BLPSG Chapter 99

Fortunately, Xie Bufeng hadn’t said these words in public.

 

Wen Qingci paused, then slowly shook his head.

 

“What is it, beloved?”

 

Wen Qingci squinted, looking through the gaps in the magnolia branches.

 

His voice was as gentle and calm as always, but his tone was exceptionally firm: “In matters of medicine, I will not make mistakes.”

 

“So Your Majesty likely won’t have the opportunity to become a degenerate ruler.”

 

Wen Qingci’s eyes were like drops of ink, deep as a hidden pool.

 

All his usual emotions were concealed beneath those dark eyes.

 

In this moment, the sunlight, fragmented by the magnolia branches, poured into Wen Qingci’s eyes.

 

It instantly illuminated those eyes, creating tiny flecks of light.

 

The long hair slipped from Xie Bufeng’s fingers, falling back onto Wen Qingci’s shoulders.

 

Xie Bufeng saw Wen Qingci lower his gaze and smile again.

 

“Besides, I must intervene in General Anping’s case,” the dazzling sunlight made Wen Qingci’s eyelashes tremble slightly. “If I don’t save him, no one else in the world can.”

 

As he spoke, his pale face seemed to gain a bit of color.

 

Such words from anyone else would have sounded arrogant.

 

But coming from him, they seemed as natural as stating a simple fact.

 

*

 

For the previous twenty years, “medicine” had been the sole focus of Wen Qingci’s life.

 

After deciding on the surgery date, he buried himself in books all day.

 

Repeatedly calculating the dosage of anesthetic.

 

He pushed the emperor far aside.

 

He almost banished Xie Bufeng back to the couch where he used to sleep.

 

The five days passed exceptionally quickly.

 

In the blink of an eye, it was the day appointed with General Anping.

 

Wen Qingci, along with Song Junran and several other physicians, left the palace under the watchful eye of Chief Physician Yu Guanlin, taking a carriage to the General’s mansion.

 

The area around General Anping’s mansion was still heavily guarded, just as before.

 

Commoners who had heard the news gathered in nearby streets, whispering in small groups.

 

Wen Qingci had kept his eyes closed to rest in the carriage.

 

Only upon entering General Anping’s mansion did he slowly open them.

 

“Physician Wen, everything has been prepared as requested,” the physician led Wen Qingci into the newly prepared “operating room.”

 

In the Wei dynasty, beds were typically placed against walls, with wide surfaces and frames.

 

This was very inconvenient for surgery.

 

Over the past few days, while preparing at the Imperial Medical Bureau, Wen Qingci had commissioned a new bed based on his drawings.

 

The newly crafted wooden bed was only about half a meter wide, barely enough for one person to lie on, and slightly higher than a normal bed.

 

This made it easier for doctors to work from both sides without having to bend over and struggle to reach the patient.

 

General Anping’s household had specially cleared out an empty room, with the bed placed in the center.

 

In addition, the windows had been significantly enlarged, and the decorative lattice screens that previously blocked light had been completely removed.

 

Upon entering, Wen Qingci sterilized the silver surgical forceps over fire while asking Huo Yike, who had been waiting there: “How long has the General been fasting?”

 

“In response to Physician Wen, it has been six hours already.”

 

“Good,” Wen Qingci placed the instruments on a metal tray and turned to instruct Huo Yike, “You will be responsible for monitoring General Anping’s breathing and pulse, and reporting these data to the physician behind you, who will record them in the medical journal.”

 

“Yes!”

 

Everyone had witnessed what happened in Lianhe.

 

Now, no one could deny that Wen Qingci’s theories were highly effective in dealing with epidemics.

 

But… cutting open the abdomen to remove organs was still too extreme for most people.

 

Not all imperial physicians stood on Wen Qingci’s side.

 

Unlike Yu Guanlin, whose attitude was always ambiguous and who tended to mediate,

 

the older physicians openly expressed their lack of understanding.

