The Sickly Seedling Dresses Up As An Unfortunate And Muddled Monarch - Chapter 42

Qiu Junyao slept for a long time.

 

In his dreams, there were flashes of swords and blades, the tolling of death knells, towering cliffs, and ceremonial robes with red tassels.

 

Amidst this bizarre and chaotic dreamscape, the four brothers of the Jing family appeared one after the other in his dreams, only to gradually fade away. First, it was Jingming, then Jinghe, followed by Jingyue, and lastly, Jingxiu.

 

Qiu Junyao watched as Jingxiu grew up, becoming taller and eventually resembling him. The tall and handsome young man was dressed in a luxurious dragon robe, lifting the hem as he slowly ascended the white marble steps, finally sitting on the empty dragon throne amidst a chorus of cheers.

 

Before him, the court officials paid homage, kneeling and chanting “Long live the emperor.” But beneath his seat, blood slowly seeped out, dripping down the steps, amidst a landscape of bleached bones and withered grass. He alone sat on the only golden and crimson throne in the world, his gaze cold, his expression grim, no longer showing the innocence of youth.

 

Seeing Jingxiu grown into adulthood, Qiu Junyao suddenly felt his palms sweat in anxiety. He wanted to take a few steps forward to call out to him, but found himself unable to move or speak.

 

It was as if something was blocking his throat, binding his limbs. He could only remain stiff on the ground, witnessing the progression of this era, forced to watch as time left its deep marks on history.

 

Finally, perhaps because of a father’s connection to his son, or maybe due to some intuitive sense, Jingxiu slowly moved his eyelids, turning his head to look in Qiu Junyao’s direction.

 

He looked down from above, as if he were gazing at Qiu Junyao, yet it seemed he wasn’t truly seeing him. Suddenly, a vast black abyss and endless loneliness appeared between the throne and Qiu Junyao, separating them.

 

As he looked down into the black mist and emptiness beneath him, Qiu Junyao suddenly felt a suffocating sensation.

 

His heartbeat quickened, and he found himself uncontrollably falling into the abyss. When he hit the bottom, the sound of bones and flesh shattering echoed in his ears. His entire body began to convulse violently, every inch of his skin felt like it was being bitten by fire ants, the pain in his organs as if they were being shredded by sharp blades. Eventually, he couldn’t hold it in any longer, clutching his chest and violently coughing up blood.

 

“—Your Majesty!”

 

A familiar voice woke Qiu Junyao from his daze. His eyelids were extremely heavy, and soon he drifted back into sleep. In his half-conscious state, he could hear countless voices buzzing around him, while needles were being inserted into his acupuncture points, the pain causing him to furrow his brow.

 

He had no idea how long this went on, or how long he had slept. Finally, Qiu Junyao slowly opened his eyes.

 

The first thing he saw was the familiar canopy of the royal tent, making him realize that Yin Yuan had followed his orders and had not returned to the palace, but instead continued with the spring hunt as planned.

 

This brought Qiu Junyao some comfort.

 

“Your Majesty, you’ve awakened?”

 

A timid voice called out from beside him. Qiu Junyao paused for a few seconds, gathering some strength, and slowly turned his eyes to the person before him, his voice hoarse like a traveler in the desert:

 

“…Xiao Qi Imperial Physician.”

 

“Your Majesty, you’ve finally awakened.”

 

The young imperial physician had been attending to him for days, his knees bruised and sore from kneeling while treating Qiu Junyao, but the pain was nothing compared to the joy of seeing the emperor awake.

 

This sincere young man’s eyes reddened as soon as he saw Qiu Junyao awake. He stood up unsteadily, wiping away his tears, and said:

 

“Your Majesty, you’ve finally woken up. While you were unconscious, we…”

 

He paused, suddenly realizing some things should not be said, so he held back the words, hurriedly adding:

 

“Your Majesty, please rest. I’ll go prepare your medicine!”

 

Then, as if chased by a dog, he hurriedly lifted the curtain and rushed out.

 

Qiu Junyao, who wanted to ask where Yin Yuan was: “…”

 

He swallowed, closed his eyes, and thought that Xiao Qi Imperial Physician must have gone to fetch Yin Yuan, who would soon come to care for him.

 

But to Qiu Junyao’s surprise, even by evening, Yin Yuan had not come to see him.

 

Not only Yin Yuan, but even Jingxiu, who was always clinging to him, hadn’t shown up. The outside of the royal tent was eerily quiet, with only Xiao Qi Imperial Physician by Qiu Junyao’s side the entire time.

 

Qiu Junyao wasn’t foolish; he immediately sensed that something was wrong and directly asked Xiao Qi Imperial Physician where Yin Yuan and Jingxiu were. However, Xiao Qi stammered and avoided answering, which only made Qiu Junyao angrier.

