The herbal medicine was too bitter, and everyone had their own unique way of drinking it.
Rather than swallowing spoonful by spoonful, Tongsu preferred to hold her breath and gulp it down in one breath, so that her tongue coating would have as little contact with the bitter medicine as possible.
After taking the medicine, she would eat a few pieces of dried fruit to dilute the bitterness. However, her cough has become more and more severe recently, so she can no longer eat dried fruit. She can only drink a few sips of water to dilute the unpleasant bitterness.
“Okay,” she smiled, taking his hand in return, and leaned weakly against the thick, soft pillows on the headboard, her voice frail, “Take me there, I want to see it climb the tree.”
Qinghe, who was serving nearby, suddenly covered her eyes, and tears streamed down her face through her fingers.
The imperial physician said...
Your Majesty might, might...
They won't make it to the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Xi Chenzhou held her hand and quietly watched the brilliant afternoon sunlight outside the window with her. It was late summer, and the fragrance of osmanthus filled the air. A few years ago, Tong Su had personally planted a golden osmanthus tree in the Imperial Garden, and now its fragrance could be smelled.
"Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching. Eight years ago, when I first met you, it was Mid-Autumn Festival. I thought to myself, what a handsome general you are. You captivated me and made me see only you from then on."
Xi Chenzhou said, "At this year's Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, I'll wear my armor again, just for you to see, okay?"
She nodded repeatedly, then coughed again in her excitement. Xi Chenzhou quickly fetched a new handkerchief and handed it to her, and she coughed up a large amount of blood.
Wiping her mouth and swallowing the metallic taste, Tong Su remained nonchalant, her eyes sparkling.
“I remember one sentence from the book ‘The Story of Xiangji Pavilion’ very well,” she said. “‘There is a loquat tree in the courtyard, which my wife planted in the year she died. Now it stands tall and spreading like a canopy.’”
She took a breath, saying that talking for too long was tiring.
“Loquats are not easy to grow in the north. After looking around, I found that osmanthus trees live a long time, so I asked someone to find a few more osmanthus seedlings. In a little while, will you come with me to plant them? That way, we'll have something to remember them by in the future, okay?”
Xi Chenzhou tucked a strand of her long hair behind her ear and said, "This is not good."
"What's wrong with it?"
He lowered his head, his forehead touching hers intimately: "If I were gone, all I could see would be the River Styx and the Underworld. How could I possibly have the leisure to appreciate the osmanthus blossoms?"
Tongsu remained silent for a while, then patted his arm, struggled to her feet, and asked Qinghe to bring her a pair of golden scissors.
She took a strand of hair from both herself and him, and snipped it off.
Stack them together, tie a beautiful knot, and place the knot of long hair into his hand.
"You said before that people have past and present lives. I left early in this life, so please come find me in the next life, okay?"
His voice trembled slightly: "Okay. I will find you again in my next life. I know Meng Po. When you get to the Bridge of Helplessness, tell her my name. Do not drink her soup. When you are reincarnated, you must remember me."
Tong Su smiled and replied, "Okay."
·
Tongsu never got to see her general wear armor again.
Three days before the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, she passed away peacefully in her sleep.
White silk curtains hung throughout the majestic palace. Xi Chenzhou staggered along the palace path, listening to the kneeling palace servants weeping uncontrollably.
"General... please accept my condolences. His Majesty would certainly not want to see you tormenting yourself like this..."
Xi Chenzhou looked somewhat bewildered, and after a while, he smiled.
He said, “My heart is already broken into a million pieces. I thought I had tasted the most bitter sorrow in the world, but to see her leave me again is to make me suffer even more than the pain of having my heart ripped out. How can you expect me not to torture myself?”
The palace maids were puzzled, but they could still feel the deep sorrow. Their hearts ached, and tears streamed down their faces.
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