Chapter 16 Chapter 16 - Winter Overtime
The imperial edict appointed the daughter of the Wen family as the new queen. As soon as the decree was issued, the whole Chang'an was in an uproar.
The Wen family was like a flourishing family, with everyone coming to congratulate them. Minister Wen even stood up straight when he went to court, looking so proud and elated.
Apart from accepting Wen Baibi, Li Siyan did not treat himself badly at all. Without saying a word, he issued an edict to take Wang Funiang and Wei Wan'er of Julu Wei family as concubines, as well as a few ladies from small families, and tentatively planned to enter the palace after the ceremony of coronation of the queen.
With two beautiful women coming to share his daughter's favor, Minister Wen's back suddenly became weaker.
The matter of taking concubines caused a flurry of activity both inside and outside the palace, especially for Su Xing. I couldn't understand how she could manage so much every day, but Xia Fugui finally explained: "...For such a large palace, it's already difficult to maintain normal daily operations, let alone bringing in a few new people."
Xia Fugui had some free time that day, so he invited me, who was on vacation, to have a simple meal together and ask me for the latest news.
"What do you want to know?" I asked Xia Fugui while stuffing a piece of delicious cherry biro into my mouth.
Xia Fugui asked stealthily, "After that day, Your Majesty didn't become suspicious, did he?"
I was startled, then immediately realized he was talking about the day Li Siyan questioned him about what happened back then. So I comforted him, "Don't worry, he didn't take your confession seriously at all. Li Siyan is a very suspicious person. He doesn't trust anyone except what he finds out."
Xia Fugui couldn't help but ask, "Has Your Majesty found out?"
"Oh, he checked and found out that it was Wen Baibi from the Wen family. And Wen Baibi was very brave and actually admitted it. Then the love between the man and the woman will come naturally, and he will get the beauty." I said with a smile.
Xia Fugui actually showed a bit of envy: "This Madam Wen is really lucky, she has reached the sky in one step."
I shook my head and said, "Not really. The Wen family has been a noble family for generations. The current head of the family is the Minister of the Chancellery. They have several relatives outside who hold military power. They are considered a top-notch wealthy family in Chang'an City. Li Siyan didn't marry her out of gratitude for a steamed bun, but because he wanted her to bring back more steamed buns."
"That's very good. Your Majesty has given her enough face by not even bringing a beauty into the palace first." Xia Fugui said.
I curled my lips and said, "Not necessarily. Li Siyan has such a bad temper that anyone who marries him will be unlucky. I think he and Su Xing are the best match. A pug and a mad dog, a long-lasting couple."
"Don't tell anyone about this." Xia Fugui quickly covered my mouth. "Talking about His Majesty is a serious crime."
"It's okay, he still needs me to work, how could he bear to punish me." I said indifferently: "I'm not afraid of death, what else can he do to me?"
Xia Fugui glared and asked, "Have you forgotten your aunt and your cousin?"
"It doesn't matter. The palace's affairs will be handled by the palace. As long as I don't commit suicide and don't think about escaping, Li Siyan won't touch them."
Xia Fugui showed a trace of confusion.
"What does His Majesty mean to you?" he asked me in a low voice.
"I've told you so many times, it's like a cat playing with a mouse." I bit off a piece of cherry biro viciously, chewed it hard, and said incoherently: "If you're happy, tease me. If you're not happy, scold me. If you're still unhappy, fight me."
Xia Fugui was stunned: "Ah? You and the emperor are fighting?"
"Yes, we have fought several times. The dog emperor has no martial ethics at all." I complained.
This incident overturned Xia Fugui's cognition. He listened to me telling the stories of the previous fights in amazement, and his hand holding the chopsticks trembled slightly.
The meal was well worth it, and the amount of information he got out definitely exceeded his expectations.
After seeing off Xia Fugui, Doctor Fan came to see me again, carrying a medicine box and staggering over to give me a routine check-up.
"Open your mouth, let me see your tongue coating," he said.
I stuck out my tongue.
Doctor Fan said, "The tongue coating is thick and white, which means there is too much dampness. You need to move around more."
"good."
After taking my pulse again, Doctor Fan said that there was nothing wrong with me, but winter was approaching and the cold was raging, so I had to be careful with my clothing and food.
Young people always don't take good care of their bodies. As soon as Doctor Fan left, I threw all his advice to the wind. I was too lazy to drink the tonic soup he gave me, and I fed it all to the clump of weeds under the window.
One day I took a special look out the window and found that all the wild weeds had been poisoned by Doctor Fan's medicine. Being such a bad person, I had no pity for the weeds. I just patted my chest and thought, luckily, I didn't drink it.
