After the Ostracized Beauty Lost Heart - Chapter 11

It was late autumn. The cold wind was biting, and because Xiao Qi had left in a hurry, he wore only a thin outer robe. Before long, his hands and feet were icy cold.

In Li Chongrong’s Changle Palace, the brick floor was hard and coarse. Through the layers of fabric, the stones ground against the delicate skin of his knees; every slight movement brought a sharp, stinging pain. He furrowed his brows, and to alleviate the momentary agony, he involuntarily propped himself up with both hands.

A sharp slap followed.

The moment he relaxed, his face was whipped to the side. A scab that had finally begun to heal was torn open by the force of the blow. Blood trickled down, and the taste of salt and iron filled his mouth.

The one who struck him was the eunuch serving Li Chongrong, sent by his mistress to ensure the Prince remained kneeling for the full duration. As a trusted confidant, he knew his mistress wanted to teach Xiao Qi a lesson and certainly would not make things easy for him.

Xiao Qi looked up at him with eyes full of hatred, as if he wished to tear the eunuch into ten thousand pieces.

The eunuch, incensed by that glare, raised his high pitched voice in an affected tone. “Oh? Has Your Highness still not learned his lesson?”

“Do you really think you can offend our Consort Li and leave unscathed? You had better kneel properly for Her Ladyship and show some filial respect! Otherwise, do not even dream of returning to your Chengen Hall!” he snarled.

The gates of Changle Palace stood wide open. People from various palaces passed by, seeing the inverted order of a eunuch berating a Prince, but they only watched with cold eyes, feigning deafness and muteness. There were no secrets in the palace; within moments, the news that the Second Prince had offended Li Chongrong had spread through every hall.

Everyone knew that Li Chongrong had been promoted by the Empress herself and was currently a favorite of the Emperor. Xiao Qi, on the other hand, was merely a child born of a discarded concubine. Everyone knew which side held more weight.

The gazes of the servants pierced Xiao Qi like a thousand needles. In that moment, his dignity and pride vanished. He was being bullied like a lowly slave, unable to resist.

Eventually, Nanny Du Ruo arrived after hearing the news. Through much pleading, she was finally allowed to support Xiao Qi and take him back to his palace. By then, Xiao Qi’s legs were as weak as noodles. He leaned against her with no strength left, his breathing becoming shallow.

He could only hear the whistling wind in his ears and the sobbing voice of Nanny Du Ruo. “It is this servant’s fault for letting Your Highness suffer such immense grievance.”

“Your Highness!”

By the time Yan Qushan heard the news and hurried over, Xiao Qi was lying unconscious on the couch. Even wrapped in several layers of thick quilts, he could not stop shivering. Beads of sweat stood out on his forehead and the bridge of his nose, and his entire face was as pale as paper.

As a princely study companion, Yan Qushan’s status was slightly higher than that of ordinary maids or eunuchs, and he usually carried himself with a certain aloofness, not mingling with the servants. He had only learned of Xiao Qi’s ordeal by chance while overhearing maids whispering.

Yan Qushan was shocked. He knew the Second Prince was not favored, but he had not expected the people in the palace to be so brazen in their sycophancy. How could a mere Consort dare to use the methods of disciplining servants against a Prince?

Only Nanny Du Ruo and Zi Zhu, who usually attended to Xiao Qi, were by the bed. Du Ruo carefully wiped the sweat from Xiao Qi’s forehead with a handkerchief. Seeing Yan Qushan arrive, she merely let out a sigh. “Master Yan.”

From the first moment Zi Zhu saw Yan Qushan, she felt he approached her master with ill intentions. Thus, she never gave him a kind look. She shot him a glare and said, “Oh, Master Yan certainly puts on airs! To arrive so late and in such a leisurely manner after something so terrible has happened to His Highness!”

“Zi Zhu!”

“Nanny!” Zi Zhu’s eyes widened. “I have asked around! It was all because of some argument this Yan Qushan had with His Highness this morning. His Highness left in such a rage that he ran straight into that wicked consort’s sedan! If it were not for him.”

“Zi Zhu! Watch your words!” Du Ruo barked coldly, then turned back to Yan Qushan with a hesitant look. “Regarding this morning, perhaps there is more to the story than we know.”

Yan Qushan ignored Zi Zhu and asked, “Where is Fang Hai?”

“He went to fetch a physician!” Zi Zhu snapped. “Do you think everyone is as idle as you!”

After waiting for about half an hour, Fang Hai returned out of breath. Du Ruo rushed to meet him, but seeing him alone, she asked anxiously, “Why are you alone? Where is the physician on duty?”

Fang Hai looked at her with a troubled face. “Physician Zhang is not at the Imperial Academy of Medicine.”

“How can that be? Which palace did he go to?”

“He went to Changle Palace. They said Li Chongrong was feeling unwell and requested him for a consultation.”

“What? How dare they!” This time, even the usually composed Du Ruo could not restrain herself. “How could it be such a coincidence! How did she happen to fall ill at this exact moment? When did she call for Physician Zhang?”

“At the Hour of the Monkey, but it has been nearly an hour now. She has always been healthy. Even if she had a minor ailment today, why would it take so long.”

Du Ruo asked, “Did you try to urge him?”

Fang Hai shook his head. “I went to Li Chongrong’s palace, but I was blocked by her people.”

Du Ruo turned pale and nearly collapsed. She looked at Xiao Qi curled up on the bed and almost burst into tears. “What are we to do? What are we to do?”

Yan Qushan scanned the room. Seeing only the few of them there, he frowned. “Where is Lady Lan?”

