In the evening, Emperor Ming Yuan came to pay his respects. Seeing that the Retired Emperor's condition had improved, he chatted with the Retired Emperor for a while before leaving.
Yuan Qingling kept her head low the whole time, maintaining a low profile, and did not catch Emperor Ming Yuan's attention, which was just as well.
After Emperor Ming Yuan left, Eunuch Chang helped clean and dress the Retired Emperor as usual, while Yuan Qingling withdrew to the outer hall.
While she still had time, she gave herself another injection. Unfortunately, she couldn't re-dress her wound. She could feel the wound was damp - it seemed the blood had started seeping out again.
After the injection, she lay down to rest for a moment. Hearing footsteps inside, she knew Eunuch Chang was done. She pushed herself up, but the sudden movement made the blood in her body surge upwards. She tasted blood in her mouth.
She walked unsteadily outside and spit the blood at the foot of a tree.
Leaning against the tree, it took her some time to steady her energy and blood flow.
"What's the matter, Consort?" Eunuch Chang's voice came from behind.
Yuan Qingling turned around and waved her hand dismissively. "It's nothing. Just ate too much."
"Oh!" Eunuch Chang looked a little suspicious, but didn't say anything further before leaving.
Yuan Qingling suppressed her misgivings and returned to the hall. The Retired Emperor was half-sitting up in bed, looking much more spirited.
Yuan Qingling said, "Retired Emperor, it's time to hook you up to an IV again."
The Retired Emperor stretched out his hand and glanced at her indifferently. "This old one has already sent away that old bastard. Just hook up whatever IV you want."
Yuan Qingling first listened to his heartbeat and breathing. His breathing was still not very smooth, so she gave him an appropriate dose of dopamine before hooking up the IV.
She took out a bottle of dissolving tablets and handed them to the Retired Emperor. "These are emergency medicine. If you feel chest pain or shortness of breath, place them under your tongue."
She had already torn off the label outside. Still, the bottle looked exquisite. The Retired Emperor fiddled with it in his hand before putting it away.
After a while, seeing Yuan Qingling bring him water and a handful of pills in various colors - clearly not medicine pills - the impatient Retired Emperor said, "What's this now?"
"Medicine. Time to take medicine."
"I'm not eating it!" Anything so colorful must not be good.
"You must take it!" Yuan Qingling now knew the Retired Emperor wouldn't harm her, so she spoke more boldly. "You'll get better after taking them. They're not bitter."
"Troublesome!" The Retired Emperor looked at them with distaste but still took a few and put them in his mouth. Yuan Qingling brought him water, but saw that the Retired Emperor had already started chewing them, his old face twisted like pickled vegetables.
"Quick, drink water and swallow them!" Yuan Qingling hurriedly brought the cup to him. How could he just pop them in his mouth like that? Even children knew to take medicine with water. Did the palace not have pills?
After drinking a cup of water to swallow the bitter medicine, the Retired Emperor angrily said, "When this old one gets better, I'll chop off your head."
"Alright, alright!" Yuan Qingling soothed, and felt like laughing inside. She also admired herself for still being able to laugh now.
The Retired Emperor grumbled a few more curses before slowly tilting his head to the side. Yuan Qingling knew he was drowsy, so she moved the pillow away and helped him lie down.
The IV took about an hour. Shortly after Yuan Qingling finished cleaning up, Eunuch Chang brought the imperial physician over.
Eunuch Chang said to Yuan Qingling, "The Retired Emperor ordered just now that the Consort rest in the outer hall. Come back in at sunrise tomorrow to attend to him."
Exhausted, and knowing there likely wouldn't be any major issues tonight, Yuan Qingling nodded and went out.
The outer hall was where Yuwen Hao had slept last night. Yuan Qingling closed the door and collapsed onto the bed. She fell asleep almost as soon as she hit the bed.
She woke up halfway through the night and secretly went to check on the Retired Emperor. Eunuch Chang was dozing off sitting on the floor, while the Retired Emperor was sleeping soundly. She rubbed her eyes and went back out to take her medicine before continuing to sleep.