The consequence of this mess was that one day in late November, I fell ill.
This disease came at an inopportune moment, landing squarely on the ten-day holiday, which is very annoying.
In the morning, Xiao Jinlian noticed something was wrong and touched my forehead, which was terribly hot.
"What should I do?" She was very anxious. "My wife has a high fever. I'll go get Doctor Fan."
Imperial physician? Never mind...
What I fear most is Doctor Fan nagging me. His mouth is so annoying and hateful.
I said, "Doctor Fan is on leave today. It's not easy for us who serve the emperor to have a day off. Don't bother him."
"What should we do then?"
"It's just a day, I won't die." I waved my hand and got back into bed. "I'm going to sleep first, you go out."
Later, Xiao Jinlian told me that during the time when I was drowsy, Chang'an had a new snowfall, which was very disrespectful and fell like goose feathers, very beautiful.
After a heavy snowfall, the whole Chang'an was covered in silver, like a fairyland.
Li Siyan also had a day off today. On a whim, he climbed up the city wall of the outer city. Looking out at the vast Chang'an and the vast mountains and rivers, he felt a surge of pride in his heart.
It had nothing to do with me, but when he was feeling heroic, the dog emperor on the city wall remembered that he had a steward who wished him bad luck.
then……
"Where is Chen Ying?" Li Siyan suddenly asked.
Qingfu was stunned for a moment and said, "Mr. Shen is on leave today."
Li Siyan pinched the ring and said, "I don't care where she is, call her over to me now."
No one dared to disobey the emperor's order.
Half a minute later, Su Xing, who was loyal to his duty, hurried back to the Zichen Palace from the city wall, swept into the ear room where I lived like a whirlwind, and dug me out of bed.
It's so evil! Ever since I met Su Xing, he has always played the bad role of pulling me out of bed.
She pulled me, who was still in a daze, and called Xiao Jinlian and Xiao Jinliu to help me dress and comb my hair.
A pair of gold came over, four little hands fiddling with things. Su Xing was supervising beside me. After seeing that I had become a decent person, he urged, "Let's go, Shen Qijulang."
Although I had a high fever and looked so haggard that even ten layers of rouge couldn't hide my appearance, Su Xing didn't care about my physical condition at all and urged me to walk like a duck. I held my head and thought viciously: What a slave leader who takes human life lightly!
In this way, Su Xing pulled and dragged me all the way up to the city wall.
The dog emperor had long been impatient and paced back and forth on the city wall. A thin layer of snow water fell on his shoulders, wetting the scattered hair on his temples.
My clothes were thin, and I wrapped my cloak tightly around me tremblingly. The tip of my nose turned red from the cold.
The tower was more than a hundred feet high, and I managed to climb up on my own two feet. I broke out in a cold sweat, and when the wind blew, I felt like I was going to die.
What urgent matter did the dog emperor have? He actually made a sick person climb the city wall in such cold weather. How heartless!
"...Greetings, Your Majesty." I bowed weakly.
When I bent my knees, my foot slipped and I almost fell. Fortunately, Su Xing was quick-witted and grabbed my arm.
Li Siyan heard my voice and turned around.
I sniffed and gave him a sickly look.
When he saw me, his eyes lit up with joy. He walked over with big strides, grabbed my arm and pulled it hard, pulling me to his side.
I was dragged here and there, my steps were so unsteady that my groggy head bumped against his sable cloak, and I didn't know what was going on.
I was confused and thought with infinite resentment that no matter what he farted today, I would not remember a single word. This is the last stubbornness of people who work overtime.
"Your Majesty, why are you looking for me?" I asked dejectedly.
He stared at me, pointed at the vast expanse of Chang'an City, covered with fresh snow outside the city walls, and said, "I've asked you to come and see my kingdom. Auspicious snow and abundant harvests are in season, and the people are at peace."
Look at your grandma's legs!
I was so angry that I almost blacked out.
Seeing that I didn't respond, he forcibly twisted my head and turned it toward the outside of the city wall.
I reluctantly took a look. It was snowing in Chang'an, which was quite beautiful. But no matter how I appreciated it, I didn't think the snow was worth it for me to drag my sick body to the city wall to see it.
Because of the snow, there are fewer people in the market - who wants to go out in the snow? Isn’t it cold enough?
I looked towards Anyifang, a blur of houses, then towards the Secretariat, also a desolate and silent scene.
He could only weakly say, "Your Majesty, I'm done. Can I leave now?"
