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The Prime Minister of the realm was a woman of extraordinary grace and beauty. At court, even the most dignified ministers couldn’t help stealing glances at her. She had once aided the Empress in ascending the throne, managing both civil and military affairs with flawless strategy. Favored by the Empress, she held unrivaled power for a time.
But Heaven envies brilliance within a few short years, she died suddenly, plunging the nation into mourning.
What no one knew was that, during her fall from grace, she had been forced into marriage by the notorious wastrel of the capital, Xie Qingqi, heir to the Marquis’ household. Xie Qingqi tormented her cruelly, making her kneel day and night in the snow with nothing but thin clothes to cover her. Those years of abuse left her with a lingering illness that no medicine could cure.
After Li Huaiyin’s death, the furious Empress had Xie Qingqi thrown into the dungeons to suffer endless torture. In the end, her kneecaps were gouged out, and she was cast onto the streets, begging until she died in misery, with her corpse left to rot, uncared for.
When Xie Qingqi awakens in this world, the future Prime Minister is already lying at her feet covered in boot prints, lashes crisscrossing her pale skin, with bleeding wounds everywhere.
Xie Qingqi: Why do my knees feel so cold…?
*******
Now, all Xie Qingqi wants to do is kneel down and thank her ancestors. Generations of medical knowledge in her family gave her the chance to treat Li Huaiyin’s illness and keep her alive.
The only problem? The Prime Minister wouldn’t so much as spare her a glance, let alone let her take a pulse or perform a diagnosis.
Later, after Li Huaiyin helps the Empress ascend the throne and holds sway over the empire, Xie Qingqi tries to flee the Marquis’ manor overnight. But before she can leave the city, she is surrounded by the Imperial Guards and dragged to the Prime Minister’s residence.
Shaking like a leaf, Xie Qingqi wonders: Am I about to be skinned alive?
The door opens. Instead of punishment, the Prime Minister rushes in, gently takes her hand, and presses her wrist against her own, eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
“A’Qi… won’t you treat me anymore?”
*******
Late at night, the chamber is dimly lit by a single red candle. The air carries the faint fragrance of pear blossoms.
Beneath the crimson canopy, Li Huaiyin’s eyes are tinged with red. Her ink-black hair spills across the bedding. She braces herself with one hand, her voice hoarse:
“It’s already late… Aren’t physicians supposed to value health above all else? Too much of this… isn’t good.”
Xie Qingqi gazes at her with a faint smile, leaning in slowly.
“It’s fine. Physicians can always… adjust.”
The candle burns until dawn. Just before Li Huaiyin finally drifts into unconsciousness, she vaguely sees the faint light of morning seeping through the window.
*******
One-sentence summary: The Prime Minister, whose public face and private self are two entirely different people.
Theme: Treasure life—start with yourself.
