Chapter 30 Chapter 30 This, this is outrageous!
As dusk settled in front of the Lin residence, two lanterns cast a dim light in the chilly breeze.
As Li Defu led the head of the Imperial Medical Academy down from the palace carriage, Lin Chengji happened to be seeing off a colleague. The last words of their pleasantries were still on his lips when he looked up and saw this scene, and his tongue immediately tied in knots.
His colleague was so frightened that he nearly fell off the steps. He hurriedly bowed and stammered, barely able to speak. He practically scrambled onto his carriage and ran away faster than a rabbit that had spotted a hawk.
Lin Chengji was also dumbfounded, his mind buzzing. His Majesty had actually sent the chief eunuch and the chief physician to personally come? His son was just a fifth-rank physician, why would a simple cold warrant such a grand procession?
He hurriedly descended the steps, bowing deeply: "Chief Steward Li? Judge Chen? This is truly an honor for my son."
Upon hearing the news, Wen Yun hurried out from the inner room. When she saw the scene at the door, her hand holding the handkerchief trembled. She had never seen anything like this before.
Li Defu maintained a perfectly measured smile, flicking his whisk: "Lord Lin, Madam Lin, there's no need to panic. His Majesty heard that Physician Lin was unwell and was deeply concerned. He specially ordered me to bring Physician Chen here to see him. His Majesty's favor is truly immense."
"Yes, yes, Your Majesty's grace is boundless, we are deeply grateful!" Lin Chengji responded repeatedly, stepping aside to let the people in, "Chief Steward Li, Imperial Physician Chen, please come in quickly."
Wen Yun hurriedly instructed the servants, "Quickly, prepare tea!"
The group walked through the courtyard and entered the inner hall.
Li Defu glanced around and saw that the Lin family's furnishings were elegant and refined, exuding a scholarly atmosphere, without much extravagance. He felt somewhat relieved.
Chen, the physician, put down his medicine box and said, "Where is the patient? Allow me to take his pulse first."
"It's in the bedroom, this way please, this way please." Lin Chengji quickly led the way.
The door to Lin Yan's bedroom was ajar. As soon as it was pushed open, a strong, bitter smell of medicine wafted out.
Lin Yan was lying there in a daze, his cheeks burning red, his lips dry and cracked, and his brows tightly furrowed, clearly feeling extremely uncomfortable.
The physician sat down by the bedside, placed three fingers on Lin Yan's wrist, and carefully examined him.
The room was so quiet that only Lin Yan's rapid and heavy breathing could be heard.
After a moment, the judge withdrew his hand, examined Lin Yan's tongue coating, and asked, "Do you still have the prescription the doctor wrote earlier?"
Wen Yun hurriedly handed over the prescription.
The physician glanced at the prescription and nodded: "The prescription is appropriate, dispelling wind and cold. However, these herbs are a bit too strong and have an overly bitter taste, which is not beneficial for the patient's recovery. I will devise another prescription with similar efficacy, but with a greater emphasis on harmonization, making it easier to swallow."
Lin Chengji and Wen Yun were extremely grateful.
Judge Chen picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and quickly wrote a new prescription. He blew on the ink to dry it and handed it to Wen Yun: "Get the medicine according to this prescription. Simmer it over a low flame. Boil three bowls of water down to one bowl. Take one dose in the morning and one in the evening."
Wen Yun accepted the gift with both hands and thanked them repeatedly.
Just then, a suppressed commotion and hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the door, accompanied by the servants' panicked whispers.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty?!"
"Greetings, Your Majesty!"
The people inside were startled and turned to look at the doorway.
Xiao Che, dressed in a dark-colored casual robe with a black cloak over it, looked travel-worn and stepped in. Behind him were only two obsequious guards, silently standing watch outside the door.
Li Defu was dumbfounded. Why had His Majesty come in person? And so quickly? He had just stepped inside!
Lin Chengji and Wen Yun were so terrified that their legs went weak and they almost knelt down.
"No need for formalities." Xiao Che's voice was slightly hurried. He raised his hand to help the person up, but his gaze had already passed over everyone else, landing directly on the unconscious figure on the bed. "How is the person?"
His brows furrowed involuntarily, his gaze sweeping over Lin Yan's flushed face and chapped lips, and the atmosphere around him seemed to drop a few degrees.