 

Some younger physicians also remained skeptical.

 

Wen Qingci could have silenced these voices with his authority as Chief Imperial Physician and Hanlin Scholar, but he chose not to.

 

The physicians Wen Qingci brought to General Anping’s mansion today were all volunteers.

 

Most of them had been to Lianhe.

 

All pre-surgery preparations were complete, and General Anping had taken the pill that put him into a deep sleep.

 

Confirming everything was ready, Wen Qingci took a deep breath, slowly turned to exchange a glance with Song Junran, then nodded to indicate he was prepared.

 

Wen Qingci’s left hand was fine for holding a brush, but holding a knife was particularly difficult.

 

This surgery required using hooks to pull back the liver, so Song Junran had to assist.

 

“Let’s begin, Senior Brother.”

 

“All right.”

 

It was noon, and the dazzling sunlight filled the room, perfectly illuminating the space.

 

Wen Qingci took the silver knife in his right hand and slowly made an oblique incision below the right upper abdominal costal margin of General Anping.

 

The smell of blood instantly filled the room.

 

Despite their mental preparation, everyone, including Song Junran, couldn’t help but furrow their brows at that moment.

 

Wen Qingci, however, remained expressionless, occasionally giving instructions to Song Junran to pull back the liver and rectus abdominis as he had described.

 

“Bring the gauze over and place it here.”

 

“Yes.” The prepared physician immediately followed instructions, placing warm salt-water gauze on the wound.

 

Though his response was prompt, his hands still trembled slightly from nervousness.

 

“It’s all right,” Wen Qingci reassured him in a calm voice, “There isn’t much bleeding, no major obstacles for now.”

 

This was Wen Qingci’s first surgery in this era, and it was extremely significant.

 

Though he was nervous inside, he showed no sign of it.

 

Because of Wen Qingci’s composure, others in the room also relaxed considerably.

 

Besides medicine, the Valley of Divine Physicians was also known in the martial world for hidden weapons and lightness skills.

 

Though Wen Qingci’s fingers lacked strength, they were extremely dexterous.

 

After completing these steps, the field of vision finally became clear. Wen Qingci gently lifted the gallbladder with his instruments and began the crucial removal.

 

…

 

The atmosphere in the room was tense.

 

In General Anping’s household, everyone was kneeling in the prayer hall.

 

The General’s wife had been kowtowing continuously since the surgery began.

 

She repeatedly recited sutras, praying for safety and success.

 

Seeing no sound from the room for so long, Zhan Mingjiang, kneeling before the Buddha statue, couldn’t help but turn hesitantly to look at the person beside him.

 

“Mother, it’s been so long without any news, do you think…”

 

“Mingjiang, don’t speak nonsense,” the General’s wife, hands clasped in prayer and eyes closed, shook her head gently. After a pause, she opened her eyes and said softly, “With Physician Wen there, nothing will go wrong.”

 

Though she spoke these words, her voice was still hoarse with tension.

 

“…Yes, Mother.” Zhan Mingjiang pressed his lips together and once again kowtowed deeply before the Buddha statue.

 

At this moment, it wasn’t just those inside General Anping’s mansion who were anxious.

 

The crowd gathered outside was even more on edge.

 

Whispers spread throughout the open space outside the mansion.

 

“How long did they say it would take?”

 

“I think they said less than an hour.”

 

“So it should be almost done?”

 

“Yes…”

 

In the room, two sheets of paper recording pulse and heartbeat were already filled.

 

Huo Yike once again placed his hand on General Anping’s wrist.

 

Though not as nervous as before, the cold sweat on his palms still reminded him that today’s challenge was no small matter.

 

In the intervals between recording data, he couldn’t help but look up at Wen Qingci.

 

Still dressed in narrow-sleeved white robes, his expression remained unchanged.

 

But after an hour, Wen Qingci’s face was much paler than at the beginning, and even his lips had lost their color.

 

…Physician Wen’s health was poor.

