With every rain in late summer, the weather gets cooler.
In just three or two days, the heat accumulated over several months was washed away by the heavy rain.
When Wen Qingci woke up, he saw that a pile of new clothes had been placed at the foot of his bed.
He paused for a moment before realizing that this was prepared for him by Xie Bufeng.
Unlike the front yard, the back yard of the Imperial Medical Bureau has been deliberately maintained in its original appearance and has not been moved at all.
Even though he had already ascended the throne and proclaimed himself emperor, Xie Bufeng, who lived here permanently, still did not have any eunuchs or palace maids to serve him, just like he did in the past.
Everything here was prepared by him personally.
In the corner of the moon-white brocade, a small magnolia was embroidered with silver thread. If you didn't look closely, it would be difficult to notice.
One can tell at a glance that this dress is a tribute from the provincial government and is priceless.
Wen Qingci's hand slowly brushed across her clothes, and her expression suddenly became a little conflicted.
The clothes he wore a few days ago were all summer clothes he brought from Lianhe.
After the rain in the past few days, the clothes became a little thin.
Although his original clothes were still safely kept in the Imperial Medical Bureau, if it was discovered that this doctor from "Songxiu Mansion" was wearing "Imperial Doctor Wen's" clothes, it would definitely arouse suspicion.
Just as Wen Qingci was struggling, a gust of cold wind blew in through the window.
Feeling the chill, Wen Qingci's left arm suddenly felt a sharp pain.
Forget it, forget it, saving your life is more important.
Wen Qingci, who was frozen, didn't think any more and put the clothes on directly.
The Wei Dynasty was popular with wide robes and large sleeves, but the waist was not loose.
The slightly thick brocade suppressed the ethereal aura of Wen Qingci, but at the same time added a touch of elegance and nobility to him.
With the bright red cinnabar on his forehead, he looked like a man walking out of a shrine, noble and cold.
Although the heavy rain has stopped, the drizzle continues.
Wen Qingci held up a paper umbrella and slowly walked towards the front yard.
Just as he reached the small courtyard where he usually tested medicine, Wen Qingci suddenly saw out of the corner of the courtyard a small white shadow passing by in the bushes.
"… This is?"
The imperial physician who was supposed to deliver the medicine had not arrived yet. Wen Qingci hesitated for a moment and walked over holding an umbrella.
As he moved, the white shadow suddenly froze in place, motionless.
The cautious red eyes looked at him through the gaps in the grass.
It was not until this time that Wen Qingci finally saw clearly... It turned out that the white shadow hiding in the bushes was the rabbit he had left behind.
The memory of when I first arrived at the Imperial Medical Bureau was instantly awakened by this white rabbit.
—Just like hypnosis gradually wears off.
It will not take effect suddenly overnight, but will gradually erode a person's memory over a period of about a month.
When Wen Qingci first arrived at the Imperial Medical Bureau, he had not yet completely lost his memory.
Always thinking about research, he raised a few rabbits here and started experiments during this time.
This rabbit was the only "survivor" at that time.
On the day of the coup, the Imperial Medical Bureau was the first to be affected. Wen Qingci even thought that the rabbit had died on that day, or had run away and disappeared.
I didn't expect to see it again today.
Seeing that the rain was not heavy, Wen Qingci, wearing a veiled hat, carefully closed the umbrella and put it aside.
Then he slowly squatted down, reached out his hand and held the little guy hiding behind the grass in his arms.
The raindrops hanging on the grass and trees flowed into his sleeves.
Wen Qingci's arm couldn't help but tremble slightly.
"Why is it you?" Wen Qingci's left hand still had some strength, so he held the rabbit with his right hand, walked back into the house and placed it on the stone table beside him. "Why don't you stay in your own nest, but run around everywhere instead?" As he said this, he gently touched its head with his fingers.
The rabbit seemed to understand Wen Qingci's words and rubbed its head gently against the palm of his hand.
I don’t know how long this rabbit has been running around outside. Its white fur is a little damp and has some traces of grass on it.
Wen Qingci took out a silk handkerchief and wiped it dry carefully.
Then he took the rabbit back into his arms again: "Okay, I'll take you back."