Imperial Physician Chen hurriedly bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, Lord Lin is suffering from overwork and has caught a cold. The pathogenic factors have entered his body, causing a high fever. I have prepared a new prescription, which is milder than the previous one. With proper treatment, he should see improvement in a few days."
Xiao Che hummed in agreement and walked to the bedside.
Li Defu, with great tact, brought over a round stool.
Xiao Che lifted his robe and sat down, his gaze still fixed on Lin Yan's face, and asked, "Now that a new prescription has been written, can its efficacy be guaranteed?"
Imperial Physician Chen hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, rest assured, the new prescription will only be better, there will be no mistakes."
Xiao Che seemed slightly relieved, then glanced at the bowl of dark, old medicine emitting a horrifying bitter smell on the small table next to him, and looked away with disdain: "That's good then."
No one spoke for a moment, and the atmosphere was eerily quiet.
Lin Chengji and Wen Yun stood to the side with their hands at their sides, not daring to breathe. They felt that His Majesty, sitting there without saying a word, made their hearts tighten even more than when he was angry.
Li Defu secretly winked at Lin Chengji and then gestured towards the door with his lip.
Lin Chengji understood. Although he was worried about his son, he was even more afraid of being disrespectful in front of the emperor. He hesitated for a moment, about to step forward and gently remind His Majesty to take care of his health and perhaps go to the outer quarters to rest...
Suddenly, Xiao Che reached out and touched Lin Yan's forehead.
His movements were somewhat abrupt, yet carried an indescribable naturalness, his fingertips gently touching that burning skin.
As if sensing the excessively high body temperature, Xiao Che's brows furrowed even more.
Just as he was about to withdraw his hand, an unexpected turn of events occurred.
As if disturbed by the slightly cool touch, or perhaps simply seeking solace in a nightmare, Lin Yan, who was in a deep sleep, suddenly moved unconsciously and grabbed Xiao Che's wrist before he could fully retract it!
Grip it tightly.
Lin Chengji gasped, his eyes widening in shock, almost letting out a cry.
Wen Yun was so frightened that she covered her mouth.
Xiao Che was also clearly stunned, his body stiffening for a moment. He looked down at his wrist, which was being tightly gripped. Lin Yan's fingertips were burning hot from the heat, and the temperature was clearly transmitted to him.
He tried to move slightly, attempting to pull his hand away.
However, the moment he moved, Lin Yan, who was still fast asleep, seemed extremely dissatisfied. His brows furrowed even more, and he uttered incoherent murmurs. Instead of letting go, he hugged his arms even tighter and unconsciously pulled him closer to his chest, as if he were holding some rare treasure.
Xiao Che remained completely still.
He could clearly feel Lin Yan's rapid breathing brushing against the back of his hand, feel the abnormal heat under the skin, and feel the tight embrace that showed complete dependence and no respect whatsoever.
This feeling... is both strange and unfamiliar.
Li Defu watched from the side, his heart pounding in his chest, cold sweat pouring down his back.
This is outrageous!
Li Defu dared not hesitate any longer. He almost held his breath and tiptoed forward. Facing the stunned Lin Chengji and Wen Yun, who were about to step forward to dissuade him, he desperately winked and said in a breathy voice, "Lord Lin, Madam Lin, please speak outside. Do not disturb His Majesty and Physician Lin."
As she spoke, she practically dragged the still-dazed Lin Chengji out of the bedroom.
Seeing this, Wen Yun had no choice but to turn back every few steps, looking worried as she followed him out.
Li Defu was the last to come out. He turned around and closed the door very gently, completely shutting out the eerie silence and indescribable atmosphere inside.
The autumn wind swept through the courtyard outside, rustling the leaves.
Inside the room, the candlelight flickered, illuminating the unconscious patient on the bed and the emperor standing beside the bed, his posture upright, his wrist tightly held, his expression inscrutable.
Lin Yan smacked his lips in the depths of his dream, as if he had tasted some exquisite delicacy, and hugged "Aman" in his arms even tighter.
Xiao Che felt the strength and heat coming from his arm, remained silent for a long time, and then let out a very soft hum.
"They certainly know how to pick."
The warm yellow candlelight inside cast a soft glow on the dark patterns of Xiao Che's black cloak, yet it couldn't dispel the unfathomable calm on his face.
