Chapter 364 Feeding Medicine (Second Update)
The bracelet was already on, but Xiao Liulang's hand holding her wrist never let go.
Her slender, fair wrist rested in his palm; it was incredibly soft, making him want to gently knead it.
That delicate, snow-white wrist ignited a raging fire in his chest, making his blood surge.
A year ago, Xiao Liulang would have immediately let go, but now he can't.
He had never experienced anything like this, nor had he ever been to places he shouldn't have gone, but occasionally Feng Lin would bring up a topic between men in front of him and Lin Chengye.
He knew it was perfectly normal for a man to have such thoughts, but he wasn't sure if his feelings for her were merely instinctive, or if he truly cared for her.
"Is it pretty?" Gu Jiao tilted her head and looked at him.
Caught off guard by his gaze, Xiao Liulang felt flustered, as if his thoughts had been read. He swallowed hard and quickly released her hand: "Beautiful!"
Gu Jiao raised her left wrist and gently fiddled with the small jade stone on the red string with her right hand: "I think it looks beautiful too!"
Seeing that she genuinely liked him, Xiao Liulang unconsciously curled the corners of his lips into a smile.
Then Xiao Liulang saw her turn around and put away a table full of jewelry. Any one of those pieces was more valuable than the red string, but she only wore the one he had given her.
A flicker of emotion, unnoticed even by himself, flashed in Xiao Liulang's eyes.
After closing the box, Gu Jiao opened the cabinet door, intending to put it in the highest drawer, but found that she was too short to reach it.
Xiao Liulang came over, intending to help her put it up, but unexpectedly she jumped up and put the box down.
After Gu Jiao finished putting the box down, she noticed Xiao Liulang's hand, which was frozen in mid-air. Her eyes darted around, and she jumped up to sweep the box down: "Oops, I didn't put it down properly!"
Xiao Liulang: "..."
Xiao Liulang placed the box on top.
He was tall and had long arms, so he easily placed the box deep inside.
What Xiao Liulang didn't know was that when Gu Jiao looked up at him doing all this, she was also shocked.
She clearly remembered that when they first moved to Bishui Hutong, he was still too young to reach this place and only had the air of a green, immature boy.
But just a moment ago, she clearly felt the charm and aura of an adult man.
In fact, not only Xiao Liulang thought so, but even Gu Jiao deeply realized that the wolf cub that "she" had brought back had grown up.
The bed in the west room hasn't been repaired yet, so Xiao Liulang will still be sleeping in the east room tonight.
Gu Jiao fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, but Xiao Liulang didn't fall asleep so quickly. He lay down next to Gu Jiao and calculated the ancestral numbers in his mind for a while.
Suddenly, a small arm draped over him and pressed against his chest, interrupting his thoughts.
The weather is dry, so be careful with fire. To avoid accidental discharge, they'd better sleep far away.
He gently removed her little arm.
But the next second, her leg was draped over it again.
Xiao Liulang took a deep breath and reluctantly and gently lowered her legs.
But after a short while, she pressed herself against him, turned to the side, and rested her little head in his arms.
"My lord."
She called out in a daze.
Xiao Liulang paused, stopping his push. He looked down at her and found her sleeping soundly; her earlier "husband" was just a dream.
Xiao Liulang was both amused and exasperated.
However, the fact that she keeps calling his name in her dreams suggests that she might also have feelings for him.
She never called out Jingkong's name in her dreams, did she?
"clearance."
Gu Jiao called out in a daze.
Xiao Liulang was immediately speechless.
...
Under the cover of darkness, the entire imperial city fell into slumber.
However, inside Huaqing Palace, the emperor tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
"Your Majesty," Eunuch Wei approached, carrying a lantern, "Are you having trouble sleeping again? Should I summon the imperial physician?"
The emperor slept in Bishui Hutong for one night and slept soundly for the next few days, but tonight, he found it difficult to fall asleep again.
The emperor sat up and waved his hand, saying, "No need, the imperial physician's medicine is ineffective."
Eunuch Wei said, "Then... shall I have the imperial kitchen prepare something for you to eat?"
"I can't eat." The emperor stepped down from his dragon bed. "Let me read some memorials for a while."
Eunuch Wei earnestly advised, "Your Majesty, please stop looking. Even if you can't sleep, just lie down. At least you're resting."
The emperor sat down behind his desk: "What's the use of lying down and not being able to sleep? Stop talking nonsense and bring me the memorial."
"...Yes." Eunuch Wei reluctantly agreed and personally went to the Imperial Study to fetch a stack of memorials.
