Chapter 45 Sense of Crisis
...As expected of him.
"My face hurts!" Qingqing pleaded. "Before I copy the book, can I go to the Wende Hall first?"
Yan Di rolled his eyes and squeezed her face into a round dumpling: "Trying to escape?"
Qingqing shook her head repeatedly, then tugged at his sleeve: "Lord Daiyun of Wende Hall has been ill for a long time, and I promised to visit him. I can't keep breaking my promise." She had just thought it over carefully. If she really copied the book, she wouldn't have time to visit him for the next few days.
Yan Dibai's eyebrows slanted upwards, and he had little impression of the eunuch in charge of the palace. However, since Yang Liuqing was flattering him, Yan Dibai didn't care, "Go quickly and come back quickly."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Qingqing hurriedly tried to leave, but Yan Dibai suddenly stopped her:
"I will go too."
Qingqing: ?
Yan Dibai: ...
He put his hands behind his back, deliberately ignoring the girl's puzzled expression, and said with a mocking look, "I'm keeping an eye on you, lest you pretend to comply but then slack off. And while you're at it, go visit your elder sister."
"Okay." Qingqing fell silent.
In the dead of night, Wo Xue had just returned to her courtyard to sleep. Qing Qing, not wanting to disturb others and cause unnecessary trouble, prepared to tiptoe to open the door and slip out through the crack.
He had barely touched the door when Yan Dibai mocked him: "That door is incredibly heavy, it's bound to make a sound when you touch it, are you stupid?"
Her hand froze in place. Qingqing turned to look at him: "...Then, Your Majesty, do you have another way out?" Yan Dibai crossed his arms, not avoiding her curious eyes. He lowered his brow, raised his head, and pointed casually to the back window of the inner hall:
"Isn't that a road?"
-
The night was cold and the snow was heavy. When Qingqing walked to the front of Wende Hall, she couldn't help but glance at Yan Dibai a few times. She was silently surprised by how nimbly he climbed out of the window.
But then I thought about it again, and he had also sneaked out of the palace by climbing over the wall before. It's not surprising that he was so skilled at it.
She entered the Wende Hall through the main gate. It was dark inside; everyone was obviously asleep. She instinctively looked for Fu'an, but he was nowhere to be seen. Something felt very wrong. Unfortunately, Yan Dibai followed behind, occasionally letting out a disdainful snort.
Qingqing had no choice but to push open the door to the side room, and a strong smell of medicine wafted out. Sure enough, she heard Dai Yun's muffled cough.
"Why isn't it ready yet? Your Majesty, I'll go check on it." She frowned immediately and lifted the curtain to check the situation.
Yan Dibai looked around at the simple furniture in the room, then suddenly covered his mouth and nose with his sleeve, without saying anything bad.
This place is no different from what I remember.
Just as he was pondering something, Qingqing rushed out, her face full of anxiety: "Your Majesty, could you please allow me to summon the physician to take a look? Dai Yun has been bedridden for many days; if this continues, he will weaken and die!"
I didn't realize it until I looked; after a few days away, Dai Yun's forehead was burning hot. Clearly, her condition was relapsing, and I didn't know if the medication was working. If the fever wasn't brought down soon, she might die from the heat.
Yan Dibai's gaze froze. He hadn't expected that this trip would not only fail to interrogate that damned Fu'an, but also lead to some bad luck.
Given his inherently wicked nature, this is the perfect time to take advantage of Yang Liuqing.
Yan Dibai looked up at the person lying in the dark, unable to make out anything clearly. However, he could tell it was a man around thirty years old, and his features weren't particularly handsome. So, he lazily granted permission.
Qingqing rushed out immediately, but bumped right into the person who came.
"Fu'an!"
"Qingniang?"
Qingqing clutched her throbbing forehead, staring dumbfounded at the boy who was also wincing in pain.
"You, you're in the Wende Hall?"
Seeing her expression, Feng An roughly understood the purpose of her visit. Holding up the medicine packet in his hand, he said, "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to stand you up today. You were watching the lanterns then, and I was happy too. But I suddenly thought of my master. He was fine before I came, but I was afraid he would fall ill again when I left. The medicine you gave me last time is almost finished, and as for the pharmacy... although you promised, I thought it would be better not to cause trouble so easily. I remember that the medicines at Huichuntang outside are quite good, and they open for business at the beginning of the year to treat patients, so I took this opportunity to leave the palace to buy medicine."
He said apologetically, "I saw you were so engrossed in watching that I didn't want to disturb you. I thought it would only be for a short while, so I left without saying goodbye. But something terrible happened halfway through, and I was stuck in the crowd, too afraid to move. I only managed to sneak back half an hour ago by taking a shortcut."