Wen Qingci was about to get up when he suddenly heard footsteps behind him. He subconsciously turned around and saw Xie Bufeng, dressed in black, walking into the courtyard and appearing behind him, holding a bamboo basket in his hand.
If I'm not mistaken, the basket seems to contain dried fruits and vegetables
A slightly absurd thought appeared in Wen Qingci's mind.
Could it be that Xie Bufeng himself has been taking care of the rabbit all this time
"Your Majesty, are you here to... feed this rabbit?"
Xie Bufeng placed the bamboo basket in his hand on the stone table.
He reached out and gently touched the rabbit in Wen Qingci's arms, and said lightly: "During this period of time, I am the only one who feeds it."
Xie Bufeng's tone was very calm, but Wen Qingci actually read a hint of hidden sadness in his tone.
It’s like... Xie Bufeng, the king of a country, has been dependent on this rabbit for the past year.
Reason tells me that this is impossible.
Wen Qingci's heart trembled slightly because of Xie Bufeng's words.
After touching it twice, Xie Bufeng took out some dried fruits from the bamboo basket and put them next to the rabbit's mouth.
The white rabbit's light pink lips and nose moved forward and sniffed twice.
Then he started to nibble on the food in Xie Bufeng's hand bit by bit.
"The rain hasn't stopped yet," Xie Bufeng turned around and frowned slightly while feeding the rabbits. He said to Wen Qingci, "Why don't you hold an umbrella, my dear? Be careful not to catch a cold."
After he finished speaking, Xie Bufeng placed the dried fruits in his hand on the table, untied his cloak, and gently covered Wen Qingci's shoulders with it.
My dear.
Whenever Wen Qingci heard this word now, his scalp tingled.
He immediately looked away and suppressed the strange feeling in his heart.
He paused for a few seconds before slowly lowering his head and looking at the cloak on his body.
The same brocade, the same darkly embroidered magnolia.
Even on rainy days, its faint light cannot be obscured.
It was not until the ambergris hit him that Wen Qingci realized that the clothes Xie Bufeng was wearing seemed to be the same style as his...
The cloak that I just took off still has some warmth.
Xie Bufeng's figure is larger than Wen Qingci's.
The cape is equally wide.
Wen Qingci's body was completely hidden under the dark robe, and the coldness disappeared in an instant.
At that moment, he was surrounded by a familiar atmosphere.
Wen Qingci instinctively put his hand on his collar, wanting to take off the cloak and return it to Xie Bufeng.
"Don't move." Xie Bufeng took the initiative and gently pressed down Wen Qingci's right hand.
At this time, there was only half an arm's length between the two.
The moist breeze lifted the gauze curtain on Wen Qingci's veil and brushed gently across Xie Bufeng's cheek.
The white jade-like chin was faintly visible under the gauze curtain.
Wen Qingci's right hand was pressed by Xie Bufeng against his collarbone.
He couldn't help but have the illusion that Xie Bufeng was touching his fragile neck with his hand.
Wen Qingci's body froze instantly and he dared not move.
Seeing this, Xie Bufeng held Wen Qingci's wrist and put his right hand down.
The ties of the straight-collared cape are located at the chest.
The slender and powerful fingers rubbed there inadvertently.
Xie Bufeng's hand was extremely light, but it was precisely this lightness that made his movement turn into a feather, floating past the tip of Wen Qingci's heart.
Xie Bufeng fastened his cloak in just a few moves.
"alright."
A low voice came from my ear.
Before Wen Qingci could breathe a sigh of relief, Xie Bufeng's hand suddenly passed through the gauze curtain and carefully placed it on Wen Qingci's cheek.
At the same time, he rubbed it with his fingertips in an extremely ambiguous and reluctant manner.
Wen Qingci suddenly became nervous: "Your Majesty, this is the front yard." He reminded.
"I know." Xie Bufeng slowly narrowed his eyes and looked at the person in front of him.
His voice had become deep and hoarse at some point, sounding extremely dangerous.
