La vida de la gente del campo en la ciudad durante la dinastía Song

Capítulo 61

I felt the blood drain from my face instantly, and even my lips felt cold: "Your Majesty, this humble subject is unworthy to be worthy of your status..."

"Qin Linyu!" Yang Yi roared, his voice rising several times in an instant. He looked up and saw the eunuchs and palace maids around us staring at us in horror. He waved his hand, dismissing them all. He looked down at me and said coldly, "Linyu, are you taking advantage of the fact that I dare not kill you now?"

I stood up, supporting myself on the wooden chair, when suddenly my throat tickled. I coughed violently, and immediately felt dizzy and lightheaded, my legs went weak, and I almost collapsed to the ground. A sudden thought flashed through my mind, and a wave of fear washed over me: Had the effects of the Lesser Rejuvenation Pill worn off? It wasn't even twelve hours yet, and the pill's effects were already fading?

I looked up and saw Yang Yi's complicated expression; my pale and haggard face was reflected in his eyes. He closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, I was nowhere to be found. He said calmly, "Lady Ningguo's attempt to poison the princess is an unforgivable crime. Unless the princess is willing to forgive and forget, even I cannot protect her. Lin Yu, go back and think it over carefully. The wedding date is set for the eighth day of next month."

"You've even set a wedding date?!" As soon as the words left my mouth, I realized my mistake, and sure enough, his expression changed drastically. I felt a tickle in my throat and my chest heaving with anger. I wanted to kneel down and beg for forgiveness, but I couldn't help turning my head away and coughing repeatedly.

I coughed until I was completely exhausted, my face flushed, and I could only barely stand by holding onto the edge of the table. A pair of large, warm hands supported me, and Yang Yi's worried voice rang in my ears: "Lin Yu, are you alright?"

I used all my strength to barely suppress the excruciating pain and itching in my chest, and weakly looked up, saying, "Your Majesty, I have only ever wished to marry Yunyan, and have no other desires. I hope Your Majesty..." My vision blurred; it seemed the effects of the Lesser Rejuvenating Pill had truly reached their limit. I was already extremely weak, and now, suffering from the backlash of the medicine, I was probably even more...

"Insolence!!" He tightened his grip on my hand suddenly, shaking me mercilessly. In a daze, I heard him growl in my ear: "What do you take my words for? Who do you think you are? How dare you defy imperial decrees time and time again! You... Lin Yu? Lin Yu! Lin Yu!!... Guards! Summon Imperial Physician Lu!"

"Galan! Galan! Wake up! Galan..."

In the deep darkness, I felt someone place me on a soft bed. Then I heard a buzzing sound in my ear, followed by a pair of rough hands gripping my wrists. Where... am I? And what are they doing?

Right, I think I suddenly couldn't see or hear anything, and then Yang Yi shouted something? He said... summon Physician Lu... Physician Lu... Physician Lu?! My heart jolted and I opened my eyes wide, jumped up, and pulled my wrist away from the old physician's grip.

I glanced at Yang Yi, my face filled with worry mixed with a deep, probing look, while the old imperial physician looked utterly frightened. I jumped out of bed, only to find everything going black before my eyes, and I nearly stumbled and fell.

Yang Yi grabbed my elbow and said in a deep voice, "Lin Yu, your health is so poor, why do you still insist on being strong? Let Physician Lu take a look at you quickly." As he spoke, he tried to pull me onto the bed.

"No need—!" I almost screamed. When I woke up, my face turned even paler. I quickly knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. My constitution is rather special. Apart from Yunyan, the medicine prescribed by others is not only ineffective but also causes allergic reactions. Moreover, I am not seriously ill. I am just tired from the journey. Please forgive me for taking my leave and returning to my residence."

Yang Yi stared intently at me, and I let him stare. Sure enough, he nodded and said, "Very well, you should go back and rest. Think carefully about what I told you before you give me your answer."

I nodded hesitantly, my legs unsteady, and I struggled to walk out. A young eunuch quickly came forward to support me. I could vaguely hear Yang Yi asking the imperial physician in the room about my condition, but my head was throbbing so badly that I could no longer concentrate on listening to the physician's reply.