Feng An's expression was always sincere; it was a face that would never lie. Although Qingqing had some reservations about his sudden departure, she had just checked and the medicine was indeed gone.
She turned around and said, "I'll go get some water to boil the medicine first. Dai Yun's illness is serious; no ordinary person would have such a persistent fever!"
The boy didn't reply, and went straight to work as soon as he entered the room. He took the water that Qingqing had brought, smiled brightly at her, took out a pill from his sleeve and fed it to Daiyun, and then sat down to boil the medicine.
"That's an emergency medicine given by the manager of Huichuntang. It can stabilize things for a while. Once the medicine goes down, Master should feel better."
Qingqing nodded silently.
Feng An wiped the sweat from his brow, then, remembering something, took a piece of cake from the middle of the medicine packet and smiled at her:
"Qingniang, I wanted to give you something to eat when I came today, but I forgot. You can take it if you don't mind."
The cardboard was wrinkled and crumpled; when unfolded, it looked like a plain white pancake. Qingqing paused for a moment, then took it, suddenly feeling embarrassed about her earlier dissatisfaction.
"Why are you making pancakes again...?"
"I've been baking you for so long, one more time won't make a difference." Feng An has the best temper.
Qingqing fell silent, suddenly feeling ashamed.
In order not to disappoint his kindness, I bent down to take a bite as a token of my gratitude, when suddenly a third person's sneer rang out from inside the room.
"You dare to eat anything, Yang Liuqing? You really don't have any taste."
Feng An's fanning motion abruptly stopped, and he instantly looked up at Qingqing, who was clearly surprised. The next moment, following the sound and the small flame, he spotted the young emperor leisurely walking out of Daiyun's room.
His clothes were loose, but in the flames, one could see his straight, sharp jawline. Only his eyes remained, as black as night. Only the sharp glint at their very tip could be glimpsed.
Yan Dibai leaned against the door frame, watching him with great interest.
Silence reigned.
After a few moments of silence, Feng Jing suddenly knelt down: "Greetings, Your Majesty!"
Qingqing gripped the white pancake stiffly, realizing something was wrong. In her haste, she had forgotten about the large statue still standing there.
She hurriedly tried to get up to explain Feng An's background, but Yan Dibai's words, neither too harsh nor too blunt, stung her eyes with a sarcastic tone:
What's your rush?
Qingqing was taken aback, while Yan Dibai smiled kindly:
"You're worried about this lame lackey? How long have you been eating his bread? Why are you so concerned? Is the food in the kitchen not good?"
Feng An shifted slightly, lowering his head even further.
Qingqing saw this and said, "Fu'an is Lord Daiyun's apprentice. Lord Daiyun used to teach me, so I'm naturally closer to Fu'an. I asked Fu'an to make those cakes because I was struggling to get enough to eat for a while."
Deep down, she had always resented this authoritarian and oppressive attitude. She couldn't speak freely before, but now she could finally say a few words: "Being unwell is no one's choice, Your Majesty, why be so sarcastic..."
She lowered her voice, though she was dissatisfied, she still tried to be as respectful as possible in front of others.
But this place is only so big, who can't hear it?
Yan Di and Bai Qian paused. Yang Liuqing said she was somewhat resentful when she said there was no food to eat.
Feng An's eyes flickered, and she slightly raised her neck to meet the increasingly indifferent gaze of the young emperor. "Your Majesty, this servant is Fu An. Imperial Attendant Yang is concerned about Lord Dai Yun. This servant and the Imperial Attendant are just acquaintances, but we do not have frequent private interactions."
He glanced at Qingqing out of the corner of his eye, his brow furrowing as if to signal her to calm down. He was utterly understanding.
They were exchanging glances right in front of him. Yan Dibai remained expressionless.
Interestingly, Yang Liuqing was unhappy that he had insulted the cripple.
All for this cripple who looks like a good person.
Ha, this cripple cooks for her without her knowing, and they sneak food together in this little hut... How amusing.
He carefully observed her, and the words of the little palace maid inexplicably echoed in his mind. When the maid spoke of Fu'an, her tone was lingering, and she unconsciously softened her voice. Having grown up in the chaotic palace, he could tell from her expression that she liked Fu'an.
There were many couples in the palace who were involved in sexual relations. For example, there was Wang Bi, who was in charge of internal affairs, and there were also the previously deceased Tan Hua and Tan Yue, who were involved in mirror polishing.
A sense of crisis, which I'm not sure if it can be called a crisis, is creeping in.
When he learned that Yang Liuqing had left with him, he inexplicably remembered the name Fu'an.
Fu'an was in the Wende Hall, so he came too.
However, Yan Dibai had absolutely no curiosity at this moment.
He just felt annoyed.
"Fu'an, right?"
The young emperor spoke gently and respectfully, and Feng An nodded.
