Chapter 12 Night Watch "Your Majesty, would you like some water?"...
Just as she regained her composure, Su Panyue turned her head and met the man's unfathomable eyes.
The moment their eyes met, Su Panyue's courage vanished instantly, and her legs went weak, causing her to collapse onto the footstool by the bed.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty."
Xie Lanzhou glanced at her red eyes, still glistening with moisture, and finally softened his voice to ask:
"Have you cried enough? Tell me, what does the Empress Dowager want you to do?"
Su Panyue was stunned for a moment. [How did he know the Empress Dowager was looking for me? Did he already know?]
[Oh no, he definitely thinks I was sent by the Empress Dowager.]
Should I talk to him? He won't just drag me out and kill me, will he? That would be worse than strangling me. I wonder if I can ask him for a less painful way to die this time.
Xie Lanzhou listened to her thoughts and became increasingly skewed, so he patiently repeated, "Tell the truth, and you may be spared the death penalty."
Su Panyue blinked and stared straight at Xie Lanzhou, having long forgotten the rule that one should not look directly at the emperor.
Su Panyue couldn't help but ask, "Is what Your Majesty said true?"
Xie Lanzhou: "As long as you don't lie to me."
Su Panyue was relieved and explained in detail everything the Empress Dowager had asked her to do.
She had just finished crying, and her voice was still choked with sobs. She spoke haltingly, but her words were clear and coherent.
Xie Lanzhou remained leaning against the bed, propping her head up with one hand as she listened to her. Her gaze seemed both focused and indifferent, making her difficult to decipher.
The moonlight streamed in through the window, draping a soft white veil over the woman squatting on the ground, giving even her palace maid's dress a more ethereal feel.
Su Panyue had been speaking softly with her head down, but when she reached the part about the Empress Dowager threatening her with poison, she raised her head, her tone tinged with grievance:
"Tomorrow is the last day, so this servant wanted to come and see Your Majesty tonight."
Although I initially came here intending to sleep with you, I've already been honest. Could you perhaps consider helping me out?
Xie Lanzhou heard her thoughts and glanced at her reddened eyes and slightly disheveled hair. He found this woman quite interesting; even on the verge of death, she was still thinking about that kind of thing.
He replied thoughtfully, "Okay."
In his heart, he wondered where the Empress Dowager had found such a heartless and unkempt woman to seduce him; it was truly laughable.
However, he himself did not realize that it was this audacious palace maid who repeatedly made him lower his standards, and who ran to his bedside in the middle of the night and cried for a long time without being harmed.
Su Panyue, unaware of his thoughts, asked with a puzzled expression, "What's good about it?"
"Since you are so worried about me, then stay and keep watch tonight," Xie Lanzhou said before lying back down.
Su Panyue's eyes widened in surprise, her face filled with disbelief.
Is this person even human? I'm about to die and they still want me to keep watch all night. Aren't they afraid I'll die at your bedside?
Xie Lanzhou, who was already lying down, curled his lips and closed his eyes, pretending to sleep.
As long as he was close to this girl, he could relieve his headaches that lasted day and night. He felt unusually relaxed and at ease at the moment, and did not take her rambling and rebellious words to heart.
The calming incense burning in his bedroom may have had little effect on Xie Lanzhou, but Su Panyue quickly fell asleep by the bedside.
Xie Lanzhou quietly watched her sleeping face for a while. She was serene and obedient, but her brows were slightly furrowed, as if she was also uneasy in her sleep.
Although I don't know why, I'll do a good deed since it can alleviate my headache.
Thinking this, Xie Lanzhou got up and carried her to the bed.
The woman groaned twice, and Xie Lanzhou reached out and touched her body, after which she fell into a deep sleep again.
Xie Lanzhou shook the bell by the bedside, and soon Eunuch Fu came in. He was clearly taken aback when he saw the woman on the bed, and then tentatively asked, "Your Majesty, would you like some water?"
Xie Lanzhou glanced at him sideways: "Summon Imperial Physician Gao."
