Chapter 5 Touching Face "Why are you so close to me?"...
Su Panyue's body reacted faster than her mind; she slid down to her knees in a flash. "Your Majesty, please forgive me."
"What crime have you committed?" Xie Lanzhou asked lazily.
"This servant is late in coming to Your Majesty's aid, and I even accidentally bumped into you," Su Panyue said carefully.
[Unfortunately, it was just a minor collision, and...]
"Alright, get up."
Xie Lanzhou interrupted her rambling thoughts. He was suffering from a splitting headache again tonight and couldn't sleep. He sat alone in the Taihe Hall waiting for dawn, but he didn't know when he had fainted.
Strangely, even when he lost consciousness and movement, he could still hear her thoughts when she was close.
Moreover, the closer he got to her, the less the throbbing pain in his head became. When she leaned against him, the pain almost disappeared and became barely perceptible, which is when he woke up.
His face remained expressionless as he continued, "Why are you here?"
"Didn't His Majesty order me to stay?" Su Panyue couldn't help but ask back.
[You made me wait in the side hall all day, and now you've forgotten? I really want to slap you twice.]
"Touching me isn't enough, you want to hit me too?" Xie Lanzhou raised an eyebrow.
Su Panyue's eyes widened, wondering why he suddenly said that. Did he know that she had touched him just now? But hadn't he just fainted?
She absolutely could not admit to this matter, so she resorted to her old, high-sounding excuse: "This servant dares not, this servant is only worried about Your Majesty's health."
Xie Lanzhou didn't pay attention to what she was saying; his attention was completely drawn to her bright, sparkling eyes.
He had practiced martial arts since childhood, and his eyesight was much better than that of ordinary people. Therefore, he could see clearly the woman's wide eyes, which were bright with surprise and had a hint of cunning. They were like a deer in the forest or a bewitching spirit in a strange tale.
Why isn't he saying anything? Has he fainted again?
The luminous pearl had already rolled far away, and Su Panyue could hardly see the expression on the man's face on the dragon throne. Seeing that he did not reply, she couldn't help but lean closer to see if he had fainted again.
She bent down, tilted her head slightly to look at him, and softly called out, "Your Majesty?"
When they were only inches apart, she finally saw the mocking, half-smiling expression on his face.
"Why are you so close to me?"
They were indeed quite close, so close that Su Panyue could feel the man's breath on her face, and her face unconsciously flushed.
She casually reached out her hand, and the lie came out of her mouth immediately: "Your Majesty has something on your face."
She quickly touched his face as she spoke, then stood up straight immediately.
[Help... I actually touched his face while he was awake! I was so blinded by lust! I'm doomed, is he going to chop my hand off?]
Xie Lanzhou raised his hand to rub his temples and said, "Go light the lamps." This finally interrupted her wild thoughts, allowing her a moment of peace.
Su Panyue groped to pick up the luminous pearl that had fallen to the ground, then returned to the table, found the tinderbox, and lit the candlestick on the table.
She then noticed that the emperor's clothes were somewhat disheveled, probably because she had messed them up when she moved him earlier, and from certain angles she could even vaguely see his firm chest.
Hehehe, it's so big, I want to touch it.
Xie Lanzhou's face darkened: "If you look at anything you shouldn't see again, I'll gouge your eyes out."
"Ah, this servant wouldn't dare." Su Panyue quickly stood up obediently.
The hall quieted down, and the rumbling sound became particularly noticeable; it was Su Panyue's stomach protesting.
Xie Lanzhou seemed not to hear, leaning lazily against the dragon throne, lost in thought.
Can't you hear my stomach growling? I'm starving!
"Your Majesty hasn't eaten yet, has he? Shall I go back to the Imperial Kitchen and prepare some food for you?" Su Panyue asked.
Please, please agree, please agree, please, since I didn't choose to stand by and watch someone die.
Xie Lanzhou raised his eyes indifferently. So this woman had wanted to go out and call for help to save him. He had thought that it made no difference whether a person who was about to die ate or not, but now he decided to be merciful and not let her starve to death.
So Xie Lanzhou waved his hand and said yes.
Su Panyue felt as if she had been granted a pardon, gave a perfunctory bow, and ran away.
The hall fell silent. Xie Lanzhou remained leaning against the dragon throne, one finger gripping the back of the chair repeatedly, as if counting down.
*Shangshan room.
Su Panyue went straight to the kitchen, where meals were always prepared, and if any noble in the palace needed them, they could simply take them there.
She stuffed two pieces of pastry into her mouth, then tidied up the rest and put them into the food box.
The eunuch on duty asked, "Miss Su, what have you been doing today? Aunt Cui is looking for you."
Su Panyue replied, "I don't have time to tell you. I have to deliver food to His Majesty. If Aunt Cui asks, just tell her I'm in the Hall of Supreme Harmony and ask her to come and rescue me."
After saying that, she hurried towards the Hall of Supreme Harmony, and returned in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.
The palace doors were still closed. She called out from the doorway, "Your Majesty, this servant has come to deliver the meal."
After waiting for a moment without response, Su Panyue gently pushed open the palace door and called out in a low voice, "Your Highness?"
Nothing had changed when she left the palace, except that a candle was burning on the table next to the dragon throne, illuminating the man in black robes leaning against the throne.
Su Panyue didn't receive a response, so she slowly approached.
[Her face is so pale, has she fainted again? Could she be dead?]
[Help! I can't explain myself properly. Should we go and call for help?]
The man's calm expression shattered, and he frowned, saying, "It's so noisy."
Su Panyue slid down to his knees and held up the food box with both hands: "Your Majesty, are you alright? This servant has come to bring you your meal."
[Phew, I'm still alive, that scared me to death.]
There are actually people in this world who are afraid of dying? Xie Lanzhou smiled after hearing her thoughts.
