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XIX: This Beau Overslept
"You're late." Court Lady Han wears a long face as she looks at the newly arrived Eunuch Xu.
It's been almost an hour and a half since Court Lady Han and the rest of the emperor's personal maids remained standing outside the Pavilion of Literary Glory. They did nothing and will do nothing but to stand outside to wait for his majesty until the ongoing conference ends.
Xu Zhengming forced a laugh. With a hoarse voice, he said, "Sorry, Court Lady Han. I won't be late again."
Like the past few mornings, Eunuch Xu wakes up with a dry throat again. Every morning, his condition gets worse. Even three cups of water aren't enough to quench his thirst. It feels like, water is never enough. But what is it? What should he drink so that he can feel better? And his teeth, particularly his canine teeth... it feels strange.
Setting his condition aside, this eunuch doesn't have an alibi for his tardiness today. He won't deny the fact that he overslept. He retired so late last night after all, plus he drunk a generous amount of alcohol with his majesty.
Speaking of, Xu Zhengming remembered that the emperor got so wasted last night. He vomited and even sprouted nonsense, which is not very him.
Just recalling those words makes him torn between whether to laugh or get embarrassed on behalf of his majesty.
He made up his mind, if the emperor doesn't remember what he did and said to him, he wouldn't speak of it. Xu Zhengming knows that it was only due to alcohol that the emperor said such things. Yes, no need to think much about it at all!
Despite all of that, the silly eunuch couldn't help but be amazed at the emperor. How come he can wake up early and even hold a conference on top of that after he got himself drunk and wasted last night?
"Your sore throat seems worsened." Court Lady Han said. Although her blood still boils when it comes to Xu Zhengming, her motherly instincts still apply towards him so she can't help but show her concern. Still pretending to be annoyed, she asks, "Have you ever tried to visit the imperial infirmary?"
Xu Zhengming replies casually, "There's no need, the royal physician sees me regularly."
Even though Mingming follows the prescription given to him by that old man, his condition doesn't seem to get better. He thought, maybe the royal physician isn't actually giving him medicine but a pill that can stretch his life a little more instead.
The truth is, to Xu Zhengming, whether he's able to live longer or to die young, it doesn't really matter.
He doesn't have anyone who depends on him. He has no mouth to feed aside from himself. His mother is already dead and his father is nowhere to be found. He doesn't have a family of his own either. What only regrets him is that he didn't have the chance to get himself into a serious romantic relationship.
"Ah, yes." Court Lady Han seems to remember something. Her face instantly changes from sincere to salty. She nods her head as she says, "I forgot that his majesty treats you so well. It wouldn't surprise me if he made the royal physician check you from time to time."
"..."
Well, the emperor indeed made the royal physician check him as much as possible. Whether he treats him differently from other servants or not, who knows? Maybe the emperor just did that because he pities him since he's dying at such a young age.
One of the emperor's personal maids walks closer to Xu Zhengming with a purse in her hand. She looks hesitant and bashful but still able to extend her hands towards the good-looking eunuch. "Eunuch Xu, I have some herbs here that can soothe the sore throat. Please take it."
"Can I really take it? How about you? You might need it in the future." Xu Zhengming asks as he looks at the purse on the maiden's hand. He really doesn't have the intention to accept it but he doesn't have the heart to refuse it directly either. And besides, some more medicinal herbs won't save him.
"Are you worried about me?" The maid giggles and continues, "Eunuch Xu needs it more than I do. It's not much but it would help you feel a little better."
Before Mingming could say more words of 'gentle decline' to the young lady, another maid steps in and offers a pouch of herbal medicines. "Eunuch Xu, my mother is from a healer tribe, and as her daughter, I also practice healing. Please take this instead, I personally made it."
"Aiyah, you made it yourself? You don't even read books about the basics of healing. You might just make his condition worse!" And another one makes her way towards Xu Zhengming. "Eunuch Xu, take this instead. I got this medicine from a retired physician. This is quite effective."
Then another maid offers the medicine she has to Xu Zhengming, "Eunuch Xu! Rather than those three, take this medicine instead! I got it from a famous shop for herbal medicines."
"I am the one who made an offer to him first! Why are you two overlapping me?" The first maid who approached Eunuch Xu blurted.
"You might be the first one to offer but can you offer the best remedy for him?"
"I hate to say this but I agree with her."
"Yes, I agree as well."
"You...!"
"Uh... ladies, please..."
"Silence!" Court Lady Han lost her patience. "Eunuch Xu, just accept them all."
Then the door of the Pavilion of Literary Glory suddenly slides open and revealed a man wearing black and gold-yellow robes and a coronet on his head.