 

Seeing this, Huo Yike’s heart tightened with concern.

 

Song Junran, standing beside Wen Qingci, had been gritting his teeth for some time.

 

Everyone was silently watching Wen Qingci.

 

Unlike them, Wen Qingci had no time to think about or worry over his own condition.

 

In his world, there were only the warm organs and the silver knife in his hand.

 

Cold sweat beaded on Wen Qingci’s forehead, but those ink-black eyes remained calm.

 

“Bring the silver tray.” His clear but somewhat tired voice broke the silence in the room.

 

Finally, the diseased organ had been cut out!

 

The physician standing behind Wen Qingci’s heart leaped, and he immediately stepped forward with the silver tray to receive it.

 

“Change the needle.”

 

“Yes!”

 

The room, which had been deathly quiet, suddenly came alive again.

 

Until now, General Anping’s pulse had remained stable.

 

Joy instantly shone in the eyes of the surrounding physicians.

 

But Wen Qingci, performing the surgery, remained completely unaffected by the emotions around him.

 

He meticulously sutured the gallbladder bed with silver needles.

 

Only after confirming there was no bleeding from the organs did he begin the final steps of closing the abdomen and suturing the skin.

 

Finally, according to the calculated dosage, he administered the antidote to the anesthetic to General Anping.

 

“Cough, cough… In about two incense sticks’ time, the General will regain consciousness,” Wen Qingci instructed a physician beside him. “During this period, remember to continue checking his pulse. When he wakes up, talk to him, don’t let him fall back asleep.”

 

“Yes, Physician Wen.” The physician quickly nodded, recording Wen Qingci’s instructions.

 

Cold sweat dripped from Wen Qingci’s forehead onto his arm.

 

His body was now cold and without strength, but he still softly repeated the key point of the final step: “The wound can be cleaned now.”

 

The moment he put down the silver needle at the end of the surgery, overwhelming fatigue finally swept over Wen Qingci.

 

“…It succeeded?!”

 

“General Anping’s pulse is still stable!”

 

Before he could feel any joy,

 

the sounds around him suddenly became incredibly distant.

 

Wen Qingci involuntarily stepped back, staggering and nearly falling to the ground.

 

“Physician Wen?”

 

Hearing the concerned voices around him, Wen Qingci didn’t have time to wave his hand to tell them he was fine before he completely lost consciousness and collapsed heavily.

 

Thankfully, thankfully he had held on until now.

 

-As he fainted, Wen Qingci couldn’t help but feel grateful in his heart.

 

——————————

 

Wen Qingci vaguely sensed something cool on his forehead.

 

It seemed someone had placed a water-soaked silk handkerchief there.

 

His movements were very careful; after placing the handkerchief, he gently held Wen Qingci’s hand.

 

The person’s fingers were long and strong, with a thin layer of calluses on the palm, likely from wielding a sword.

 

Sword…

 

Wen Qingci’s thoughts gradually became clearer.

 

The person holding his hand was Xie Bufeng.

 

Realizing this, Wen Qingci tried to move his right hand, wanting to return the grip.

 

In his half-conscious state, Wen Qingci had almost no strength.

 

No matter how hard he tried, his fingers only bent slightly.

 

But Xie Bufeng immediately tightened his grip on Wen Qingci’s palm.

 

Then, the sounds around him became noisy.

 

“…He’s awake, he’s fine. He was just overexerted and suffered some heatstroke. He’ll be better after some rest.”

 

“How long?”

 

“Uh, about three hours, I think.”

 

That was Song Junran’s voice.

 

Before he could think more, Wen Qingci once again sank heavily into unconsciousness.

 

When he woke again, he smelled a sweet fragrance.

 

Wen Qingci opened his eyes groggily to see-above him, a light blue bed canopy embroidered with orchids, looking somewhat unfamiliar.

 

This wasn’t the Imperial Medical Bureau?

 

After a moment, Wen Qingci finally remembered that he was in Wangtan Garden.