Li Siyan turned a deaf ear to me, still not letting go of my poor head. He whispered in my ear, smiling, "Chen Ying, are you very angry? Seeing my enemy sitting on the throne of a prosperous country, ruling a peaceful and prosperous country. You said I would suffer retribution, but this retribution has never appeared. What do you think is delaying it?"
How would I know? I thought to myself: I’m not God.
This is what is called when there are no heroes, mad dogs become famous.
He let go of my head and casually placed his slender hands on my shoulders. He said with great vigor, "In a few years, I will prepare my troops and rebuild our country. Then I will send troops to the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun and recapture our ancestral heritage."
There was a thin layer of calluses on his hands, the result of hard work in his childhood.
I thought to myself that you have a nice idea, but the Xiongnu cavalry is no pushover either. Be careful that they may plunder the grass and valleys all the way to Chang'an.
"Look, there's light breaking through the clouds in the east. It's an auspicious sign."
Why is he still chattering on and on? It's as annoying as a bad-tempered child showing off his toys. I'm so annoyed that I forcefully shake off his hand on my shoulder, take a few steps back, and say indifferently, "What's it got to do with me?"
He was stunned for a moment, then his eyes darkened and he said coldly, "What's it to you? I just wanted you to see my enemy's kingdom. Why can't you stand it?"
"Since there's nothing important, I'll take my leave first." I knelt down and saluted.
"Come back, you're not allowed to leave!" he shouted, as if I owed him hundreds of taels of gold.
It's funny. He clearly owes me three lives, but he makes it seem like I owe him one. This person is so unreasonable.
I lowered my head, turned around unsteadily, and walked away unsteadily again.
It has been a long time since I have shown my disdain to the dog emperor, but today I am a patient, and patients have the right to be a little willful.
I put on my hood with trembling hands, but I was still cold and dizzy. The wind on the city wall was so strong that it blew straight into my eyes. I squinted my eyes and suddenly felt a cramping feeling of hunger in my stomach. Oh, did I miss breakfast? I have no appetite now and can't eat anything...
I was dizzy and hungry, and finally couldn't hold on any longer. My body with a high fever fell softly towards the outside of the city. The scenery in front of me kept spinning, and finally stopped under the city wall a hundred feet away.
Jump down...jump down.
This thought suddenly came to me.
In a trance, I looked blankly at the blue bricks under the city, and thought inexplicably, the dog emperor doesn't let me commit suicide, but if it is an accidental death... will he still make things difficult for my relatives?
It shouldn’t be…right.
But this thought only lasted for a moment. I blinked and let go of the impulse: I didn't want to make my aunt and Xiaochuan sad, nor did I want Brother Meng to see my ugly bloody appearance. Since I still had a little courage to live in my body, I might as well not die.
"Chen Ying!" The dog emperor could be faintly heard shouting.
The second before I passed out, I heard hurried footsteps, a black shadow flashed, and a ball of soft mink hair touched my body. Then there was a great force that turned me over like a fried egg. I opened my eyes and saw the ferocious and anxious face of the Dog Emperor... I quickly closed them again.
"What are you standing there for? Call the doctor!" He roared angrily. The emotions in his eyes were too complicated. He seemed a little panicked, and a little fragile and confused. The patient's fragile observation ability could not tell clearly. I just thought he was noisy.
Look, no matter how well he disguises himself, at this time, the gloomy and grumpy little boy in the palace will always sneak out.
He probably thought I had fainted, so he grabbed my thin shoulders and shook me hard, calling my name as he did so. The way he called "Chen Ying" was really unpleasant.
I didn't know where I got the strength from, but I opened my eyes, slapped his hand away, and frowned, "Stop making so much noise! Don't touch me."
His hands froze in mid-air, his eyes dazed.
I didn't want to see this unlucky dog face again, so I simply tilted my head and fainted. Shen Ying fainted.
She has weak feet and an unstable lower body. Sometimes she would fall even on flat ground, let alone when she is sick.
Moreover, his wrestling posture was very ungraceful, and he landed on his face every time.
Qingfu sighed resignedly and glanced into the imperial study while holding his whisk.
The imperial study was crowded with people, palace maids and eunuchs were walking briskly with water and towels in their hands. In the center of the crowd, Chen Ying was lying unconscious on the soft couch in the middle.
His Majesty the Emperor sat on the edge of the couch with a grim expression on his face, with a few strands of her hair pressed under his dragon buttocks.
"Has Doctor Fan gone to call him?" Qingfu asked the eunuch at the door.
"Lord Fan is taking a day off today. Hu Yue'er has gone to call Doctor Jiang."
Qingfu nodded and said, "...Go to Shen Qijulang's room and bring her clothes and other belongings."