Wen Qingci instinctively wanted to dodge, but after taking a half step back, he discovered that Xie Bufeng's other hand had already been waiting here -
Her shoulders and back instantly pressed against Xie Bufeng's palm, and her whole body fell into his arms at this moment.
The front yard of the Imperial Medical Bureau is too small, and someone could pass by here at any time.
The rain hasn't stopped yet.
For a moment, Wen Qingci couldn't tell whether the sound in his ears was the sound of dripping water or the sound of footsteps coming from a distance.
His nerves tensed instantly.
Xie Bufeng never let go.
Under extreme tension, Wen Qingci gritted his teeth and lowered his voice to sternly say: "... Let me go quickly, Xie Bufeng!"
The next second, Wen Qingci realized that he had just called the Emperor's name.
!!!
Even when we had a good relationship a few years ago, I always called him "Your Highness".
Wen Qingci stopped struggling instantly and looked up at Xie Bufeng's reaction.
What was completely beyond his expectation was that Xie Bufeng's face not only did not show a trace of anger, but even... there was a hint of surprise, and the corners of his lips slightly raised.
It seems like he really likes being called by his first name.
Through the veil, everything seems a little unreal.
Wen Qingci thought he had seen it wrong, and subconsciously wanted to observe carefully, but at this time Xie Bufeng slowly bent down, hugged Wen Qingci in his arms, and once again put his lips to his ear.
Xie Bufeng slowly tightened his arms.
Their bodies were pressed tightly together.
Through the not-so-thick clothing, Wen Qingci could clearly feel Xie Bufeng's heartbeat.
—Some are heavy, some are fast.
Xie Bufeng whispered in Wen Qingci's ear: "This rabbit has not seen its owner for more than a year."
"He thought his master had abandoned him..."
Wen Qingci's breath was choked.
Is what Xie Bufeng was talking about really just this rabbit
"Or maybe he thought his master didn't want him and left him alone in Taishu Palace. My dear, do you think this rabbit is... pitiful?"
Xie Bufeng spoke very slowly and softly.
It was clearly his usual calm tone, but to Wen Qingci's ears, it sounded extremely dangerous.
"My dear, why didn't his master kill him early as agreed and use him for experiments? Why did he spare his life and be so gentle and indulgent to him?"
Wen Qingci is completely different from Xie Bufeng.
Over the past twenty years, he has studied medicine and the human body, but has no time to study the human heart.
However, Xie Bufeng, who was born to be able to hear malicious words, is particularly sensitive to this.
Indulgence.
I have been indulging Xie Bufeng for a long time.
Gentleness is a kind of indulgence, and that night in Nagahara was even more of an indulgence.
The left hand that had just been touched by Xie Bufeng, as well as the skin on the chest, felt hot at this moment.
Seems to realize that he shouldn't push too hard.
Xie Bufeng suddenly concealed the danger in his words, his eyes fell on the rabbit, and he whispered in Wen Qingci's ear: "So now, my dear, can you accompany him well?"
His voice was hoarse, and every word he spoke gently struck Wen Qingci's heart.
—
After saying that, Xie Bufeng left the courtyard.
It seemed that Wen Qingci really wanted to stay here and play with the rabbit.
The rain gradually stopped.
The temperature is no longer as cold as before.
Wen Qingci tried to untie the ropes and wanted to ask someone to return the cloak to the other party, but he was helpless to find that Xie Bufeng had tied a knot on the cloak intentionally or unintentionally.
Finally he had to give up the matter, slowly bent down and stroked the rabbit's forehead.
Wen Qingci's fingers moved mechanically, his mind had already flown away to who knows where, and the rabbit was dodging under his touch.
Until someone appeared and interrupted Wen Qingci's thoughts: "Oh my God, why are you touching this rabbit?"
The young doctor came over carrying the medicine he had prepared today.
After seeing this clearly, his tone became a little horrified: "This is your majesty's rabbit, which is not normally allowed to be touched."
“…It’s just a rabbit, why not let people touch it?” Wen Qingci muttered to himself.
Seeing that he was still standing there motionless, the imperial physician could not help but feel anxious: "This rabbit was left behind by the one who left it. Do you understand what I mean?"
