Shen Qingzhuo was stunned and couldn’t look away for a moment.
He had never seen such a pair of eyes. They were like obsidian that had been immersed in a cold pond all year round. They were beautiful, but without warmth or soul.
“I just carried you in to warm you up.” Shen Qingzhuo explained subconsciously, completely forgetting who was the culprit who caused the dumpling to freeze.
Fortunately, the snowman did not react at all and closed his eyes again.
Maybe he was numb from the cold?
Shen Qingzhuo did not delay any longer and walked into the hall.
There was a touch of azure in the vast white sky and earth, and the flying snowflakes fell lovingly on the three thousand black silks, but the little boy in his arms was never stained by a trace of wind and snow.
Xiao Dezi stared at his Young Master’s figure blankly. It took him a long time to come back to his senses, and he hurriedly trotted to catch up.
Ignoring the strange look from the young eunuch at the door, Shen Qingzhuo stepped into the inner room holding the dumpling and did not forget to instruct Xiao Dezi: “Have someone fetch a bucket of hot water and a bucket of cold water, and find two clean and warm clothes.”
Xiao Dezi: “Yes, Young Master.”
There is an incense heater in the bedroom, the temperature of which is a far cry from the cold outside the palace gate.
Shen Qingzhuo carefully placed the dumpling on the bed and prepared to remove his cotton-padded jacket that was covered with ice.
He doesn’t know since when did the dumpling started wearing this old cotton-padded jacket either. It has turned white from being washed so hard and doesn’t look warm at all. Even an ordinary child’s winter outfit wouldn’t be so shabby.
Shen Qingzhuo let out a light “tsk” and threw the cold and stiff cotton coat to the ground.
The hot water had not been brought in yet, so he lifted the thick quilt on the bed, thought for a moment, then sat on the edge of the bed, held the dumpling in his arms, and wrapped them both in the quilt to keep him warm.
“Young Master, the hot water is here!” After waiting for a while, Xiao Dezi pushed open the door and ordered two young eunuchs to put down the wooden barrel and carry in a larger bathtub. The inner room was immediately filled.
“Pour all the hot water in first, then add cold water.” Shen Qingzhuo sat on the bed and directed them, “Just adjust the water temperature to around 40 degrees. I’ll do it myself.”
Fortunately, he had the common sense to know that if a frostbitten person is soaked in hot water, it will aggravate skin damage. The skin must be quickly rewarmed with warm water at about 40 degrees before subsequent treatment can be carried out.
Shen Qingzhuo lifted a corner of the quilt and was about to put the ball in his arms down, but when he lowered his head, he met the black and white eyes.
For a moment, he seemed to glimpse a chilling murderous intent.
When he blinked again, he realized that those beautiful dark eyes were clearly filled with fear and anxiety.
Not sure if it was because of the cold or fear, Xiao Shen hid back stiffly, his teeth chattering as he spoke: “I didn’t…”
“Your Highness, the punishment is over.” Shen Qingzhuo tried to keep his voice as low as possible and got up from the bed.
He walked to the bathtub, leaned over to add cold water, and patiently tested the water temperature with the back of his hand. When he felt it was about right, he turned around and asked the dumpling for his opinion: “Your Highness, do you want me to hold you, or do you want to do it yourself?”
When he turned around, he saw the dumpling sitting on the bed, clutching the corner of the quilt tightly with both hands, looking at him with a look of surprise and doubt.
Shen Qingzhuo had no choice but to stand where he was and carefully recall the plot of this part in the original book.
In the winter of the twenty-third year of Guangxi, the original owner had been the Seventh Prince’s tutor for less than three months when he gave the dumpling such a “big gift”.
Fortunately, he stopped him from kneeling in the snow in time today, avoiding more serious consequences.
So, when did Xiao Shen start to turn evil?
The book does not describe much about the tyrant’s childhood, nor does it clearly state the time point. He only knows that the Seventh Prince killed someone for the first time when he was sixteen years old and secretly designed to drown the Fourth Prince.
At this time, Xiao Shen was only twelve years old, and it was four years before he committed the murder, so there should still be room for development.
But put yourself in his shoes. If he was the one who had suffered malice and torture for a long time, even if he had not turned evil at this moment, he would certainly not be pure either. He would definitely not be so naive as to believe that the original owner suddenly changed his nature.
The three-foot-thick ice does not form overnight, and the same is true for thawing.
“Xiao Dezi.” Thinking of this, Shen Qingzhuo turned his back and said calmly, “Help His Highness get into the water. If the water gets cold, add hot water. Repeat this process for a quarter of an hour.”
Xiao Dezi responded and walked towards the bed. This time, the dumpling’s resistance was not as strong.
Shen Qingzhuo stepped out of the bedroom.
He waited outside for a while and suddenly remembered that he didn’t know what he looked like now, so he asked the young palace maid to find him a bronze mirror.