The force and heat from his wrist were real; Lin Yan's burning fingertips almost dug into his skin, and the damp sweat also rubbed against him.
Xiao Che tried to pull his hand away again, but the movement was extremely light. As soon as he moved the slightest bit, Lin Yan immediately let out a dissatisfied whimper, hugged him even tighter, and even buried his burning cheeks in Xiao Che's cool sleeve, greedily absorbing that bit of comfort.
He raised his other free hand, his fingertips brushing against Lin Yan's sweaty forehead, gently brushing away the few strands of black hair stuck to it.
His movements were clumsy, even a little stiff that Xiao Che himself was unaware of, but he did do it nonetheless.
Outside the door, Li Defu pressed his ear almost to the door panel, holding his breath and listening intently to the sounds inside. Unfortunately, apart from the occasional crackling of the candlelight and His Majesty's extremely low, indistinct voice, there was nothing else.
He was so anxious that sweat beaded on his forehead, but he didn't dare to push open the door. He could only rub his hands together and pace back and forth, silently shaking his head at the two ants on a hot pan, signaling them to calm down.
Lin Chengji felt that all the composure he had accumulated in his life as an official had been exhausted today, as His Majesty was being held by his incompetent son's sleeve!
Wen Yun was so flustered that she could barely stand and had to rely on the arm of the maid beside her to keep her balance. Her eyes kept drifting towards the tightly closed door.
Inside the room, Xiao Che adjusted his sitting posture to make it easier for the arms that were being held to support him.
His gaze swept over the bowl of old medicine on the small table, which had been rejected by the magistrate. It was dark and murky, and just looking at it made one imagine its astonishing bitterness.
Looking at Lin Yan's face, which seemed to be sleeping more peacefully, she thought that if the new recipe really tasted better, then this trip would not have been in vain.
Time flowed silently in the silence. Xiao Che remained in this awkward position, letting Lin Yan hold his arm. His gaze moved from Lin Yan's face to the simple furnishings in the room. There were some old books piled on the bookshelf, unfinished official documents spread out on the table, and a pen lying aside with the ink already dry.
Everywhere you look, you can sense the hurried busyness the owner was in before falling ill.
He didn't know how much time had passed, so long that Xiao Che almost thought Lin Yan would continue sleeping like this, when suddenly the grip on his wrist loosened a little.
Lin Yan smacked his lips in his sleep, rubbed his head deeper into the pillow as if he had found a more comfortable position, finally released the arm that had been warmed by his hand, turned over, turned his back to Xiao Che, curled up, and continued to sleep soundly.
Suddenly, my arms felt empty, and the cool air enveloped me again.
Xiao Che looked at the faint red marks on his wrist from being gripped so tightly, and the slightly wrinkled fabric on his sleeve, and remained silent for a moment.
He slowly stood up, moving very quietly so as not to disturb the person on the bed.
He straightened his slightly wrinkled robes and cloak, glanced down at Lin Yan, then turned and walked towards the door.
With a soft creak, the door was pulled open.
The three people waiting anxiously outside the door immediately looked up, their eyes all focusing on him.
"Your Majesty!" Lin Chengji and Wen Yun hurriedly tried to bow again.
"No need." Xiao Che's voice was as calm as ever, revealing no emotion. "Since I've already taken your pulse and changed the prescription, just take good care of you."
"Yes, yes, Your Majesty's decree will be obeyed." Lin Chengji replied repeatedly, secretly glancing at the Emperor's expression, but he could not discern anything.
Li Defu cautiously stepped forward and bowed in greeting.
Xiao Che stepped out without saying another word and walked straight out of the mansion. Li Defu quickly followed, and the guards silently disappeared into the shadows behind him.
Lin Chengji and Wen Yun bowed respectfully to see him off. Only when the figure in black disappeared at the courtyard gate did they dare to straighten up and let out a long breath. Their backs were covered in a layer of cold sweat.
The two looked at each other, both seeing lingering fear and disbelief in each other's eyes.
Wen Yun regained her senses and immediately turned around and rushed into the room to see her son.
Lin Chengji stood there, gazing in the direction where His Majesty had disappeared. The breathtaking scene from just moments before kept replaying in his mind. He felt that the young emperor's thoughts were a hundred times more difficult to understand than the most profound blueprints from the Ministry of Works.
The night breeze grew cooler, causing the lanterns to sway.
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