"Don't underestimate it because it's just an ordinary white rabbit. In the eyes of His Majesty, it is much more valuable than a human being," the imperial physician said quickly. "For more than a year, he has been taking care of it personally. Only the little princess can come and play with it occasionally."
Wen Qingci nodded gently.
The young doctor standing beside him continued, "Your Majesty felt sorry for this rabbit and did not cage it, but let it run around in the courtyard of the Imperial Medical Bureau. I remember that once before, this rabbit ran away and disappeared. Your Majesty actually personally led a team of people and spent two days searching the entire Taishu Palace before finding it in an abandoned palace..."
That incident alarmed thousands of people.
Wen Qingci didn't leave him much.
So Xie Bufeng tried even harder to leave behind all traces of the other party's existence.
Because of this, Xie Bufeng didn't close his eyes for two whole days.
When he found the rabbit, he said nothing, but just held it in his arms tremblingly.
Even after that, they were vegetarians for a month and offered sacrifices to heaven and earth.
Hearing this, Wen Qingci wanted to refute that Xie Bufeng did not believe in ghosts and gods.
But then he remembered... Xie Bufeng had indeed prayed to ghosts and gods in the imperial temple of Dengcheng Prefecture and offered blood as sacrifice to the sky.
The young man, who believed that he was despised by ghosts and gods, regarded the gods and Buddhas, whom he had not believed in before, as his last straw because of his departure.
"Is it worth it?" Wen Qingci murmured.
The young imperial physician didn't think there was anyone in the world who would not be moved by the emperor's love.
Wen Qingci's expression was too strange.
He thought that his colleague, who was used as a substitute, had fallen into the trap unknowingly.
He immediately sounded the alarm for the other party: "Your Majesty may look a little cold on weekdays, but his feelings for 'that person' are absolutely genuine. Perhaps for him, everything he does is worth it... even if it's just to leave a little memory for me."
“Okay, okay, let’s not talk about this rabbit anymore!” Worried that Xie Bufeng would suddenly appear, he saw Wen Qingci was still touching the rabbit, so he immediately reached out and pulled the people around him into the side room. “I wonder if you have noticed before that His Majesty has been wearing a wool bracelet on his wrist?”
Worried that Wen Qingci didn't understand what he was talking about, the young doctor gave a detailed description: "It seems to be stained with blood or something, and it looks dark red. Over time, it has become a little rotten. But because the bracelet was given by 'that person', Your Majesty always wears it on his hand and never takes it off. He treasures it very much."
"I see." Wen Qingci's voice was a little difficult.
The imperial physician served not only the emperor and his concubines, but also the high-ranking officials and nobles in Yongdu.
Therefore, they are always well-informed about the news around them.
The young doctor lowered his voice and whispered mysteriously in Wen Qingci's ear: "I later heard from others that in addition to the bracelet, there seemed to be another string of medicinal jades that was also given by 'that person'."
"It is said that when His Majesty went to the battlefield, he carefully hid the medicinal jade under his wrist guard. Unexpectedly, because he treasured the medicinal jade too much, someone discovered the flaw, attacked him, and broke the medicinal jade into pieces, causing it to fall to the ground."
The imperial physician heard this story from a general.
Although he was repeating, he spoke with great excitement and exaggerated tone, and had completely imitated the other person's behavior.
"That was on the battlefield!" The young doctor's tone was filled with fear. "He actually jumped off the horse and fumbled for the jade on the ground. As a result... he was hit on the back by a sword and almost lost his life." At this point, he couldn't help but feel a lingering fear.
Wen Qingci couldn't help but clench his palms.
After blocking the arrow for Xie Bufeng, he lost consciousness.
It was not until Wen Qingci returned to the valley that he realized that Xie Bufeng had gently placed the jade string in his coffin...
Finally, he was brought back to the Valley of Divine Doctors by his senior brother.
Wen Qingci didn't have any jewelry and didn't know where to put the medicinal jade.
After some hesitation, he simply put it in the bottom compartment of the medicine box he carried with him.
"… What's wrong? What are you thinking about?"
It was not until the young imperial physician beside him waved his hand in front of him that Wen Qingci came to his senses and realized that he had been in a daze.
