The Sickly Seedling Dresses Up As An Unfortunate And Muddled Monarch - Chapter 35

If Qiu Junyao had previously harbored any resentment toward Qiu Jingming due to the original plot and the poisoning case, the moment the young physician Xiao Qi told him that Qiu Jingming’s life was now in grave danger, his lingering concerns vanished as if they were smoke.

 

After all, human life is paramount; nothing is more important than life itself.

 

Qiu Jingming was only meant to be punished and admonished, to reflect on his actions. Qiu Junyao never intended to cruelly take the life of a minor child.

 

As soon as this thought crossed his mind, Qiu Junyao quickly set Qiu Jingxiu down on the ground and hurried to Xiao Qi, his face showing anxiety:

 

“What exactly happened? Tell me on the way.”

 

Xiao Qi had never faced such a tense situation and was overwhelmed by the imposing presence of the emperor, which made him shed physiological tears of fear. He could hardly wipe away his tears before Qiu Junyao’s command made him reflexively scramble to his feet, but his legs, still weak from kneeling, gave way, and he fell to the ground.

 

“…” Qiu Junyao glanced at him and said in a deep voice:

 

“Lai Fu, you go…”

 

“Your Majesty, don’t kill me!” Xiao Qi, nearly fainting from fright at Qiu Junyao’s words, staggered to his feet, his face full of terror. “Your Majesty, please don’t kill me!”

 

“……..” Qiu Junyao realized he was traumatized by seeing Suo Yu being dragged away earlier and, after a moment’s pause, could only helplessly say:

 

“I didn’t intend to kill you.”

 

He tried to soften his tone, “You know that life is paramount… Quickly take me to Jingming.”

 

“…… Yes.”

 

Before leaving the Puxiang Hall, Qiu Junyao passed by Suo Yu, who was being beaten. Suo Yu had been beaten so badly that he was vomiting blood continuously, his lower body a mess of blood and flesh, with soft, rotting flesh oozing blood from his buttocks, emitting a faint, rusty, bloody smell—both a visual and olfactory offense.

 

“……….”

 

At this moment, Yin Yuan had arrived, holding Qiu Jingxiu, and looked worriedly at Qiu Junyao:

 

“Your Majesty, I…”

 

“The prison is dirty; you and Jingxiu should not go in,” Qiu Junyao said, understanding what Yin Yuan was about to say. He glanced at him, paused, and then turned to the palace staff carrying out the punishment:

 

“Stop. Leave him with a breath of life; I have more questions for him when I return.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Given Qiu Jingming’s serious condition and his special status, the right vice-minister of the Ministry of Military Affairs did not dare delay. He took Qiu Jingming out and placed him in a quiet room.

 

By the time Qiu Junyao arrived, Qiu Jingming was barely conscious, lying on a hard bed. His once healthy and rosy cheeks had turned as white as paper, his lower body stained with dark red blood that wouldn’t stop oozing. Even the floor in front of the bed was stained with blood that had already coagulated.

 

Qiu Junyao’s heart tightened.

 

He raised his hand, signaling Lai Fu to remain silent so as not to startle Qiu Jingming, and slowly approached him.

 

At this moment, the elder physician Qi was kneeling beside Qiu Jingming, examining him. Hearing Qiu Junyao’s approach, he quickly turned, glanced at him, and bowed:

 

“Your Majesty.”

 

“How is my son Jingming now?”

 

Qiu Junyao had avoided visiting Qiu Jingming these past days to prevent himself from feeling soft-hearted upon seeing this scene. But even though he had prepared himself mentally, seeing Qiu Jingming lying on the bed, on the brink of death, still made him catch his breath.

 

Seeing Qiu Junyao’s ambiguous expression, the elder physician Qi was unsure how to answer to satisfy him and could only cautiously say:

 

“The Crown Prince has many wounds, which have become inflamed. Coupled with internal injuries, he has been frequently vomiting blood. The situation is quite dire.”

 

“…… And the elderflower poison in his body?” Qiu Junyao asked. “Is it incurable?”

 

“……”

 

As soon as he finished speaking, a look of confusion flashed across the elder physician Qi’s face. “Your Majesty, what elderflower poison?”

 

He looked puzzled. “There is no sign of poisoning in the Crown Prince.”

 

“……..” Qiu Junyao said: “The left vice-minister of the Ministry of Military Affairs just said that Xiao Qi had examined him and mentioned that my son was poisoned with elderflower poison and that his condition is still not good.”

 

Xiao Qi quickly nodded, “Yes, Father, I just diagnosed him, and the Crown Prince is indeed…”

 

“Foolish child!”