The production level of Dayong was similar to that of the Ming Dynasty, and the human figure reflected in the diamond-shaped bronze mirror was quite clear.
The original owner was 19 years old and had not yet been crowned. His long, silky black hair was half tied up, his eyebrows were like ink paintings, his eyes were long and narrow, and the corners of his eyes were slightly upturned. Even the teardrop mole under his eye was exactly the same.
However, the face in the bronze mirror was more delicate and handsome than his original appearance, and there was a hint of sadness between his eyes.
Shen Qingzhuo couldn’t help but feel a strange feeling in his heart. The original owner had the same name and surname as him and even looked so similar. Could this be the reason why the system chose him?
“Young Master, His Highness is ready.” He was lost in thought when Xiao Dezi walked out quickly and reported to him.
“Alright.” Shen Qingzhuo put down the bronze mirror, stood up, and pushed the door open.
As soon as he entered, he saw the child holding onto a solid wooden screen, wearing a white undergarment that was obviously ill-fitting.
Only then did Shen Qingzhuo see the dumpling’s true size. He was short and skinny, and if he curled up, he would probably be just a small ball.
At the same time, Xiao Shen also saw him, and his swollen little hands were holding the screen tightly, as if it were some kind of conditioned reflex engraved in his body.
Shen Qingzhuo calmly walked around the screen and stayed away from the dumpling. “Xiao Dezi, send His Highness back.”
He originally planned to check the dumpling’s body again, but since he was so alert, it would be better to let him go back and rest.
What’s more, being overly eager does not fit in with Shen Qingzhuo’s current personality.
Xiao Dezi replied, “The servant understands.”
With Xiao Dezi’s help, Xiao Shen smoothly put on his cotton coat, but his calves were still trembling, and it was obvious that he could not fully recover in a short time.
Shen Qingzhuo glanced at the furnishings in the room, took a new snow cape from the carved hanger, walked to the dumpling, and put it on him.
Xiao Shen’s whole body was stiff, his thin back was tense, and he was obviously not used to the other party’s sudden tenderness, but he also didn’t dare to break free.
After tidying up his snow cape, he took a step back and said, “Your Highness doesn’t need to come to listen to the lecture these days. Let’s talk again after the snow melts.”
This way, both of them have some buffer time.
Xiao Shen lowered his eyelashes and turned around silently.
Only when the white ball disappeared from his sight did Shen Qingzhuo breathe a sigh of relief.
Is this level barely passed?
But then again, given the harsh environment in the cold palace, wouldn’t it be very dangerous if the dumpling got sick and had a fever overnight?
After thinking it over, Shen Qingzhuo ordered the young palace maid standing beside him: “Go to the Imperial Medical to get some medicine and say that I accidentally caught a cold and have a fever and cough.”
The young palace maid asked with concern, “Young Master, do you want to invite the imperial physician to come and see you?”
“No need, just go get the medicine.” Shen Qingzhuo waved his hand. “By the way, it’s too cold, bring back some frostbite cream too.”
After sending away the eunuchs and palace maids, the inner room returned to silence, and Shen Qingzhuo slowly walked to the desk.
A deer-shaped paperweight carved from white jade was pressing down on the finest plain paper, and the ink in the inkstone had not yet completely dried up.
He picked up the brush, rolled up his sleeves, dipped the brush into ink, and wrote the second half of the unfinished poem on the paper.
“I am far away from home, I have no idea when I will return.”
The novel only gives a few words to this sickly proton, and the longest part is the one where he is cut into pieces.
The original owner was undoubtedly a bad person to the young Seventh Prince, but in fact, when you came down to it, he was also a pitiful person. He was abandoned by his father and brother, and he walked on thin ice in the palace. He had no control over many things.
However, when the victim turns into the perpetrator, he is no longer innocent.
And who is truly innocent in this palace?
Shen Qingzhuo stopped writing and unexpectedly discovered that his handwriting was very similar to the original owner’s, almost to the point of being indistinguishable from the original owner.
He carefully observed for a moment, put the brush back on the brush holder, and began to sort out the plot of the original book in his mind, trying not to miss any details.
He doesn’t know how long it took, but Xiao Dezi knocked on the door gently: “Young Master, it’s getting dark, I’ll light the lamp.”
Shen Qingzhuo was then surprised to find that it was already dusk outside the window.
At Youshi15-7pm, the small kitchen of Jiyue Pavilion served dinner promptly.
Lamb crystal dumplings, hot old goose soup, the goose meat was cooked until it was soft and not sticky, the table was full of delicious dishes, and the aroma was fragrant. Shen Qingzhuo took two bites but felt a little greasy, and a thin figure unconsciously appeared in front of him.