"Go and call Fulin over."
After saying that, he casually picked up a pastry from the food box and took a bite.
"Oh, Your Majesty, we haven't tested the poison yet..." Su Panyue's voice disappeared after meeting the man's teasing gaze.
Xie Lanzhou: "You dare to poison me?"
Su Panyue quickly denied it: "No, I wouldn't dare."
He trusts me already? Hehehe, it must be because I performed too well.
"This servant will go find Eunuch Fu." Su Panyue said, turning around. A cool male voice came from behind her: "Remember to wipe your mouth next time you sneak a bite."
Su Panyue stumbled and almost fell. Hearing the man's low laughter, she simply pretended not to hear it and took three steps at a time to get outside the hall. Only then did she raise her hand to wipe the corner of her mouth with her sleeve.
Then she stopped a patrolling guard and asked him where Eunuch Fu was in the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Eunuch Fu was dozing off with his hands tucked in his sleeves.
"Eunuch Fu, His Majesty is looking for you. Please go quickly." Su Panyue's sudden voice startled him.
"Oh, His Majesty is looking for me." Eunuch Fu said, and then walked into the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Su Panyue grabbed him and said, "Eunuch Fu, His Majesty is waiting for you in the Hall of Supreme Harmony."
"Why is His Majesty in the Hall of Supreme Harmony?" Eunuch Fu asked suspiciously. He went into the Hall of Mental Cultivation to take a look, then hurriedly came out, saying, "Let's go."
On the way to the Hall of Supreme Harmony, Eunuch Fu suddenly remembered to ask Su Panyue, "Why were you in the Hall of Supreme Harmony?"
"Didn't you tell me to wait in the side hall for His Majesty's instructions?" Su Panyue's words were respectful, but her expression was speechless.
Grandpa Fu remembered, chuckled twice, and said nothing more.
As soon as they entered the Hall of Supreme Harmony, Eunuch Fu rushed over with concern: "Your Majesty, why are you here by yourself? Has your headache flared up again?"
Xie Lanzhou gave him a cold glance, and Eunuch Fu, realizing he had spoken too much, wisely shut his mouth.
Su Panyue glanced at the pastries on the table, but only ate one piece. Then she felt her stomach hurt again.
[Waaaaah, my stomach hurts so much, am I going to die?]
"Summon the imperial physician," Xie Lanzhou said.
"Alright, this old servant will go right away." Eunuch Fu glanced at Su Panyue, who was still standing to the side, but the latter was completely oblivious.
It wasn't that Su Panyue lacked discernment; rather, she was in so much abdominal pain that she could barely stand, let alone have the strength to run and fetch the imperial physician.
After Eunuch Fu left, Xie Lanzhou glanced at the swaying Su Panyue, his brows furrowed, lost in thought.
Su Panyue was still sobbing in her heart, and she leaned against a pillar.
Even though she was heartbroken and crying out in pain, on the surface she only looked pale and bit her lip tightly without making a sound.
Xie Lanzhou said calmly, "Go back."
Su Panyue looked up at him with teary eyes and whispered, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
[Waaah, I can finally go! Bye-bye!]
No sooner had Su Panyue left than Eunuch Fu rushed in with the imperial physician, saying, "Your Majesty, this humble subject greets you."
Several eunuchs accompanied them, and they quickly lit the candles in the entire hall, making it as bright as day.
Xie Lanzhou rested his forehead on one hand, while the imperial physician took his pulse with the other. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a red dot on the dragon throne.
He recalled the image of the palace maid sitting here, leaning against him; these could only be her bloodstains.
After taking His Majesty's pulse, the imperial physician frowned, stroked his beard, and carefully asked, "May I ask what medicine His Majesty took today?"
Xie Lanzhou remained staring blankly at the bloodstains, offering no response.
He has been suffering from headaches for many years, which flare up from time to time, and each time he suffers from insomnia. In recent days, for some reason, it has become more and more serious.
Eunuch Fu was also an old servant of His Majesty. He was very worried as His Majesty became increasingly silent and violent due to the recurrence of his headache.
Eunuch Fu answered on behalf of His Majesty: "Your Majesty has not taken any medicine today. Has the imperial physician noticed anything?"
The imperial physician could not hide his excitement: "This old minister observes that Your Majesty's pulse is much steady, and your headache should also have eased somewhat, but the reason for this..."
"Forgive my incompetence, Your Majesty, for I could not discern anything from the pulse. I urge Your Majesty to carefully recall your diet and daily routine today, and see if there are any clues."
Xie Lanzhou snapped out of her reverie and looked at the pastry on the table, the one she had only eaten.
Fu Gonggong understood immediately and quickly handed a piece of pastry to the imperial physician: "Please trouble the imperial physician to go back and check if there is anything unusual about this pastry."
The old imperial physician picked up the unassuming pastry as if it were a priceless treasure, bowed, and took his leave: "Yes, this old minister will go back and study it now."
Xie Lanzhou, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up: "Let's go to the Imperial Kitchen to see a palace maid first."
The old doctor subconsciously agreed, but then looked at Eunuch Fu with a puzzled expression.
The latter realized that His Majesty was referring to the palace maid from the Imperial Kitchen, and tried to add a reminder but stammered: "That palace maid's name is Su... Su."
The man on the high dragon throne uttered three words: "Su Panyue".
"Yes, this old minister will go right away." The old imperial physician hurriedly agreed and withdrew.
Eunuch Fu felt that His Majesty seemed a little different today. He wanted to say something, but when he saw the man resting his forehead on his hand, seemingly lost in thought, he ultimately chose to remain silent.
A note from the author:
----------------------
Happy Valentine's Day! I'll be posting back-to-back updates this weekend, so remember to check back! [Sprinkling flowers]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