"There's no need." His voice is as gentle as ever. His smile is as sweet as rain falling from the sky. His every move is as graceful as a swan.
"Your majesty!" All the servants bow their heads before the emperor.
"I know the specific herb that Eunuch Xu needs, and it wouldn't take much time for me to prepare his medicine." Prince Yin Wenyan said to the maids as he walks towards the commotion. He smiles at the maids and said, "Therefore, there is no need for you to give anything to him. Kindly keep it to yourselves."
"Yes, your majesty." The maids quickly keep the medicines away from his majesty's sight and immediately go back to their line.
"Also, there is no need for you to accompany me for the rest of the day." Yin Wenyan said with all smiles. "Eunuch Xu will come with me so the rest of you can spend the rest of the time for yourselves." He waves both of his hands to the maids including Court Lady Han as if bidding them a good day.
The maids are confused but they are happy with it. It's not even lunchtime yet and their duties for the day are done!
"Yes, your majesty."
Xu Zhengming on the other hand is envious. How come the emperor's maids can enjoy a half-day duty-free but he can't? Who says the emperor treats him very well? Heck no, he's even giving the poor and dying Mingming a hard time.
Yin Wenyan noticed Xu Zhengming got a long face and is slightly pouting while looking at the maids happily walking away. Seeing this, he can't help himself but puff a laugh. The silly eunuch looks back at him grumpily.
"What's wrong, Eunuch Xu?" Yin Wenyan said while still trying to collect himself.
"Nothing really." Eunuch Xu replied lazily as he withdraws his gaze on his majesty.
Yin Wenyan smiled cheerfully, "I don't think it's nothing." He moves his body towards the range of the other's sight.
Annoyed, he finally expresses his displeasure, "Aiyah! Your majesty, why am I the only one that's not granted that privilege? You were the one who told me to rest more yet you're not allowing me to."
"I'm sorry." His majesty apologizes but the childish smile on his face doesn't make it look sincere at all. "But I heard there's a newly opened restaurant nearby. I want to ask you if you want to come and have lunch with me."
The last sentence made Xu Zhengming's ears attentive. Is the emperor going to treat him a meal? He thought, if it's the case, he'll surely order the most expensive dish.
The silly eunuch anxiously looks around them to confirm no one is close enough to hear him. "Does his majesty means... we're sneaking out again?" Xu Zhengming said inaudible whispers. "Your majesty might not remember it but her highness the princess was really mad because of what happened yesterday. Is it really okay to go today?"
Yin Wenyan's smiley face slowly turns into a confused one. His eyebrows knitted together. "Yesterday?"
"Mn. You were so drunk and we went back so late." Xu Zhengming nods.
Now, all that's left in Yin Wenyan's face is pure disbelief. "I drunk liquor last night?"
"..."
Xu Zhengming didn't expect this to hear from the emperor. His face looks really puzzled too so there's no way that he's trying to prank him. Did his majesty really forget about it? Mingming got drunk and wasted in the past too but he could remember at least a thing or two of what happened.
Also, Xu Zhengming made a decision that he will not bring up the fact that his majesty the emperor acted funny and degraded himself too much while he was drunk if he can't remember it. Just by thinking about it all, Xu Zhengming feels like pooping.
"Eunuch Xu, I have a bad memory." Still, Yin Wenyan won't let it pass. With a stern face, he said, "Tell me what exactly happened last night."
Mingming scratches the back of his head, averted his eyes, and forced a smile. "Well... nothing much. Just got drunk. Nothing else. Uh-huh."
In the back of his mind, the silly eunuch said to himself, "He doesn't remember it. Therefore, I shall not bring it up again. I don't want to recall it, and it should be the same for him as well. Don't tell him! DON'T TELL HIM!"
Realizing that there must be something more about it that Xu Zhengming won't tell, Yin Wenyan didn't push further. He changes the topic but his face is still serious. "It's still early for lunch. If you don't mind, I have some things to deal with. I'll be going to Lotus Hall first. You can wait for me in my hall."
"Uh... I don't mind. And I'll wait for your majesty outside the Lotus Hall." Xu Zhengming answers. His majesty made his maids go after all. Who would answer for his orders if he has any?
Yin Wenyan nods, "That's fine too. It won't probably take me long."
Before his majesty turns around and headed to the Lotus Hall, Xu Zhengming noticed the dark circles under his phoenix eyes but he didn't say anything about it.
Meanwhile, the empress' condition got worse as well. She doesn't even have the energy to get out of her bed. Empress Xue Chi's complexion is pale and often coughs blood. She can barely open her eyes and her breathing is heavy and deep as if she's desperately gasping for air.