Yan Dibai suddenly chuckled, then launched an unexpected attack: "Did I give you permission to speak?"
Feng An immediately kowtowed again, three times in a row.
Qingqing gritted her teeth: "Your Majesty!"
Yan Dibai suddenly looked at her, his eyes gleaming in the darkness. It was as if if she dared to say no at any moment, those light blades would pierce through her body.
Qingqing pursed her lips and suddenly said:
"Your Majesty, I haven't copied the book yet, and you haven't visited the princess. Shall we not waste our time here?"
The boy on the ground was not mentioned at all.
The coldness between Yan Dibai's white eyebrows deepened, then spring returned.
She's smart enough to know her place.
He smiled again: "Since Wende Hall is short-staffed, we'll transfer some new people to help out another day."
Feng An trembled: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
It turned out to be a good thing, even though it was all by accident. Qingqing's nervousness vanished, and she quietly bowed to Fu'an before chasing after Yan Di for nothing.
Feng An changed from bowing to sitting cross-legged, gazing at the two figures behind him, and gently moved the medicine pot down.
The medicinal liquid is brownish-black and has a strong odor.
He smiled.
The young emperor did not blame him for abducting Yang Liuqing, and even left the palace without permission... He also sent people to monitor him.
Why?
Could it really be that she is...
Feng An pinched a dry twig and threw it into the stove, where it crackled a few times. Heat surged, and the fire burned as fiercely as a spring sapling, climbing higher and higher.
This plan can be described as killing three birds with one stone.
His smile was deep and meaningful. From now on, this medicine would truly go into Dai Yun's mouth, and she could no longer use it to water plants.
-
"Your Majesty, why is Your Majesty suddenly displeased?"
Halfway there, Qingqing was panting heavily as she chased after him. Yan Dibai, however, seemed to have inexhaustible energy, relentlessly charging towards Xianning Palace.
Qingqing stopped him, saying, "Your Majesty has gone to the wrong place. That is not the princess's residence."
Yan Dibai paused slightly, then continued walking without looking back.
Qingqing had no choice but to shut up and follow behind.
In the long, dark night, she walked slowly, occasionally shaking off the snow from her body.
As they approached the jade steps, Yan Dibai suddenly stopped. In the utter silence, his breath seemed to reach her ear against the wind.
Qingqing heard his voice, which seemed to be suppressing something:
"Yang Liuqing".
Qingqing: "...What is it?"
He took a deep breath. "Cherish the present moment."
Before he gets tired of her and before he completely breaks her bones.
Don't be too unrestrained.
……ah?
While she was still confused, the boy suddenly turned around and strode towards her, his stature seemingly several sizes taller than usual.
He reached out and unexpectedly grabbed her right atrium. Her beautiful face looked so desolate, as if she were no longer the lawless young emperor.
All his emotions were mixed into the snow, turning into a single, insignificant drop of glass on his eyelashes.
Qingqing held her breath.
"I want this, don't forget."
…
She was gripped tightly, and she gasped, her lips slightly parted.
The sensation vanished instantly, and Yan Dibai remained calm, as if the previous difficulties had all been a dream.
"Come copy the book tomorrow; I'm tired tonight."
Qingqing pursed her lips, not understanding his strange behavior for a moment.
I just feel... a little pain in my chest, and... a little heat.
I tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep soundly.
-
The year after the New Year was approaching, and the snow was so heavy that one could hardly see a face on the road. The next day, at His Majesty's command, the palace servants, their heads covered in white snow, carried the scrolls of books into the Xianning Palace.
Qingqing arrived on time, yawning, to copy the book. Yan Dibai said nothing, seemingly not remembering what had happened last night, and told her to go to the front hall to grind ink.
Wo Xue came in, giving her a look as if she were a joke. She went inside to report to Yan Dibai.
It turned out that someone from Yan Xifang's palace had come to inform her that the princess was experiencing heart palpitations and needed to rest in bed again. Li Erlang specially presented several Ganoderma lucidum plants for medicinal use.
Wo Xue brought over a lingzhi mushroom the size of her palm and asked a question. Yan Dibai lay on the bed listening to Wo Xue relay Li Er's words in detail, glancing at the lingzhi mushroom.
"The Li family of Longxi is so powerful, how come they can only produce such a dilapidated item?"
Wo Xue also felt ashamed, "This servant sees that Li Er is so patient, he must be deliberately hiding his true abilities."
Actually, there was no need to openly display this to Yan Dibai. Li Mingshao's deliberate action was simply to tell Yan Dibai, and also to Prime Minister Lin, that his abilities were as insignificant as this palm-sized Ganoderma lucidum, unworthy of even a glance. As for those soldiers, they were already dead.
Yan Dibai's words were ambiguous: "Truly filial."
