Tan Hua - Chapter 41

Pei Xingxu held tightly onto Song Liqing’s emaciated body. He grasped Song Liqing’s hand, which felt as cold as if it belonged to a lifeless person.

 

Pei Xingxu glanced around. Apart from the damp, musty-smelling dry grass, there was nothing in the prison cell to provide warmth. Song Liqing’s clothes were thin and damp; even a healthy person would fall ill in such conditions…

 

“I’m cold…”

 

Song Liqing murmured weakly once again.

 

“I know. Let me warm your hands…”

 

Pei Xingxu placed Song Liqing’s hand against his own chest. Song Liqing winced in pain upon contact with his wound.

 

“No… it hurts…”

 

As soon as Song Liqing cried out in pain, Pei Xingxu dared not move further. He gently placed Song Liqing’s hand into his palm, finally seeing in the dim light how swollen and twisted his fingers were.

 

“Liqing, your hand…”

 

“I can’t write anymore. I won’t write anymore…”

 

Song Liqing’s consciousness was blurry, repeating the same sentence.

 

Pei Xingxu rested his chin on Song Liqing’s forehead, trying to hold back tears that inevitably fell.

 

Song Liqing’s whole body was icy cold, yet his forehead burned hot.

 

“I’m so tired.” Song Liqing nestled in his embrace, leaning against his shoulder, his voice growing weaker, “Xingxu, let me sleep for a while… just a little while…”

 

“No, you can’t sleep. Liqing, open your eyes and look at me. I’ll take you out now. Do you believe me?”

 

Pei Xingxu’s heart hung by a thread. He feared that if Song Liqing fell asleep, he might never wake up again. He could only give Song Liqing something to look forward to.

 

“I’ll take you away, okay? To the desert, to Loulan, to find a hidden oasis. I… I’ll protect you for the rest of your life. Have you heard of the Si Li Pasture Lake? It’s very blue, very blue. Do you want to see it? There’s no one there. In the summer, flowers bloom under the snow-capped mountains… Have you ever seen such a beautiful place?”

 

Upon hearing this, Song Liqing faintly smiled, very faintly.

 

“I haven’t seen it. I’ve never left the capital since I can remember.”

 

With each sentence he spoke, Song Liqing needed several breaths to rest.

 

“Unfortunately, I… won’t get the chance to see it.”

 

Pei Xingxu’s heart was twisted with pain. Determined, he decided to lift Song Liqing up.

 

“Yes, I’ll take you out of the capital now!”

 

“Xingxu…”

 

Song Liqing grabbed his arm.

 

“We can’t escape from the palace.” Song Liqing gasped, “I can’t go any further… Listen to me, the Song Mansion was raided, my father was imprisoned. Can you help save them?”

 

Pei Xingxu could only promise, “Okay.”

 

Song Liqing tilted his head slightly, and Pei Xingxu leaned down to hear him better.

 

“The box of longevity peaches… was presented by Jun Qiyu to the Emperor. When I received it, there was… a fragrance, like sandalwood but not quite… Find it.”

 

“Are you implying Jun Qiyu?” Pei Xingxu asked in a hushed tone, “But would Jun Qiyu harm his own father?”

 

Song Liqing’s breathing was weak, lacking the strength to speak further. He slowly traced a “Hu” character in Pei Xingxu’s palm.

 

“Hu slave!”

 

Pei Xingxu immediately understood.

 

He placed Song Liqing in a sheltered corner, not daring to leave his own cloak behind. He could only find a piece of torn cloth from the cell to wrap around Song Liqing tightly.

 

Reluctant as he was, Pei Xingxu couldn’t linger any longer. Under cover of night, he hurried to the imperial medical facility.

 

“Physician Qi! Is the box from the Prince’s birthday banquet still here?”

 

Qi Miao didn’t know why he was in such a rush, but he nodded.

 

“All the evidence from that day is kept in the medical facility. Follow me.”

 

From the pile of utensils used by the Emperor that day, Qi Miao retrieved the box. Pei Xingxu took it and held it to his nose, indeed detecting a fragrance reminiscent of sandalwood.