As I approached the palace gates, I saw Yihan waiting there, his figure cool and aloof yet unyielding. He always waited for me like that, silently and without fail, through thick and thin, as if he would be willing to wait for a thousand or ten thousand years.

I gave a slight smile and called out, "Yihan." My voice was very soft and distant, but he suddenly turned around. His dark eyes flashed, and in an instant he was standing in front of me.

"Young master!" He helped me up from the eunuch's arms. "Why do you look so pale?"

I shook my head, leaned against him, and whispered, "The effect of the Lesser Rejuvenation Pill has worn off, Yihan, I... can't hold on much longer."

The hand that was supporting me trembled slightly, and then I felt my body lighten as he held me horizontally in his arms. His cool breath enveloped me, bringing an indescribable comfort and peace. Without a trace of wariness or anxiety, I buried my face in his chest and fell into a deep sleep.

―――――――――――――― Third-person perspective separator ――――――――――――――――

Yang Yi watched the frail young man being helped out of the imperial study by a eunuch, but remained standing there for a long time before finally calming his gloom. He turned and asked casually, "How is the Prime Minister's health?"

To everyone's surprise, Physician Lu suddenly knelt down as if he had been greatly frightened, his whole body trembling, his wrinkled forehead repeatedly hitting the ground, his voice trembling and incoherent: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty... have mercy... I... I couldn't... diagnose it clearly, Your Majesty, have mercy!"

Yang Yi frowned, a thought flashing through his mind. His expression darkened, and an irresistible imperial majesty instantly enveloped the entire study. He said in a deep voice, "I forgive you for your crime. Speak quickly what you have to say."

Physician Lu then raised his head in shock, his forehead flushed red, tears of fear welling in his eyes, his face a mess. He dared not look at the emperor glaring at him, and could only stare at the dark red corner of the table in front of him, utterly stunned by the facts he had just diagnosed. Only when a murderous "Physician Lu" rang out did he tremble violently, kowtowing again and pressing his forehead to the ground before stammering, "Your Majesty... Your Majesty, I do not know why, but I have diagnosed... diagnosed that Lord Qin's pulse is yin overpowering yang, slippery and without any roughness... It is... it is..."

Yang Yi's eyes widened in shock. A fleeting, incomparably handsome face flashed before his eyes—eyebrows like dark ink, lips like painted cinnabar, a slender and delicate figure, yet surpassing even the pure and flawless beauty of the imperial physician. Yang Yi bent down and grabbed the physician, coldly demanding, "What is it?" He paused, his emotions calming, and released his grip, causing the physician to collapse to the ground with a thud. He said in a deep voice, "Imperial Physician Lu, think carefully. Know that the crime of deceiving the emperor is punishable by the extermination of your entire family!"

"Your Majesty, spare my life!" Physician Lu cried out in anguish. "It was only a moment ago. My medical skills are inadequate, and I cannot be certain. It was...it was my senility that led to this. Your Majesty, spare my life! It must have been my fault for making a haphazard diagnosis!"

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Yang Yi smiled humbly again and helped him up, saying, "I have no intention of blaming you, Physician Lu. You should go back and rest."

The imperial physician, Lu, kowtowed repeatedly, no longer caring about how disheveled he looked, and scrambled out of the room.

Once the imperial study was empty, Yang Yi immediately called out in a low voice, "Xiu Ru, Xiao Gui Zi!"

As soon as the inner door behind the imperial study opened, two figures darted out. Before they could even kneel, Yang Yi raised his voice and said, "Little Gui, see Imperial Physician Lu off for me." At the same time, a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

The boy, known as Xiao Guizi, nodded in understanding and said loudly, "Yes, Your Majesty!" His face was handsome with clear features, fair skin, and no beard, and he still had a touch of childishness, but his icy eyes held a hidden murderous aura.

Seeing Xiao Guizi follow, Yang Yi breathed a sigh of relief, sat down on the wooden chair, and asked, "Xiu Ru, what do you think of this matter?"

