Watching the dark and gloomy expression on Prince Lu’s face, Qin Yuanxi trembled as he slowly raised his right hand.
“I swear, I really didn’t do it on purpose.”
Unfortunately, Prince Lu didn’t listen to his sophistry. Half an hour later, ten palace maids stood before Qin Yuanxi, each holding two bowls of pitch-black medicinal soup. Prince Lu, who had changed his clothes, sat at a considerable distance from Qin Yuanxi. He leisurely sipped a bowl of tea, not even sparing a glance for Qin Yuanxi.
“Your Majesty can’t drink the medicine. When will this illness get better? Even if Your Majesty spits out a bowl, you can still manage to take a sip. Your Majesty, endure a bit and drink all of these. It’s probably enough for today’s dosage.” With a raised hand, Lu Bohuan commanded a row of people to stand before Qin Yuanxi. The stern-faced Yama instructed coldly, “You all must ensure that you watch Your Majesty finish all of these. It’s fine if he vomits; he’ll get used to it with time.”
Qin Yuanxi was greatly frightened, his face turning pale.
“Lu Bohuan, are you even human?”
“What does Your Majesty think?”
Lu Bohuan cast a cold glance, saying, “Is Your Majesty questioning my decision? Since Your Majesty is the ruler, you should understand that the position of the emperor comes with many necessary sacrifices. Your Majesty shouldn’t be fickle. If I let Your Majesty off today without drinking the medicine, who knows what Your Majesty might decide tomorrow? For instance, indulging in extravagant construction projects and lavish, immoral pursuits. By doing so, Your Majesty might feel at ease, but it’s the common people who will suffer. As the emperor, Your Majesty must shoulder the responsibilities befitting the ruler and not act recklessly.”
Qin Yuanxi’s head began to spin from anger. What nonsensical theory was this? He just didn’t want to take the medicine. It was so bitter and nauseating; he had already vomited. Yet, Lu Bohuan was persistent. Qin Yuanxi finally understood how helpless ancient emperors must have felt when faced with unreasonable advisors.
Ridiculous nonsense! How could not drinking medicine be twisted into extravagant construction projects and immoral pursuits? It was as if by not taking the medicine, he would immediately become a tyrant, causing the downfall of the nation and its people. It seemed like that bowl of medicine wasn’t meant to cure his cold; it was meant to cure the world, its people, and the state. He couldn’t believe in this absurdity!
Being an emperor was truly difficult. He couldn’t even catch a cold without consequences. Not taking medicine for a cold could apparently lead to the downfall of the nation…
“Fine, I’ll drink it. I appreciate Prince Lu because despite your busy schedule, you still find time to watch me drink this medicine. The Regent Prince shows unwavering loyalty, which deeply moves me.” Qin Yuanxi was seething, teeth clenched, but he had no choice. He picked up a bowl of the steaming, black soup. With gritted teeth and closed eyes, he managed to gulp down half a bowl this time, unable to continue any further.
The taste was still bitter in his mouth, and his stomach convulsed. Qin Yuanxi felt he might vomit at any moment, but with Lu Bohuan present, he didn’t dare. If he dared to vomit again, that scoundrel Lu Bohuan would surely force him to finish the rest. It wasn’t worth enduring such suffering. Qin Yuanxi chose to endure.
Only half a bowl remained. He could do this; he was certain he could!
Holding his teacup, Lu Bohuan nonchalantly glanced at the scene. He had to admit, this person’s acting was truly poor. Emperor Qin Yuanxi might not possess much skill, but his royal demeanor was unmistakable. Never before had a bowl of medicine managed to strip him of his dignity like this.
Where’s this person from? And how did he manage to have any connection with Emperor Qin Yuan? What exactly happened during that half-month outside the palace? Did Zhao Tuo have any involvement, and does he currently possess the token, or does it rest in the hands of this individual?
Prince Lu Bohuan pinched the bridge of his nose, composed the necessary expression, and when he looked up, he saw Qin Yuanxi holding an empty bowl, eagerly awaiting his response.
“Prince Lu, I’ve finished it, really finished it, not a drop left.” Qin Yuanxi added, “And I didn’t even vomit.”
Despite the traces of food on his face, his tone was genuinely sincere.
“Drinking the medicine indeed improved your complexion.” Lu Bohuan waved his hand, motioning for the servant to take away the remaining medicine. He then looked into Qin Yuanxi’s eyes and casually fibbed, “The imperial physician’s skills are remarkable. I believe Your Majesty will soon recover fully. With the court’s affairs being complex, it’s best not to delay for too long.”
“That’s right. Regent, if you’re busy, you can go ahead.”
Upon hearing this, Qin Yuanxi immediately seized the opportunity, desperately wishing to dismiss Lu Bohuan right now and never let him appear before him again!
Was having a handsome face all that impressive? Hmph, if it weren’t for that face, he would have severed ties with him long ago!
Lu Bohuan glanced strangely at Qin Yuanxi and continued, “The court is bustling with affairs awaiting Your Majesty’s approval. Since Your Majesty is now well, you can resume morning court sessions starting tomorrow.”
“So, you’re making me drink this concoction just for the morning court? Is that it?” Qin Yuanxi heaved a sigh of relief, wanting to slam the bowl but it had already been taken away.
“No need for that, Prince Lu. Next time, just tell me. I’m not one to shirk responsibilities. It’s just a morning court, nothing to fuss over.” Qin Yuanxi clenched his teeth and squeezed out a faint smile, “Really, no need for the trouble. Regent, please go back if you have no other matters. I’ll attend the morning court tomorrow, rest assured.”