When the original owner first entered the palace, he became the Crown Prince’s companion and naturally lived in the Eastern Palace with His Highness the Crown Prince.
Until three months ago, he was ordered to teach the Seventh Prince, and Emperor Xuanwu granted him the Jiyue Pavilion close to the cold palace.
It’s funny to say that Emperor Xuanwu would rather grant a hostage a separate residence and provide him with good food and drink every day than move his own son out of the cold palace. It was as if he deliberately wanted Xiao Shen to suffer.
Shen Qingzhuo finished his simple dinner and asked everyone to leave, leaving only Xiao Dezi to serve him.
After careful consideration, he decided to ask his personal eunuch to join the group. “Xiao Dezi, let’s go to the cold palace.”
Xiao Dezi seemed very surprised: “Young Master, you want to go to the cold palace?”
“En.” Shen Qingzhuo said calmly, “Let’s go see how His Highness is doing.”
“Young Master.” Xiao Dezi showed reluctance, hesitated for a moment, and finally summoned up the courage to persuade, “When the servant sent His Highness back just now, His Highness couldn’t even stand steadily. Young Master, you…”
Shen Qing glanced at him and asked, “What are you thinking about?
“I am afraid that something might happen to His Highness at night, and then the responsibility will be put on this young master of yours.”
Xiao Dezi immediately raised his hand and slapped himself. “The servant deserves death. How dare I presume to guess what Young Master meant!”
“Alright, I know you mean well.” Shen Qingzhuo remained calm on the surface but secretly thought that he was right about the person.
He walked to the table and blew out the candle, “Don’t alarm others.”
The snow was much lighter at night. Xiao Dezi held a lantern, and the master and servant walked towards the cold palace, one was one step forward and the other was one step back.
Fortunately, Jiyue Pavilion was very close to the cold palace, and they arrived at their destination in no time.
The so-called cold palace is actually an abandoned palace for concubines. It is located in a remote area and is rarely visited all year round. It stands silently and dilapidated in the snowy night.
“Young Master, there is deep snow in the cold palace, please be careful.” Xiao Dezi said softly and pushed open the heavy palace door with a creaky sound.
As soon as they entered the room, a cold chill penetrated into his collar. In such a huge palace, there was not a single eunuch or palace maid on duty, which made it look very eerie.
Shen Qingzhuo couldn’t help but imagine some horrific scenes, such as the concubine who was unable to get over it hanging herself here…
“Young Master, His Highness the Seventh Prince lives in this room.” Xiao Dezi pointed to the side hall on the east side.
Shen Qingzhuo was frightened and trembled. He pretended to be calm and tightened his snow cape. “En, let’s go in and take a look. Be gentle.”
There was still black smoke from the burning of low-quality charcoal in the room. With the help of the snow light outside the window, he looked around and found that the living conditions were so shabby that there was only a table and a bed.
There was a small bulge on the bed.
Shen Qingzhuo walked over quietly and touched the quilt first. He felt it was cold and hard like iron, without any heat at all. It must have been because it had not seen the sun for a long time.
He raised his hand again and groped upwards, and when he touched the dumpling’s exposed forehead, his palm was burning hot, and he drew back.
“Xiao Dezi.” He called in a low voice, took the lantern from Xiao Dezi’s hand, and carefully observed the dumpling’s red little face in the candlelight.
The dumpling seemed to be having a nightmare and was sleeping very uneasily. His pale lips were slightly opening and closing, and his small eyebrows were tightly furrowed into a “川” shape, looking very painful.
If he burned up like this all night, he’s afraid that it will burn his brain.
Wait, burn his brain?
Shen Qingzhuo’s eyebrows moved slightly, and a struggle between his conscience and his desires began in his heart.
If the Seventh Prince’s little brain is really burned by fever, he will never be able to become the ultimate villain and kill everyone in the book. Wouldn’t he have completed his mission without doing anything?
After all, the medical level in ancient times was low, and no one in the cold palace cared about the dumpling. If he accidentally killed him, then wouldn’t his mission fail?
Or if the person is not dead but suffers from other diseases, he will still be severely punished in the end.
After weighing the two options, Shen Qingzhuo decided that saving people was the most important thing.
However, before he could take any action, Xiao Shen, who was on the bed, suddenly opened his eyes as if he sensed something.
Shen Qingzhuo froze and tried to put on a gentle and kind smile, trying to comfort the dumpling who was awakened.
Little did he know that Xiao Shen woke up from a nightmare in the middle of the night. When he opened his eyes, he found a disheveled person standing in front of his bed, holding a red lantern in his hand. He gave him a sinister smile, as if he was going to open his bloody mouth and eat him in the next second.
“Ah.” Half asleep and half awake, the young tyrant couldn’t help but let out a scream of fear.
The author has something to say:
Qingzhuo: Damn it, I’m this good-looking, where do I look like a male ghost?
