Chapter 11: This citrus medicine... after you handle it, the taste is indeed different. ...
Xiao Chengjing felt like he was about to die.
Inside the Yanshou Hall of Ci'en Temple, the cold wind shook the paper windows, making them creak.
The north wind carried snow and hail, whimpering and flowing back.
He was freezing to death.
The joints all over the body are sore and swollen that it feels like being bitten by thousands of ants and wasps.
There was a smell of blood gurgling from the gums, and a salty and astringent taste permeated the throat and tongue.
He is dying of illness.
A pair of eyes, empty and lifeless, just staring blankly at the pale sky outside the window.
I just don't know whether he died of freezing first or of illness first.
"Go away! Don't get involved in such bad luck!" The undisguised voices of disgust from the Jin palace people came from outside the door, as if driving away filth.
"The remnants of the Liang dogs...will not survive the night anyway..." Another curse was barely discernible amidst the howling wind and snow.
With a dull clang, the rotten wooden door slammed shut, cutting off the last ray of daylight.
In an instant, darkness and deathly silence, like a cold wave from the Arctic Ocean, completely engulfed Xiao Chengjing.
Whatever... just dying like this... that would be a clean end...
At that time, the scene in the Chongwen Hall of the Jin Palace was quite different.
The silver frost charcoal is covered with a golden cover, with warm smoke and a faint fragrance floating in the air.
The princes and noble ladies sat at the desk, some with their heads bowed reading, some reciting poems in a soft voice, exuding an air of wealth and elegance.
Among them, five-year-old Shu Yao is concentrating on copying calligraphy with a steady brushstroke.
Suddenly I heard a commotion and my pen stopped moving.
"Ha!" The Third Prince suddenly threw his wolf-hair brush onto the table, splashing a few spots of ink. He said sarcastically, "It seems quiet today, but why don't we see the bastard born to the Liang hostage? Could it have died of plague in some remote corner?"
The attendant beside him immediately smiled flatteringly and bowed in agreement: "Your Highness has a keen eye! I heard that he was taken to the Yanshou Hall of Ci'en Temple. He was covered in ulcers, pus and blood, and the foul smell was overwhelming. He is truly a plague god!" Covered in ulcers? Stinky?
A thought flashed into Shu Yao's mind like lightning.
Could it be that he got scurvy from eating too many pickles?
Outside the window, the north wind howled, carrying snow and hail that crackled against the glass.
His eyes accidentally swept across the desk.
A green tangerine was pressed against the edge of the rice paper, with tiny water droplets condensed on the peel, making it moist and shiny.
Shu Yao lowered her eyes, and her long eyelashes cast two small fan-like shadows on her fair cheeks.
The next day, the snow subsided a bit, but the cold got even worse.
Shu Yao went to Ci'en Temple, holding two tangerines that she had bought with the money she had earned from running away.
On the way, the accompanying nanny's eyes were like needles, piercing Shu Yao's sleeves. A half-cough, half-mocking sound rolled out of her throat: "Young lady, your lotus steps are so stunning today. In my opinion, it doesn't seem like you are rushing to the incense offerings at Ci'en Temple, but rather like a blue phoenix delivering a letter, rushing to keep an appointment with the immortals."
Shu Yao calmly pulled out a banknote from her sleeve and quietly handed it over: "Mammy, you're joking."
The flesh on the old woman's face immediately relaxed like snow melting in a spring stream. She feigned a cough and tucked the paper tightly into her sleeve: "Young lady, you are embarrassing me!"
As soon as they reached the stone steps of Yanshou Hall, the nanny stretched her neck to look around, her voice squeezed and flat: "Young lady! You must hurry up! Don't miss the time to return to the palace!"
Shu Yao murmured, "I know," and squeezed in through the half-open door.
The air in the hall was freezing cold, even colder than outside.
A cold, rotten smell mixed with rust and decay penetrated into the bones.
The two tangerines in her sleeves were like red-hot charcoal balls, burning her skin and causing pain.
With the residual light leaking in through the crack in the door, Shu Yao looked closely and saw the blurry mass on the straw mat in the corner.