Before dawn, she woke up from a dreamless sleep, but threw up blood again. For a few minutes, she also felt a stabbing pain in her internal organs. She hastily swallowed some anti-inflammatory medicine until the pain subsided a little, then went in to serve the Retired Emperor.
Eunuch Chang was already awake and had ordered the palace maids to prepare hot water outside, as well as a basin for Yuan Qingling.
After washing her face, Yuan Qingling felt much more clear-headed.
The Retired Emperor had also woken up, and Eunuch Chang was attending to him.
Daybreak came, and they heard the Empress Dowager had arrived.
Yuan Qingling immediately patted her cheeks to make herself more alert.
The Empress Dowager entered wearing a green silk embroidered robe with the character for longevity. Her complexion looked especially pale green.
Consort Chu Mingcui of Qi accompanied the Empress Dowager. When Yuan Qingling greeted the Empress Dowager, Chu Mingcui came over and grasped her hand gently, saying, "Chu State Consort must be exhausted."
Yuan Qingling lowered her head to look at her hand. Below the pink wide sleeves was a pair of fair hands wearing etched armored gloves. Several exquisite rings adorned her fingers.
She didn't notice any needles or blades.
However, the armored glove on her right little finger seemed odd, glinting coldly.
When Yuan Qingling withdrew her hand, she inadvertently swept over it. Hard and cold, her fingertip stung - it was a thin blade.
So it was her after all!
A palace maid came in from outside and reported, "Retired Emperor, Prince Chu is here waiting outside the hall to be summoned!"
"Summon him!" The Retired Emperor brushed Eunuch Chang's hands away. "Where's Fu Bao? Call Fu Bao here."
The Empress Dowager smiled and came forward. "That's more like it, thinking about that beast again."
The Retired Emperor didn't like to hear that. He stretched out his old face. "What beast? Doesn't it have a name?"
The Empress Dowager sat by the bed and gently wiped his temples and brows with a towel. Her eyes reddened. "Yes, its name is Fu Bao. Aren't we hoping it will be blessed?"
Yuwen Hao strode in, having entered the hall before the curtain even settled, showing his hurried pace.
Usually, whenever Chu Mingcui was present, his eyes would look at her first. But today, as soon as he entered the hall, he searched for Yuan Qingling and his gaze fixed on her face for quite a while before he went to greet the others.
Chu Mingcui retreated to the side, lowering her head to hide the resentment that had erased her earlier gentle look.
He didn't even glance at her?
"Why have you come to the palace so early today? It's not the morning court session," the Retired Emperor still spoke with a long face, but his tone toward Prince Chu was noticeably milder.
"Your grandson was worried about Imperial Grandfather and rushed over anxiously." Yuwen Hao hadn't slept all night, and there were dark circles under his eyes.
"This old one is fine!" The Retired Emperor reassured his grandson.
Soon, Emperor Ming Yuan and the Empress also arrived, along with Prince Rui who had not left the palace last night.
Yuan Qingling withdrew to the side to watch the imperial family converse.
Chu Mingcui also moved to stand beside her, still wearing that gentle, amiable smile. "You must have been exhausted last night."
"It was alright," Yuan Qingling gave a brief reply, reluctant to engage her.
The imperial physician came to serve the medicinal soup, but the stubborn Retired Emperor refused to drink it. "Take it away, take it away! I won't drink it!"
No matter how much everyone persuaded him, he wouldn't listen. Even direct pleas from Emperor Ming Yuan and the Empress Dowager didn't work. The Empress Dowager became anxious and worried, with tears in her eyes.
Knowing his father's temper, Emperor Ming Yuan was about to have the medicine taken out first when Yuan Qingling's voice rang out from the corner, "Imperial Grandfather, you still need to take the medicine."
It was as if everyone in the hall only noticed her then. They glanced at her indifferently, and the beginnings of anger could already be seen in Emperor Ming Yuan's eyes. He feared her words would anger the Retired Emperor.
Standing beside her, Chu Mingcui couldn't help but smirk. Hopelessly stupid - even the Emperor and Empress couldn't persuade the Retired Emperor right now, yet she thought he would listen to her? Wasn't this deliberately provoking the Retired Emperor's wrath?
