The only one from the nine generations, Yan Shaoning wiped the sweat off his face, straightened his sore back, and eased up a bit on the tension he’d been carrying. The person on the bed remained unconscious, but the pulse was normal; the most dangerous phase had passed, and the rest would be easier.
Just as he was about to catch his breath, Yan Shaoning saw Zhao Tuo outside the door, arms crossed with a dark expression.
“How’s His Majesty?”
With a scruffy beard, he looked somewhat disheveled.
Yan Shaoning closed the door, lowering his voice, “The injuries are okay, he hasn’t woken up yet, but once he does, there won’t be any problems.”
“I’ll go in and see him.”
“No!” Yan Shaoning immediately pulled him back, “You can’t go in yet. Until His Majesty wakes up, you can’t go in!”
Yan Shaoning was just a doctor, a delicate one at that. How could he be a match for the Grand General? Yet, he stood firm, holding back Zhao Tuo, blocking the doorway with unwavering determination. It was as if he was saying, ‘If you want to go anywhere, you’ll have to step over my dead body.’
“Two days!” Zhao Tuo’s eyes were bloodshot, fists clenched tightly, “Two whole days and nights, he hasn’t woken up. When the hell is he going to wake up?!”
“He will wake up when the time is right!” Yan Shaoning’s tone was stern yet concerned, “If you keep causing a scene like this, won’t it disturb his rest even more?”
“I just want to take a look inside.”
“No!” Yan Shaoning insisted.
It wasn’t that he absolutely forbade Zhao Tuo from looking, but the person inside wasn’t in the best condition. If it weren’t for the steady breathing, he could easily be mistaken for a lifeless body. How could Yan Shaoning dare to allow Zhao Tuo in? If he agitated the patient further, Yan Shaoning wouldn’t be able to handle the consequences. For now, he had to stop Zhao Tuo, waiting for Qin Yuanxi’s condition to improve. It was essential to wait until the man woke up, looking more alive, before allowing Zhao Tuo to see.
“What if I insist?” Zhao Tuo’s eyes flashed with determination, “Can you really stop me?”
“I—I can’t.” Yan Shaoning, with both hands on the door frame, stiffened his neck, “If you insist, I definitely can’t stop you. Not just me, even now, the army outside is waiting to capture you. But who dares to make a move? Isn’t everyone obediently waiting outside, letting you do as you please?”
“I’m telling you, Zhao Tuo, if you are determined to go in, I can’t stop you. But there’s one thing you better think about.” Yan Shaoning casually made up, trying to calm Zhao Tuo down, “What do you want to do when you go in now? Assassinate the king? If something happens to him, how would you…”
Yan Shaoning’s words were cut off before he could finish. The mention of ‘Assassinate the king’ was intended to calm Zhao Tuo down. If he forced his way in at this moment, it would be fine if Qin Yuanxi was okay. However, if Qin Yuanxi didn’t wake up, the charge of regicide would definitely be hard to shake off.
Originally intending to advise Zhao Tuo to stay calm, little did Yan Shaoning know that his words would only add fuel to the fire. Zhao Tuo’s expression changed instantly; he grabbed Yan Shaoning and threw him out. Yan Shaoning stumbled, and as he rushed back, Zhao Tuo had already entered the inner room.
On the bed lay Qin Yuanxi, unconscious and seemingly on the brink of death, with a deathly pale complexion. Yan Shaoning, a step behind, saw Zhao Tuo’s hand just moving away from beneath Qin Yuanxi’s nose, the action so gentle, as if afraid of disturbing the sleeping man.
“Why is it like this?”
Yan Shaoning glanced at Zhao Tuo, and seeing no signs of an impending outburst, he planned to quietly back away. Just as he took a step, Zhao Tuo’s voice turned ice-cold.
As if plunged into an icy abyss.
“I’m asking you, why is it like this? Why won’t he wake up?”
There was no escaping. Not to mention that Qin Yuanxi had expressly warned against revealing the details of the childbirth process to Zhao Tuo, even if he could, Yan Shaoning dared not. If Zhao Tuo found out, his life would truly be in jeopardy.
“He has a weak constitution, and childbirth is already a significant challenge. It’s natural to be weakened,” Yan Shaoning attempted to explain. But his neck was suddenly gripped, and Zhao Tuo sternly said, “I want the truth. If you dare utter another falsehood, you’ll see!”
“The truth is just that,” Yan Shaoning, face red and neck strained, insisted, “You’ve never seen anyone give birth. What do you understand? Countless women die during difficult childbirths. Why don’t you talk about that?”
“Difficult childbirth?” Suddenly releasing his grip, Zhao Tuo stammered, “He, he…”
“The Majesty did not face complications,” Yan Shaoning, still rubbing his neck, coughed a few times, looking at Zhao Tuo with a hint of pity, “His Majesty’s progress has been smooth. It’s just that giving birth as a man would cause more significant strain, and recovery takes time.”
“I told you not to come in; it’s just that I was afraid you couldn’t handle seeing him like this, but you insisted on coming in,” Yan Shaoning grumbled. He noticed Zhao Tuo’s attention had returned to the bedside, holding the hand of the person on the bed, completely ignoring him, as if Yan Shaoning didn’t exist in the room.
Yan Shaoning figured it out; Zhao Tuo hadn’t fully grasped the situation, or rather, his understanding had just shifted.
Zhao Tuo probably had no concept of Qin Yuanxi giving birth. In his view, the child would just suddenly appear, fall to the ground, and start calling him ‘Dad.’ As for what happened in between, he likely had no idea.
Now, witnessing the unconscious, nearly lifeless figure, the reality slowly sunk in. Watching him holding Qin Yuanxi’s hand in silence, it felt a bit moving.
Yan Shaoning sighed and turned to stand guard outside.
