BLPSG Chapter 97

With his face covered in red, Wen Qingci simply closed his eyes.

 

He let Xie Bufeng hold both his hands and guide him to the center of the bedroom.

 

“Do you know what I went to do just now, beloved?”

 

Xie Bufeng’s temperament, hardened by thirteen years in the imperial mausoleum, had grown a tough shell.

 

He was best at hiding gentleness beneath it.

 

But at this moment, Xie Bufeng did his best to speak to Wen Qingci in the softest tone.

 

“…What did Your Majesty do?” Wen Qingci asked, only to find his own voice was slightly hoarse.

 

The man beside him gently stroked Wen Qingci’s wrist and said softly, “I just went to the Imperial Astronomer to ask for an auspicious date.”

 

Xie Bufeng liked to rub Wen Qingci’s wrist, feel his pulse, kiss his neck… and seek anything that proved Wen Qingci was alive.

 

“Today is the closest auspicious day,” he said.

 

Xie Bufeng wanted so badly to keep Wen Qingci, to have him by his side, he couldn’t wait another moment.

 

Wen Qingci suddenly laughed softly.

 

His eyes were still closed, but he could almost see Xie Bufeng hurrying to the Astronomer at night, face cold, voice calm, saying all this.

 

But as he laughed, his nose suddenly stung with emotion.

 

…In the past, Wen Qingci would never have imagined that the always skeptical Xie Bufeng would one day go to the Astronomer for him in the middle of the night.

 

In the silence, Xie Bufeng’s hand slowly slipped under the veil, brushing over Wen Qingci’s cheek and finally stopping at his lips.

 

He whispered, “I already married you over a year ago. But you weren’t there, so some things were left unfinished.”

 

Xie Bufeng’s voice was deliberately low, gentle but with an unmistakable undertone of danger.

 

As if softly complaining to Wen Qingci.

 

“…W-what?” Wen Qingci asked.

 

“You haven’t shared nuptial wine with me, nor entered the bridal chamber.”

 

Xie Bufeng deliberately slowed his words, and as he said “bridal chamber,” his fingers brushed over Wen Qingci’s lips.

 

The next second-

 

Wen Qingci’s eyes fluttered open.

 

The hand on his cheek slid to his shoulder, while the other arm lifted him up securely.

 

“Ah!”

 

With a soft gasp, Wen Qingci realized he was already sitting in Xie Bufeng’s lap, carried to the bedside.

 

A sky-blue jade ruyi gently lifted the bridal veil.

 

Xie Bufeng’s movements were more careful than ever before.

 

The bright red silk slipped delicately from the jade ruyi.

 

Wen Qingci couldn’t help but squint; when he opened his eyes again, he saw-at some point, Xie Bufeng had changed out of his dark robes and put on a red wedding robe.

 

The emperor, ruler of all, was half-kneeling before him, using the jade ruyi to lift the veil.

 

There was no lively ceremony, no ornate attire or canopies, no palace music or drums.

 

Even the wedding robes were the simplest, plain red garments with no embroidery.

 

Everything was so simple, so at odds with the grandeur of Taishu Palace.

 

But Wen Qingci didn’t mind.

 

All he could hear was his and Xie Bufeng’s soft breathing.

 

Xie Bufeng looked both cautious and nervous.

 

In those pale amber eyes, there was only Wen Qingci’s reflection-so earnest, so focused.

 

He slowly took the nuptial wine from the table and handed one cup to Wen Qingci.

 

“My beloved, drink half first, then we’ll cross arms and finish the rest together,” Xie Bufeng instructed seriously.

 

His expression was both solemn and a little stern, but it was clear he’d just learned this process from elsewhere.

 

Seeing this, Wen Qingci couldn’t help but smile.

 

“All right.” He nodded gently, took a sip, and let Xie Bufeng entwine their arms.

 

The wine in the jade cup had a faint fragrance; it was smooth, not burning.

