Hibiscus as a Painting - Chapter 75
Gradually, Dugu Xihui's breathing became less labored. Although her breathing was still unsteady, it gradually calmed down.
The imperial physician wiped the sweat from his brow and said with relief, "It would be best if the concubine could sit up."
"If that's the case... why was Hui'er still lying in bed when I arrived, and no one cared?" Empress Yanzai asked coldly, her phoenix eyes flashing sharply.
“The young master won’t let anyone touch him. If anyone touches him, he squirms violently and has even more difficulty breathing,” Eunuch Fulai replied hastily, wiping away his tears.
Empress Yanzai gave Dugu Xihui a reproachful look, but her movements became even gentler. Dugu Xihui, still slightly out of breath, seemed to sense the Empress's reproach and lowered her eyes slightly.
A palace maid handed the prepared medicine to Eunuch Fulai.
"Hui'er, are you feeling any better?" Empress Yanzai gently wiped the sweat from Dugu Xihui's face with her sleeve, leaned close to his ear, and asked softly.
“Mother…” Dugu Xihui turned her eyes to the side, her lips moved, and she managed to utter two words with difficulty.
"Hui'er, don't speak. Shall I feed you your medicine?"
Nestled in Empress Yanzai's arms, Dugu Xihui nodded weakly, a hint of surprise flashing in her amber eyes.
Eunuch Fu stepped forward, took the bowl of medicine, and placed it beside the two. Empress Yanzai picked up a spoon and fed Dugu Xihui little by little. Dugu Xihui was still panting, his fox-like eyes misty with tears. Although he cooperated perfectly in drinking the medicine, he could only sip it little by little.
Empress Yanzai wore a faint smile, seemingly pleased with Dugu Xihui's cooperation. As the medicine was fed to him little by little, her smile deepened. The two exchanged glances, and by the time the bowl of medicine was finished, nearly half an hour had passed.
Dugu Xihui's breathing gradually calmed down, and his mind returned to normal. His fox-like eyes were slightly lowered, not daring to look at Empress Yanzai.
Empress Yanzai breathed a slight sigh of relief and shifted her position to make Dugu Xihui more comfortable, her hand still occasionally stroking Dugu Xihui's chest. Dugu Xihui was pale and obediently leaned against Empress Yanzai's chest.
"Are you still feeling unwell?" Empress Yanzai asked gently.
Dugu Xihui gently shook his head, biting his lower lip uneasily: "Wife...
"Um?"
"Mother... please don't hate Hui'er, Hui'er will never dare to do it again." After Dugu Xi Hui finished speaking, his eyes were already red, and he looked up at the Empress with extreme unease.
"You know you were wrong?"
"Hmm. Hui'er..."
"Since you know you're wrong, then if I want to punish you, I will be willing to do so," Empress Yanzai interrupted Dugu Xihui with a cold expression.
"Hmm..." Dugu Xihui blinked her innocent, fox-like eyes, and her eyes reddened again.
The imperial physician immediately stepped forward and said in a humble yet assertive manner, "Your Majesty, you must not! The concubine is currently very weak and cannot withstand any punishment."
"Make a bowl of vegetable and shredded pork porridge." Empress Yanzai smiled teasingly and affectionately pinched Dugu Xihui's pale face.
“My lady…” Dugu Xihui’s face flushed slightly, and he leaned closer to Empress Yanzai’s embrace, feeling uneasy.
"After you finish this bowl of porridge, I will forgive you," Empress Yanzai whispered in Dugu Xihui's ear.
Dugu Xihui nodded repeatedly, tears streaming down her face.
"It's my fault, I've neglected Hui'er... There are too many bad people. All I want now is for Hui'er to live well. Hui'er must be obedient and live well, understand?" Empress Yanzai wiped away Dugu Xihui's tears with pity and sighed helplessly.
"My lady, I was wrong. I will never do it again. I was so scared just now... so scared... that I will never see you again." Dugu Xihui tightly grasped the Empress's clothes and tried to lean into her arms.
Empress Yanzai gently wrapped her arms around Dugu Xihui and rubbed her chin against his soft hair: "Silly Hui'er..."
Dugu Xi Hui suddenly released her grip on Empress Yan Zai's robes and struggled to move outside, her face once again deathly pale.
"Hui'er?" Empress Yanzai looked at the small figure who was struggling to break free from her embrace but was powerless, not understanding what was going on.
“Hui’er must look terrible right now…and smell terrible…wife, please don’t look at Hui’er…Hui’er is filthy…covered in sweat…wife…” Dugu Xi Hui said, and then almost burst into tears.
Empress Yanzai smiled gently, hugged Dugu Xihui even tighter, rested her head on Dugu Xihui's neck, and took a deep breath: "Hui'er is not dirty at all, not ugly at all, and doesn't smell bad at all. Your wife likes the faint milky scent on Hui'er very much."
Dugu Xihui's agitated mood was instantly soothed. He obediently leaned against Empress Yanzai's chest, his amber eyes slowly calming down.
"During the flowering season, one is not allowed to go to the Imperial Garden."
"Um."
"No more drinking."
"Um."
"You're not allowed to be so willful anymore."
"Um."
In the early summer of the twelfth year of the Yaochen era.
Empress Yanzai's first concubine fell critically ill. Whether intentional or coincidental, the entire Imperial Hospital was dispatched by the Empress and Empress to the Sikou family to care for the ailing young prince, leaving only a young, intern imperial physician behind. Empress Yanzai and the physician remained in Xiayang Palace for three days without venturing out. By divine intervention, the concubine narrowly escaped death, but was left with a lifelong chronic illness.
The young imperial physician who spent three days with Empress Yanzai in Xiayang Palace disappeared without a trace afterward, and his file was accidentally destroyed. Only those who paid attention still remembered his name—Lou Shuo.
In the early summer of the twelfth year of the reign of Emperor Yanzai (528 AD), Empress Yanzai—Nalan Fengjin—was fifteen years old.
In the early summer of the twelfth year of the reign of Emperor Yaochen (528 AD), the concubine, Dugu Xihui, was seven years old.
In the early summer of the twelfth year of the reign of Emperor Yaochen (528 AD), the Emperor and Empress Sikou Xunxiang were exactly twenty years old.
A lifetime of love and hate, hard to understand, reincarnation begins again. Bamboo Stalker, unintentional, enters the world of martial arts with many twists and turns (Part 6)
Entering the martial world is full of twists and turns (VI) Zi Jin tried to curl up into a ball to avoid the bone-chilling cold. It was a coldness that emanated from her bone marrow. This coldness was lingering and penetrating into her bones, seeping into her whole body bit by bit, eroding Zi Jin's body and senses, and gradually stiffening her limbs and blood.