Qin Yuanxi was fully exhausted. Ding Yi’s attempts to feed him the medicine were futile. He grew increasingly anxious, ultimately casting a helpless glance toward the Regent Prince. He couldn’t understand why he had resorted to this action, but it seemed almost instinctual. By the time he realized it, the Regent Prince had already taken the bowl from his hands.
Ding Yi finally heaved a sigh of relief, and he silently stood in the corner, attempting to diminish his presence to make up for his own incompetence.
As the Emperor’s personal eunuch, he was failing even at this simple task of serving the Emperor. He berated himself for his inadequacy, silently praying that the Regent Prince wouldn’t punish him too severely.
Lu Bohuan stared at the medicine bowl in his hand, his expression a terrible mix of emotions.
When the pitiful eunuch looked over with a stressed expression, Luo Bohuan couldn’t fathom why he had accepted the medicine bowl. Was he now expected to feed people medicine? Did he really look like someone patient enough to administer medicine?
Frowning with impatience, Lu Bohuan shot another glance at the person lying on the bed—pale lips and flushed cheeks. He then lifted the medicine bowl and, without hesitation, forcibly pried open Qin Yuanxi’s jaw. He pressed the bowl against Qin Yuanxi’s throat and poured the medicine down mercilessly. It was a rather brutal method, living up to the ruthless character of Prince Lu.
Ding Yi in the corner watched in trembling fear, overwhelmed by regret. How could he have ever expected assistance from the Regent Prince? The Emperor’s precious life was now going to suffer.
As expected, after Lu Bohuan emptied the bowl, Qin Yuanxi not only failed to swallow the medicine, but he also ended up choking and waking abruptly. More than half the contents spilled over him, trickling down his neck. Qin Yuanxi’s head spun, and he touched the medicinal residue on his body. When he saw the cold and ruthless expression on the person before him, he nearly fainted again from frustration.
“Prince Lu, are you trying to choke me?” Qin Yuanxi had nothing clean to wipe himself with, so he simply took off his sleepwear onto the ground. He directly used his clothes to wipe off the medicinal mess. After cleaning up, he looked up and saw Lu Bohuan holding a clean towel, still wearing that emotionless face, as if someone owed him a fortune.
Qin Yuanxi tossed the soiled clothes aside and gave Lu Bohuan a white-eyed look. “If you’re going to help next time, could you do it faster? I’ve already undressed. Is there any point now? Someone, anyone? Bring me clean clothes quickly!”
He had undressed so casually, only realizing after the fact that something was amiss. How could he have undressed in front of this scoundrel? And he even took off his intimate nightwear! Hadn’t he just gifted this dog a free show?
Qin Yuanxi hurriedly dressed while Lu Bohuan, still holding half a bowl of medicine, remained motionless. It wasn’t until Qin Yuanxi was done dressing that Lu Bohuan extended the bowl. “Here’s your medicine, Your Majesty. Please take it.”
“What medicine?” Qin Yuanxi gazed at the dark concoction with lingering fear. He could taste the bitter residue in his mouth and was certain that this bastard had deliberately poured the medicine while he was asleep!
“It’s the Emperor’s Wind-Cold medicine.” Luo Bohuan explained once again, “Your Majesty caught a chill last night and had a fever all night. The court physician prescribed this to lower your fever.”
“Oh.”
He had been feverish all night, which explained why he had been sleeping so restlessly. Qin Yuanxi couldn’t help but glare at Lu Bohuan with a nasty expression.
His obvious resentment was laid bare in that glare, and though he believed he had hidden it well, he forgot that Lu Bohuan was standing while he was half-sitting. Every little movement was clear as day to the Prince.
“What’s the matter? Does Your Majesty have any objections?”
The tone was cool, laced with a hint of unmistakable threat. Qin Yuanxi dared not hold any objections, not even a drop. He shook his head vigorously like a rattle drum. “Of course not! Why would I? Prince Lu, why would you say that? Ah, my medicine? Hurry and get my medicine. How could I let Prince Lu hold my medicine bowl for me?”