 

“Is there something wrong with this box?” Qi Miao asked.

 

Pei Xingxu thought for a moment before exclaiming, “Mylan fragrance!”

 

Qi Miao shook his head, “I’ve studied all kinds of poisons and unusual medicines under my master, but I’ve never heard of it.”

 

“Physician Qi, I can’t reveal myself in this matter. I must rely on you. Liqing is hanging by a thread in the dungeon, we can’t afford to wait!”

 

—

 

“Your Majesty… Your Majesty is awake!”

 

As the Grand Eunuch rushed into the Taihe Hall, he tripped over the threshold but quickly got up to continue shouting.

 

“Crown Prince! His Majesty is awake!”

 

Jun Qiyu had just closed his eyes, but upon hearing this news, he didn’t get annoyed. Instead, he immediately rose and rushed towards the Yihua Hall where the Emperor was recuperating.

 

“Father!”

 

Jun Qiyu saw the Emperor sitting up in good health, and the coldness that had lingered on his face for several days finally softened a bit.

 

“Father!”

 

“You are the Crown Prince, destined to rule the realm. Why so flustered?” Despite reprimanding, the Emperor’s words now carried a hint of affection, possibly due to his recent recovery from serious illness. Jun Qiyu now felt warmth in the Emperor’s reprimand, knowing that it meant his father was truly concerned.

 

“Now that I’ve fought my way out from the battlefield, life and death are nothing new to me. Since Yama couldn’t take me this time, I’ve never been one to repay kindness with resentment. Those deserving rewards… shall be rewarded, and those deserving punishment… shall be punished.”

 

While composed, the Emperor’s demeanor exuded a decisive and stern authority.

 

All the imperial physicians, guards, and attendants immediately kneeled down, praying for the Emperor’s longevity.

 

The senior physician spoke up, “Your Majesty, Physician Qi timely identified the strange poison, administered treatment, and merits recognition.”

 

The Emperor remained silent, looking at Jun Qiyu and assigning him to oversee the situation.

 

“Very well. Promote Qi Miao to Chief of the Imperial Medical Academy and grant him one hundred taels of gold. Father, you know my handwriting… When you are fully recovered, would you grant him an honorary plaque?”

 

The Emperor nodded in agreement.

 

Qi Miao immediately kowtowed in gratitude.

 

“Your Majesty’s grace is boundless. I only fulfilled my duty as a physician and feel deeply humbled. I seek neither fame nor fortune, but I have one request to make.”

 

“Is it about the strange poison?” Jun Qiyu asked.

 

Qi Miao responded, “Yes, it’s about the Mylan fragrance. Its usual toxicity is not severe, causing at most vomiting and dizziness when poisoned. However, when combined with alcohol, its toxicity intensifies enough to be fatal. Moreover, it dissolves easily in water and evaporates quickly, making it possible to be poisoned without ingestion. This characteristic was exploited to harm others. Mylan fragrance smells very similar to sandalwood. The box containing longevity peaches was the culprit soaked in Mylan fragrance.”

 

Qi Miao pointed to the box on the ground, and everyone recoiled upon hearing this, covering their noses to avoid the scent.

 

“Don’t worry, the Mylan fragrance on the box has almost completely dissipated and lost its toxicity,” Qi Miao explained further. “Therefore, on the day of the birthday banquet, the dishes consumed by Your Majesty were not poisoned. It was simply because the box containing the peaches had long absorbed the Mylan fragrance, and combined with alcohol, led to severe poisoning.”

 

Everyone present was shocked by this revelation.

 

“This poison is truly insidious and unpredictable…,” remarked someone in the crowd.

 

The Emperor also sighed, “This is something I’ve never heard of before.”

 

Qi Miao then raised his head and respectfully reported, “Your Majesty, considering your extensive knowledge, it’s likely that such poison isn’t native to our Jing Kingdom but originates from the Western Regions.”

 

The Western Regions…

 

Jun Qiyu’s heart sank for a moment.