"Ah?" The young eunuch was stunned.
Qingfu said fiercely, "Hurry up and go!"
He rubbed his brows. Seeing that Chen Ying would have to stay on the couch in the imperial study for a long time before she recovered from her illness, he had to get her things in advance to prevent her from asking for this and that later.
This little girl is noisy, annoying, stupid and pretentious, but His Majesty is willing to indulge her, leaving people with no way to deal with her.
Not long after, Hu Yueer brought in Doctor Jiang, who was sweating profusely.
It was obvious that this poor young doctor had been called up from his lunch break. He was dressed in rags and his hat was tilted. Qingfu invited him in, feeling quite sad as if he was in the same boat with him.
They were all workers in the inner courtyard who were tortured by Shen Ying.
Seeing the emperor's pale face, Imperial Physician Jiang didn't dare delay for a moment. He swiftly took Shen Ying's pulse and replied tremblingly, "Your Majesty, Mr. Shen has caught a cold and has a high fever. I will write a prescription and prepare the medicine right away. This patient should not be exposed to cold or wind. It is best to recuperate on the bed and not go out..."
Don't go out.
The emperor's expression suddenly became even uglier.
"How are you two supposed to be serving her?" He suddenly grabbed a pen holder and threw it hard on the ground, then said coldly to Xiao Jinlian and Xiao Jinliu, "She's sick, and you didn't even hire a doctor. What use are you?"
Little Jinlian and Little Jinliu were so frightened that their souls flew out of their bodies. They knelt upright in front of the debris and cried, "Your Majesty, please forgive me! We noticed Madam Shen had a fever this morning, but Madam Shen said that Imperial Physician Fan was on leave today and it would be inconvenient to disturb him. That's why we didn't call the Imperial Physician. Your Majesty, please forgive me!"
The emperor kicked Xiao Jinlian to the ground and sneered, "Are you just going to listen to her? The Imperial Hospital doesn't only have Fan Qisheng. Can't you find another medical officer? This useless guy is just an eyesore. Drag him away and beat him to death!"
Qingfu's eyebrows jumped, and he thought to himself that something was wrong. The emperor had not been so indiscriminate in a long time. Not only did he suddenly attack today, but his attack was so powerful that he directly took the lives of the two little palace maids.
He hesitated and said, "Your Majesty..."
The emperor gave Qingfu a sharp glare, blocking his next words.
Qingfu's heart trembled, and he immediately rushed forward, slapping Xiao Jinlian and Xiao Jinliu twice on the face, cursing, "You ignorant things! Where are the guards? Didn't you hear what His Majesty said? Drag them away!"
When Qingfu got angry, he was no better than Li Siyan. The two girls were beaten so hard that their mouths were broken. They were so scared that they couldn't say a word. Their faces were covered with tears and snot. Qingfu and two guards dragged them all the way out the door.
After leaving the house, Qingfu whispered to the two of them, "You two are unlucky this time. Listen, I, your grandfather, can only protect you for one day at most. Please pray to the gods and Buddhas in the sky to bless your wife Shen to wake up soon. Maybe there is still a chance of survival."
As the cries of the two girls gradually faded away, Qingfu hurried back to the imperial study.
The study had become quiet, and the emperor was sitting in front of Shen Ying's bed in a daze.
The girl on the couch had her eyes closed, her face was haggard, and her hair was disheveled. Perhaps because of the heat, her hands kept reaching out.
The emperor stuffed her hands back into the quilt again and again.
Despite such a loud noise, she still didn't wake up. She was wrapped in the quilt, whining and twisting around like a little pig.
Suddenly, her mouth moved as if she wanted to say something.
The emperor quickly dismissed his servants and leaned forward to whisper.
All I heard was Chen Ying closing her eyes tightly and clenching her fists...
Then he shouted with great vigor: "Chen Nianchuan, when will you pay me back the money you owe me!" After fainting on the city wall, I had a very long, incoherent dream.
In my dream, I returned to my home in Anyifang. Xiaochuan skipped school to buy some Sushan. The weird kid ate it all by himself and didn’t buy any for me. I was so angry that I chased him and beat him up.
I vaguely remembered that he still owed me money, so I roared angrily: Chen Nianchuan, when will you pay me back the money you owe me!
Xiaochuan was beaten so hard by me that he cried out in pain. He promised to buy me some Sushan next time. I snorted coldly and said: When will it be the next time? Pay me back my money!
It seemed like someone was sighing softly and saying, "Stop making trouble and take a good rest."
Who is it?
