dragon robe worn by the emperor when he ascended the throne was prepared by the Ministry of Rites.
After the grand ceremony, the emperor would change into ordinary auspicious clothes, which would be the responsibility of the harem.
The new emperor did not have a harem, so all these matters fell on Concubine Lan's head.
Whenever Xie Bufeng came to Huixin Palace these days, Concubine Lan would chat with him more about the succession ceremony and try to narrow the distance between mother and son.
Upon hearing that there were new clothes to see, Xie Fuyin, who was originally sleeping, even stopped sleeping and came over to join in the fun.
She was a little afraid of the cold, so even though the heating in the palace was burning brightly, she still had to wear a thick cotton coat and a fox fur coat.
At this time, the whole face is hidden behind the furry collar, looking very cute.
She and Xie Bufeng looked at the three auspicious statues placed in front of them.
—Xie Bufeng didn’t like bright yellow, so these three auspicious robes were all black in color, with patterns embroidered on them in dark lines.
It was the middle of winter, and the auspicious attire became increasingly heavy and complicated.
You can tell at a glance that it is not an ordinary thing.
"Wow..." Xie Fuyin couldn't help but exclaimed softly, "It looks so good!"
Hearing her exaggerated cheer, Concubine Lan also laughed and said, "Your Majesty, you can try it first to see if it is suitable."
Xie Bufeng glanced at the three sets of clothes and nodded slightly.
The two young eunuchs who had been following behind him came forward and prepared to help Xie Bufeng change his clothes.
"Okay, Fu Yin. Let's go first. Can we come back and see His Majesty after he changes his clothes?"
"Okay!" Xie Fuyin looked very excited, "Then brother, see you later!"
At this time, a eunuch had taken Ji Fu off the hanger and slowly unfolded it.
Perhaps it was because the palace was too warm, or perhaps it was affected by Xie Fuyin's mood, a faint smile actually appeared on Xie Bufeng's face.
"Yeah, see you later."
This scene happened to fall into the eyes of Concubine Lan who passed by him.
She couldn't help but take advantage of this atmosphere to give the two eunuchs one more instruction: "The Clothing Bureau... didn't have time to carefully measure and tailor these clothes. They were all made according to your Majesty's old clothes. You must pay attention to the details to make sure they fit properly. Don't make any mistakes. Oh, by the way, be careful and remember not to touch the embroidery."
Xie Bufeng was not in good condition when he first took the throne, and he had no intention of caring about the succession ceremony or the making of formal dresses.
Time was running out, and the Shangyi Bureau and the Ministry of Rites were worried about bringing bad luck to the emperor, so they had to give up the process of taking measurements and making clothes.
"Yes, your majesty." The eunuch responded quickly.
"Mother is so serious," Xie Fuyin said, pretending to be jealous, "Mother didn't even prepare my dress so carefully."
Concubine Lan smiled, bent down, and touched the little girl's forehead with her hand: "Mother has been preparing clothes for you all day, but Your Majesty has grown up so much, and this is the first time that mother has this opportunity, so naturally I have to be more serious."
There was a faint smile in her words and her tone was very relaxed.
However, Concubine Lan, who was talking to Xie Fuyin with her head down, did not see it. As her words fell, Xie Bufeng clenched his teeth in disbelief, and the smile on his face disappeared in an instant.
First time having this opportunity
There was a buzzing sound in the boy's ears.
"... Mother said, is this the first time you prepared clothes for me?" Xie Bufeng suddenly turned around, stared at Concubine Lan and asked.
There was a sense of oppression in his voice, his hands were clenched tightly together, and even his breathing became rapid, like a drowning man desperately looking for a float on the sea.
Xie Bufeng's entire body exuded a despair and panic that was extremely inconsistent with his status.
Seeing this, the two eunuchs immediately looked at each other and temporarily put down the auspicious clothes in their hands.