 

But Xiao Qi kept kneeling, begging Qiu Junyao not to get upset. Qiu Junyao, unable to bear it, couldn’t exactly call someone in to drag him out and have him executed; that would be medical malpractice, so he endured it. It wasn’t until a few days later, when he had recovered enough to move around, that he took advantage of Xiao Qi’s inattention and directly lifted the curtain to walk out.

 

The first thing he saw was the Imperial Guards standing on duty. Qiu Junyao asked them if they had seen the Empress and the Seventh Prince, but they all shook their heads.

 

The unusual atmosphere made Qiu Junyao’s heart race even faster, and unease crept into his heart.

 

His steps became more and more frantic until he almost stumbled into a tent based on instinct.

 

However, what met his eyes was not the Yin Yuan he had been thinking of but Jinghe, dressed in plain clothes.

 

His complexion was pale, his lips an unhealthy shade of purple, and his fingers trembled, barely able to hold the brush. Thick black ink dripped from the brush onto the paper, spreading into a dark stain.

 

When Jinghe heard the noise of Qiu Junyao entering, he slowly lifted his head. After a moment of daze, he tried to stand up to greet him, but his body swayed involuntarily as he got up: “…”

 

He held his forehead, fighting off the nausea and dizziness. After regaining his composure, he bowed in greeting, his voice weak, as if he hadn’t rested well for days:

 

“Father.”

 

“Rise. You don’t look well.” Qiu Junyao, still recovering himself, leaned on a jade cane, draped in the dark phoenix cloak Yin Yuan had once wrapped him in:

 

“Where is your mother?”

 

“…” Hearing Qiu Junyao ask about the whereabouts of Yin Yuan, Qiu Jinghe’s hunched back trembled involuntarily, and he remained silent for a long time: “…”

 

Seeing Qiu Jinghe’s silent and unresponsive demeanor, Qiu Junyao became anxious and began coughing violently.

 

Qiu Jinghe, already looking pale, saw Qiu Junyao coughing and quickly stumbled to his feet, hurried over to support Qiu Junyao, gently patting his back, and said worriedly:

 

“Father…”

 

“Don’t call me father,” Qiu Junyao, struggling to catch his breath between coughs, still took the time to scold Qiu Jinghe:

 

“How dare you remain silent when questioned before the emperor? Do you even respect me as your emperor?”

 

“Father, I wouldn’t dare!” With such a severe accusation, Qiu Jinghe’s already pale face turned even whiter. He quickly knelt down and kowtowed:

 

“I would never have such intentions, Father!”

 

“Then where exactly is your mother?! Where is Jingxiu?! Where are they?!” Qiu Junyao, his head nearly on fire with urgency, showed signs of spitting blood again.

 

Qiu Jinghe raised his head, glanced at Qiu Junyao, and, with his palm hidden in his wide sleeve nearly digging into his flesh, finally spoke slowly:

 

“Mother… is in prison.”

 

“…What?!” Qiu Junyao never expected to hear such a response. He was stunned for a moment, then erupted in fury:

 

“Who dares?! Who dares to imprison my empress in the imperial prison?!”

 

“…Mother walked in there herself.”

 

Qiu Jinghe bowed low, not daring to face his father’s rage, and could only remain kneeling as he truthfully reported:

 

“The night before the spring hunt, I was unfortunately poisoned and couldn’t attend. Eldest Brother and Fourth Brother each led a group of officials south and east. Unexpectedly, Fourth Brother and Seventh Brother were attacked by a pack of wolves. The imperial guards couldn’t rescue them in time, and Jingxiu was dragged into the wolves’ den. Mother, upon hearing this, donned male attire, mounted a horse, and shot the wolves with a bow. She sustained some injuries afterward.”

 

“She was injured?” Qiu Junyao’s voice, now tinged with worry, asked unconsciously, “And then?”

 

“Jingyue wasn’t hurt, and Jingxiu was rescued, though terrified and developed a high fever. Mother, however, was scratched on the face by a wolf and gravely injured after falling from her horse. During the treatment, the imperial physician unexpectedly… unexpectedly…”

 

“Unexpectedly what?!” Qiu Junyao, almost at the point of slapping him, urged, “Just say it already!”

 

“…Unexpectedly discovered that Mother is a man!”

 

Qiu Jinghe gritted his teeth and reported while bowing his head: “When this news spread, the ministers were all outraged and wanted to rush in and report to you, Father. Mother, knowing she was guilty and not wanting them to disturb you during your recovery, walked into the prison by herself. She is currently waiting for your decision in the palace’s confinement chamber.”

 

“…” Upon hearing Qiu Jinghe’s words, Qiu Junyao’s expression turned even worse.