“His Highness is her own flesh and blood. Even if there is some friction between them, His Highness is still a Prince. He is gravely ill with no one to treat him, and she simply ignores it?”

Perhaps because the events of the day were so unheard of, Yan Qushan found himself genuinely angry, his voice rising.

Zi Zhu was still young and did not understand the complexities. She immediately prepared to rush out. “I will go and beg Her Ladyship! His Highness is her own child!”

But before she could reach the door, Du Ruo stopped her. “Her Ladyship is asleep. Do not wake her.”

“Nanny?” Zi Zhu asked in disbelief.

Du Ruo looked at her with a bitter smile. “You have served in Chengen Hall for some time now. Do you still not see Her Ladyship’s attitude toward His Highness?”

“But she is His Highness’s mother.”

“In this world, not all mothers love their children,” Du Ruo said softly. “Her Ladyship will not involve herself in this.”

Hearing her words, Yan Qushan sensed a hidden meaning and looked sharply at Du Ruo.

Du Ruo stood up and asked Fang Hai, “What about the Emperor’s side?”

Fang Hai said, “I asked. They said the Emperor is discussing state affairs with Minister Yu, and no one is allowed inside.”

“I have some past acquaintance with Eunuch Li, who serves the Emperor. I will go and beg him. You stay here and watch over His Highness.” Having said that, she walked out into the night.

Yan Qushan approached Xiao Qi’s bed and brushed a stray hair from his forehead. In that short time, Xiao Qi’s condition had worsened. He actually coughed up a bit of blood, then clutched his head, whispering in pain.

He studied Xiao Qi’s face for a long time, watching him shed tears from the pain. Finally, he sighed and said to Fang Hai, “Go and get a soft pillow.”

Though confused, Fang Hai obeyed. He watched as Yan Qushan placed Xiao Qi’s hand on the pillow and rested his fingers on the pulse, as if performing a medical examination. Fang Hai was stunned. “Master Yan, what is this?”

Yan Qushan was silent for a moment before answering, “My biological mother was a physician in her early years. I stayed by her side when I was young and learned a bit through observation.”

“However, I did not master the craft. I can only manage a general diagnosis,” Yan Qushan added.

His mother had long since stopped practicing medicine, but there were medical texts in the house Yan Liang had provided. Yan Qushan had read through them when he was idle. His mother had offered some guidance when she saw him reading. He was bright, and though much time had passed, he remembered it clearly.

Yet, no matter how well he remembered, it was only theory; he had never actually practiced.

Xiao Qi was a Prince. If something happened because no physician treated him, the blame would lie with Li Chongrong’s faction. But if something went wrong because of his misdiagnosis, not only his life but also Yan Liang’s head would be at stake.

Yan Qushan was always meticulous, never putting himself in a disadvantageous position. Yet, looking at Xiao Qi like this, he felt a rare stir of compassion.

Perhaps “compassion” was not quite the right word. He looked at Xiao Qi and saw a reflection of himself, weathered by the wind and rain.

He had acted on impulse.

“The pulse is floating and tight, consistent with a sign of a severe cold,” Yan Qushan sighed. Finally, he said, “I can only make His Highness feel slightly better for now. For a cure, we still need a physician.”

With that, he took a brush, wrote a prescription, and handed it to Fang Hai. “Have the pharmacy apprentice at the Imperial Academy of Medicine prepare the dosage exactly as written.”

At this point, Xiao Qi was coughing so hard he could barely breathe. They had to try everything, even if the odds were slim. Fang Hai nodded and ran out.

Once he was gone, Yan Qushan pulled the pillow from beneath Xiao Qi’s hand. Just as he was about to leave the bedside, a pair of soft hands wrapped around his waist. A warm face pressed against his back, and Xiao Qi’s soft voice murmured behind him, “I feel so terrible.”

“Do not go.” His voice was so thin, almost a sob. Xiao Qi had so little strength that Yan Qushan could have easily broken free with a slight effort, yet he stood frozen in place and did not move.

“It hurts. It hurts so much.” Xiao Qi leaned against him. In his illness, he no longer had his haughty pretense. He only cried, tears falling incessantly. “Cold, it is so cold. Hold me. Please, hold me.”

He clutched the fabric at Yan Qushan’s waist like a final lifeline. “Imperial Mother! Imperial Father!”

“It does not matter who it is. I am so cold. Hold me. I beg you. Hold me.”

He was like a child.

His weeping was truly heart wrenching. For some reason, Yan Qushan’s chest felt tight. He turned around, gathered Xiao Qi into his arms, and carefully wiped the tears from his face with his sleeve. “Do not cry. I am here.”

Xiao Qi’s face was burning with fever, yet he was not completely delirious. He blinked his swollen eyes with difficulty before recognizing him. “Yan, Yan Qushan.”

“Yes,” Yan Qushan answered. “I am here.”

“Yan Qushan.” Xiao Qi hugged him even tighter, wiping his tears and face against Yan Qushan’s clothes. “Do not go. Hold me. Do not leave.”

“I will not go,” Yan Qushan said. “I am here. I will not leave.”

With those words, the thick wall in Xiao Qi’s heart came crashing down. He stood among the ruins, and in the distant light, there was only Yan Qushan. He said, “I only have you now.”

“I only have you now.”

Yan Qushan let out a very soft sigh and patted his back. “I am here.”

Xiao Qi’s body trembled in his arms like a stray kitten drenched in icy water and near death, all his immature claws retracted. He leaned against Yan Qushan, so close that Yan Qushan could hear his heartbeat.

The wick of the candle burned down and snapped, falling onto the candlestick and scattering into a small patch of pale ash.

In that moment, Yan Qushan suddenly understood: Xiao Qi was exactly like him.

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