 

The elder physician Qi scolded Xiao Qi angrily: “With your half-baked skills, you believe everything you hear and are easily manipulated without even knowing it!”

 

After scolding, the elder physician Qi quickly turned to Qiu Junyao, bowed deeply, and expressed his concern, hoping Qiu Junyao would not hold Xiao Qi accountable:

 

“Your Majesty, although the Crown Prince’s symptoms of vomiting blood and fever resemble those of elderflower poisoning, my examination shows that there is no such toxin in his body.”

 

“The reason for his vomiting blood and fever is due to prolonged flogging, wound infection, and organ rupture.”

 

“……. I see.”

 

It seemed that the seventh prince had not lied; he had not poisoned Qiu Jingming but only aimed to expose the hidden agent planted by someone else.

 

With this thought, Qiu Junyao finally felt relieved.

 

However, the situation was far from the optimistic picture painted by the physician.

 

While they were talking, Qiu Jingming slowly opened his eyes.

 

Still not fully awake, he had just opened his eyes slightly when a tickling sensation in his throat jolted him awake. He struggled to crawl to the edge of the bed and spat out another mouthful of blood.

 

His lower body was so badly beaten that it was a mass of blood and flesh. While vomiting blood, he also endured sharp pain in his spine.

 

The pain felt like someone continuously sawing at his bones with an axe, his nerves throbbing painfully, his skin burning as if scorched by fire. Qiu Jingming, choked on blood, could not stop the tears streaming down his face.

 

At only sixteen, experiencing such extreme torture for the first time, his mental state was collapsing.

 

Moreover, with the elder physician Qi stating that the Crown Prince’s bones had been severely damaged, continued punishment could result in a life of suffering even if he survived. His condition worsened, with more intense blood vomiting.

 

Seeing Qiu Jingming, with cracked lips and a pale, ashen face, Qiu Junyao could no longer bear it. He walked over, sat by his bed, and gently patted his shoulder:

 

“Feeling any better?”

 

He paused and said, “Don’t be afraid; you won’t die.”

 

“…… Father Emperor.” Feeling the comforting words from Qiu Junyao, Qiu Jingming’s tears flowed even more freely.

 

He seemed unable to believe that Qiu Junyao had truly come to see him. He struggled to move his fingertips as if trying to lift his head to look up, but the pain from his injuries made his face contort, his teeth grit. He persistently said:

 

“Father Emperor…”

 

“I’m here,” Qiu Junyao said, allowing him to clutch his sleeve, not daring to move for fear of aggravating Qiu Jingming’s wounds. “Where does it hurt?”

 

“Everywhere… hurts…”

 

Qiu Jingming was like an injured puppy, only able to whimper: “Father Emperor…”

 

“I’m here.”

 

Seeing that Qiu Jingming was determined to look at him, Qiu Junyao crouched down, gently cradling Qiu Jingming’s face with both hands, and made eye contact with him:

 

“Father Emperor called the physician. Everything will be alright, okay?”

 

“Father Emperor…”

 

Looking at Qiu Junyao’s gentle face, Qiu Jingming was momentarily dazed. Through tear-filled eyes, he could not help but bury his face in Qiu Junyao’s palms. Only when tears flowed through Qiu Junyao’s fingers did he hear Qiu Jingming’s hoarse voice saying:

 

“Father Emperor… I know I was wrong…”

 

He said, “I know I was wrong…”

 

He shouldn’t have been jealous, shouldn’t have pushed his brother into the lotus pond on a winter’s day, shouldn’t have harbored such malicious thoughts…

 

A tidal wave of regret surged through Qiu Jingming’s mind. After all, he was just a child, and once he felt remorse, the pain in his body seemed to burst through the shaky dam, coursing through his limbs and veins, making him shiver uncontrollably.

 

Soon, he felt a sudden chill, but his internal organs felt as if a fire was burning. The sensation of being caught between ice and fire made his head spin uncontrollably, every muscle in his body aching, so fragile that even the slightest friction from his clothing seemed unbearably painful.

 

Tears flowed continuously as if a dam had burst, soaking Qiu Junyao’s palms.

 

He could only gently embrace Qiu Jingming’s neck from above, softly comforting him and administering medicine until the effects took hold and Qiu Jingming fell into a drowsy sleep.

 

Seeing Qiu Jingming in this state, Qiu Junyao dared not leave.

 

He stayed by the bed for a long time, not daring to close his eyes until noon the next day, when he saw that Qiu Jingming’s fever had subsided and he had the strength to eat some soft food, before he felt relieved.