 

But whether it was because he hadn’t drunk in so long, or because of the atmosphere, as soon as he swallowed, Wen Qingci felt his body warming and his thoughts growing hazy.

 

He sat at the bedside, obediently letting Xie Bufeng help him change from moon-white robes into red, and then guide him into the bed curtains.

 

The candle outside the bed flickered.

 

Everything before his eyes seemed to return to that night years ago in Changyuan Town.

 

But this time, Wen Qingci knew Xie Bufeng was fully awake.

 

The bedroom dimmed.

 

At some point, rain began to fall outside the window again.

 

Everything was hidden behind the curtain of rain.

 

*

 

Wen Qingci’s biological clock was always precise, but that morning he didn’t open his eyes until the sun was high.

 

The bed curtains were still drawn; the room was dim.

 

But the birdsong outside, together with the swaying curtain in the morning breeze, slowly roused Wen Qingci.

 

Though Xie Bufeng still had some poison left in his body, his constitution was far stronger than Wen Qingci’s.

 

…To him, Wen Qingci really was like a dandelion, blown apart by the gentlest breeze.

 

Catching sight of the bruises on his own ankle, Wen Qingci’s ears buzzed.

 

Scenes from last night flashed through his mind.

 

Now fully awake, Wen Qingci tried to get up, but was stopped by Xie Bufeng.

 

“My beloved, don’t move,” Xie Bufeng kissed the top of Wen Qingci’s head and said in a slightly hoarse voice, “Sleep a little longer. I’ve already gone to the Imperial Medical Bureau and asked for leave for you.”

 

“…Cough, leave?” Wen Qingci realized his voice was already hoarse beyond recognition.

 

And Xie Bufeng had gone in person?

 

Understanding what he meant, Wen Qingci was now completely awake.

 

When he left the bureau last evening, he’d told Xie Bufeng there was no need to take a detour-just return to the small courtyard together.

 

…Which meant, today everyone at the Imperial Medical Bureau knew Xie Bufeng had stayed here last night.

 

And Wen Qingci just happened to take leave today.

 

Wen Qingci: “…”

 

There was really no way to explain this now.

 

In the end, Xie Bufeng even boldly lowered his head, nuzzled Wen Qingci’s cinnabar mark, and whispered in his ear, “The Wei dynasty’s wedding leave is five days. You can still rest with me for four more.”

 

When Xie Bufeng first ascended the throne, he’d changed the officials’ leave policy.

 

At the time, hopeless, he’d never imagined Wen Qingci would still be alive.

 

He’d almost cut wedding leave down to three days.

 

Now, he was a little grateful-and a little regretful: he should have granted even more days.

 

…Wait a minute.

 

After a moment’s silence, Wen Qingci suddenly caught a key detail in Xie Bufeng’s words.

 

What did he mean by “rest with him”?

 

“Your Majesty, did you attend court today?” Wen Qingci asked, not expecting much.

 

Sure enough, Xie Bufeng replied calmly and confidently, “Of course, I took leave as well.”

 

Xie Bufeng might be criticized for his private life, but as emperor, he was always diligent.

 

Except for the days when his poisoning was at its worst, he had never missed morning court.

 

Now, not just the Imperial Medical Bureau-

 

All of Yongdu had probably guessed most of what happened last night.

 

Wen Qingci, being half a modern man, wasn’t rigid.

 

But he was still introverted and low-key by nature.

 

Completely different from Xie Bufeng, who could bring a coffin home before the eyes of thousands without batting an eye.

 

Thinking of all this, Wen Qingci turned over and buried his face in the pillow, giving up on any further conversation.

 

A soft laugh came from behind him.

 

Not only was Xie Bufeng not angry, he even gently began to massage Wen Qingci’s waist.

 

“You’ve been in Yongdu for years, but haven’t really seen the city, have you?”