Eunuch Fu accepted the order and withdrew, but he was still a little puzzled. This Imperial Physician Gao was appointed by His Majesty as the head of the Imperial Medical Academy. His medical skills were superb. He would not need to treat ordinary minor illnesses. What was wrong with His Majesty?
Xie Lanzhou walked back to the bedside and sat down, leaning against the headboard and looking down at the sleeping woman.
Her eyelashes were curled and fluttered from time to time. Her delicate nose was tinged with red. Her cherry-like, moist lips were gently pursed. Her cheeks were slightly flushed from sleeping, reminding one of a ripe peach, delicate and flawless.
He recalled the few times he had met this palace maid; she was truly an interesting person, outwardly respectful but inwardly lawless.
She indulges in her own desires all day long, yet refuses to listen to the Empress Dowager's attempts to seduce her into poisoning him. It's hard to tell whether she's loyal or cowardly.
Even though he could hear her thoughts, Xie Lanzhou felt that he still found it difficult to see through this girl.
Even though she couldn't wake up immediately after the acupuncture, Su Panyue's sleep was extremely restless. She moved around a lot, turning over and facing Xie Lanzhou's direction.
Her long, jet-black hair fell down with her movements, a strand landing on her face.
Xie Lanzhou reached out and brushed aside the strand of hair. His fingers touched her smooth skin, and a subtle sensation swept through his body, fleeting yet making Xie Lanzhou reluctant to withdraw his hand.
A large, well-defined hand gently stroked the woman's face. Before she knew it, Su Panyue's furrowed brows gradually relaxed, leaving only silence in the room.
Soon, Eunuch Fu returned with Physician Gao.
Xie Lanzhou withdrew his hand without making a sound, pointed to Su Panyue on the bed, and said in a low voice, "Let her see."
Physician Gao and Eunuch Fu exchanged a glance, and then he obeyed the order and stepped forward.
He draped a handkerchief over the woman's wrist, and then took her pulse. His brows furrowed slightly, and his expression grew increasingly serious.
After a moment, he stopped and reported, "Your Majesty, this girl has been poisoned by a deadly drug."
"This deadly powder is a highly toxic substance. It usually takes effect after seven days, and the poisoned person will bleed from all seven orifices and die."
Xie Lanzhou's eyes turned cold, and he said in a deep voice, "Is there an antidote?"
Imperial Physician Gao: "There is no cure for this poison."
Xie Lanzhou lowered her eyes to look at the woman sleeping peacefully on the bed. She recalled the first time she saw her, when the emperor's brother-in-law was executed. She was bleeding from all seven orifices, and just seeing that scene made her faint. If it were her turn, she didn't know how scared she would be.
Xie Lanzhou spoke up: "Find a way, I want her to live."
Even though his voice was cold, the Imperial Physician Gao was not afraid. He slowly stroked his beard and said, "She must have vomited some. Judging from her pulse, there are not many toxins in her body. I can prescribe some medicine to supplement acupuncture and suppress the poisoning."
Xie Lanzhou didn't answer, but looked at him.
Imperial Physician Gao: "Of course, I will do my best to prepare the antidote."
The imperial physician Gao continued, "Your Majesty, this woman still has a small amount of aphrodisiac in her body, but it is not a serious problem and there is no need to administer medication."
Xie Lanzhou nodded, his gaze dark and gloomy. No wonder this girl was so bold today; the Empress Dowager really has some tricks up her sleeve.
At the opportune moment, Eunuch Fu spoke up: "Your Majesty, why don't you let Physician Gao take your pulse as well?"
Xie Lanzhou's headaches disappeared after Su Panyue arrived, but the reason was unknown. It wouldn't hurt to find out, so he agreed to the suggestion.
Xie Lanzhou casually lowered the bed curtains, separating the woman inside, and then walked to the table in the outer room of the bedroom.
Imperial Physician Gao took his pulse as usual, but this time it took an unusually long time, and his expression was very complicated. After he finished, Eunuch Fu asked, "How is it?"
After a moment's hesitation, Imperial Physician Gao said, "His Majesty's headache seems to have subsided."
