BLPSG Chapter 24: Men and men can be together

As soon as he regained consciousness, Wen Qingci felt a tingling sensation in his chest and lungs again, and then he began to cough heart-wrenchingly.

 

Tasting the familiar fishy-sweet taste, the person on the bed subconsciously wanted to raise his hand to his lips.

 

But then, Wen Qingci’s wrist fell down weakly.

 

The clear blue medicinal jade also fell heavily to the ground.

 

“I’ll go call Yu Guanlin.”

 

Before Wen Qingci could react, Xie Bufeng suddenly turned around and walked out of the hall.

 

His steps were particularly fast, almost like he was escaping from here.

 

What was wrong with Xie Bufeng?

 

Sick Wen Qingci, for now, didn’t have time to think about this problem in detail.

 

A thin line of blood flowed down from Wen Qingci’s lips, and Yu Guanlin who just came in, was startled by Wen Qingci’s appearance.

 

The old physician took out a slender silver needle and aimed it at an acupuncture point in Wen Qingci’s throat.

 

The person on the bed shivered slightly in response.

 

Unlike Xie Bufeng, who had no sense of pain since childhood, Wen Qingci had always been afraid of pain.

 

When he was sick as a child, he refused to have an injection.

 

No matter how bitter the medicine, he could swallow it.

 

But this time, under the massive discomfort in his chest and lungs, the pain in his hand was almost ignored.

 

A few needles went in, and Wen Qingci still hadn’t recovered.

 

“Cough cough… Master Yu, you don’t need to trouble yourself,” he forced a pale smile at Yu Guanlin, “It’s just an old ailment.” He tried to raise his hand to stop Yu Guanlin.

 

Wen Qingci’s injured left hand felt numb, and he lifted it up slightly, then fell back to his side.

 

——He finally realized clearly that there was something wrong with his hand.

 

Yu Guanlin pursed his lips involuntarily, shifted his gaze aside, and after a while, turned back to explain: “Last night, Physician Wen’s bleeding wouldn’t stop for a long time. We tried many hemostatic drugs but none worked, so we had to bandage it tightly, and over time…”

 

Before the old physician could finish, Wen Qingci already understood what he meant —

 

Under the pressure, the blood in his arm had stopped circulating for a long time, causing numbness and weakness.

 

… In the future, his wrist might often feel numb and painful, and he might not be able to lift heavy objects.

 

Even though Wen Qingci himself was a divine physician, after hearing this, Yu Guanlin still subconsciously comforted him: “With good rest, it should recover about eighty percent in the future.”

 

Unexpectedly, Wen Qingci, lying pale on the couch, just smiled slightly and said, “Cough cough… It doesn’t matter, it’s just the left hand.”

 

As someone who had died once, Wen Qingci was especially open-minded; he probably understood better than anyone that everything was a minor issue except life and death.

 

What happened last night was really too thrilling.

 

Saying it was a narrow escape from death was not an exaggeration.

 

Today, having narrowly escaped death, the matter of his left hand no longer seemed important.

 

Yu Guanlin didn’t expect Wen Qingci to react this way.

 

The old physician gave him a deep look and then, as usual, packed up his medicine chest with a smile.

 

Just before leaving, as if suddenly remembering something, he casually remarked: “Many in this world are curious about the so-called ‘medicinal person.’ Now that they know you, Physician Wen, is the one they are looking for, I fear your surroundings will become lively in the future…”

 

Wen Qingci’s coughing gradually subsided.

 

He took a shallow breath and couldn’t help but clench his fist.

 

He had been too hasty at that time and indeed did not consider the consequences.

 

Yu Guanlin’s reminder was not wrong…

 

After his identity was exposed, his already unstable life might become even more dangerous.

 

From any angle, he should make plans soon to leave Yongdu as soon as possible…

 

The tingling in his chest and lungs gradually dissipated.

 

Wen Qingci finally remembered the hasty departure of Xie Bufeng earlier.

 

And in a daze, he recalled… he seemed to have had a long dream during his coma.

 

In the dream were endless dark green hills and a mountain full of herbs.

 

A child who looked exactly like him, with a vermillion mole between his eyebrows, was picking herbs on the mountain with his family.

 

This should be the original owner’s memory; indeed, he had learned medicine from a young age.

 

But the child in his memory wore coarse clothes, not showing any sign of being from the Valley of the Divine Physicians.

 

Instead, he looked like he came from an ordinary family.

 

Thinking of this, Wen Qingci couldn’t help but raise his right hand and lightly touch his cheek.

 

He vaguely remembered that he seemed to feel a cold feeling on his cheek when he was half asleep and half awake.

 

As if tears had fallen from the corner of his eye.

 

The next moment, it was gently wiped away.

 

… Could it have been Xie Bufeng?

 

Losing so much blood wasn’t something that could be recovered in a day or two.