The emperor rubbed his throbbing temples and picked up a memorial to review.
Seeing that the emperor's complexion was not good, Eunuch Wei secretly sent someone to fetch the imperial physician.
It was fortunate that he had asked for help, because the emperor collapsed from exhaustion just after reviewing the third memorial.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Your Majesty..."
As Eunuch Wei's voice faded into the distance, the emperor closed his eyes and fainted completely.
The emperor was awakened by the soft sound of wind chimes. When he opened his eyes, he felt a blinding ray of sunlight. He raised his hand to shield his eyes, and only after his eyes adjusted to the light did he realize that he was not lying on a bed in Huaqing Palace.
"This is..." He sat up. "Someone come here!"
"His Majesty."
It wasn't Eunuch Wei who came; it was Consort Jing.
Consort Jing changed out of her nun's clothes and into a gorgeous palace dress. Her hair had also grown long and was styled into an exquisite bun, adorned with pearls and hairpins, and adorned with a tall crown and wide belt.
"Your Majesty, you're awake." Consort Jing sat down by the bedside, looking at him with concern.
"Consort Jing..." The Emperor stared blankly at her, "Where is this?"
Consort Jing smiled gently and said, "His Majesty has been unconscious for so long, he must be confused. This is Huaqing Palace."
How did Huaqing Palace end up like this?
What happened?
The emperor looked at Consort Jing with a puzzled expression. Consort Jing beckoned to a palace maid, who then presented her with a bowl of medicinal soup.
Consort Jing picked up the medicine bowl, scooped a spoonful, and fed it to the emperor: "Your Majesty, it's time to drink your medicine."
The emperor stared at the bowl of dark, murky medicine, when suddenly, something seemed to be wriggling inside!
A strong sense of fear swept through the emperor's heart!
"What's wrong? Your Majesty, it's time to take your medicine." Consort Jing looked at him with a puzzled expression.
The emperor glanced at Consort Jing, then at the bowl of medicine that seemed to be wriggling, and felt a wave of nausea wash over him. He knocked the bowl over, threw off the covers, and got out of bed.
However, he didn't have much strength left, and his legs gave way, causing him to fall to the ground.
Consort Jing looked down at him, grabbed his chin, and forced the bowl of horrible medicine down his throat.
"don't want--"
The emperor shuddered and suddenly opened his eyes!
He broke out in a cold sweat as he looked at the familiar tent top and then at the familiar bed.
It was his dragon bed.
It is Huaqing Palace.
He sat up and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
I just had another nightmare...
But instead of reviewing memorials, why is he lying on the dragon bed?
"Your Majesty!" Eunuch Wei lifted the bright yellow curtain, hung it up with the curtain hook, and said to the emperor, "You fainted while reviewing memorials just now, which scared this servant to death."
The emperor rubbed his chest, still shaken.
Eunuch Wei glanced at the emperor with a complicated expression: "Your Majesty, did you have another nightmare?"
The emperor said calmly, "I'm fine. What time is it? Shouldn't we be going to the morning court?"
He doesn't look like he's alright at all; he's drenched in cold sweat.
Eunuch Wei said with concern, "Your Majesty, you can't keep torturing yourself like this. When the imperial physicians took your pulse, they all said that your health is severely depleted and you should rest more. You shouldn't worry about the morning court sessions."
"That won't do... cough cough cough!" The emperor started coughing violently halfway through his sentence.
"Where's the medicine? Is it ready yet?" Eunuch Wei hurriedly urged the young eunuch in the hall.
The young eunuch hurriedly said, "This servant will go and see right away!"
"The medicine is here!"
Accompanied by a familiar voice, a steaming bowl of medicinal soup was presented to the emperor.
The emperor coughed violently as he reached for the medicine, but when he saw the hand holding the bowl, he suddenly paused.
He followed the hand to the other person's face, and the concerned expression overlapped perfectly with the face in his dream.
That night, the dark medicine seemed to move slightly.
The emperor's face changed drastically, and just like in his dream, he smashed the medicine bowl over!
The scalding medicine splashed all over Consort Jing, who cried out in pain as her hands and wrists instantly turned red.
"Your Highness the Imperial Concubine—" Granny Cai exclaimed in shock!
The emperor suddenly jumped out of bed and retreated at least ten steps away from Consort Jing, as if avoiding some plague.
Consort Jing covered her swollen hand and looked at the Emperor, her eyes filled with hurt: "Your Majesty, it's me..."