"Nothing," Wen Qingci quickly lowered his head and looked at the medicine bowl in the food box, "I just think... that wool bracelet is too worn out and no longer suitable for Your Majesty's status." He made up an answer casually.
The young doctor half-jokingly said, "That's true, but unless that person can be resurrected and give him a new one, His Majesty will definitely not change it."
Wen Qingci paused and nodded slightly: "Yeah."
Then he carefully checked the preparation of the medicine and answered the other party's questions about the prescription.
Just like the conversation just now, it was just an insignificant episode.
After making sure there was no problem with the medicine room, the imperial physician turned around and prepared to leave.
Just as he reached the door, he suddenly seemed to have thought of something and asked, "By the way, have you thought about what I said last time?"
"What's the matter?" Wen Qingci was stunned.
"Teach us medical skills. Specifically, how to prescribe heavy doses and how to deal with the plague." The other person's eyes were full of anticipation.
After a few seconds of pause, Wen Qingci slowly shook his head: "For now... it's not quite appropriate."
Today's medical knowledge is mostly passed down from master to apprentice.
As the saying goes, "Teach your apprentice and starve yourself to death." Many people firmly believe this and like to hide things when teaching others.
But Wen Qingci's purpose was exactly the opposite of theirs.
If he wanted to teach, he would not just teach simple cases.
But we should start from the root.
But this cannot avoid "Xinglin Jie'e" and the theories that I had left behind.
If I stay here to teach medicine, it means that my identity will be exposed to everyone...
“Okay…” Although separated by a veil, the imperial physician could still accurately read the hesitation and entanglement in Wen Qingci’s body.
Although he was a little disappointed, Wen Qingci didn't say anything final, so he didn't say much: "Okay, if you change your mind one day, you must tell me the first time!"
Hearing this, Wen Qingci nodded and said softly, "Of course."
At the same time, he stood up and walked quickly forward, ready to send the other person away.
However, at this moment, the imperial physician, who had already stepped out of the door, suddenly stood there with his eyes wide open, looking in great shock at Wen Qingci, who had just walked diagonally in front of him.
He quickly glanced at Wen Qingci from head to toe.
At the end, he suddenly exclaimed and stammered, "I, you, you... am I seeing correctly, what is this dress you are wearing?"
He just thought it was a bit strange that Wen Qingci was wearing dark clothes.
Now that he walked out the door, he noticed that Wen Qingci's clothes were a little too big.
The most important thing is, besides the magnolia on the front hem.
There is actually a black dragon embroidered on the back of the neck!
Not only did he not realize it, Wen Qingci did not realize that there was such a mystery behind this dress.
"What?" Wen Qingci was startled by his voice and felt inexplicably guilty.
"You... the clothes on you, there, is, there, a dragon?!"
This dress belongs to His Majesty!
Holy shit! Your Majesty actually let someone else wear the clothes embroidered with dragon patterns
The young doctor's brain suddenly froze.
Wen Qingci: “…”
Dragon pattern?!
Wen Qingci wanted to explain a few words, but after hearing the word "dragon pattern", he knew that no matter what he said, he would not be able to explain it clearly.
Faced with such an embarrassing situation, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and pretend that nothing had happened. He turned around and smiled at the other party and said, "Yes, it is indeed your Majesty's thing? What's the matter?"
Under the veil, Wen Qingci's cheeks suddenly felt hot.
Wen Qingci was too frank.
For a moment, the imperial physician didn't know what to say.
"No, no... it's fine."
Until he left here, there was only one sentence that kept repeating in the young doctor's mind - Your Majesty gave his clothes to that doctor!
One day, after finishing work in the front yard and returning to the bedroom, Wen Qingci opened the bottom compartment of the medicine box for the first time in several months.
He looked at the medicinal jade in the box by the light of the lamp.
Wen Qingci's expression remained the same as before, and all his emotions were hidden in his pitch-black pupils.
But in his heart, he was not as calm as he appeared.
*
Let’s put the matter of Yao Yu aside for now.
Wen Qingci noticed that the wool bracelet Xie Bufeng was wearing was indeed about 80% worn out.