Lu Bohuan glanced at Qin Yuanxi’s frustrated expression and found it amusing. He initially thought this person was feigning illness to avoid the morning court, hiding his identity to prevent discovery. But judging by his reaction, that wasn’t the case at all.
Comparing attending the morning court to drinking a bowl of soup, it seemed that the former was the easier option. He would rather face the morning court than drink the medicine, which made things interesting.
“May Your Majesty take care of your health and rest well.”
Watching Lu Bohuan walk away, Qin Yuanxi finally breathed a sigh of relief. What’s the big deal about attending the court? Why force him to drink that stuff so forcefully? Ancients were so conventional. Wait, no, it’s quite possible that Lu Bohuan was purely trying to mess with him.
Frustrating!
Barely after Lu Bohuan left, Qin Yuanxi vomited out all the medicine he had just drunk. It wasn’t that he genuinely wanted to torment himself, but that medicine seemed truly incompatible with him. While Lu Bohuan was present, Qin Yuanxi had been reminding himself not to vomit, not in front of Lu Bohuan at least. There were more than ten bowls waiting for him, and with Lu Bohuan’s temper, he would probably force him to gulp them all down. It wasn’t worth losing face over it.
With Lu Bohuan gone, the psychological pressure lessened, and his discomfort immediately became apparent. His stomach convulsed, the medicine’s taste wouldn’t recede, waves of nausea washed over him, and eventually, he was left vomiting uncontrollably.
While retching, Qin Yuanxi began to doubt whether the medicine contained something harmful. After all, palace intrigue novels often depicted such situations. Considering that Prince Lu wouldn’t go through such trouble just to torment him, if he were to administer something, it would be done discreetly and covertly. Such an overt and forceful method, like what just transpired, would only tarnish the protagonist’s illustrious image.
Qin Yuanxi wondered if he had a stomachache, but he hadn’t had diarrhea, only pure vomiting. Moreover, the imperial physician didn’t mention any digestive issues when he took Qin Yuanxi’s pulse previously. It might have been triggered by that bowl of medicine. No, wait, it could also be due to Lu Bohuan’s influence.
No doubt, the human body is just this fragile. It’s entirely possible that a wrong word from someone could lead to discomfort and various unpleasant sensations in the body. That’s how it works, no doubt about it!
The early court assembly was set for the ‘Mao’ period, roughly around five in the morning. Before that, Qin Yuanxi needed to freshen up and don his royal court attire. This meant he had to get up around four in the morning. Well, at least it’s a bit easier in summer when the sun is already up.
Qin Yuanxi couldn’t help but imagine how he’d manage in winter. Getting up at four in the middle of the night with pitch-black darkness all around – how would that work? Would he be rushing just to catch a glimpse of the city at four in the morning?
Rubbing his eyes and stifling a yawn, he looked at the magnificent golden hall below. The people there were bustling about, and Qin Yuanxi was getting a bit drowsy. He leaned back a bit, wondering if he could discreetly catch a quick nap while no one was looking.
Just as he was entertaining this thought, he noticed Regent Prince Lu, who was standing closest to him below, casting a look in his direction. Qin Yuanxi immediately sat up straight, making it clear that he was paying utmost attention – really, truly paying attention, not zoning out at all.
Then he saw Lu Bohuan openly signaling someone right under his nose. Qin Yuanxi only knew that the person seemed to be an assistant minister from the Ministry of Works, but he was racking his brain trying to recall who exactly it was. The book seemed to have mentioned someone with the surname ‘Yu.’
“Your Majesty, I beseech you to make a decision,” the assistant minister, directed by the Regent Prince, spoke with an annoyed tone. “This matter requires your timely judgment. The summer floods are approaching, and failure to decide promptly will only bring suffering to the coastal residents.”
The impassioned plea was quite moving. Sitting on the dragon throne, Qin Yuanxi lifted his hand slightly. “Assistant Minister Yu, you may speak up. I understand your intent, and I approve of your proposal. With the impending summer floods, preventing the water-related issues beforehand is a meritorious act for the ages.”
Having yawned through most of the morning, Qin Yuanxi wasn’t much interested in the clamor of the morning court. Bickering back and forth was uninteresting, and whether it was building river embankments or water management, it was something that had to be done regardless of the era. He remembered the book mentioning this incident being resolved in the end, though it had taken quite a while due to various complications.
And today’s morning court had once again devolved into a commotion, with the topic reaching him. Since that was the case, Qin Yuanxi didn’t mind helping them make this decision. So what if he was a puppet emperor? The decrees issued by a puppet emperor were still imperial edicts. As for how things were executed, Regent Prince Lu was there to handle it. He was the one orchestrating this, after all.
“This matter is settled, no need for further debate. However, regarding the selection of personnel for water management, do any of the ministers have recommendations?”
As Qin Yuanxi spoke, an odd atmosphere settled in the grand hall. How exactly it was odd could be seen in the fact that many were waiting to gauge Prince Lu’s expression, while another group surreptitiously sized up the emperor seated upon the dragon throne. The rest were simply confused, not knowing where to start.
Their thoughts were diverse, but there was one thing they all had in common – they were all wondering what had come over His Majesty, who never voiced opinions in the court assembly. What had happened today?
The author has something to say:
Qin Yuanxi: “Isn’t this how puppet emperors are supposed to act? Am I talking too much?”
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)