I thought hard, oh, it must be Brother Meng coming to persuade me. Every time Xiaochuan and I fought, he would come and talk to us about how a gentleman uses words instead of fists, and he would recite it like a mantra.
The person who came must be Brother Meng. I grabbed his sleeve and said coquettishly: No, Shen Xiaochuan needs to be fixed. I will beat him up and then go shopping in the East Market with you. You wait.
His sleeves were very soft, made of fine brocade, and I couldn't help but touch them a few more times.
He gently squeezed my hand, his palm was cold and dry. He scratched it twice, then reluctantly stuffed my dancing claws into the warm quilt.
I smiled foolishly and said: Brother Meng is the best.
The hand paused, then suddenly became rough, slapping me on the face three times. An angry voice said, "I think you're delirious from the fever! Get up and take some medicine!"
This photoshoot gave me a splitting headache. Who called himself "I"?
Dog Emperor! Only he would call himself "Zhen".
It’s not Meng Xu. Meng Xu is not that rude. He is the best person to me.
I was sick and my mind was in a mess. I was thinking all over the place and I felt like there was a bad guy staring at me coldly like a ghost.
Xiaochuan said: Sister, what's wrong with you? Why are you crying?
I looked around in a daze. It was dark all around and I couldn't see Xiaochuan. I said hesitantly: Sister doesn't know either. I haven't seen you for a long time.
The scenery in front of my eyes suddenly changed. Xiaochuan was gone, and Brother Meng was gone too. An isolated city rose from the ground. I saw the vermilion palace walls of the inner courtyard, still such a hateful color. My father's back gradually disappeared in front of the Zichen Gate. My second uncle was singing aloud, "The wind is whistling and the Yishui River is cold. The warriors will never come back once they leave..." My brother said to me: Yingying, take care of yourself.
In the blink of an eye, sand and rocks flew, the sky spun, and the towering palace gate turned into a gluttonous beast, opening its ferocious mouth and swallowing them in one gulp.
I stood far away and watched all this happen. I wanted to howl and cry, but my throat seemed to be blocked and I couldn't say anything.
That Taotie had a pair of sinister and ferocious fox eyes. I had seen them before when I was six years old in the Ye Ting Palace. They were born on the face of a boy named Yanlang.
This happened so long ago, why do I still remember it...
In a daze, a bright knife light flashed, blood splattered, and the temperature was fresh.
At that moment, it felt like something in my chest was broken and could never be repaired.
My body began to tremble violently and I suddenly burst into a shrill cry.
Here it comes again, this horrible dream. It has been two years. Every time I think I have forgotten it, this nightmare, so clear and terrifying, comes back to haunt me.
I think it must be the ancestors of the Shen family punishing me. Li Siyan has killed nearly the entire family. If you didn't die as a martyr for justice, why did you still serve him as a servant? You are helping the evildoer. How can you be worthy of being a daughter of the Shen family!
I kept crying:... No... No, I hate him more than anyone else. I wish I could bite his throat and eat his flesh raw, but he is the emperor. He holds Xiaochuan's future, the lives of my aunt and dozens of other people in the branch family in his hands. What else can I do except obey?
I whimpered in pain, and the hand touched my neck again. I felt fear instinctively and struggled hard, sweating all over. But the hand became stronger and stronger, pinning me to the couch. In contrast, a gentle voice came from it, as if saying: Chen Ying, wake up, you are possessed by a nightmare, drink the medicine before you go back to sleep.
I couldn't hear clearly, tears welled up in my eyes, and my body felt hot like a lamb roasting on fire.
A thin spoon was brought to my mouth and tapped against my teeth.
I cried and said: Go away, go away, I don’t want to drink.
The man was silent for a moment, then suddenly snorted coldly, pinched my mouth open, and said jealously: "You're strolling around the East Market with Meng Xu, and now it's my turn to get out? You asked for it."
The soft touch on my lips was familiar, but this time there was no refreshing mint flavor, instead a mouthful of bitter medicine passed into my mouth.
The medicine was incredibly bitter. Even the most sensible child would slurp it up. I was a naive child to begin with, so how could I possibly handle it? I immediately wanted to spit it out, but the person feeding me knew I wouldn't yield. They pinched my mouth, somehow forcing me to swallow. I cried even harder. How could someone be so wicked?
One sip after another, I drank so much medicine that I don't know how much. The bitterness fermented in my mouth, and I was filled with grievances.
The soft thing was still rubbing against my lips. I felt itchy and turned my head away, and it reluctantly left my lips.
I was wrapped in a thick quilt, my mind gradually becoming unclear. After tossing and turning a few times, I fell into a deep sleep with tears on my face.
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