The wool joints are at risk of fraying at any time.
After hesitating for a while, he finally asked the young imperial physician who often delivered medicine to him to buy the best wool from outside the palace and have it delivered to him.
It took her an hour to recall the past and weave a bracelet that was exactly the same as the one she remembered.
But after editing it, Wen Qingci became hesitant... Should he really give it to Xie Bufeng
The weather is always like this in late summer and early fall.
It rained and the temperature dropped suddenly, then it rose again and it was terribly hot.
A few days later, the temperature rose again.
People living in Yongdu have changed back into summer clothes.
In the evening, the sun sets in the west, and the afterglow becomes beautiful.
After dealing with government affairs, Xie Bufeng returned to his bedroom to review memorials.
The wide sleeves slid down as he moved, revealing his wrist and the bracelet on it.
Wen Qingci couldn't help but turn his head slowly and look at Xie Bufeng.
After a few seconds, his eyes fell on the other person's wrist bone.
I don’t know if it’s an illusion, but the wool bracelet seems to be more fragile than when I saw it a few days ago.
If it suddenly breaks, will Xie Bufeng be sad
Wen Qingci didn't know that Xie Bufeng moved the memorial here just to see him all the time.
Just as he was stealing a glance at Xie Bufeng, Xie Bufeng suddenly put down his pen, smiled and looked up at him.
Then he stood up and walked towards where he was.
The bedroom was small and cramped, but in the blink of an eye Xie Bufeng appeared behind Wen Qingci.
It's too late to turn back now.
"Are you looking at me, my dear?"
He was clearly using the most unfamiliar and polite form of address, but when the words came out of his mouth, they sounded frighteningly ambiguous.
The red sunset glow fell into the house through the window and kissed Wen Qingci's cheek.
It added a few touches of bright color to his pale skin.
Xie Bufeng's eyes were extremely greedy.
Wen Qingci subconsciously looked away, avoiding his gaze.
However, after a pause of a few seconds, Xie Bufeng slowly raised his hand and pinched Wen Qingci's chin.
Wen Qingci put his hand on Xie Bufeng's wrist reflexively, trying to push him away.
However, Xie Bufeng's arms were made of iron.
No matter how hard I tried, it just wouldn't move, which made me question my life.
"My dear, you have something to say to me." Xie Bufeng said, gazing at Wen Qingci's ink-black eyes.
There was no hint of doubt in his words, and there was a hint of laughter in his voice.
As luck would have it, the wool bracelet loosely wrapped around Xie Bufeng's wrist slowly slid down along with his movements and brushed past Wen Qingci's cheek.
Forget it, just say it.
Why should I feel guilty about this? It's just a simple gift.
Seeing that Xie Bufeng was not going to give up until he got the answer.
Wen Qingci finally gritted his teeth and spoke slowly: "I want to say that the bracelet on your majesty's hand has been worn out for the most part."
He didn't know if he was seeing things, but when he said this, Wen Qingci noticed that Xie Bufeng's eyes suddenly narrowed dangerously.
"So?" asked the young emperor in black.
Wen Qingci was a little nervous and hesitant. He said slowly: "So, Your Majesty should not wear it anymore..."
Before he could finish his words, he saw the smile on the other person's face disappeared.
Wen Qingci spoke very slowly, and his words were like torture to Xie Bufeng.
With a feeling of weightlessness, the scene in front of Wen Qingci suddenly changed.
By the time he came to his senses, he was already tightly held in Xie Bufeng's arms.
"Don't wear it anymore?" Xie Bufeng said, almost gritting his teeth, "Do you want to take this back too?"
"Once a gift has been given, there is no reason to take it back."
All this happened in an instant.
Wen Qingci couldn't help but think of the string of medicinal jade as he spoke.
At this moment, Xie Bufeng was like a ferocious beast that was wounded.
At the same time, his brutality and helplessness were exposed.
Xie Bufeng placed Wen Qingci on the couch, leaned over and supported his side with his hands, and said in a hoarse voice: "Wen Qingci, how can you be so unreasonable?"
After saying this, she finally indulged herself and bit Wen Qingci's chin hard.
(End of this chapter)