All her personal maids are worried but what can they do to help her? Even the royal physician can't do anything. He can't figure out what is happening to her highness and what caused her illness. Surprisingly, the empress isn't worried about her well-being at all. She constantly tells her maids not to worry but that alone can't eliminate their worries. In fact, if she can get up and run around, she'd probably sneak out of her hall a long time ago. She hates being bed-ridden like this.
Her closest court maid, Hui Yi, anxiously wipes her with a damp towel. "Your highness, just what caused your agony? Is this truly a curse like everyone in the palace says? But your highness is kind to everyone, who would curse you like this?"
Of all her personal maids, Hui Yi is the most anxious of all. She grew up with her highness after all. Maiden Hui is an orphan of the Xue clan. She's always following the empress ever since she got adopted. After the empress ascended to the throne, she moved with her to the palace and worked as one of her highness' maids. If not for the status, Empress Xue Chi and Maiden Hui Yi's relationship would be best friends.
Hearing this, she laughs weakly. "Hui Yi, no one cast a curse on me." She breathes in deeply before she continues, "If there's someone who's responsible for this, it would be me."
She painfully shakes her head slowly. "What are you talking about, your highness?"
"The Empress Dowager has come!" Her court lady announced outside her hall. The door slides open and the smiling empress dowager comes in.
"Empress Dowager..." The empress tried so hard to rise but she can barely move her limbs.
The empress dowager raised her hand, "There's no need for you to rise." She then looks at Hui Yi. "I wish to be alone with the empress."
Hui Yi hesitated and looks at the empress. Empress Xue Chi on the other hand just nods so Maiden Hui can't do anything but step out of the hall.
"How are you feeling, my good child?" The empress dowager asks in a gentle manner and sits on the edge of the empress' bed.
No, The empress dowager isn't Empress Xue Chi's biological mother. Both Maiden Hui Yi and her are from poor families. About twelve years ago the Xue Clan failed to have a female descendant. Considering that this clan has been producing empresses for generations through an arranged marriage, and that includes the grand empress dowager and the present empress dowager, they got anxious over not having a female descendant to continue the legacy. And so, they came up with a solution. This solution? Adopt female children, educate the orphans, and choose the most capable one to recommend as the destined empress. Throughout the process, Empress Xue Chi was the chosen one. And this is the biggest secret that the Xue Clan hides up until now.
"Still breathing, Empress Dowager. I can still answer your commands." The empress said in a low voice.
The empress dowager nods and looks satisfied with the poor empress' response. She then praises her, "This is the part of you that I like the most."
She leans and caresses the weak lady's cheek. "You must have been very scared to die young."
The empress smiles weakly, "You're wrong, Empress Dowager. I am not afraid to die. In fact, I'd love to."
The empress dowager laughs softly, "Good child, you know you can't. The grand empress dowager won't allow you. You haven't even produced a successor yet." She let out a sigh. "Now that you know what I like about you the most, I tell you, this is the part where you disappoint me the most. You just don't know how to deal with men!"
The empress smiles sweetly at the empress dowager. "Please forgive my rudeness but the empress dowager isn't the first wife of the late emperor, right? Also, I haven't heard that your highness and the late emperor had a child."
The last bit of the empress dowager's smile faded. She frowns and said, "Look at how ungrateful you are, biting the hand of the person feeding you." She withdraws her gaze on the empress and sighs. "The late emperor was foolish. That woman was a flirt. How can a fine lady like me defeat a seductress? After I ascended to the throne, he died soon after. How is it possible for me?"
"..."
"In any case, the grand empress dowager won't let allow anything worse than this to happen to you. You need to recover as soon as possible."
The empress dowager rises and headed to the incense burner. She sprinkled ashes inside it. After doing so, a sweet floral fragrant eventually circulated in the hall.
Not too long after inhaling the scent, the empress feels sleepy. She tried to resist it but she knows that she can't hold on much longer.
"What's that?" The empress asks.
The empress dowager turns her head to Empress Xue Chi. With a smile, she asks, "Have you heard of the spirit herb, Yueguang Hua?"
"Yueguang Hua?" Her confused face made it clear that this is the first time she heard of such an herb.
"Mn." The empress dowager nods. She completely turns her body to face the empress. "This is a rare spirit herb that can help renew body cells, can supply yang energy, and helps one recover from qi deviation. Did you know that the emperor got it himself for you?"
Empress Xue Chi sneered, "Impossible. What did you do to him?"
She knows that the emperor doesn't care for her. He didn't even notice how sick she is. The emperor bothered himself to find such a rare spiritual herb for her? That's too good to be true.
"What? You can't believe it? We did nothing" The empress dowager chuckles. "Though we're not sure why he snuck out of the palace last night just to get the herb. Just be grateful that we have the flower now. You'll be able to recover soon."Download Novelah App
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