Qi Yan Su Luo slightly raised her head, gazing at the two hands in front of her.
The hand on the left had rough skin covered with calluses. Just looking at it made one want to frown.
The other hand was slender like jade, the fingertips pinkish white.
Qi Yan Su Luo stretched out her hand and held it in midair, leaning slightly to the right.
Qin Zhao realized that Qi Yan Su Luo was leaning towards him, and thought smugly to himself: As expected, I am her destiny.
In the next moment, intense pain shot through his fingers!
Qin Zhao lowered his head to see Qi Yan Su Luo viciously biting his fingers!
Her tightly knitted brows and protruding jaw showed just how hard she was biting!
Qin Zhao's eyes rolled back as he teetered on the edge of fainting, wildly trying to withstand the pain.
He was in so much agony he forgot how to react.
Shen Xue was the first to notice something amiss here, and rushed over, tapping Qi Yan Su Luo twice on the back to force her to let go!
Qin Zhao fell backwards, caught by Shen Xue.
Qi Yan Su Luo had bitten her fingers purple, with deep tooth marks exposing the bone!
Although Shen Xue felt some sympathy for her, she was more of the opinion that this was what Qin Zhao deserved,
since Qi Yan Su Luo had been beaten by her even more severely.
In her heart she sighed: What's with these two sharing a bed but coming to this?
Could this be some new type of flirting?
Shen Xue shook her head, truly unable to comprehend it.
Qin Zhao's eyes were red with anger, enduring without crying, looking utterly pitiful.
Huo Chengjin was stunned silly by the sight. He suppressed his shock and asked Qi Yan Su Luo, "Miss Qi Yan, so who do you choose in the end?"
Qi Yan Su Luo enunciated word by word, "Get lost!"
Huo Chengjin struggled to maintain calm and said, "Miss Qi Yan, please reconsider. If you continue to stay by Her Highness's side, you'll be beaten to death by her!"
Qi Yan Su Luo said, "That would be between her and me. I certainly can't jump into a cesspool to bathe just because the water in the bathing pool is too hot."
Huo Chengjin's eye twitched. He said, "Then I'll take my leave. When Miss Qi Yan's funeral takes place, I will certainly attend in full dress."
He had spoken in anger, and regretted it immediately after, but to take back his words now would be too embarrassing.
Huo Chengjin could only leave the tent resentfully.
Han Jiang helped Qi Yan Su Luo up from the ground, while Shen Xue also helped Qin Zhao stand.
The four of them didn't say anything, silently walking back.
On the way, Qi Yan Su Luo nearly fell several times as her movements agitated her wounds.
Qin Zhao tried to lend her a hand with her sausage-like swollen fingers, but was pushed away by Qi Yan Su Luo each time.
Rebuffed, Qin Zhao stopped paying her any more attention.
The two returned to the tent, sitting at opposite sides of the bed.
Qi Yan Su Luo threw away Qin Zhao's outer robe, then slowly removed the tattered remnants of clothes on herself.
Qin Zhao watched her every move, and Qi Yan Su Luo made no attempt to avoid her gaze.
Some of the deeper wounds on Qi Yan Su Luo's body had congealed, sticking to the fabric of her clothes.
She had to slowly peel them off, causing the wounds to bleed again!
Only now did Qin Zhao realize she had gone too far.
As a princess of the fallen West Lin Kingdom who wanted to avenge her people and clansmen,
living by Qin Zhao's side made Qi Yan Su Luo feel very insecure.
Constantly living in fear and erecting high defenses against the outside world, how could she possibly readily trust someone?
Given Qin Zhao's own sensitive identity, Qi Yan Su Luo not taking the chance to kill her while she slept at night was already an impressive effort to treat her as a companion.
What right did Qin Zhao have to demand that Qi Yan Su Luo trust her unconditionally?
When Qi Yan Su Luo peeled off the third piece of fabric, Qin Zhao spoke up: "Qi Yan Su Luo, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have treated you like that.
If you want to hit me back one day, I absolutely won't fight back."
Qi Yan Su Luo paused in her motions and said, "I'll remember that. There will certainly be such a day."
"Alright."
Qin Zhao took out the gold wound medicine given by Yu Qingzhu from her package, and said to Qi Yan Su Luo, "This medicine is very effective, take it."
Qi Yan Su Luo glanced at the white medicine bottle, took it and said, "Thank you."
Qin Zhao smiled, greatly approving of her behavior.
To refuse to accept medicine just because their conflict wasn't resolved, hurting one's own health, would be foolish.
Luckily Qi Yan Su Luo was not that kind of person.
Qin Zhao helped Qi Yan Su Luo clean her wounds and apply the medicine...
On subsequent nights, the two continued to sleep in the same bed, but it was much quieter on the bed.
After falling from his horse, the Emperor had not made any public appearances.
Everyone assumed the Emperor was recuperating, so they didn't think much of it.
Following the established itinerary, after concluding the hunting trip, the group made their way back to the capital in a magnificent procession.
At court, large and small matters were still handled by Second Prince Qin Lie.
It wasn't until two months later that people belatedly sensed something amiss!
Even if the Emperor had only fallen from his horse and was recuperating, after over two months he should have recovered.
Yet he still hadn't shown himself!
YuanJia Seventeenth Year, August 9th
At the morning court session, Qin Lie customarily said to the ministers, "Those with memorials may present them, those without may withdraw from court."
Left Prime Minister Xiao Angming said, "Your Majesty's health relates to the fortune of Great Yue. This minister wishes to represent all ministers in paying a visit to Your Majesty, and asks that the Second Prince grant permission."
The others echoed in agreement. It seemed they had long wanted to bring this matter up, but were worried about touching on sensitive issues, so no one dared speak rashly.
Only someone of Xiao Angming's high status and favor with the Emperor could broach the subject.
Qin Lie said, "I will ask Father Emperor about this matter and explain to everyone afterwards."
After court was dismissed, Qin Lie brought the memorials that had been piled up over the past three days and went to Jingyang Palace.
At the entrance to Jingyang Palace, Qin Lie handed the memorials to Zhou Quande.
As Zhou Quande turned to enter the palace, Qin Lie called for him to stop and said, "Manager Zhou, I wish to see Father Emperor.
As his son, I should be at my father's sickbed to fulfill my filial duty. I ask Manager Zhou to relay this for me."
Zhou Quande said, "Over the past seventeen years, Your Majesty has labored daily over state affairs, and his health has deteriorated from the strain.
It's good he can finally take some time to rest using the excuse of falling off his horse.
Your Highness, please don't go disturb him."
Qin Lie closely observed Zhou Quande's expression, trying to find a crack, but came up empty-handed.
He asked again, "Is Father Emperor's health alright?"
Zhou Quande said, "The same as usual."
Qin Lie switched tack and said, "I noticed Father Emperor's vermilion brushstrokes on edicts seem different from before.
Has Father Emperor been practicing his penmanship recently?"
Zhou Quande's expression shifted slightly. He said, "Perhaps it's because Your Majesty has rested for so long that his hand has become unpracticed.
It's very normal for brushstrokes to change somewhat during different periods. There's no need to think too much about it."
He slightly bowed his head in farewell to Qin Lie and entered Jingyang Palace.
Zhou Quande went into the study. A person was sitting at the desk.
Zhou Quande gave him the memorials and said, "Third Prince, these are recent memorials. Please be sure to add vermilion brushstrokes according to Your Majesty's style."
Qin Zhe didn't understand why Zhou Quande was reiterating this. Over the past two months, he had been doing this task without needing reminders.
Qin Zhe asked, "Manager Zhou, has something happened?"