Xiao Chengjing curled up like a silkworm, without making any sound.
In a trance, a very thin and weak warm breath disturbed the dead silence around him.
……who?
He tried his best to pry open his heavy eyelids.
In the blurry and distorted vision, a lonely figure stood against the faint light from the crack in the door.
A half-worn peach wood comb was pinned diagonally in her hair.
With great effort, Xiao Chengjing turned his eyes and saw a small cloth bag that was placed silently on the hay mat beside him.
A soft, deliberately suppressed child's voice came faintly through a thick layer of ice: "Don't be afraid... You don't have the plague..." The voice paused, "You just haven't eaten fresh fruit for too long... Eat these and you'll be fine..."
Not a plague?
The firefly-like delusion suddenly pierced the despair deep in Xiao Chengjing's consciousness.
A brute force mixed with death emerged from his decadence, and he grabbed at his sides randomly.
My fingertips touched something cold and round, with a sharp fragrance.
……Tangerine?
Seeing that he was dying, Shu Yao was afraid that he was too weak, so she peeled a piece of orange flesh and stuffed it between his lips.
The boy's larynx rolled stiffly like a solitary peak.
Under the thin skin of the neck, the blue veins clearly bulged for a moment, and then the orange flesh slid down.
Shu Yao swallowed unconsciously, as if wanting to complete this difficult action for him.
Then she stuffed another slice of orange flesh into his mouth.
Finally, he gently pressed the whole, freshly peeled orange into the boy's cold, trembling palm.
"Eat..." She spoke softly, as if soothing a newborn cat, "You have to finish it all... You'll feel better after you finish eating..."
Xiao Chengjing tore open the yellow and green fruit sac almost fiercely, and stuffed the sweet orange segments and juice into his mouth.
The throat rolled rapidly, and suddenly a series of hoarse and choking coughs broke out.
He suddenly felt a pain in his lungs as if a blunt knife was cutting into meat.
Even in this extreme pain, a ray of warmth arose in his heart, slowly seeping into his frozen limbs.
He curled up slightly because of coughing.
The loose clothes were torn slightly, revealing a piece of bony skin on his chest.
There are a few small cinnabar-like moles scattered on it, bright and vivid, just like the plum marks on the palm of a cat slave.
Um?
Shu Yao accidentally glanced at the boy's exposed skin and was still surprised.
This birthmark... looks like a kitten's paw print...
Xiao Chengjing seemed to have noticed something. While swallowing the orange slices, he hurriedly grasped the tattered collar of his clothes, his wrist bones trembling slightly, trying to hide the birthmark under the rags.
At this moment, the nanny came to urge: "Young lady! The time has come! Come out quickly!"
Shu Yao had no choice but to get up and leave.
Yanshou Hall returned to its dead silence, colder and emptier than before.
The lingering sweetness of the tangerine still lingered between his teeth and tongue, and his palm tightly grasped the half-broken tangerine peel.
The dead silence in Xiao Chengjing's heart seemed to be ignited by a faint flame.
Later, the bastard from Yanshou Hall returned to Liang State after struggling with a little light in his heart, and sat on the throne after scheming.
Now, he not only led the cavalry to trample on the mountains and rivers of Jin State, but also burned away the humiliation of the past.
He also found the young lady who changed his destiny and was saved by her again.
Xiao Chengjing held her wrist tightly, with no intention of letting go.
The pressure on Shuyao's wrist was so intense that she felt dizzy.
She only wished she could break free immediately.
He pried off Xiao Chengjing's fingers one by one, and then peeled off his big palm.
She looked around and said, "I'll go see if Your Majesty's medicine is ready."
After saying this, he rubbed the red mark on his wrist and walked to the palace door without looking back.
In the corridor outside the hall, Cui Jinzhong held a palm-leaf fan and gently fanned the charcoal fire in the medicine stove.
The lid of the medicine pot on the stove was slightly jumping due to the steam, and there was a continuous gurgling sound, which meant that the fire was almost ready.
