Chapter 57 Even if the fox is sick and about to die, it will be me who dies, no…

The fox didn't actually feel any pain; he just felt a metallic taste of blood rising in his throat.

This had never happened before in the fox's memory. He stood there dumbfounded, not knowing what to do, and could only cover his mouth with his hand in vain.

He thought that he might have eaten something bad for his stomach at lunch. Why was his stomach not hurting but his mouth bleeding?

That's strange.

"Your Highness!" Tinglan's face turned deathly pale instantly, and he staggered over to support the fox. "Summon the imperial physician! Summon the imperial physician immediately!"

Pei Yue instinctively rushed out to call for help, but was stopped by Chen Yu, who had rushed over upon hearing the commotion. "Your Highness, you can't let outsiders see this. I'll go get someone."

Pei Yue nodded, his hands clenched into fists, his breathing erratic, and turned to look at Ji Qing.

He was leaning on Tinglan's shoulder, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, and shaking his head. "I'm just a little tired, I should be fine."

Tinglan gently patted the fox's back, picked it up, and said in a trembling voice, "Your Highness will be alright."

The fox's face flushed red instantly. He struggled slightly, feeling embarrassed that someone of his size was carrying him. He asked softly, "Aren't we having an affair? If you carry me, won't everyone know?"

His words were silly and funny.

But at this moment, Tinglan could no longer laugh. The corners of her mouth only twitched upwards weakly before falling back down. She whispered to the fox, "It's okay, there's no one else here."

The fox blushed, snuggled closer to Tinglan, then suddenly looked up as if remembering something, and whispered, "I'm sorry, I got your clothes dirty."

He had kept his bloodstained hand hanging in front of his chest, afraid of getting his clothes dirty, but just now, the blood from the corner of his mouth still smeared onto Tinglan's outer robe.

Tinglan's breath seemed to stop for a moment, and even his breathing caused a sharp pain in his heart. After a long while, he finally said, "It's nothing."

The little prince was tall, but he looked tiny in Tinglan's arms, just like a fox, fitting perfectly in his embrace.

He thought that the little prince was so well-behaved that it was a little heartbreaking. Even at this time, he was still thinking about not getting his clothes dirty, and he didn't seem to realize that he was sick. He just treated it as his usual play and happily snuggled in his arms.

It seems like it will get better soon.

Tinglan carried the little prince toward the bedroom, but couldn't stop her mind from wandering to other things.

He knew that the young prince had been drowsy lately, but he thought it was just because he was tired from playing and didn't think much of it. He had the imperial physician take his pulse casually and then left it alone. The young prince was so healthy that he could jump into an ice hole in winter and not get sick. How could he suddenly vomit blood?

Tinglan's fingernails dug into her palm without her realizing it, leaving deep crescent-shaped marks.

Ji Qing really didn't think anything was wrong, and was still leaning on Ting Lan's shoulder, playing with his hair.

This was the first time the fox, still in human form, had been held, and it was understandably nervous, so it asked anxiously.

Am I a little too heavy?

This doesn't just include the fox's own weight; you also have to factor in the food and snacks it eats. It's really quite heavy.

Tinglan didn't reply, but just silently shook her head.

He pushed open the door to the bedroom, placed the little prince on the bed, and covered him with a blanket.

The young prince was pale, sinking into the soft pillow. His lips were an unusually bright red because of some blood. His hair and eyebrows were extremely black, and his eyelashes drooped down, leaving a small shadow at the corner of his eye.

Tinglan sat down by the bed, took the fox's wrist, and whispered, "Your Highness, don't be afraid."

Actually, it wasn't the fox that was scary; the fox wasn't scary at all. The person who was truly afraid was Tinglan.

He couldn't help but recall the fortune slip he had drawn at the temple before the New Year.

February's heavy frost kills the peach and plum blossoms; those who wish to marry next year will die this year.

But he was the one who drew the fortune stick. Even if someone is to die, it should be him. The little prince drew the best fortune stick, which means he will grow old with his beloved.

Your Highness is kind-hearted and blessed by the gods and Buddhas, so naturally you will have peace and good fortune.

Everything will be alright.

Tinglan raised his hand to rub his temples, forced a smile, and asked gently, "Is Your Highness hungry? Would you like something to eat or some water?"

"May I have some snacks?" the fox asked with a grin.

Seeing that he could talk and laugh and that his mental state seemed fine, Tinglan breathed a slight sigh of relief and got up to get some snacks and water from the table next to her.

Pei Yue walked in, stood in front of the bed, silently carrying a plate of snacks, and asked softly, "Is anything in pain?"

The fox shook its head. "I'm fine. I don't feel any pain anywhere."

Tinglan took out a handkerchief from her sleeve, soaked it in warm tea, and gently wiped away the dried blood from the corner of the fox's lips, smiling as she said, "Yes, Your Highness is alright."

"I'm really fine, I'm just a little tired."

"Your Highness should get some rest."

The fox burrowed its head deeper into the blankets. "Don't worry about me. I'm perfectly healthy. I'll be fine after a good night's sleep."

Tinglan nodded stiffly, then raised his hand to lower the bed curtains and turned to Pei Yue, saying, "The imperial physician is coming; you should leave now."

Pei Yue circled around in place, clearly showing no intention of leaving. "I'll hide behind the screen in a bit, don't worry."

He glanced at the fox on the bed and asked Tinglan in a low voice, "Has this happened before?"

Tinglan shook her head. "No."

"Not even a cough?"

"No."