For a moment, the emperor couldn't tell if this was reality or a dream. He gasped for breath, looking at Consort Jing with fear and vigilance.
Eunuch Wei was dumbfounded by this scene. What was going on? Why was His Majesty suddenly treating the Imperial Concubine Dowager like this?
“Your Majesty…” Eunuch Wei stepped forward cautiously.
Consort Jing also stood up and walked towards the Emperor with red eyes.
"Don't let her come any closer!" the emperor shouted.
Eunuch Wei and the palace maids and eunuchs in the hall looked at each other, completely bewildered as to what had happened.
Just then, Qin Gonggong's announcement came from outside the hall: "The Empress Dowager has arrived—"
The palace servants all knelt down in a flurry.
Eunuch Wei also quickly knelt down.
When Empress Dowager Zhuang, dressed in a phoenix robe, strode majestically into the sleeping quarters of Huaqing Palace, the Emperor rushed towards her almost without thinking: "Mother—save me—"
He threw himself into Empress Dowager Zhuang's arms right in front of everyone.
Empress Dowager Zhuang was almost knocked down by him!
At my age, what's the point of all this!
Still thinking you're some kind of genius? Don't you know how much you really know?
Empress Dowager Zhuang picked up a finger and used it to push the emperor's head away from her embrace, but the emperor clung to her tightly, crying, "Mother...Mother..."
Empress Dowager Zhuang rolled her eyes in disgust.
Consort Jing watched this scene and slightly clenched her fingers.
No one dared to step forward and pull the emperor away, and Empress Dowager Zhuang herself couldn't push him away, so she was held by the emperor for a long time.
Perhaps it was the reassuring aura emanating from Empress Dowager Zhuang that calmed the Emperor's emotions, gradually dispelling his fear and restoring his composure.
He finally realized what he had done. He released Empress Dowager Zhuang and took several steps back. He lost his footing and fell to the ground with a thud. Fortunately, Eunuch Wei was quick-witted and caught him in time.
He awkwardly grabbed Eunuch Wei's hand and stood up, feeling utterly embarrassed.
He actually hugged this wicked woman and called her "Mother"!
Empress Dowager Zhuang looked at him with disdain and said, "What's wrong with the Emperor this morning?"
The emperor choked back a sob.
As expected of a vicious woman, even her words are so cruel!
He must have been crazy to throw himself into that wicked woman's arms!
This is so embarrassing!
Consort Jing asked with a mixture of sadness and worry, "His Majesty had a nightmare and was frightened. Did he frighten the Empress Dowager?"
Eunuch Wei frowned. How did the Empress Dowager know that His Majesty had a nightmare?
Empress Dowager Zhuang rolled her eyes at the emperor: "You didn't scare him, but you certainly disgusted him."
The emperor was so angry he gritted his teeth!
"Your Majesty, are you alright?" Consort Jing asked him anxiously.
The emperor had regained his senses and naturally would no longer confuse reality with dreams. He looked at Consort Jing's reddened hand and felt a pang of guilt. He walked over and said, "It was my fault for hurting Mother Consort."
Consort Jing shook her head: "It's just a minor injury, nothing to worry about. Compared to His Majesty's health, it's insignificant."
As she spoke, she looked at Granny Cai and said, "His Majesty's medicine has spilled. Go and pour a fresh bowl for him. Remember, this time don't make it too hot."
"Yes," Granny Cai replied.
After thinking for a moment, Eunuch Wei said, "I shall go."
"Very well." Consort Jing nodded.
Eunuch Wei personally brought over the medicine.
“I’ll do it,” said Consort Jing.
Eunuch Wei figured that since he had brought the medicine himself, and it was brewed at Huaqing Palace, it wasn't considered food from outside, so it should be fine.
Besides, I personally handed it over to the Empress Dowager, so no one had the opportunity to tamper with it.
Consort Jing helped the Emperor onto the dragon bed and seated him with his head resting against the pillow.
Eunuch Wei handed the medicine to Consort Jing.
Consort Jing calmly took the medicine bowl and stirred it with a spoon.
The emperor said, "I will do it myself."
"Let me do it."
Consort Jing smiled and scooped up a spoonful, feeding it to the Emperor.
The emperor didn't really want Consort Jing to feed him the medicine, but he had already embarrassed her in front of so many people. If he refused now, everyone in the palace would probably think he disliked her.
He sighed helplessly and opened his mouth to drink.
Empress Dowager Zhuang suddenly said, "Wait!"
(End of this chapter)
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