 

This was the residence the former emperor had bestowed upon him.

 

Wangtan Garden was very conveniently located, not far from the General’s mansion.

 

The only regret was that it wasn’t very large.

 

Lying in the bedroom, Wen Qingci faintly heard the voices of commoners outside the courtyard.

 

…They seemed to be celebrating something.

 

And the sweet fragrance in the room was coming from a small bowl on the table.

 

“Awake?” Song Junran’s voice suddenly came from the doorway.

 

“Cough, cough… Senior Brother.”

 

Only after speaking did Wen Qingci realize his voice was somewhat hoarse.

 

Song Junran came over and placed his hand on Wen Qingci’s forehead, paused for a few seconds, then said, “The fever’s gone down. Looks like my timing was quite accurate.”

 

He immediately brought over water that had been cooling nearby and slowly helped Wen Qingci drink it.

 

After a cup of warm water, Wen Qingci’s dry, painful throat gradually recovered.

 

Though his forehead still stung a bit, his thoughts were becoming clearer.

 

He couldn’t help but look behind Song Junran.

 

…Where was Xie Bufeng?

 

Noticing his junior’s gaze, Song Junran couldn’t help but click his tongue and ask, “What, looking for Xie Bufeng?”

 

“…Yes.”

 

“I sent him to the kitchen,” at this, Song Junran couldn’t help but laugh. “I heard that in previous years, you always took care of him and cooked for him. It’s only fair he returns the favor.”

 

Wen Qingci finally realized that the sweet soup on the table was made by Xie Bufeng.

 

“Why make this?” Wen Qingci’s voice was still a bit hoarse.

 

He vaguely recognized it as peach gum, white fungus, and pineapple sweet soup.

 

This soup was popular around Songxiu Manor and quite complicated to make.

 

Wen Qingci had only tried it once and never again due to its excessive sweetness.

 

This time, Wen Qingci clearly saw the words “revenge is sweet” written all over Song Junran’s face: “Naturally, I had someone tell him that you’ve loved this since childhood and ate it every day in the valley.”

 

Xie Bufeng had no culinary skills. Song Junran had thought he would just make a token effort.

 

Unexpectedly, not long after being sent to the kitchen, Xie Bufeng had a servant come ask what Wen Qingci’s favorite childhood food was.

 

It looks like he was going to take it seriously.

 

With the mindset of making trouble for Xie Bufeng, Song Junran told the servant that “peach gum, white fungus, and pineapple sweet soup” was the answer.

 

Thanks to this, Xie Bufeng didn’t realize Song Junran was deliberately messing with him.

 

As they spoke, another set of footsteps came from outside the room.

 

…It was Xie Bufeng.

 

Outside the palace, Xie Bufeng still wore simple black clothes, his slightly curly black hair tied high on his head.

 

At first glance… it was like returning to the old days.

 

And in Xie Bufeng’s hands was a small bowl.

 

Seeing the smile lingering on Song Junran’s face and worried his senior brother would give himself away, before Xie Bufeng could even stand still, Wen Qingci forced himself to sit up and changed the topic away from the soup, “Cough, cough… Your Majesty, when are we returning to the palace?” he asked softly.

 

Sure enough, Song Junran immediately frowned: “Though your body fortunately has no major problems and you don’t need to lie down anymore, you can’t handle more strain. Just rest here today, why go back?”

 

His expression was very serious, clearly having forgotten about the sweet soup.

 

Xie Bufeng slowly sat on the edge of the bed, set down the bowl, and helped the person struggling to sit up.

 

Wen Qingci finally saw clearly that the bowl contained mung bean soup to relieve summer heat.

 

“Rest well, we’ll talk about returning to the palace tomorrow,” Xie Bufeng’s tone left no room for discussion. “Let’s eat first.”

 

His expression was exceptionally calm; if Song Junran hadn’t mentioned it, Wen Qingci would never have guessed that both bowls of soup on the table were made by Xie Bufeng himself.