 

Thinking of this, Wen Qingci’s head became dizzy again.

 

His eyelids once again closed heavily.

 

Under the dual assault of fatigue and pain, Wen Qingci didn’t have the energy to think about this issue.

 

The next moment, he fell into a deep sleep.

 

The chaos in Taishu Palace was not over yet.

 

After the eunuchs extinguished the fire, they discovered several charred corpses, including the old Grand Tutor.

 

This would have been a huge event on any other day, but today, everything was overshadowed by the massive palace coup.

 

The palace servants did not make a big fuss, but the tragic death of the old Grand Tutor still scared them.

 

The sky was not yet dark, and besides the servants cleaning up the mess, everyone else stayed in their quarters and did not come out.

 

Taishu Palace was empty and desolate, looking especially bleak.

 

Even this palace, built in the previous dynasty and with a history of hundreds of years, now had an eerie feel to it.

 

In the midst of the palace chaos, Xie Bufeng, who had been forgotten, returned to the Imperial Medical Bureau.

 

His small bedroom was also deathly silent.

 

He lay on the couch, looking out the window.

 

The stars had risen at some point, and the young man, gazing at the scene outside the window, couldn’t help but think—

 

Did Wen Qingci feel his touch just now?

 

The moment in Jiaquan Palace played repeatedly in Xie Bufeng’s mind.

 

The momentary coldness, the delicate texture, and even the faint bitterness in the air were deeply imprinted in his memory.

 

Before he knew it, the night had deepened.

 

However, the young man did not feel the slightest bit sleepy.

 

It was not until the sky was turning pale that Xie Bufeng realized belatedly that he had been agonizing over this matter last night, and had been agonizing over it to the point of not being able to sleep the entire night—

 

After waking from a coma, Wen Qingci returned to the Imperial Medical Bureau.

 

The emperor spent a full ten days and finally dug out all the “worms” hiding in the Taishu Palace.

 

Including the rebellious nobles, not a single one was left.

 

Taishu Palace, Yanyi Hall.

 

Not only were the ministers and princes gathered there, but even two imperial physicians, Wen Qingci and Yu Guanlin, were invited.

 

Although Wen Qingci had long been regarded as “the emperor’s confidant,” he still felt a bit nervous being in the hall for the first time.

 

The loss of blood had greatly weakened Wen Qingci.

 

Simply standing there exhausted all his strength.

 

Countless subtle glances fell on Wen Qingci.

 

In his moon-white physician’s robe, Wen Qingci subconsciously clutched the medicinal jade in his hand.

 

He hid his nervousness deep in his heart.

 

The emperor sat alone on the high platform, lightly supporting his forehead with his hand, listening to the Minister of Justice interrogate the nobles who had committed treason.

 

This was unprecedented and did not conform to the usual regulations of the dynasty.

 

Xie Zhaolin did this with the intention of killing the chicken to scare the monkey.

 

The Minister of Justice read out the charges of the rebels one by one.

 

By this point, the nobles kneeling in Yanyi Hall could no longer deny the charges.

 

“…The Duke of Yizhou, Gui Yiming, committed treason and rebellion. Today, he shall be sentenced to death by slicing. Considering past affections, His Majesty spares him the torture and orders execution by beheading on the first day of the next month.”

 

Upon hearing this, Wen Qingci frowned deeply.

 

Before he could think further, Gui Yiming, kneeling in the center of Yanyi Hall, suddenly burst into loud laughter.

 

After being imprisoned for several days, Gui Yiming, who was born into royalty, looked disheveled and his voice was hoarse.

 

His laughter echoed repeatedly in the hall, sounding especially eerie.

 

Seeing this, the guards immediately restrained Gui Yiming.

 

Gui Yiming felt a stabbing pain in his shoulders, but his smile did not fade at all.

 

“Hahaha Xie Zhaolin, do you think that by killing us, your throne will be legitimate?”

 

Upon hearing this, the emperor’s face changed, and he instinctively gripped the golden nanmu armrest beside him.

 

“Drag him out—” The emperor pressed his forehead heavily, then took a Fuxuan Flower Pill from the eunuch and swallowed it.

 

It seemed he really had a guilty conscience?

 

There was no mention of this Duke of Yizhou in “Fuming Hall,” but from the title, it could be guessed that he had probably lived in Yongdu with Xie Zhaolin for a while in his early years.

 

And he likely knew Xie Zhaolin’s secret…

 

With a yoke around his neck, Gui Yiming was pulled out by the guards while speaking, causing him to struggle and shout.

 

“You… cough cough, that year Yongdu had a heavy snowfall… cough cough, hunger, famine, you were the one who said cough cough cough… The Emperor Star was unstable, unstable, you were the one who said that, the rumors… were all, the refugees… the refugees were also you, kill–“

 

Gui Yiming’s eyes widened, bloodshot, glaring at the figure on the high platform.