Pei Yue frowned, somewhat anxiously, "I have quite a few medicinal herbs, many of which were good things that my father bestowed upon me before. I'll go and fetch them in a bit."

"Thank you for your trouble, Your Highness." Tinglan bowed his head and thanked him. His mind was completely focused on the fox. If Pei Yue hadn't been there, he probably would have lost his composure even more.

A series of noisy footsteps came from outside the door; Chen Yu had arrived with the imperial physician.

Pei Yue turned and hid himself. Ting Lan closed his eyes, composed himself, and sat back down on the bed.

An old doctor with a goatee, leaning on a cane and supported by his assistant, walked in through the door.

He didn't know who the patient was, only that it was extremely urgent, and that Eunuch Chen from the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs had personally gone to fetch the person.

The old doctor stepped forward and grasped the fox's wrist. "I will take your pulse, Your Excellency."

Tinglan stared intently at the imperial physician. "How is it? Has he diagnosed it?"

The old doctor frowned and stroked his goatee. "My lord, please switch hands. I'll examine you again."

The imperial physician remained silent for a long time; the air in the bedroom seemed to freeze, and it was extremely quiet.

"My skills are not advanced enough; I can only diagnose that this noble person's heart meridian is damaged, but I do not know the cause."

"What is the solution?"

The imperial physician shook his head. "I can only prescribe some gentle, nourishing formulas to help him recover. Please forgive me, Chief Physician."

Upon hearing that he would have to drink bitter medicine again, the fox immediately frowned, lay down unwillingly, and stared blankly at the ceiling with his eyes vacant.

He tugged at Tinglan's sleeve, pleading, "I don't want to drink bitter medicine."

"Your Highness, good medicine tastes bitter."

The fox pouted and ignored him.

Tinglan raised her hand to her forehead, her mind in turmoil. It didn't matter that the imperial physicians couldn't find the specific cause of her illness; there were countless famous doctors in the world, and they couldn't all be incompetent fools.

*

Aside from vomiting blood once and looking slightly listless, the fox seemed no different from usual.

Aside from not being as fond of running and jumping as much, she still loves to eat just as much.

However, the fox was very depressed because it had to drink bitter medicine soup at fixed times and in fixed amounts every day.

Every day he would watch with such bitterness and resentment as Tinglan brought him bowl after bowl of medicine.

The fox tilted its head and pleaded, "I really don't want to drink this."

"Your Highness, please listen to me. There will be candied fruit after you finish drinking."

The fox had no choice but to obediently take the bowl, frown, and drink the medicine in one gulp.

He was tired of this kind of life, where he had to drink a bowl of bitter medicine every day and then be given a sweet date.

So the fox secretly slipped out to play.

After the Lunar New Year, although the spring chill lingered, the weather was fine.

The fox was wearing more clothes than usual, as if his former vitality was indeed leaving him little by little without him realizing it.

He had also lost some weight, and the beads on his wrists were much looser, hanging loosely on his wrists and swaying as he walked, making a crisp sound.

The chill seemed to have eyes, seeping straight into his clothes. The fox tightened his cuffs and collar, slowly exhaled a puff of white breath to warm his hands, and found the most pleasing rock in the garden to sit down and bask in the sun.

Actually, there were palace servants from the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs following not far away. By virtue of the Emperor's authority, they were just waiting at a distance so as not to disturb His Highness's relaxation.

When the prince passed by, this was the scene he saw.

Ji Qing sat quietly wrapped in a crane cloak. In the sunlight, his skin was so white it was translucent. His clothes hung down, and although he was just sitting there quietly, you felt that he was about to disappear into the sunlight with the wind.

The Crown Prince frowned and stepped forward to call out to him, "Haven't I seen my thirteenth brother for quite some time? How have you been lately?"

The fox looked up and smiled, saying, "That's good." It would be even better if we didn't have to drink that awful medicine.

The Crown Prince nodded slightly. "That's good. Third Brother, you should head back soon, or it might get windy."

The fox nodded and jumped down from the rock.

As soon as he stood up, he felt a darkness before his eyes and his limbs went weak. He couldn't even stand up by holding onto something.

The fox staggered a few steps and swayed as it leaned against a rock.

The sun is shining brightly today, it's very comfortable, but why is there a white halo in front of him, and he can't see anything?

The fox leaned against the rock and slid down softly.

The crown prince had only taken a few steps when, as if possessed, he turned back and saw the person who had just been smiling and talking to him lying on the ground. He was immediately startled and turned around, "Ji Qing, what happened to you!"

But the officials of the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs acted faster than the Crown Prince.

One of the palace maids stepped in front of the fox without warning, bowed to the Crown Prince, and slowly said, "Your Highness, Prince An is unwell. We will take him back immediately."

After he finished speaking, the other side had already swiftly picked him up and carried him on their backs.

A sedan chair was approaching from not far away.

The crown prince frowned deeply. "Where are you from?"

"Your Highness, we servants were sent by the Ninth Prince to take care of Prince An." The palace maid bowed to the prince again, then turned around and, together with the others, swiftly lifted the fox onto the sedan chair.

The sedan chair quickly departed.

The crown prince stared at the figure in the distance, his brows still furrowed.

What does Tinglan mean by this? What is he planning to do?

Such tight surveillance, and the person who suddenly fainted just now.

Could it be that they want to control Prince An...?

The Crown Prince turned around and whispered to his advisors behind him, "Send someone to investigate thoroughly what is wrong with Prince An's illness."

It's possible that Tinglan caused this illness in him.

Given the mind and methods of the Ninth Prince, it's not like he wouldn't do something like this.