He was dealing with a patient, someone with impaired judgment. Even though Zhao Tuo kept talking about rebellion and killing the emperor, the genuine concern in his eyes was undeniable. Perhaps Zhao Tuo himself didn’t know what he was doing, just a kind of obsession, and Qin Yuanxi had long been entangled in that obsession, affecting Zhao Tuo profoundly.
In the following hours, Zhao Tuo almost stayed by Qin Yuanxi’s side throughout. Every now and then, he would ask, “When will he wake up?” or “Why hasn’t he woken up yet?” After asking, he would routinely intimidate and threaten Yan Shaoning again, but of course, it had little effect. After numerous attempts, Yan Shaoning remained calm, continuing to administer acupuncture or medications as needed.
Later on, Zhao Tuo took over the task of administering the medicine himself.
As Zhao Tuo neared the edge of a breakdown, Qin Yuanxi finally weakly opened his eyes. He was still very frail, but upon seeing Zhao Tuo, his first smile was directed at him.
“You… you need to shave.”
His voice was faint, and unless you listened carefully, you wouldn’t be able to discern what he said.
The medicine bowl almost slipped from Zhao Tuo’s hands when he saw Qin Yuanxi wake up. His initial reaction was panic, and he quickly got up to call for Yan Shaoning, “He’s awake! He’s awake!”
“Don’t shout. His Majesty still needs peace and quiet for now,” Yan Shaoning, much calmer than Zhao Tuo, came over first to check Qin Yuanxi’s pulse and examine his eyes. Finally, he sighed in relief, “Waking up means there’s no major issue. From now on, focus on recuperating and wait for the wounds to heal.”
“What wounds?”
“Ah Tuo,” Qin Yuanxi grabbed Zhao Tuo’s hand, “Where’s the child? Can you bring the child for me to see?”
A wound as significant as the one from the surgery couldn’t be allowed to be discovered by Zhao Tuo, at least not yet. Yan Shaoning had been cautious all along, and fortunately, the changing of the bandages had relatively long intervals, preventing Zhao Tuo from discovering the surgery during Qin Yuanxi’s unconscious moments.
As soon as the child was mentioned, Zhao Tuo’s expression seemed somewhat reluctant, “It’s better to wait until you’ve fully recovered.”
“But I want to see him now,” Qin Yuanxi insisted.
Having gone through so much to bring back their precious child, it was only natural that he wanted to see him. The child was his second life; how could he not be concerned?
“Not now.”
Zhao Tuo pursed his lips, looking a bit uneasy.
“Why don’t you want me to see him? What’s the reason?”
Despite just waking up, Qin Yuanxi’s body was still weakened. After saying these few words, he already seemed to be losing some strength. His lips became even paler, and Zhao Tuo, with a glance, could tell that he was struggling to hold on. Zhao Tuo’s complexion worsened, “When I say it’s not possible, it’s not possible.”
“Come here.” Qin Yuanxi, lacking strength, had pulled Zhao Tuo’s wrist a moment ago, seemingly aggravating his wound. It hurt, and he couldn’t make any big movements now. He could only ask Zhao Tuo to come closer, “Sit by my side. I can’t reach you.”
Despite Zhao Tuo looking like he wanted to say something, he reluctantly sat beside Qin Yuanxi. Qin Yuanxi exchanged a glance with Yan Shaoning, confirming the baby’s well-being and that Zhao Tuo had sent Yan Shaoning away after his episode.
“Let’s talk.”
“There’s nothing to talk about.” Zhao Tuo’s tone was not as amiable as before, noticeably different from his previous tenderness. He deliberately projected impatience and indifference. To Qin Yuanxi, it seemed more like an ill-tempered child throwing a tantrum.
“I thought we had a lot to talk about, didn’t we?” Qin Yuanxi leaned directly against Zhao Tuo’s shoulder.
This position was quite convenient. With just a slight tilt of his head, he could shift most of his weight onto Zhao Tuo. He clasped Zhao Tuo’s wrist with one hand, his tone weakening by three degrees, “I’m not feeling well. Why don’t you do the talking and tell me everything you need to say?”
The wrist felt a bit cold. Zhao Tuo, with a cold expression, opened his mouth as if to say something but swallowed his words. Eventually, he dryly stated, “You already know what you need to know. I have nothing more to say.”
“I don’t know.” Qin Yuanxi’s tone was delicate, like a fragile thread, “I don’t know anything. Zhao Tuo, would you be happy if I really died? Look, I’m almost dying now, and you don’t even have to kill me. Are you happy now? You don’t have to bear the guilt of regicide, and you can still achieve your goal. It should be something to be happy about, right?”
“Nonsense!” Zhao Tuo was furious.
Turning his head, he saw Qin Yuanxi leaning against his shoulder with a gentle smile, “See, you don’t actually want me to die. If I die, you’ll definitely be sad. Don’t worry, I am the Emperor, the chosen one by fate, and I won’t die so easily.”
“Let’s talk, okay?” Qin Yuanxi considered for a moment, “Let’s start from the night you left the palace with me. What were you thinking at that time? Why did you leave the palace with me, and why were you so caring outside the palace? Let’s start chatting from your most genuine thoughts. How about it?”
“Not good. Your Majesty needs to rest.”
Zhao Tuo, with a stern face, attempted to leave, but Qin Yuanxi immediately played the spoiled card, “If you dare to leave, I’ll go after you. Anyway, I can’t chase you now. General, with just a few steps, you can easily leave me far behind. I don’t have many merits, just persistence. Wherever you go, I’ll chase you until you’re willing to talk to me.”
“Of course, you can stop me too.” Qin Yuanxi’s hand touched Zhao Tuo’s cheek, and he whispered in his ear, “Unless you kill me, otherwise, don’t think you can stop me!”
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)
