Chapter 41 The Show of Cool Wasn't Successful
After coughing for a while, Physician He picked up his teacup and slowly took a sip.
He held the teacup in one hand and patted his chest with the other, looking at Mingxiu with a sorrowful expression.
“Xiuer,” he said in a low voice, but Xiao Qing could see their mouths moving from his angle. “His Majesty is now living a stable life, and he has many of the Grand Tutor’s confidants by his side. You saw what happened yesterday. Since His Majesty is avoiding you, why are you still so concerned and stubborn?”
Xiao Qing lay there quietly, not blinking. She had originally planned to take a look and leave, but now she changed her mind.
"Grandpa, something must have happened. Otherwise, His Majesty wouldn't treat us like this. His Majesty is a very gentle and kind person."
He Shu sighed, "Then tell me, what could have happened? There's been no disturbance in the palace, and General Zhao said His Majesty handled things exceptionally well in court. The Grand Tutor isn't here now, so the two of us are the only ones who know..." His voice trembled slightly.
"Grandpa!" Mingxiu pressed his hand, signaling him to stop talking.
"His Majesty wouldn't think that way; Grandpa is worrying too much."
He Shu looked at his granddaughter, hesitated several times before finally sighing sadly, "Xiuer, Grandpa doesn't know what His Majesty is thinking, but this kind of illegitimate and secretive affair... if His Majesty is determined to change things, how could you and I... cough cough..."
He Shu had a very bad feeling ever since she was placed under house arrest in the palace.
Although he was an imperial physician, his health had been poor recently due to excessive worry. Until yesterday, when he took Mingxiu to take the emperor's pulse, Xiao Qing refused to see him, and he looked even worse when he returned.
Xiao Qing didn't want to listen anymore, so she put the broken tile back on and turned to call Ying Ying to help her down.
But as she lowered her head, about to speak, her face suddenly froze.
Under the gray roof tiles, Ying Ying was forced to kneel on the ground by two guards, her arms pinned down. Zhao Youchen, standing beside her, was looking up at her, his lips twitching slightly.
"Haha, the weather is nice." Xiao Qing took the initiative to ease the awkwardness.
Everyone looked up at the sky. There was no rain, just a gloomy sky, so it could be considered a good day, albeit not.
Xiao Qing's voice came into the house from the rooftop.
He Shu's expression changed, but Ming Xiu had already walked over quickly and pushed open the door.
There were no guards outside the gate—because they had all gone to the rear of the palace.
The side hall wasn't very big, and it wouldn't take long to get to the back. Mingxiu practically ran all the way there, but still felt the path was too long.
"that……"
"His Majesty!"
The surprise and worry in Mingxiu's eyes were so obvious that Xiao Qing felt a tremor in her heart, and her throat felt like it was blocked by something, leaving her speechless.
Zhao Youchen breathed a sigh of relief.
I knew it. His Majesty is at an age of innocence and kindness, and his heart is pure and straightforward. How could he ignore Mingxiu, who has been by his side for so long, and refuse to see her?
So, after rejecting them outright, they're now secretly climbing on bricks and building ladders to peek at them from the rooftops.
Your Majesty, Your Majesty, if you wish to see them, why go through all this trouble? Just tell me, Old Zhao.
When Xiao Qing saw Zhao Youchen's gaze, she immediately felt her face burning.
All her efforts were in vain. That's how she truly feels right now.
Looking at the disgruntled and angry man, she asked, "General Zhao, is everything alright at the South Training Ground? Why are you here?"
Zhao Youchen truly sensed the young emperor's displeasure.
He quickly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, everything is normal at the South Training Ground. Lord Yu is here. All the equipment used for the competition, such as swords, spears, halberds, bows, horses, and archery, is readily available. As far as I know, the officials have been actively nominating candidates for the competition. Lord Yu is currently compiling the list, and I believe it will be presented to Your Majesty soon."
Zhao Youchen's answer was so perfect that Xiao Qing couldn't find a way to refute it, which made her even angrier.
"Alright, alright, everyone disperse. Go do what you're doing here!" Xiao Qing stood on the roof tiles with her hands on her hips, looking as if whatever she did was perfectly normal and that they shouldn't make a fuss.
Unfortunately, even the coolest pose is useless; you still need a stable base.
The roof was already sloping, and the overlapping roof tiles were even more uneven.
Zhao Youchen said, "Yes, Your Majesty. Please forgive my impudence in welcoming Your Majesty." As he spoke, he was about to ascend to the roof.
It's quite dangerous to leave His Majesty standing there alone all the time.
Xiao Qing nodded seriously and unconsciously took a small step forward.
A faint "thump-thump" sound came from beneath her feet.
Before she could even process what was happening, she felt her right foot sink down, and her body tilted to the side.
She was startled and instinctively tried to lift her foot, but because she lost her balance, not only did she not lift her foot, but it also sank heavily, and her entire foot scraped against the rough and sharp edge of the broken tiles and plunged in hard.
"Ah—" Xiao Qing instinctively let out a shrill scream, thinking, "I'm doomed, my pants are definitely torn, and my leg is definitely injured. Damn, it hurts so much!"
At the same time, a scream came from inside the house, followed by a loud thud as a heavy object fell to the ground, and the sound of a bunch of things falling to the floor.
The scene immediately spiraled out of control.
"Your Majesty! What's wrong?!" Mingxiu cried out.
Zhao Youchen jumped up in alarm and grabbed Xiao Qing's arm. "Your Majesty!"
Ying Ying couldn't resist trying to go up, but two people behind him held him down tightly, making it impossible for him to move. He could only shout, "Your Majesty!"
Xiao Qing's one leg dangled under the hole in the broken tile, feeling both cold and hot, while the other leg lay across the uneven bricks and tiles. To accommodate his two legs that were forced apart, his upper body was twisted and lying diagonally, and his face was extremely pale with pain.
"Your Majesty, let me help you up."
"No, no, no..." Cold sweat poured down Xiao Qing's forehead, and she felt that even speaking was pulling on her leg, causing severe pain.
It hurts more than the other leg that was stabbed!
cry.
It's definitely a fracture.
She felt utterly heartbroken.
To make matters worse, her fracture was located at the groin, and that damn spot was too close to a certain area. What if Zhao Youchen accidentally discovered something...?
“Your Majesty…” Zhao Youchen reached out his hand.
"No!" Xiao Qing shouted, pushing his hand away, which caused her to lose her balance on her single arm, making her legs hurt even more.
She really cried.
"Get down, get down! I want Mingxiu! Mingxiu, come up here! Mingxiu!" Xiao Qing cried uncontrollably from the pain, tears streaming down her face. She could no longer hold back and pushed Zhao Youchen away, sobbing, "I don't want you! I want Mingxiu! Mingxiu!"
Mingxiu was heartbroken. "Your Majesty, I'm coming up. Don't worry, I'm coming up."
She was so anxious that she tried to move bricks and set up a ladder, but she was not strong enough and was flustered. As a result, she did not set up the ladder properly and instead fell down on herself. Then she tripped over a brick and was hit hard on her ankle.
"Mingxiu! Mingxiu!" Xiao Qing was in great pain and became even more agitated when she saw Zhao Youchen trying to come closer.
"Your Majesty, I'm coming up! Don't be afraid, don't be afraid..." Mingxiu pushed the ladder aside and tried to climb up, then tried to hold onto the ladder.
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