 

“These next few days, I’ll take you out of the palace for a walk, how about it?” Xie Bufeng’s tone was unusually relaxed, and full of anticipation.

 

 

“…And the ceremonial robes for the She Festival need to be measured and tailored too.”

 

Wen Qingci had never known Xie Bufeng could be so talkative.

 

Just as he couldn’t say how long last night had gone on for.

 

All Wen Qingci knew was that even though it was already noon, he was still exhausted…

 

Well, what’s done is done.

 

Thinking this, Wen Qingci finally gave up and closed his eyes.

 

At first, Xie Bufeng was still properly massaging him.

 

But before long, that hand grew restless.

 

Xie Bufeng was just in his early twenties and had suppressed his desires for years; everything before had only made him want more, not less.

 

Suddenly, Wen Qingci opened his eyes, wanting to escape the man behind him.

 

“Your Majesty, that’s enough, I…I need to go bathe.”

 

“No need,” Xie Bufeng’s fingers slid across Wen Qingci’s waist as he replied softly, “I already cleaned you thoroughly last night.”

 

Xie Bufeng’s tone was as calm as ever.

 

But Wen Qingci, understanding the implication, felt his ears burn at such seriousness.

 

This small courtyard’s bedroom was cramped; usually, bathing meant going to the neighboring courtyard.

 

…Last night, halfway through, Wen Qingci had fainted.

 

He had no idea what happened after that.

 

Did Xie Bufeng carry him next door?

 

As if reading his thoughts, Xie Bufeng finally reached out and drew back the bed curtains.

 

Through the gap, Wen Qingci saw-in the center of the room, where the screen used to be, there was now a huge bath barrel.

 

Xie Bufeng pressed a kiss to Wen Qingci’s shoulder and said softly, “From now on, you don’t need to go to the other courtyard to bathe. This way, you won’t catch a chill.”

 

Xie Bufeng never liked having others around him.

 

That bath barrel was most likely brought in by him in the middle of the night.

 

So, not only did Xie Bufeng make him faint last night, he even did other things while he was out?

 

Thinking of this, Wen Qingci suddenly felt a little afraid of the man beside him…

 

——————————

 

Wen Qingci was kept by Xie Bufeng, lazing in the small courtyard for a whole day.

 

He didn’t step outside the courtyard even once.

 

Though Xie Bufeng had gotten Wen Qingci leave, he still stubbornly appeared in the front courtyard of the Imperial Medical Bureau the next morning.

 

And the emperor, who wanted to keep following like a shadow, was stopped halfway.

 

Wen Qingci was bundled up tightly, sitting behind his desk.

 

He was secretly glad that it was already early autumn, and the weather had cooled after several rains.

 

Even wearing a high-collared robe wouldn’t seem odd.

 

The side hall was especially quiet today; only Huo Yike stood by Wen Qingci, holding a casebook: “Physician Wen, do you remember that patient from last time? The one with ‘gallbladder heat and stones entrenched.’” he asked.

 

Wen Qingci nodded slowly. “I remember. What about him?”

 

“Ah… The patient is General Anping. After using your prescription, the pain stopped quickly. But as you said, it was only a temporary fix-his pain keeps coming back, and now he even has trouble eating. It’s really tormenting him.” Huo Yike looked worried.

 

General Anping was one of the great generals guarding the northern border.

 

He couldn’t leave his post, but this time he’d returned to Yongdu for treatment.

 

If this illness couldn’t be cured, he might never return to the battlefield.

 

Most importantly, in this era, even minor illnesses could be deadly, let alone this one.

 

Wen Qingci had diagnosed it as cholecystitis.

 

If not treated in time, the gallbladder could become suppurative, perforate, and even threaten his life.

 

The best method was as Wen Qingci had suggested: remove the gallbladder.

 

After Huo Yike finished, Wen Qingci nodded.

 

He had proposed a solution but never forced anyone to follow it.

 

After all, most people in this era found the idea hard to accept.