The attitude changed immediately. Not only enthusiastic but also somewhat flattering. Prince Lu handed over the medicinal bowl and suddenly asked, “Your Majesty, do you remember that back when you were in the Eastern Palace, you didn’t like to drink medicine? You always had to pester Empress Xi to come and coax you personally.”
“Prince Regent is quite humorous. Don’t bring up things from so many years ago to make fun of me.” Qin Yuanxi took the medicinal bowl, tasted a sip, and his expression changed. Holding the bowl without moving, he sighed, “Furthermore, Mother Empress has never coaxed me to take medicine. Prince Regent must have remembered incorrectly. It was the wet nurse who came a few times. Later, when she grew old, she was taken out of the palace by her son to retire. After that, I’ve been drinking the medicine on my own.”
Qin Yuanxi also didn’t know why Prince Lu suddenly brought up past matters, but if Prince Lu mentioned it, he had to follow along. Otherwise, who knew what Prince Lu was scheming? What if he couldn’t handle it? If he fell into Prince Lu’s trap, he would be done for. Though he didn’t want to be a puppet emperor, he needed to keep his life to make any choices.
“Your Majesty’s medicine will cool down if you don’t drink it. It will be even more bitter then.”
Qin Yuanxi’s expression stiffened a bit, and he forced a bitter smile as he lifted the medicinal bowl again. Finally, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and drank the medicine all at once. The bitterness filled his mouth, and he frowned, losing any trace of imperial demeanor. Prince Lu observed his expression changing and then turned to grab a fruit from the table, offering it, “This fruit is incredibly sweet, Your Majesty could…”
Before he could finish his sentence, Qin Yuanxi had already taken the initiative to snatch the fruit from Prince Lu’s hand and started eating it eagerly. His clothes were not properly fastened, showing a complete lack of decorum, and his manner lacked any air of royal dignity. Prince Lu gave a light snort, then directly sat on the dragon bed, watching as Qin Yuanxi finished the fruit.
Then he said, “I remember Your Majesty used to dislike eating this kind of fruit. I didn’t expect the medicine to have such an effect. It’s indeed a remarkable achievement.”
Qin Yuanxi looked at the almost-devoured fruit in his hand, feeling a bit embarrassed.
He actually found it quite delicious, very sweet. Why would anyone dislike eating this? Moreover, if he disliked it, why keep it in the palace? It didn’t make sense. It was like how he didn’t like durian, so he would never buy one. If he saw durian, he would avoid it. Would anyone buy durian just to torture themselves every day?
Who could do something so insane?
“Regent Prince must be mistaken.” Qin Yuanxi calmly bit into the sweet fruit, the sound crisp, “I like it, but Mother Empress often taught me that as an emperor, I shouldn’t indulge personal preferences and should exercise self-discipline.”
The fruit was finished, but the bitter taste lingered in Qin Yuanxi’s mouth. He wanted to eat another, but he didn’t dare ask the Regent Prince for it. He pretended to be tired, yawning, “My head still feels dizzy. I want to sleep a bit more. If Regent Prince doesn’t have anything else, you can leave for now.”
“When Your Majesty wakes up, remember to complete the twenty passages from the ‘Zi Jing’.”
“I’ve already completed them!” Qin Yuanxi wasn’t foolish. He remembered that Zhao Tuo had only brought him back to sleep after finishing the passages last night. How could they disappear after one nap? That would be a waste of effort.
“Is that so? I haven’t seen it.” Prince Lu said casually, “If Your Majesty has completed it, have someone bring it to me later. I need to see the work.”
“Your Majesty, rest well. Your health is important.” With a slightly fake smile, Prince Lu delivered the standard lines, “Many affairs of the court are awaiting Your Majesty’s decisions.”
Decisions my foot. Qin Yuanxi knew very well that he had no power over court matters. All decisions were made by the Regent Prince. There was something off, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. Was Regent Prince trying to lead him into a trap?
Soon, Qin Yuanxi would discover that this wasn’t just a lie. Regent Prince actually wanted him to make decisions regarding court matters. This unexpected turn of events shocked Qin Yuanxi.
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