Xie Fuyin, who didn't understand what was going on, was so frightened that he grabbed his mother's hand tightly.
"Yes, yes..." Lan Fei paused and nodded with difficulty.
"When I was first sent to the North, you didn't give me any gifts?"
In a hurry, Xie Bufeng even forgot to refer to himself as "I" and his tone became aggressive.
He didn't even notice that his lips were trembling.
Xie Bufeng prayed desperately in his heart, praying that Concubine Lan had simply forgotten about this matter.
Or... don't consider that humble cotton coat as formal clothing
Concubine Lan was also infected by the nervous mood. She forced a smile at Xie Bufeng and said, "Of course, of course there is... It's just that your father, uh, the deposed emperor has been keeping an eye on me. The people I sent out had just set out when they were intercepted and brought back..."
There was a hint of panic in her usually calm voice.
It's not that Concubine Lan hadn't thought about this problem, but after a few days, this problem was diluted by the joy of Xie Bufeng's great victory.
She naturally thought that Xie Bufeng, who had made great military achievements, not only had a military rank, but also received financial rewards.
As long as you have money, buying winter clothes is not complicated.
But now she realized from Xie Bufeng's reaction... things were not as she imagined.
"So, the clothes you sent never reached the North..." The young man muttered to himself as if in a dream, with only despair in his voice.
This was obviously the fact, but after seeing Xie Bufeng's current appearance, Concubine Lan lost the courage to admit it.
So who made that cotton coat that accompanied me through the severe cold, the wind and snow, countless life-and-death moments, and was stained with countless blood
—Your Highness, these are what Concubine Lan asked me to deliver.
That's what the person who sent me the clothes clearly told me.
Xie Bufeng's body trembled with fear.
The huge pain swept over him again.
Who could it be? Who else in this world would care about me so much
Wenqing Ci.
Is it Wen Qingci
In addition to clothes, there were also medicines for wounds and Tianci's antidote.
Who else in the world would have it besides him
Xie Bufeng's heart ached again and again.
But why didn't he admit it
Instead, those things were all given by Concubine Lan
Xie Bufeng suddenly turned around and ran out of Huixin Palace.
"Wait, Your Majesty—be careful not to catch a cold!" Before Concubine Lan's voice could be heard, the young man's figure disappeared in the blizzard.
The huge snowstorm stripped away Xie Bufeng's body temperature in an instant.
It was as if at the same moment, the heavy winter coat that had been wrapped around his soul for the past few years was stripped off.
Tears slid down from the corners of my eyes and were frozen on my cheeks by the cold air.
At this moment, Xie Bufeng was like a newborn baby, thrown naked into the snow.
The answer was clearly laid out before his eyes—Wen Qingci was afraid of being rejected by himself.
That day on the Yinchuan Grand Canal, Wen Qingci gave him all the medicines in his hand, placed them neatly and carefully in front of him, and reminded him that swords have no eyes, so he must be careful on the battlefield.
But... at that time, I never even looked at them from beginning to end.
The small porcelain vase stood on the deck in the rain, as if it had been abandoned by itself.
In a trance, the small medicine bottle in my memory suddenly turned into the appearance of Wen Qingci.
—He stood alone on the deck, watching himself go away in silence.
Later on, even when sending winter clothes to himself, he was afraid of being rejected, so he had to use someone else's name to send it.
In the end, he had no choice but to be gentle and cautious...
With the cover of the blizzard, Xie Bufeng finally allowed himself to cry out loud.
He slowly hugged himself, and also hugged the hand warmer that he carefully kept in his arms.
But whether it is the faint bitter fragrance or a little warmth.
It had long since disappeared with the endless snowy night.
The young man stumbled to his feet and headed towards the edge of Taishu Palace.
He was going to look for those winter clothes.
This night was the day when Tianci should have exploded. Xie Bufeng wished so much at this moment... What Wen Qingci fed him in the first place was real poison.
(End of this chapter)