Chapter 22
No matter how much Qi Junyou loathed Qi Junzhuo, no matter how much he gnashed his teeth over that younger brother's deeds—even if he wished he could tear the man apart—the Emperor, for his part, was thoroughly pleased.
Any means would do, so long as they could keep Qi Junyou in check—that was true ability. Besides, Qi Junyou had always enjoyed a good reputation as a gentle and virtuous gentleman. Yet now, hounded relentlessly by Qi Junzhuo, he had lost all his composure and was even showing signs of turning into a shrill scold. This only proved that his so-called "gentlemanly" name was nothing but empty talk.
After all the commotion that evening, Qi Junmu's anger had dissipated. His heart had settled back into calm, and after sitting in the cool night breeze for quite a while, he felt lethargic—his spirit heavy and sluggish.
Once the secret letter was consumed by the flames in the brazier, he rose and headed to his sleeping quarters, deciding to get a good rest first.
Tonight was peaceful. Tomorrow might not be.
As Ruan Jiqing helped Qi Junmu change his clothes, he noticed that the eunuch's eyes were rimmed red.
Ruan Jiqing was a good-looking young man—fine-featured, fair-skinned, and slender. With his eyes all red and teary, he looked truly pitiful.
Qi Junmu had a measure of patience for this eunuch, who had died rather unjustly by his side in his previous life. So he spoke gently, a rare kindness: "I am well. No need to worry."
Ruan Jiqing sniffled. "Your Majesty, this servant is simply afraid."
"Afraid of what? If the sky falls, I will hold it up." Qi Junmu could not abide his sniffling, so he spoke plainly: "I protected you from the Empress Dowager once, and I can do it again."
Ruan Jiqing stopped weeping, and his eyes brightened.
Seeing him so moved, Qi Junmu waved him away.
Ever since his rebirth after being smothered to death, he did not like having attendants nearby while he slept. If anyone were present, he would lie awake the whole night, always feeling as though someone might creep toward him in the dark.
Qi Junmu knew this was a trauma buried deep in his heart, but he had no wish to overcome it. Knowing that unseen dangers lurked ahead—knowing that a blade dangled above his head—kept him alert and better prepared for whatever might come.
This time, he would root out every last person with ulterior motives.
But there was no rush. He still had time. He could take it slowly.
Qi Junmu let his thoughts drift here and there, until somehow, they landed on Shen Nian.
Shen Nian was a born rebel. Though he kept it well hidden in everyday life, when it came to the Emperor—when it came to him—he was never truly reverent. Shen Nian's gaze was fixed on the northern frontier; it was fixed on his father, Shen Yi.
The Emperor came second.
Qi Junmu had indulged Shen Nian. Any other man, granted such sudden favor, would have been overwhelmed with trepidation, second-guessing every turn. But Shen Nian accepted it with complete ease.
He was even willing to seize the opportunity and climb higher, showing not the slightest fear of what might happen once the Emperor had finished using him.
Inside the sleeping chamber, the Emperor gave a cold snort to himself. Shen Nian was bold—brazen, even—and he knew exactly when to press his advantage. No doubt he had already planned his escape route. At worst, he could do as he had in his previous life: leave the capital and wander far and wide.
Then his legend would spread across the world.
Qi Junmu did not remember when he fell asleep. He recalled that he was still mulling over Shen Nian just before he drifted off. So when Ruan Jiqing announced at the chamber door that it was time for the morning court, the Emperor was still groggy, overcome by a vague sense of dislocation—as if he did not know where he was.
Qi Junmu did not move. His head felt unbearably heavy, so he said: "Go and announce that court is cancelled today."
He had never been so willful. In his previous life, even when he was ill—unless it was truly severe—he would force himself to attend court, for fear of delaying state affairs.
Now, just thinking of the droning voices in the hall made his head throb terribly. In that case, he might as well indulge himself once and simply not go.
"Is Your Majesty feeling unwell? Shall this servant summon Physician Bai?" Qi Junmu had spoken lightly, but Ruan Jiqing was deeply worried. If the Emperor had truly caught a chill from last night's wind, it would be good to have a physician take his pulse as soon as possible.
Qi Junmu said weakly: "Have Bai Feng come. My mind is in a tumult."
Last night, he had stormed out of Weiyang Palace in a rage. Though Ruan Jiqing had not spread the news, even if the matter had been kept from the Empress Dowager last night, by this morning the Renshou Palace would certainly have heard of it.
Then there would be no escape from a thorough scolding.
This was another reason Qi Junmu did not wish to attend court—listening to the idle gossip of his ministers, then putting on a performance for the Empress Dowager. Doing that day after day was simply exhausting.
Now, at least, he was truly unwell. He could avoid both the court's chatter and the Empress Dowager's nagging.
Shen Nian heard the news as he was leaving the palace—that the Emperor had not held court and had summoned a physician to his chambers.
He had not expected the Emperor to actually fall ill from last night's cold wind. He sighed inwardly at how frail the Emperor's constitution was. But all he could do was let out a long breath and then leave the palace.
He was to ride to North Mountain to inspect the imperial guards. The chaos in the palace over the Emperor's illness would not find its way to him.
Shen Nian left the palace as quickly as possible, leading the imperial guards on horseback toward North Mountain.
Meanwhile, Bai Feng was taking the Emperor's pulse.
He inquired about the Emperor's symptoms, then withdrew his hand after a careful examination and said: "Your Majesty has caught a chill. This humble servant will prescribe a formula—take a few doses of the decoction, and you will recover."
Qi Junmu gave a grunt of acknowledgment. "My heart feels greatly distressed, and I have no appetite. Is that also due to the chill?"
Bai Feng nodded. "Yes. When the stomach is chilled, it rebels against food, and one loses the desire to eat."
Qi Junmu said: "Very well. Go and prepare the prescription."
Bai Feng rose and took his leave.
Qi Junmu lay in bed, and his mind suddenly recalled Shen Nian's words: When you're sick and taking bitter medicine, the one who suffers is still yourself.
If he had known, he would not have lingered in that cold wind.
When illness strikes your own body, no one can bear it for you. The discomfort, the misery—you have no choice but to endure it all on your own.
Bai Feng wrote out the prescription. Ruan Jiqing personally went to fetch the herbs, had Bai Feng carefully verify them, and then took them to be decocted himself.
Following Bai Feng's instructions, three bowls of water were boiled down to one—and the medicine was ready.
Qi Junmu was not one to make a fuss. He took the bowl and, expressionless, tipped his head back and drank it all down.
Common people were used to having a piece of preserved fruit after taking their medicine, but Qi Junmu ate nothing.
Not long after he had drunk the medicine, Bai Feng took his pulse again and advised the Emperor to rest quietly and allow his mind to settle.
Qi Junmu knew these were the usual words of every imperial physician. He also knew his condition was nothing serious, so he dismissed Bai Feng.
As Bai Feng was leaving, he encountered the Empress Dowager and Princess Fuhua, who had come to visit the Emperor upon hearing the news.
The Empress Dowager inquired about the Emperor's condition, and upon learning that it was nothing grave, she let out a breath of relief.
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