"I'll go see my sister, and I'll take this with me."
She didn't even glance at Qingqing. She remained silent, grinding the ink vigorously.
The maid guarding the gate took Lingzhi and said that the princess had not yet woken up. Yan Dibai did not linger. He held his sister's pale hand with genuine affection and said a few words of concern, "I will not blame Li Er. Sister, do not worry. Sister, rest well. I will come to see you again tomorrow."
The woman on the bed pursed her pale lips and frowned slightly. It was unclear whether she heard him.
Once the weight beside the bed had disappeared, the maid placed the lingzhi mushroom in front of Yan Xifang:
"Madam, the medicine brought by the Second Young Master was personally delivered by His Majesty. Everything is fine now; he doesn't blame you."
Yan Xifang slowly opened her eyes, glanced at the small, purplish-red lingzhi mushroom, but her expression wasn't as optimistic as the maid's. Holding the lingzhi, Yan Xifang seemed to have thought of something, and smiled:
“If my child with Shaolang were still alive, he would be two years old now. If we had had these few Ganoderma lucidum back then, perhaps he wouldn’t have died.”
The maid exclaimed in alarm, "Madam! You're ill, and you're talking nonsense again!"
"..." Yan Xifang shook her head, unusually calm.
"His Majesty does not believe me."
"This...how could this be?" The maid was struck dumb by the sudden change in tone. "You are His Majesty's beloved sister, his only close relative, it's impossible—"
A ripple finally appeared in Yan Xifang's eyes: "His respect for me and his distrust of me are not contradictory." Her chest heaved, the faint, indifferent words her brother had uttered on the city wall still echoing in her mind, making her heart pound.
“If he truly believed me yesterday, he wouldn’t have listened to that maid and embarrassed Shaolang, and made me even more embarrassed.”
Her fingernail pierced the Ganoderma lucidum. A single, smooth, straight black hair seemed to be wrapped around her fingertip, scratching her painfully.
The maidservant deciphered the deeper meaning behind each sentence.
“I should have realized sooner that my younger brother died on the day I got married.”
Yan Xifang's eyes suddenly flashed with venom: "Shaolang is not such a careless person. There must be a mastermind behind this. Who is so wary of him and me? Well, today's incident has served as a wake-up call for me. Yang Liuqing's status is more special than I thought. Since she doesn't intend to give me face, then I don't need to have any intention of testing her."
"Shao Lang can't wait any longer, and neither can I. Instruct Wang Bi to visit the storerooms more often."
At noon, Yan Dibai went again, but was stopped by the maid. She said that Yan Xifang had a nightmare last night and refused to see anyone.
Yan Dibai said nothing. "Since my elder sister is weak, I will come again in a few days." His tall figure stretched out as he turned away, the light making his silhouette appear even longer, hinting at a farewell.
On the way back, Wo Xue, with audacity, said, "Why is Your Highness so unfazed? Perhaps you should invite a novice monk or Taoist priest to exorcise the evil spirits."
Yan Dibai remained noncommittal, but curled her lips into a slight smile:
"The tobacco leaves haven't been strong enough these past two days, so add some more. Smoking a lot helps you fall asleep."
He sleeps well, so his older sister doesn't need to worry too much.
The boy strode back to his dormitory, pushed open the door, and his heart, which had been pounding, suddenly calmed when he saw the girl diligently copying books at her desk.
A burst of strong liquor dissolves into clear water, leaving everything plain and simple, in its most authentic state.
Before he returned, Qingqing diligently ground the ink stick down to only an inch thick. She hurriedly took out a volume of "Gongyang Commentary" from the pile of books, and as soon as she picked up her pen, she discovered Yan Dibai.
"His Majesty is back? How is the princess?"
Yan Dibai replied casually, "Very good."
She then casually flipped through the book. Qingqing had no choice but to continue copying, but after a long time, she hadn't moved a single word. She looked at Yan Dibai again. Noticing her troubled gaze, he threw down the book, annoyed:
"Why are you looking at me like that? Do I have words on my face?"
Qingqing: "No, that's not it... I don't really understand these things. And my handwriting is ugly, it's a real waste to use such good paper."
Nowadays, writing tools are bamboo slips, paper, and silk. However, bamboo slips are heavy and have few characters, so noble families rarely use them and mostly use the latter two. The silk paper she uses is made of silkworm silk, which is delicate and white, and is far more expensive than silk. A single sheet of paper can cost the food money of a poor person for several years. Only Yan Dibai can afford to squander silk paper like that.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 00:05:37 on October 16, 2023 and 23:56:47 on October 18, 2023!
Thank you to the little angels who watered with nutrient solution: Jiang Yao (6 bottles); Lue Lue Lue (1 bottle);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