 

“His Majesty is right,” seeing this, Song Junran remembered his masterpiece again and couldn’t help raising his eyebrows, saying, “Junior Brother, try it first, you’ve loved it since you were little…”

 

Why did he bring this up again!

 

“Senior Brother-” worried that Song Junran would let his thoughts run wild and expose the fact that he had tricked Xie Bufeng, Wen Qingci immediately interrupted him, “Cough, cough… could you, could you step out for a moment?”

 

Song Junran was stunned: “Why?”

 

At this, even Xie Bufeng looked over with slight confusion.

 

Wen Qingci’s gaze quickly swept across the room, then slowly settled on the bowl of peach gum sweet soup.

 

He bit his lip, slowly closed his eyes, and said: “Because… because my hands are too weak to lift anything.”

 

“So I need His Majesty to help me… help me hold the soup.”

 

After saying this, Wen Qingci’s face instantly turned bright red.

 

It was embarrassing, truly embarrassing.

 

Though he really couldn’t lift anything, if he waited a bit longer, sitting at the table to eat wouldn’t have been a problem.

 

But to quickly get Song Junran out of the room, Wen Qingci had no choice.

 

Song Junran immediately widened his eyes.

 

[What’s going on!]

 

[What love potion has Xie Bufeng given my junior brother?]

 

As Wen Qingci finished speaking, a smile suddenly appeared on Xie Bufeng’s face.

 

He gently helped Wen Qingci sit properly, then stood up and went to the table to pick up the sweet soup.

 

At the same time, he didn’t forget to ask Song Junran in a deep voice: “Is there something else Master Song wishes to see?”

 

With that, he called a servant to escort the “tired Master Song” to his room.

 

In the blink of an eye, only the two of them remained in the room.

 

Sitting on the bed, Wen Qingci finally let out a long sigh of relief.

 

But before he could relax, Xie Bufeng walked over with the perfectly warm sweet soup.

 

Dressed in black, Xie Bufeng tucked Wen Qingci’s stray hair behind his ear.

 

Then, stirring the peach gum soup with a spoon, he said softly: “Your Senior Brother said you’ve loved this soup since childhood.”

 

At this moment, the distance between them was too close, and Xie Bufeng’s deliberately slowed voice, combined with the clinking sound of the spoon against the porcelain bowl, sounded particularly dangerous.

 

Wen Qingci paused, about to nod when he heard Xie Bufeng say: “But as far as I know, you don’t like such sweet things. Even in magnolia flower porridge, you only add honey.”

 

…Xie Bufeng loved Wen Qingci and had memorized all his preferences and tastes.

 

He didn’t even need to hear Song Junran’s thoughts to guess that the other was deliberately deceiving him.

 

“Then…” Then why did Your Majesty listen to Song Junran?

 

Before Wen Qingci could finish, his words were interrupted by Xie Bufeng’s actions.

 

Something soft gently pressed against him.

 

His tongue first felt a sting, then was filled with the sweet taste of pineapple.

 

Their breaths instantly intertwined.

 

Mindful of Wen Qingci’s condition, this kiss, carrying the fragrance of pineapple, was gentler than ever before.

 

Xie Bufeng gently held Wen Qingci in his arms, turning to kiss every corner tenderly.

 

The sweet taste gradually enveloped them both…

 

Wen Qingci’s thoughts instantly became a mess.

 

So Xie Bufeng had turned the tables, making this soup with this purpose in mind?

 

The emperor of Wei truly never made a losing deal!

 

*

 

After Xie Bufeng’s ascension, Yongdu no longer had a night curfew.

 

At night, the streets were full of people, creating a bustling scene like a market in the sky.

 

Wen Qingci rested well for several more hours, and by the time of the Dog Hour (7-9 PM), he had finally recovered.

 

Having lain in bed half the day, he wasn’t sleepy, so he decided to walk out of Wangtan Garden with Xie Bufeng.

 

It had started raining lightly again.