At this moment, Zhao Yan, who had just finished inspecting the hunting grounds and the palace, hurried to the steps and clasped his fists, saying, "I failed to provide adequate protection, causing Your Majesty to be in danger. I come to apologize! Please ask Chief Steward Cui to pass on the message."
Eunuch Cui stared intently at the fire without raising his eyelids. "General, you've worked hard. Your Majesty has just finished cleaning his wounds and rested, and his fever has not subsided. I'm afraid it would be inconvenient to disturb him at this moment."
At this moment, Shu Yao pushed open the door and came out, as if she had grabbed a life-saving straw. She hurriedly said, "Your Majesty is awake. Since General Zhao is in charge of important military affairs, perhaps Chief Steward Cui could pass on the message?"
Eunuch Cui then raised his eyes, glancing over Shu Yao and then back to Zhao Yan. His voice was steady: "It's not that I don't want to pass on the message. It's just that the Imperial Physician has repeatedly warned that this night is the most dangerous and Your Majesty needs to rest. Although military duties are heavy, I hope the General will understand your Majesty's hard work. Tomorrow, when Your Majesty feels better, I will report immediately and will not dare to delay military matters." He then changed the subject and said to Shu Yao, "Your Majesty cannot be without someone by his side. Madam, you should return and serve him quickly."
Zhao Yan stared at Shu Yao with his eagle eyes, his expression very unfriendly.
A cold snort rolled out of his nose, and without saying anything more, he turned around and walked away with big strides.
Seeing Zhao Yan leave, the glimmer in Shu Yao's eyes completely dimmed. She glanced at the medicine furnace unwillingly and found another excuse to say, "Manager Cui, this medicine..."
Before she could finish her words, Cui Jinzhong raised the tip of his fan and waved it towards the hall, interrupting her: "Madam, the safety of His Majesty is of paramount importance. I will be watching over the medicine, so you just go in and take good care of His Majesty."
With no other options, Shu Yao had to turn around and retreat back into the hall.
He walked to the low stool beside the couch with a confused mind and was about to sit down.
A low laugh spread out.
Shu Yao looked up.
Inside the layers of brocade tents, Xiao Chengjing's face was still flushed, and his breath was burning, clearly he was suffering from a severe fever.
The corners of his lips curled upwards, and his smile was filled with a sense of complacency and satisfaction.
He had obviously heard everything that happened between her and Cui Jinzhong just now.
Shu Yao was about to open her mouth to defend herself, but he spoke first, "Mr. Cui has always been prudent in his work." Xiao Chengjing's insightful eyes swept over her face as she hesitated to speak, "Don't worry, Mr. Jiang."
Shu Yao couldn't help but curl her lips, and the slight excuse in her throat was shattered by these light words.
Xiao Chengjing leaned on the pillow and seemed to feel better.
He said nothing, but just fixed his burning gaze on Shu Yao's face, as if he was admiring a lost and found treasure.
Being looked at by him with a smile on his face like this, she felt uncomfortable all over and sat down silently on the low stool beside the couch.
She lowered her eyes and counted the warp and weft of the fabric on her skirt, her mind drifting away.
After an unknown amount of time, the palace door opened slightly and Cui Jinzhong came in slowly, holding a steaming bowl of medicine.
"Your Majesty, the medicine is ready." He bowed and carefully placed the bowl of medicine on the small table beside the couch.
Xiao Chengjing finally moved his gaze away from Shu Yao's face, glanced at the dark brown medicine juice, and turned back to look at her, with the smile on his lips deepening.
Shu Yao understood that she was to be the one feeding him, and her eyes rolled up in her heart. How dare they use such an old-fashioned trick as force-feeding medicine?!
Think about it, do it.
She patiently reached out to pick up the medicine bowl and held the white jade spoon.
She scooped up a spoonful of boiling hot medicine, blew gently on it at the lips, and slowly fed it into his mouth.
I cursed inwardly, "You'll suffer so much!"
Xiao Chengjing cooperated and swallowed it silently.
When the bowl was empty, he raised his eyes and said, "This medicine...it really tastes different after it's been in your hands."
His voice was hoarse from the fever, and contained a strange sense of contentment.
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