 

Qiu Jingming’s body was no longer fit to endure punishment. The elder physician Qi said that the fever came at a critical time; if the Crown Prince had been subjected to another day of torture, he might have been paralyzed for life.

 

Qiu Junyao then brought the severely injured Qiu Jingming back to the palace. Since the Puxiang Hall was no longer suitable for habitation, he had Qiu Jingming settled in a room next to it.

 

Though Qiu Jingming had regained consciousness and could eat, he was still not fully alert, continuously clutching Qiu Junyao’s sleeve, softly repeating that he was wrong.

 

He repeated it so much that his voice became hoarse, sounding as if someone had prodded him with a fire tong.

 

After calming Qiu Jingming and watching him fall asleep again, Qiu Junyao intended to get something to eat. However, Qiu Jingming seemed afraid that Qiu Junyao would leave, clutching his sleeve tightly and refusing to let go. Unable to free himself, Qiu Junyao had to exert some effort to pull his sleeve away, accidentally tearing it and leaving half of it in Qiu Jingming’s hand.

 

Qiu Junyao: “……..”

 

Was it his clothes that were of poor quality, or were his children just too strong?

 

With this doubt, Qiu Junyao, feeling weary and exhausted, returned to the Puxiang Hall.

 

It was now late at night. Qiu Junyao thought Yin Yuan must have been asleep, but as soon as he entered the hall, Yin Yuan came forward:

 

“Your Majesty.”

 

“….. Why are you still awake?”

 

Qiu Junyao was surprised to see Yin Yuan without his hairpin and reached out to squeeze his shoulder:

 

“Didn’t I ask Lai Fu to tell you not to wait for me?”

 

“You didn’t come back, so I was restless and couldn’t sleep,” Yin Yuan said, wrapping his arms around Qiu Junyao’s waist, burying his face in his neck. His voice was muffled:

 

“How is Jingming?”

 

“He’s not poisoned. He should be alright.”

 

Qiu Junyao paused and slowly put his right arm around Yin Yuan’s shoulders.

 

Seeing this, Lai Fu quickly signaled the surrounding eunuchs and maidservants to leave. The room, illuminated by candlelight, was now left with only the shadows of Qiu Junyao and Yin Yuan embracing each other:

 

“Is His Majesty feeling unwell?”

 

Sensing Qiu Junyao’s heavy mood, Yin Yuan could not help but reach out and gently pat his back, as if offering comfort.

 

“……. ” Qiu Junyao opened his mouth, intending to say that everything was fine, but looking into Yin Yuan’s clear, innocent eyes, the words he meant to say suddenly shifted:

 

“…… A little.”

 

“Can you tell me why?”

 

Yin Yuan asked.

 

Qiu Junyao didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he buried his face in Yin Yuan’s shoulder, taking a deep breath. The faint fragrance of Yin Yuan’s body, like the delicate scent of magnolia, lingered at his nose, bringing a brief moment of clarity to his mind.

 

“Ah Ying.”

 

In a moment of uncharacteristic honesty, Qiu Junyao found himself revealing his true feelings:

 

“……. Do you ever think…?”

 

“What?”

 

Because Qiu Junyao’s voice was too soft, Yin Yuan didn’t catch it clearly and had to lift his head to ask again.

 

“……..” Qiu Junyao: “Never mind, it’s nothing.”

 

He wasn’t used to revealing his vulnerabilities in front of others. Even when he was left alone in the hospital by his parents while critically ill, he had never complained.

 

After saying this, Qiu Junyao tried to act nonchalant and was about to call Lai Fu to prepare a bathing bucket, but the next moment, Yin Yuan’s words stopped him in his tracks:

 

“Your Majesty, do you not trust me?”

 

Yin Yuan’s expression was more serious than ever:

 

“Do you still not trust me?”

 

Caught off guard by Yin Yuan’s direct accusation, Qiu Junyao reflexively retorted:

 

“No.”

 

Qiu Junyao, who had intended to leave, returned and embraced Yin Yuan again, bending down to kiss Yin Yuan’s lips several times:

 

“I don’t distrust you. Don’t think too much, okay?”

 

Yin Yuan allowed Qiu Junyao to embrace and kiss him but remained unconvinced by his words.

 

After the kiss, Yin Yuan’s hand rested on Qiu Junyao’s shoulder, and his voice was low:

 

“Then why don’t you tell me?”

 

Yin Yuan’s tone was full of grievance: “Since I agreed to the three-year promise, I have a responsibility to share your burdens.”

 

“…… It’s my fault.” Qiu Junyao couldn’t bear to see Yin Yuan frown and quickly held him, gently patting his back:

 

“It’s my fault.”