 

Xie Bufeng used the umbrella to shield both of them.

 

Wen Qingci’s body hadn’t fully recovered, so they didn’t go far, stopping at the alley entrance outside Wangtan Garden.

 

Wen Qingci saw-painted palace lanterns illuminating the entire street, and the large open space was filled with vendors selling trinkets.

 

The street was bustling with activity, extraordinarily lively.

 

Not far away, people gathered around a man dressed as a storyteller, who was animatedly recounting what had happened at the General’s mansion that morning:

 

“…That Physician Wen is truly miraculous! They say that less than an hour after removing the gallbladder, the General woke up! Apart from some lingering pain at the incision site, he had no other discomfort whatsoever.”

 

“I have a good friend who serves in the General’s mansion, and according to him… at that time, there were frequent strange phenomena at the General’s residence.” The storyteller dramatically lowered his voice.

 

After the crowd gasped, he stroked his beard and continued: “Now everyone says that Physician Wen is a divine medical immortal who has descended from heaven to undergo his tribulation!”

 

Hearing this, Wen Qingci finally couldn’t help but laugh.

 

“How can it be so exaggerated? I was at the General’s mansion today, and I didn’t see any strange phenomena.”

 

People of this era connected everything they did with tales of ghosts and gods.

 

Though Wen Qingci had grown accustomed to it, hearing such talk still made him laugh.

 

At the same time, his cheeks flushed from the praise.

 

Unexpectedly, Xie Bufeng didn’t respond to his words, but instead gradually tightened his grip on Wen Qingci’s palm.

 

Xie Bufeng’s strength was particularly great, making Wen Qingci frown: “Your Majesty, what’s wrong?”

 

On Yongdu’s long street, fine rain fell like flower needles.

 

Everything was hidden behind clouds and mist…

 

Xie Bufeng lowered his gaze to look at Wen Qingci.

 

The rain and mist made Wen Qingci’s features appear even more gentle and otherworldly. Having just regained consciousness from his faint, his lips had no color.

 

Only the cinnabar mark on his forehead glowed a striking red.

 

He looked no different from an immortal in a shrine.

 

Xie Bufeng gently shook his head: “I was thinking, my beloved… could you truly be an immortal who has come to undergo tribulation?”

 

After speaking, he held the umbrella with one hand and tightly embraced Wen Qingci with the other.

 

Xie Bufeng murmured: “I fear that after your tribulation is complete, you’ll leave me behind, just like in those stories…”

 

His voice revealed deep insecurity.

 

As if he truly feared Wen Qingci might drift away from his embrace.

 

From the corner of his eye, while holding the umbrella, Wen Qingci suddenly noticed-there was a broken blister on Xie Bufeng’s palm.

 

He wasn’t very skilled at cooking; this blister must have formed while he was making the soup earlier.

 

Wen Qingci’s heart ached at the sight, and he suddenly understood.

 

…Though Xie Bufeng had guessed Song Junran was deceiving him, he still worried he might be wrong-worried that Wen Qingci truly liked that soup. Because of that one percent possibility, he had willingly made it anyway.

 

Wen Qingci suddenly felt a tightness in his nose.

 

“I won’t leave. I certainly won’t leave,” Wen Qingci said, his voice thick with emotion.

 

He slowly raised his right hand, awkwardly returning Xie Bufeng’s embrace, patting his back as if to comfort him.

 

The next moment, a tear fell from the corner of Wen Qingci’s eye, even as he smiled.

 

“You promise…”

 

On the bustling streets of Yongdu,

 

Only a paper umbrella separated them from the surrounding crowd.

 

“I definitely promise.”

 

Under the cover of the umbrella, Wen Qingci gently wiped his tears on Xie Bufeng’s shoulder, then suddenly stood on tiptoe, held his breath, and carefully placed a kiss on the corner of Xie Bufeng’s lips.

 

Like a small butterfly, gently landing on his lips.

 

 

 

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(advanced chapters available on kofi)