Not only was Eunuch Fu surprised, but Xie Lanzhou couldn't help but ask, "Are you better? I had a headache all night."
Imperial Physician Gao frowned in thought before carefully speaking: "Your Majesty's headache was caused by stagnation of qi and blood, but when I took your pulse just now, it was clear and there was no sign of stagnation, so you should be cured."
He took a deep breath, seemingly talking to himself: "But this blood and qi has been blocked for many years, it's impossible to clear it so quickly."
"Your Majesty should be careful not to get angry. This headache may recur. Let me go back and look through some medical books to see what is wrong."
Xie Lanzhou remained expressionless and said calmly, "First, develop the antidote."
Physician Gao paused for a moment, then nodded. "Then I will write a prescription first, and I will administer acupuncture to her now."
Eunuch Fu immediately took the prescription and sent a young eunuch to prepare the medicine. Imperial Physician Gao re-entered the bedchamber and took out a packet of silver needles from his medicine box.
"We need to turn the girl over and insert needles at the back of her neck and ankles."
Upon hearing this, Eunuch Fu went to find a palace servant.
Xie Lanzhou waved his hand, then lightly picked her up, turned her over, and put her back on the bed.
Physician Gao took out the silver needles one by one, heated them over a candle flame, and then inserted them into the corresponding acupoints.
After inserting the last silver needle, Imperial Physician Gao said, "It will take another half an hour. Your Majesty should go and rest."
Xie Lanzhou glanced at the dragon bed, which was half occupied by Su Panyue: "When the time comes, just remove the needles?"
The imperial physician replied, "Yes, find a palace servant to keep watch for half an hour."
"I understand. You may go back now."
After Physician Gao took his leave, Eunuch Fu said with some difficulty, "How about we move Miss Su to the chaise lounge in the outer room, so as not to disturb His Majesty's rest?"
Xie Lanzhou lowered his eyes and remained silent for a moment before speaking: "You should go too."
Fu Gonggong was somewhat surprised and uncertain. He sighed and withdrew from the hall.
Xie Lanzhou flicked his sleeve and extinguished most of the candles, and the hall returned to darkness and silence.
He strolled to the bedside, straddled the prone Su Panyue with his long legs, and leaned against the soft backrest on the inside of the bed.
Xie Lanzhou looked down at the girl's slender neck and the silver needles inserted into her ankles, which gleamed faintly in the moonlight. His face was expressionless, and no one knew what he was thinking.
*
The next morning, Su Panyue was awakened by pain.
She's a restless sleeper, tossing and turning, and when she turns over, she feels a sharp, needle-like pain in her neck and ankles.
She hummed softly, touched herself a couple of times as if nothing was wrong, and was about to turn over and go back to sleep when she accidentally touched warm skin.
She was startled and opened her eyes abruptly, seeing Xie Lanzhou lying beside her. She blinked in disbelief.
The man lay flat on his back with his hands folded in front of him, sleeping in a very proper posture. She had just turned over and placed her hand on his arm, but he seemed to be sleeping very soundly and was not disturbed by her.
Su Panyue breathed a sigh of relief and tried hard to recall what had happened last night.
She remembered everything. This man had made her keep watch all night, and how did she end up in bed with him?
Thinking of this, Su Panyue secretly lifted the quilt and saw that her clothes were intact. She didn't know whether to be happy or disappointed.
Xie Lanzhou, standing beside her, was dressed in a plain white nightgown with the neckline open, revealing his collarbone and well-defined muscle lines. But what Su Panyue really wanted to see below was blocked by the brocade quilt.
Once she was fully awake, Su Panyue remembered something very important: today was the last day of the Empress Dowager's seven-day period.
Although I don't know how I ended up sleeping here, I know that opportunity knocks but once, so I might as well seize the chance and complete the task assigned by the Empress Dowager.
She glanced at the man's tightly closed eyes and remembered reading in a storybook that men would have some kind of reaction in the morning.
My gaze unconsciously drifted downwards and settled on a certain spot.
A note from the author:
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Man, you're so stubborn. You'll regret it someday.
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