 

“What do you want to know? I’ll tell you everything,” Qiu Junyao said.

 

“…… Really tell me?” Yin Yuan still sounded aggrieved.

 

“Really tell you everything.”

 

Qiu Junyao sat on the concubine’s couch and pulled Yin Yuan onto his lap.

 

“Say it. I’ll tell you everything, without holding back.”

 

“Is it a promise?”

 

“A promise.”

 

Hearing Qiu Junyao’s smiling words, Yin Yuan’s furrowed brow relaxed slightly.

 

He looked down at Qiu Junyao’s sharp phoenix eyes, which softened as they gazed at him. Yin Yuan gently lifted his hand and covered Qiu Junyao’s eyes:

 

“Your Majesty, can you tell me why you’re unhappy?”

 

Unable to see, Qiu Junyao’s emotional defenses softened considerably. He instinctively leaned on the only person he could hold onto and murmured:

 

“…… Because of Jingxiu and Jingming.”

 

Once he started talking, Qiu Junyao found it hard to stop:

 

“I just went to see Jingming. He’s severely injured.”

 

“…… His condition is even worse than when Jingxiu was poisoned and vomited blood.”

 

“Sometimes I wonder if I’m the root cause of all this, whether my issues led to the brothers turning against each other and suffering mutually.”

 

Hearing Qiu Junyao’s self-reproachful words, Yin Yuan’s heart tightened, and his hand instinctively moved away:

 

“…….”

 

In the candlelight, Qiu Junyao could only see Yin Yuan’s serene face and his slowly opening lips. After a moment, Yin Yuan firmly said:

 

“It’s not.”

 

Yin Yuan stated clearly: “It’s not Your Majesty’s fault.”

 

“If Jingming developed greed, he should bear the consequences. It’s the rule you set for him,” Yin Yuan said:

 

“Evil people become bad because they’re not stopped at the first instance of wrongdoing, right?”

 

Yin Yuan lowered his head, gently kissing Qiu Junyao’s lips, his hand caressing his handsome face:

 

“Besides, Your Majesty is also a first-time parent. How could you ensure everything goes perfectly?”

 

“I only regret not being able to resolve the misunderstandings with my children. Not only did I harm Jingxiu, but I also harmed Jingming.”

 

Qiu Junyao sighed softly:

 

“I must be a terrible father.”

 

“Your Majesty, you can’t dwell on the past. Although it seems everything is settled now, the urgent matter is to slowly uncover who was behind the poisoning of Jingxiu with the black elderberry flower.”

 

Yin Yuan thought for a moment and added: “I am inept. I couldn’t keep track of Sui Yu. A few hours ago, he hanged himself in the palace, and the eunuch who transmitted messages to Ning Fan has mysteriously disappeared.”

 

Yin Yuan said: “Your Majesty, don’t get bogged down by past events. At times like this, the more the enemy knows nothing about us, the less we can be passive.”

 

“…….” Hearing this, Qiu Junyao paused, then looked at Yin Yuan and said solemnly:

 

“Ah Ying.”

 

His tone carried a faint sigh:

 

“You’re right.”

 

As bedtime approached, Yin Yuan was wearing only a thin gown, without a large-sleeved robe or shawl. In Qiu Junyao’s embrace, he appeared even more delicate, with his shoulders radiating a healthy, beautiful glow.

 

For some reason, after looking at each other for a while, they couldn’t help but kiss again. Moments later, Qiu Junyao pressed Yin Yuan on the concubine’s couch, kissing him repeatedly until red marks appeared on his collarbone. Only then did Yin Yuan manage to push Qiu Junyao away, his voice low:

 

“Your Majesty, this is not the right time for this.”

 

Yin Yuan had never found the right moment to confess his true identity as a man, so their intimacy always had a sense of propriety, limited to kisses and hugs without deeper exploration:

 

“Next time.”

 

Yin Yuan was unsure how to confess to Qiu Junyao, fearing his wrath if he learned that he was a man. But Qiu Junyao was unaware of this. He buried his face in Yin Yuan’s neck and, dissatisfied, nibbled on his earlobe:

 

“You’re the Empress. Shouldn’t you be attending to me?”

 

“Does Your Majesty really have the mind to think about that now?” Yin Yuan lay back on the concubine’s couch, her dress disheveled and her hair clinging to her face, showing an inexplicable allure that made Qiu Junyao’s heart flutter. As Qiu Junyao resumed kissing his neck, Yin Yuan allowed him to touch his leg. With a smile, Yin Yuan’s white fingers gently removed Qiu Junyao’s golden crown:

 

“Your Majesty, you must be thinking about how to improve the relationship between you and Jingming and Jingxiu, right?”