 

…but judging by Huo Yike’s expression, it seemed General Anping had made up his mind?

 

Sure enough, the young physician across from him bit his lip and said, “General Anping said that if there’s no other way, he’s willing to try.”

 

General Anping was one of Xie Bufeng’s men.

 

Not from an aristocratic family, he’d fought his way up from the bottom.

 

Such men weren’t afraid of death, nor of taking risks.

 

What they feared most was living a cowardly life.

 

Most importantly, he’d seen countless comrades lose arms and legs on the battlefield.

 

To General Anping, if it meant survival, losing a small gallbladder was no big deal.

 

At first, Wen Qingci’s suggestion had seemed absurd, but as his illness worsened, General Anping resolved to take the gamble.

 

“Very well,” Wen Qingci closed the casebook, “then tomorrow, take me to visit General Anping.”

 

As he spoke, Wen Qingci’s expression grew serious.

 

Gallbladder removal surgery is common in modern times, and has been for over a century.

 

But in this era, it was unheard of.

 

Wen Qingci hadn’t expected someone would be willing to try so soon.

 

He wasn’t quite mentally prepared himself.

 

But no matter what… Wen Qingci had to see General Anping as soon as possible to assess his condition.

 

Then he could make concrete plans.

 

“Yes, Physician Wen!” Huo Yike nodded at once, committing the instructions to memory.

 

After speaking, he asked Wen Qingci a few more questions, then hurriedly left the palace to visit General Anping.

 

The young physician’s figure disappeared.

 

Only when he was alone in the side hall did Wen Qingci remember… he and Xie Bufeng still had four days of leave.

 

A sense of guilt suddenly arose in his heart, and he began to consider how he should make it up to him.

 

*

 

The autumn rain fell again.

 

This time, though Xie Bufeng didn’t come along,

 

remembering yesterday’s awkward scene, no one had come to disturb Wen Qingci except for Huo Yike, who truly had urgent business.

 

Xie Bufeng still had some residual poison in his body.

 

Wen Qingci simply sat alone in the hall, looking through medical books while researching the proportions for the next medicine.

 

He wrote and sketched continuously on paper.

 

On a rainy day, the sky was dim.

 

It was hard to tell what time it was.

 

After reading for who knows how long, Wen Qingci suddenly heard a light sound.

 

Someone was knocking on the wooden door outside.

 

“…Senior Brother?” Upon seeing who was outside, Wen Qingci instinctively put down his brush and stood up.

 

But as soon as he rose, the soreness throughout his body nearly forced him back down.

 

Wen Qingci pressed his lips together and forced himself to stand straight.

 

“Mm.” Song Junran, dressed in blue, put down his umbrella and walked in.

 

He looked Wen Qingci up and down.

 

Finally, he said somewhat irritably, “What? Xie Bufeng lets me into the Imperial Medical Bureau, and you don’t even think to come find your Senior Brother?” He tossed his umbrella aside.

 

Worried that Song Junran might lure Wen Qingci away again,

 

Xie Bufeng hadn’t allowed him into the Imperial Medical Bureau until today.

 

Wen Qingci brought over a teacup and said, against his conscience, “I was planning to visit you tonight. I didn’t expect you’d come first.”

 

Song Junran clicked his tongue, took the teacup, and casually flipped through Wen Qingci’s notes.

 

After a pause, realizing Wen Qingci was truly going to see General Anping, he began discussing the matter with him.

 

Seeing that Song Junran never mentioned anything about Xie Bufeng, as if he disliked him so much he didn’t even want to bring him up, Wen Qingci finally relaxed a little.

 

He calmed down and drew out the surgical diagram.

 

“It seems you really have planned this out, and weren’t just talking,” even though they’d known each other for years and Song Junran was well aware his junior had dissected many corpses, he couldn’t help but marvel at Wen Qingci’s understanding of human anatomy. “If you need help, just call me.”