The young man known as Xiu Ru stood to the side without being told. He was tall and straight, and although he wore the robes of a civil official, his strong muscles were faintly visible beneath them. His face was not particularly striking, at most just regular features, but his eyebrows were thick and black as lacquer, with sharp angles, and paired with a pair of dark eyes, making him memorable at first glance.

His expression remained unchanged after hearing this, and he simply lowered his head and said, "I have just thought about it carefully and believe that the possibility that Prime Minister Qin is a woman is not out of the question."

Yang Yi's heart skipped a beat. He forcefully suppressed his excitement and pounding heart, and after a long while, he managed to ask in a low voice, "What do you mean by that?"

Xiu Ru looked up at Yang Yi's calm face and turbulent blue eyes, sighed inwardly, and continued, "Firstly, although the Prime Minister has been married for two years, he still has no children. Moreover, his wife, Chu Yunyan, is an old acquaintance of the Prime Minister. It is not impossible that the two of them colluded to conceal the truth and created a false marriage."

"Secondly, the Prime Minister's appearance is exceptionally beautiful. Not to mention men, even the Emperor's three thousand beauties in his harem are far inferior to her. If you said she was a woman, it would be more convincing."

"Thirdly, it is said that all men in the world admire beautiful women. Nowadays, which man with a little background doesn't have three wives and four concubines, and a large number of servants? But only the Prime Minister has only married Chu Yunyan. Considering that the princess is beautiful and of noble status, and is devoted to him, it is really hard to understand why he doesn't even like her. But if he were a woman, then everything would make sense."

Unconsciously, Yang Yi clenched her fists, her mind drifting back to past events. Back in the Third Prince's mansion, he often talked with her by candlelight, yet never shared a bed; when she occasionally made intimate gestures, as if they were comrades, he would awkwardly pull away. Regardless of the season, his clothes were always impeccably dressed, revealing nothing. His voice, though deliberately low, couldn't hide its clear, melodious quality. She… she had spent so many years with him, yet she had never realized he might be a woman; she had been deceived by a woman for three whole years!

His brow furrowed slightly, a complex array of emotions flashing across his face. After a long silence, he asked, "So, you're now certain that Qin Luo is a woman?"

Xiu Ru shook his head and said, "No! I cannot be sure at all!"

Yang Yi suddenly raised his head, his deep tiger eyes looking at him with imperial majesty, and said coldly, "And how can you be unsure?"

Xiu Ru's heart trembled, and he quickly lowered his head and said, "Your Majesty has witnessed Prime Minister Qin's methods and demeanor throughout the ages. Even the men of our dynasty have rarely matched her. Does Your Majesty truly believe that a mere woman could achieve such a feat?"

Yang Yi was taken aback, immediately recalling the battle two years prior. He had been framed by his fourth brother and besieged in the Crimson Valley by General Qian Qian of the Fire Feather Kingdom. He had only 100,000 personal guards left, their supplies cut off, while the enemy forces surrounding them numbered over 300,000. Everyone was in despair, but only Lin Yu—the same lazy, unambitious man whom his confidants mocked as nothing more than a weak, bookish scholar—said he had a way to bring reinforcements.

Yang Yi didn't believe it at first, but the young man asked him in an extremely calm and composed tone, "Your Highness, do you want to follow me to a safe place first, or stay here and share the hardships with the generals while waiting for my rescue?" After a pause, he added, "Actually, my suggestion is that Your Highness stay here. In this way, the generals will be grateful for Your Highness's kindness, which is beneficial in the long run. Please rest assured, Your Highness, I will definitely bring reinforcements immediately."

He still remembered those gleaming eyes and that aura that seemed to capture the very essence of heaven and earth perfectly. And then, he truly broke through the encirclement. Without losing a single soldier, taking only the blue-clad guard beside him, he soared through the misty sky. From the Crimson Valley, it was exactly like the mural depicting the goddess's son, Chi Fei, soaring through the heavens, perhaps even more breathtaking.

Yang Yi shook his head, stared blankly ahead, and said calmly, "Go on."