 

“……. Tsk.” Qiu Junyao thought that being too smart wasn’t necessarily a good thing. He turned over and looked at the beautiful person he had “messed up.” After a moment, he leaned down and kissed Yin Yuan’s full, rosy lips, mumbling:

 

“I’ll deal with you later when I find the opportunity.”

 

He said this and got off the couch, heading towards the desk.

 

“…… Where are you going, Your Majesty?” Yin Yuan wasn’t afraid of Qiu Junyao’s threat. Smiling, he straightened his disheveled hair and sat up.

 

“Today’s events were likely caused by my excessive favoritism towards Jingxiu, which led to psychological imbalances among the princes and the ensuing troubles.”

 

Qiu Junyao looked back from a few steps away, hands clasped behind his back, and said to Yin Yuan:

 

“I remember I once read a book that was very useful for educating children. While I still remember it, I want to quickly write it down for frequent reference. If it’s useful, I plan to promote it nationwide for parents to read and use as a reference.”

 

“Oh?” Yin Yuan was surprised: “Such a remarkable book? Your Majesty can still remember it and wants to transcribe it completely?”

 

“Of course.” Qiu Junyao said proudly: “Did you think Jingxiu only inherited my looks? His remarkable memory was not just a lucky trait?”

 

After saying this, Qiu Junyao glanced at the night outside the window and waved his hand:

 

“You should rest now. When you wake up, you’ll see that book.”

 

Without waiting for Yin Yuan’s reply, Qiu Junyao left swiftly, leaving Yin Yuan sitting on the concubine’s couch, staring blankly.

 

Due to Qiu Junyao’s pride and satisfaction, Yin Yuan couldn’t sleep well all night, turning over and over, wondering what kind of remarkable book Qiu Junyao had read that could balance several princes.

 

Could it be an ancient and lost “The Art of Rulership”? Or “The Emperor’s Model” or “The Emperor’s Reference”? Or maybe it was the “National Governance Strategy” passed down by the late emperor?

 

Yin Yuan, who loved learning and reading extensively, was curious and couldn’t sleep.

 

He drowsily squinted until close to dawn, until Lai Fu came in to wake Qiu Junyao for the morning court. Only then did Yin Yuan get up.

 

He stopped Lai Fu, who was going to wake Qiu Junyao, found a dress to put on, and tiptoed to Qiu Junyao’s desk.

 

Qiu Junyao’s desk was cluttered with everything—writing tools, rice cake crumbs from Jingxiu’s daytime reading, and a haphazardly drawn turtle on rice paper.

 

Qiu Junyao had been writing all night and had only fallen asleep just before dawn, lying face down on the desk, oblivious to the world. A stack of papers, covered with neat small script, lay in front of him.

 

“…….”

 

Yin Yuan was surprised to find that, in addition to running and cursive scripts, Qiu Junyao could also write in the delicate *zanhua xiaokai* script.

 

Curious, Yin Yuan guessed that these papers contained the notes Qiu Junyao had spent the entire night transcribing from the remarkable book he had mentioned. His curiosity getting the better of him, Yin Yuan couldn’t resist reaching out with trembling hands to pick up the stack of papers. The first thing that caught his eye was a neatly written line:

 

“**Guide to Adolescent Mental Health Education**.”

 

Yin Yuan: “……..”

 

Not finding what he was expecting, Yin Yuan felt a wave of disbelief and quickly looked further down the page. Soon, another line of small characters caught his eye, which clearly read:

 

“Published by the People’s Education Press.”

 

Yin Yuan: “?”

 

Perplexed and unable to make sense of it, Yin Yuan put down the papers and looked at the sleeping Qiu Junyao. He couldn’t help but feel both amused and exasperated. All night, he had been imagining some ancient and profound manual on ruling, only to discover it was a guide to adolescent mental health.

 

The more he thought about it, the more absurd it seemed. Yin Yuan’s lips twitched as he stifled a laugh, knowing that the “remarkable book” Qiu Junyao had spent the night transcribing was far from what he had anticipated.

 

*Zanhua xiaokai* (簪花小楷) refers to a style of Chinese calligraphy, specifically a delicate and elegant form of small regular script (小楷, *xiaokai*). The term “簪花” (*zanhua*) literally means “flower pin,” which suggests the script is as finely detailed and graceful as a flower ornament. This style is known for its precision, neatness, and intricate brushstrokes, often used for writing smaller characters in a way that maintains beauty and clarity.

 

*Zanhua xiaokai* is particularly valued for its aesthetic appeal and is often associated with literati and scholars who appreciated the artistry of calligraphy.