 

He swayed a little, and Qiu Jinghe wanted to reach out to support him, cautiously uttering:

 

“Father… Although Mother committed the crime of deceiving the emperor by disguising as a woman… for the sake of her flawless management of the harem, please spare her life!”

 

After finishing, Qiu Jinghe bowed low and kowtowed heavily.

 

“…How could I bear to blame her…”

 

Qiu Junyao covered his forehead, steadying himself. After a moment, he opened his eyes, which were dark and filled with anger:

 

“Whether the wolf attack was an accident or someone’s doing, I will investigate and execute the culprit without mercy.”

 

“But for now… just tell me where your mother is; I want to see her!”

 

“…” 

 

Hearing that Qiu Junyao wouldn’t blame Yin Yuan, a trace of joy flickered in Qiu Jinghe’s eyes, quickly masked by anxiety and guilt. He hurriedly stood up, supporting Qiu Junyao, and softly said, “Father, your health is frail; let me help you over.”

 

Since the spring hunt, Yin Yuan had been confined in the cell for three days.

 

The crime of deceiving the emperor was irrefutable, so Yin Yuan couldn’t defend himself. To prevent the ministers from causing a stir and disrupting the court during Qiu Junyao’s unconscious state, Yin Yuan resolutely entered the confinement chamber, even pleading with his father not to defend him, fearing it would create divisions among the ministers and put Qiu Junyao in a difficult position.

 

This so-called confinement chamber was actually a damp basement with a cage inside. Yin Yuan, shackled, sat in the corner, disheveled and lacking the grace he once had as the emperor’s favored consort, appearing rather downcast and pitiful.

 

The injury on his leg still throbbed with pain, and he couldn’t even stand. He leaned against the wall, closing his eyes, his mind repeatedly replaying the scene of the wolf pack suddenly attacking Qiu Jingxiu that day, trying to find any clue.

 

Where did that wolf pack come from? Why did it seem like they had a specific target, only attacking Qiu Jingxiu?

 

Could it have been Jingyue’s doing? He’s the most suspicious…

 

No, if Jingyue was behind this, why would he have gone along that day? Moreover, as a prince, how could he control a pack of wolves?

 

With these and other questions swirling in his mind, and his concern for Qiu Junyao’s condition, Yin Yuan endured the pain and anxiety, struggling to sleep well for several days.

 

The confinement chamber received only one visit per day for meal delivery, and today was no different.

 

When the heavy door to the basement opened, Yin Yuan barely opened his half-closed eyes, trying to adjust to the light.

 

He expected it to be the usual food delivery and was about to ask them to just leave the food before leaving. However, to his surprise, as soon as the cage was opened, a familiar voice walked in and embraced him:

 

“Ah Yang!”

 

“……Your Majesty?”

 

The familiar scent of plum blossom medicine at his nose made Yin Yuan pause, blinking hard as he tried to recognize the features of the person in front of him. After a moment of shock, he exclaimed:

 

“Your Majesty, how did you come here?!”

 

“With you here, how could I not come?” Qiu Junyao, who usually spoke to Yin Yuan in a gentle tone, reached out to touch his bare face with concern, gently brushing the scratches on his neck:

 

“Have you had any medicine here? Does it still hurt?”

 

“……Your Majesty……”

 

Seeing Qiu Junyao’s worried face, Yin Yuan murmured and suddenly covered his face with his hands:

 

“Your Majesty, I’m sorry…….”

 

His voice choked with emotion, almost crying: “I have deceived you, and my crimes are unforgivable. I only ask that you spare my elderly father and the Yin family. Even in the underworld, I will be grateful to you.”

 

“…What are you saying? What death and such?”

 

Qiu Junyao, deeply pained, embraced Yin Yuan and spoke in a soothing, gentle tone:

 

“I’ve never blamed you, Ah Yang. From start to finish, I have never blamed you.”

 

Looking at the dire state of the confinement chamber, Qiu Junyao said firmly:

 

“Ah Yang, come with me.”

 

“……Your Majesty, I am a man.”

 

Yin Yuan lifted his head from Qiu Junyao’s embrace, his eyes reddened, struggling not to cry:

 

“There are ministers outside waiting to impeach the Yin family. You need not sacrifice yourself for me and…”

 

“Ministers? Men? I don’t care.”

 

Qiu Junyao held the battered and self-sacrificing Yin Yuan tightly, deeply distressed. His voice was low and comforting:

 

“I only know that you are my wife.”

 

“……The only wife in my life.”

 

“But those ministers…”

 

“Ignore them.” Qiu Junyao gently kissed away the tears on Yin Yuan’s face, his voice tender but his words cold:

 

“If anyone dares to petition to have you deposed… then whoever advises such will be executed, one for every two petitions. I am a foolish ruler; I don’t care what others say or think about me.”

 

“I care about you, I only care about you… Yin Yuan of the Qiu family.”