 

Song Junran also thought his junior’s idea was somewhat dangerous and extremely unorthodox, but he could never dissuade Wen Qingci from doing what he wanted… especially when it came to medicine.

 

“Of course, I’d never stand on ceremony with Senior Brother,” Wen Qingci smiled.

 

Song Junran smiled back, then his gaze suddenly dropped.

 

After a moment of silence, Song Junran couldn’t help but sigh and shake his head, saying, “…Since you’ve made up your mind, I won’t stop you. Anyway, if anything goes wrong… there’s still Xie Bufeng to back you up.”

 

His voice echoed in the quiet side hall.

 

It reached Wen Qingci’s ears with perfect clarity.

 

Wen Qingci slowly set his brush on the rack beside him and looked at Song Junran in disbelief.

 

…What did Senior Brother just say?

 

Wen Qingci’s heart sank, and his eyes reddened slightly.

 

He viewed Song Junran as his only family.

 

Though the words sounded like a joke, coming from his Senior Brother, they held profound meaning for Wen Qingci…

 

“What’s wrong?” Song Junran avoided Wen Qingci’s gaze and deliberately cleared his throat. “As emperor, can’t he handle even such a simple matter?”

 

These days, though Song Junran hadn’t entered the Imperial Medical Bureau,

 

he knew exactly what Wen Qingci had been doing, and how Xie Bufeng had gradually promoted Wen Qingci’s theories.

 

He thought… though Xie Bufeng was a bit strange, he truly understood his junior.

 

“Ah, you, you,” Song Junran smiled as if remembering something.

 

“Back when they heard you’d snuck out of the valley to dissect corpses, Father nearly died of anger,” Song Junran recalled, squinting. “Do you remember what he said to you then?”

 

Wen Qingci paused, following Song Junran’s words to recall what happened back then.

 

…Though the Valley of Divine Physicians was considered a gray organization in the martial world,

 

it still followed the ethics and propriety of the era.

 

His corpse dissections had caused quite a stir in the martial world at the time.

 

When he returned to the valley, the old valley master was indeed furious, and Song Junran, who was supposed to “watch over” him, was also punished with three days of confinement.

 

“Why aren’t you saying anything? Have you forgotten what happened back then?” Seeing Wen Qingci’s prolonged silence, Song Junran prompted.

 

“No…” Wen Qingci slowly shook his head, saying somewhat sheepishly, “Father said that since I was so prone to causing trouble, unless I found a bigger backer, I’d eventually get into serious trouble?”

 

“Exactly.”

 

Song Junran shook his head resignedly, “The old man’s spirit probably never imagined you’d actually find yourself the biggest backer of all.”

 

Well, this must be fate.

 

What Shanyu Jian meant to Wen Qingci needed no explanation.

 

As his senior brother, he knew better than anyone how much Wen Qingci had sacrificed for “Relieving Calamity in the Apricot Grove.”

 

Given the chance to spread his knowledge throughout the Wei dynasty, his junior would certainly not give it up.

 

This matter was bound to be complicated…

 

Having Xie Bufeng as his backer, protecting his junior’s safety, seemed not so bad after all… at least he wouldn’t be hunted down.

 

Heaven knows how nervous everyone in the Valley of Divine Physicians was when Wen Qingci first earned the title “immortal faced demon.”

 

At this moment, Song Junran was desperately trying to console himself.

 

Wen Qingci thought back to those years because of his senior brother’s words. Somewhat embarrassed, he picked up his teacup and took a small sip.

 

Just then, Song Junran suddenly frowned and grabbed Wen Qingci’s wrist.

 

“Your hand.”

 

“Hand?”

 

Wen Qingci followed Song Junran’s gaze downward.

 

…His wide moon-white sleeve had slipped down with his movement.

 

Revealing his pale arm and the marks scattered across it.

 

Song Junran’s gaze swept over his junior brother.