 

In the entire hall, perhaps only Wen Qingci heard his words.

 

Gui Yiming’s sentences were fragmented and hard to understand at first.

 

But having read countless novels, Wen Qingci paused and suddenly grasped his meaning…

 

In a certain year in the previous dynasty, the country was struck by a snowstorm.

 

Xie Zhaolin took advantage of this opportunity to fabricate rumors about the “The Emperor’s Star is unstable, causing disasters” and spread them widely.

 

He even… killed refugees who came to Yongdu to escape the famine!

 

Natural disasters were already a significant factor in the fall of a dynasty.

 

Not to mention Xie Zhaolin had linked it with so-called “divine signs” and pushed it further.

 

Normally, such statements might not be heeded.

 

But in those days of widespread panic, it was particularly alarming.

 

Xie Zhaolin’s throne was indeed not obtained in a legitimate and honorable way.

 

At the other end of Yanyi Hall, Xie Bufeng, who had been lowering his eyes, suddenly began to smile slowly.

 

A snow disaster, a year of hardship, and the tragic deaths of refugees outside Yongdu?

 

All of this was to highlight the former emperor’s “lack of virtue and ability,” forcing him to abdicate.

 

If it weren’t for hearing Xie Zhaolin’s fearful thoughts today, Xie Bufeng truly wouldn’t have known that the current emperor had buried such an important matter deep in his heart.

 

The reason he was so eager to kill that group of nobles was also because Xie Zhaolin probably guessed that they knew a thing or two about his “good deeds.”

 

The Fuxuan Flower Pill took effect, and the emperor’s frown gradually relaxed.

 

The Minister of Justice cleared his throat and continued to read out the final judgments.

 

And at the moment they were dragged away, Wen Qingci saw…

 

Hatred filled their eyes.

 

Not only hatred for Xie Zhaolin… but also for himself.

 

The emperor had always prided himself on being fair in rewarding and punishing.

 

Since there was punishment, there had to be rewards as well.

 

All the nobles who plotted rebellion were taken away, and the Yanyi Hall was empty in an instant.

 

Xian Gonggong stepped forward with the imperial decree, smiling as he read out the emperor’s rewards.

 

As soon as he began, Yu Guanlin, standing to the side, looked at Wen Qingci with a knowing smile and nodded meaningfully.

 

Everyone here today knew that there would definitely be a reward for Wen Qingci.

 

Sure enough, after a few symbolic sentences, Xian Gonggong mentioned the name “Wen Qingci.”

 

— Imperial Physician Wen Qingci, for his meritorious service in protecting the emperor, is specially promoted to a Third Rank Hanlin Scholar, to show the emperor’s grace.

 

The Hanlin Academy, an institution that existed since the previous dynasty, had never been established in the Wei Dynasty.

 

Unexpectedly, the emperor revived it today just for Wen Qingci.

 

The Hanlin Academy included scholars in divination, medicine, chess, and other arts.

 

They usually did not attend court, serving only as the emperor’s private secretaries and advisors.

 

…If Wen Qingci were to be rewarded, this was indeed a good position.

 

Although everyone had anticipated the emperor rewarding Wen Qingci, upon hearing the title “Hanlin Scholar,” their expressions still changed dramatically.

 

The highest position in the Imperial Medical Bureau, the Chief Imperial Physician, was only a Fifth Rank official.

 

But today, Wen Qingci had leaped to become a Third Rank officer.

 

In the twenty-plus years since the establishment of the Wei Dynasty, who would have thought that the fastest rising minister would be an imperial physician?

 

This move by Xie Zhaolin practically elevated Wen Qingci to an unprecedented height.

 

Wen Qingci: …!!!

 

Even though he had prepared himself, his mind went blank for a moment.

 

Fortunately, his smile had already frozen on his face like a mask. Wen Qingci’s actions remained elegant, showing no signs of panic.

 

“This minister thanks the emperor for his great grace.”

 

At this moment, his voice sounded so unfamiliar that even he barely recognized it.

 

The emperor smiled and looked at Wen Qingci, and suddenly added, “Your Excellency has been in Yongdu for several months, and has been living in the Imperial Medical Bureau without a residence. Chenghe Garden outside Taishu Palace has been empty and has no owner yet, so you can live there from now on.”

 

Chenghe Garden, also built in the previous dynasty, had always been home to successive Hanlin Scholars. It was indeed appropriate to grant it to Wen Qingci.

 

However, hearing this, Xie Bufeng in the corner of the hall couldn’t help but frown.

 

A trace of unmistakable displeasure flashed in his eyes.

 

The Imperial Medical Bureau’s quarters were small and overly simple, unworthy of Wen Qingci’s status.

 

But a voice in Xie Bufeng’s heart kept reminding him that he didn’t want Wen Qingci to move out of the palace, much less disappear from his sight.