 

“If it’s from the Western Regions… then the person who poisoned it, Song Liqing is unlikely; Hu Nu’er is the prime suspect.”

 

Jun Qiyu dared not admit it.

 

“Qi Miao, you said the poison came from the food box, why did only the rat that ate the longevity peach die?”

 

Qi Miao replied, “The rats near the food box were mildly poisoned, but only that one also tasted the wine from the Longevity Banquet.”

 

The relaxed smile vanished from Jun Qiyu’s face, replaced by seriousness.

 

“Qi Miao,” Jun Qiyu asked solemnly, “are you sure what you’re saying is true? Are you not fabricating to absolve someone?”

 

“If Your Highness doubts, you can send someone to investigate. Every word I say is true,” Qi Miao asserted firmly. “If I speak falsely, I will take my own life.”

 

Jun Qiyu’s legs weakened, stepping back half a pace.

 

Could he have wrongly accused Song Liqing?

 

But… why hadn’t he clarified things?

 

No, he admitted it himself; he hadn’t listened.

 

In his anger and haste, he hadn’t listened to Song Liqing at all.

 

“Hu Nu’er…”

 

Jun Qiyu clenched his fist, teeth grinding audibly.

 

He had thought Hu Nu’er, a slave he treated casually, was the one who had manipulated him so thoroughly.

 

With Jun Qiyu’s pride, how could he accept such a truth?

 

“Ah!”

 

Jun Qiyu shouted angrily, smashing the tea table beside him with a palm.

 

“Qiyu,” the Emperor noticed his unusual expression and asked, “what are you doing?”

 

“I…” Jun Qiyu lowered his head.

 

“Father, I’m sorry. This box of longevity peaches, including the food box… they were all made by Hu Nu’er in my mansion, nearly harming you.”

 

The Emperor’s expression darkened, but he restrained his anger.

 

“I warned you early on about this person. I have met more people than you have, and someone with such deceitful intentions cannot hide it! Yet you only believe your own eyes, insisting on favoring a deceitful slave over the Crown Princess I chose for you.”

 

“I understand,” Jun Qiyu didn’t argue this time.

 

“Enough.”

 

The Emperor saw his son sincerely admitting his mistake, looking despondent, and felt somewhat comforted despite his anger.

 

“You’ve learned this time. Deal with that slave, and from now on, treat Liqing properly. It’s not too late.”

 

Jun Qiyu now dreaded being asked about Song Liqing.

 

“Alright… Father,” Jun Qiyu couldn’t lift his head in shame, “Song Liqing… he’s in the imperial prison.”

 

“Imperial prison?” The Emperor’s gaze sharpened.

 

Jun Qiyu explained, “I sent him to the imperial prison. I thought he was the most suspicious one. When you were poisoned and unconscious, I was desperate to find out the poison, so… I used torture.”

 

The Emperor took a deep breath to calm his rising anger.

 

“You’ve done well, very well. Torturing your own Crown Princess… while I was unconscious, what else did you do? Hmm?”

 

Jun Qiyu unconsciously knelt down.

 

“General Song was suspected of conspiracy, so I ordered his household to be arrested and executed…”

 

The Emperor felt dizzy, nearly fainting from anger again.

 

Jun Qiyu hurriedly knelt before the Emperor.

 

“Father, I didn’t really intend to execute them. I just wanted to pressure Song Liqing. I… I will order them released now and apologize to General Song…”

 

“You reckless fool!”

 

Jun Qiyu received a slap across his face, the first time the Emperor had ever struck him.

 

“Do you think you can apologize and make amends for everything? You’ve chilled the hearts of people; how will you mend that?!”

 

“Yama” refers to the Yama, the ruler of the underworld or the god of death in Hindu and Buddhist mythology. In Chinese culture and literature, “Yama” (often written as 阎罗王 Yánluó Wáng in Chinese) is sometimes used metaphorically to refer to death or the realm of the dead. Here, the Emperor’s statement “Since Yama couldn’t take me this time” metaphorically suggests that he narrowly escaped death or serious harm. It’s a figurative expression rather than a literal reference to the deity Yama.