 

After a pause, Song Junran immediately released Wen Qingci’s wrist and instead lifted his long hair to look behind his ear: “Why are there marks here too?”

 

Though he couldn’t see behind his ear, Wen Qingci’s cheeks instantly burned hot.

 

“…!”

 

What was Xie Bufeng thinking?

 

If he said they were insect bites, would his senior brother believe it?

 

Never mind-almost as soon as the thought arose, Wen Qingci suppressed it.

 

Seeing these marks, Song Junran said through gritted teeth: “He knows perfectly well your body is weak, yet Xie Bufeng still dared to… Is he part dog?!”

 

Though he had just reconciled himself to the situation, murderous intent now rose in Song Junran’s heart.

 

If Xie Bufeng were here, he would certainly hear quite a few colorful phrases from Song Junran’s mind.

 

“Enough, Senior Brother! Say no more.” Wen Qingci quickly pulled down his sleeve and used his hair to hide the marks behind his ear.

 

He had wanted to go out with Song Junran, but after a few seconds realized that his body was still sore and weak, and he couldn’t stand up at all.

 

Worried that Song Junran would notice something else amiss, Wen Qingci had no choice but to lower his voice and say: “Please help me find some ointment to remove these marks.”

 

“Ah…” Song Junran sighed as if disappointed in him, stood up and walked out, muttering, “Xie Bufeng really is something else.”

 

After he left, Wen Qingci finally supported himself on the desk and struggled to his feet.

 

Then he slowly walked toward the large bronze mirror in the corner.

 

-Every official bureau in the Wei dynasty had bronze mirrors for adjusting one’s appearance.

 

But today, Wen Qingci wasn’t using it to fix his clothes.

 

A moon-white figure stood before the large bronze mirror.

 

Wen Qingci slowly looked down at the marks on his arm.

 

After a pause, he finally took a deep breath and undid the top button of his collar.

 

His pale skin was the perfect canvas.

 

Above his collarbone, it looked as if plum blossoms were about to burst through the bone.

 

Vivid and eye-catching.

 

Seeing this, even Wen Qingci, who was mentally prepared, couldn’t help but draw in a sharp breath.

 

This morning he still couldn’t move, so even his clothes had been changed with Xie Bufeng’s help…

 

He had moved so quickly that Wen Qingci had no time to check for anything unusual before his clothes were already on.

 

So only now did Wen Qingci discover what a big “surprise” the other had left him.

 

If Wen Qingci remembered correctly, until before going to sleep last night, these marks hadn’t been on his body.

 

…Had Xie Bufeng done something while he was asleep?

 

The usually ascetic Wen Qingci couldn’t understand for a moment-was it really that hard to resist?

 

“What are you doing, beloved?”

 

Just as Wen Qingci was frowning at the bronze mirror, Xie Bufeng’s voice suddenly sounded behind him, echoing repeatedly in the empty side hall.

 

His gaze fell on the figure in the mirror.

 

Then, he slowly narrowed his eyes.

 

Xie Bufeng’s gaze became particularly dangerous.

 

After a few seconds, he walked in slowly and turned to close the hall door.

 

Though he was clearly the one who had done wrong, Xie Bufeng now appeared more composed than Wen Qingci.

 

Like a predator completely at ease after revealing its true nature.

 

Seeing him approach, Wen Qingci frowned: “I’m naturally checking how many ‘masterpieces’ Your Majesty has left.”

 

The lamps had not yet been lit in the hall.

 

With the door closed, the room became exceptionally dim.

 

The figure in the bronze mirror instantly grew blurry.

 

“Good.”

 

Xie Bufeng silently walked behind Wen Qingci and fixed his gaze on the figure in the mirror.

 

After a pause, he guided Wen Qingci’s hand downward, gently unfastening the second toggle button.

 

He smiled slightly at the reflection in the mirror and lowered his voice, saying from behind Wen Qingci: “I’ll join you.”

 

##

 

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