Chapter 153 Uncle Thirteen is Worthy
Prince Yi has certainly seen blood before, which is why he is particularly perceptive about this matter.
Another thing is... Xiao Dezi's reaction was really abnormal. In his impression, although this little eunuch next to the young prince was not as good as Eunuch Su, he was still a reserve officer. He seemed to be a calm and capable person. Why did he seem to be flustered today?
Seeing Xiao Dezi stammering, his handsome face almost scrunched up – “The prescription has been taken back by Physician Zhou. I will bring it to you when he returns tonight. Please drink the medicine first.”
Seeing his expression, Prince Yi was even more certain of his thoughts. He straightened his face, propped himself up, and slammed the medicine bowl heavily onto the table. This sight made Xiao Dezi's eyes widen in fury, and he almost reached out to catch the few drops of medicine that spilled out.
"Where is the Crown Prince? Where did this medicine come from?" Yunxiang couldn't help but cough twice, pressing his hand against his stomach under his clothes to try and suppress the sound. "Aren't you going to tell the truth? Do you want me to report this to the Emperor?!"
Xiao Dezi could tell from the questioning tone that Prince Yi was probably mistaken. He likely thought someone was taking advantage of the illness and the child's innocence to harm them both at once. Although it differed from the Crown Prince's prediction, the general direction was probably correct.
Xiao Dezi thought about what the Crown Prince had just said: it couldn't be completely undetectable, but it also couldn't be too obvious to be recognized immediately. He silently calculated the timing and thought it was about time.
He crawled back two steps on his knees and performed a deep bow. When he looked up again, his voice was trembling with tears, which completely stunned the Thirteenth Prince.
"Thirteenth Prince, this medicine is truly not a bad thing. Please drink it while it's hot. The Crown Prince ordered me not to say a word, even if I were beaten to death. Today, even if the Emperor were here, I would only have to accept my fate and would never dare to speak."
He wasn't usually the type to pry into things, but today's matter was truly extraordinary. He sat up straight despite his illness and lifted the thin brocade quilt covering him—"If the Crown Prince won't tell you, then I'll go ask him myself."
He already had a leg ailment, and now with his high fever still lingering, it was extremely difficult for him to get up. Xiao Dezi thought he was rushing forward to help him, but unexpectedly, he reached out and first picked up the medicine bowl on the table and held it protectively in his arms.
Seeing him like this, Yunxiang's heart stirred, and a bad thought immediately surfaced in his mind. He moved faster, almost staggering as he walked out, his brows furrowed as he supported his attendant as he quickly arrived at the Hongzhao Gate.
Seeing the slightly ajar door, he didn't say anything, but simply reached out and pushed the door open.
Hongzhao, who was inside the door, was startled by the sudden sound. His hand trembled, knocking the open medicine bottle on the table to the ground, and the smell of wound medicine immediately filled the room.
"Thirteenth Uncle? What brings you out here!"
Hongzhao hid his hands behind his back, frowned, and scolded Xiao Dezi behind him, "You useless servant, is this how you serve Prince Yi after he takes his medicine and rests?"
Xiao Dezi knelt down at the door with a thud, holding the medicine bowl high above his head, and repeatedly said with his head bowed, "Your Highness, please calm down, it's all my fault!"
Yunxiang didn't look at him. He brushed aside the servant's hand and walked forward on his own, his face as pale as paper and his body swaying. Only his face revealed an indescribable solemnity.
But he was seriously ill, and it was already extremely difficult for him to walk this far. As soon as he got close to the ground, he stumbled and fell forward uncontrollably. His body couldn't help but fall again. Hongzhao widened his eyes and hurriedly reached out to help him, but in doing so, his wrist, which was hidden behind his back, was inevitably exposed to everyone's gaze.
He still had some strength, and he took a half step back to catch his thirteenth uncle. Before he could help him stand up, Hongzhao felt his arm being grabbed forcefully.
"How... did this happen?" Yunxiang's voice trembled slightly as he gripped his arm tightly, preventing him from pulling away.
Hongzhao looked down and saw that the bandage on his wrist had come loose from the force of the movement, exposing the gruesome, everted wound. The blood, which had stopped flowing, was now gushing out again.
He quickly pulled down his sleeve as if burying his head in the sand, hanging his head like a child who had made a mistake in front of Prince Yi. He couldn't say anything to lie, but he didn't know how to explain the injury on his hand, so he could only keep his sleeve tugged and remain silent.
Yunxiang felt that every joint in his body was stiff to the extreme. He took a deep breath and slowly turned around. Xiao Dezi was still holding up the bowl of medicine.
His chest heaved violently a few times, which triggered an uncontrollable cough.
"You...cough cough...You'er, tell Uncle Thirteen, what happened?" He was holding Hongzhao's arm tightly, but when he saw the hideous gash, he couldn't help but loosen his grip completely. His trembling hand reached for the scattered gauze on the table and pressed it layer after layer onto the little golden and jade figure in front of him.
Seeing him like this, Hongzhao felt a pang of sadness. He reached out and wiped the beads of sweat from his thirteenth uncle's head, whether from anxiety or heat, and spoke in his usual calm tone with a hint of coquetry: "Everyone says I am an auspicious omen, even Father Emperor says so. Father Emperor was anxious when his thirteenth uncle fell ill, and the imperial physicians were useless in curing him. I thought there must be another way."
He speaks naively, yet somehow he always exudes an aura of trust and composure.
“Since it is an auspicious omen, it is naturally different from others, and it did not come out of thin air. Ancient prescriptions record that human blood is an excellent medicinal ingredient.” As he spoke, he broke free from Prince Yi’s hand, walked to Xiao Dezi, took the medicine bowl, and placed it in front of the Thirteenth Prince.
"Thankfully the weather is hot, the medicine hasn't cooled down yet. Uncle Thirteen, drink it quickly. After you finish it, all your illnesses will surely be cured, and you can stay with You'er for a long, long time."
Looking at the bowl of medicine in front of him, Yunxiang's knees buckled and he almost knelt down. He propped himself up and gently touched the child's face with tenderness. His touch was so light that Hongzhao couldn't help but shrink his neck to avoid it. The dimples that appeared on his cheeks were so small that Yunxiang almost burst into tears.
"Silly child."
He really didn't know how to love this child properly. He had been pampered by his elder brother since he was a child, and he had hardly ever even scratched his skin. This precious and noble crown prince was willing to cut his own blood to make medicine for him.
He squeezed his eyes shut and reached out to take the medicine bowl. But his trembling hands betrayed his barely suppressed guilt.
It's bitter, it's really bitter.
When the medicine entered his mouth, Yunxiang could barely taste anything else. Two lines of clear tears fell into the bowl, which he then drank down in one gulp.
When he opened his eyes and faced Hongzhao, he saw a pair of red-rimmed eyes.
He carefully pulled Hongzhao in front of him, stretched out his long arm and embraced him, his face serious as never before seen.
"Hongzhao, You'er, listen to me. No matter what the reason, never do anything to harm yourself. You are the Crown Prince, the most noble person in the world besides the Emperor. Your health is the most important thing, understand?"
Hongzhao did not answer, but stared at his thirteenth uncle, who used to love him the most, with his dark eyes, and said, word by word.
"Others may not be worth it, but Uncle Thirteen is."
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