 

“Hmph, the emperor values Wen Qingci so much, isn’t it because of his blood?”

 

“This generous reward is nothing but blood money. I wonder how long he can enjoy his glory?”

 

Xie Bufeng slowly narrowed his eyes.

 

He instinctively recalled the cold, rigid lamb in the snowy field that day, and the warmth from Wen Qingci’s body.

 

Instantly, an indescribable anger and fear filled the young man’s heart…

 

The rewards ceremony ended, and the emperor ordered everyone to withdraw.

 

Yanyi Hall, located in the southern part of Taishu Palace, was part of the previous dynasty, and Wen Qingci had never been there before.

 

Led by Zhao Gonggong, the group headed toward the back palace.

 

“…In a few days, Physician Wen will be moving to his new residence. Congratulations,” said Zhao Gonggong exaggeratedly, bowing to Wen Qingci, and then asked, “By the way, when do you plan to host the housewarming banquet?”

 

According to the traditions of the Wei Dynasty, anyone granted a residence had to host a banquet to thank the emperor for his grace.

 

However, Wen Qingci had no interest in such events.

 

He shook his head, lightly coughed, and smiled, “Let’s talk about it later.”

 

As soon as Wen Qingci finished speaking, Xie Bufeng, who was beside him, suddenly turned and gave Zhao Gonggong a cold look.

 

The young man’s gaze was sharp as a knife, making Zhao Gonggong shiver with just one look.

 

“Alright, alright!” Though he didn’t understand why Xie Bufeng was glaring at him when he was just chatting with Wen Qingci, Zhao Gonggong quickly smiled and shut his mouth.

 

Taishu Palace covered an area of four to five thousand acres.

 

Wen Qingci had never walked the path from Yanyi Hall to the Imperial Medical Bureau, so the scenery along the way was unfamiliar to him.

 

As they walked, Wen Qingci noticed an elegant green-tiled palace hidden in a bamboo grove in the distance.

 

The architectural style of this palace was out of place with the rest of Taishu Palace.

 

Upon closer inspection, there seemed to be someone playing a qin in the bamboo grove.

 

Seeing Zhao Gonggong about to speak again, Wen Qingci quickly changed the topic, “Zhao Gonggong, what is this place?”

 

“Oh… this,” the eunuch’s voice suddenly became ambiguous, smiling as he answered, “This is where the young masters live.”

 

Young master?

 

What does that mean?

 

Hearing this, Xie Bufeng also looked into the bamboo grove along with Wen Qingci.

 

Although Wen Qingci had been in the palace for several months and his name was well-known in Yongdu, he only interacted with a fixed few people.

 

He couldn’t think of who these “Young masters” were.

 

Zhao Gonggong seemed to have anticipated this, smiling as he explained with a hint of ambiguity, “The ‘Young masters’ are also close to the emperor, but they are male.”

 

Wen Qingci: …

 

He didn’t expect that the emperor also had male favorites?

 

Hearing Zhao Gonggong’s answer, Wen Qingci instantly regretted changing the subject.

 

He should have let him continue talking about the housewarming banquet.

 

After saying this, Zhao Gonggong habitually watched Wen Qingci’s expression.

 

Being stared at like this, Wen Qingci had to smile and nod slightly, indicating he understood.

 

Just as Wen Qingci was about to move on, the young man beside him suddenly spoke, “Male?”

 

Having returned to Yongdu for only a few months, Xie Bufeng didn’t know that the emperor also had men around him.

 

Xie Bufeng frowned deeply, a strong sense of disgust in his eyes — directed at his father.

 

Seeing this, Wen Qingci’s footsteps halted.

 

He misunderstood Xie Bufeng’s gaze.

 

Meanwhile, Zhao Gonggong, thinking that Wen Qingci had suddenly asked out of interest, eagerly began to explain.

 

In his words, “nanfeng” (male love) was a harmless pastime among the Wei Dynasty’s upper-class nobility, a popular amusement among the princes and nobles.

 

The more Zhao Gonggong spoke, the more intense the disgust in Xie Bufeng’s eyes became.

 

…Since the age of three, he had lived in the Suzhou Imperial Mausoleum and seemingly had no chance to learn about such matters.

 

Now, he hoped Zhao Gonggong wouldn’t lead him astray!

 

As a modern person, Wen Qingci struggled for a while but couldn’t help but turn to the young man and ask, “Your Highness, are you thinking about the matter of the ‘Young master’?”

 

Xie Bufeng did not shake his head; instead, he looked at him deeply.

 

Seeing this, Wen Qingci lowered his gaze and smiled. He coughed lightly, took a few steps forward, and said calmly, “Loving the same sex is not a pastime or entertainment but something one is born with. It is no different from the love between men and women.”

 

Wen Qingci thought his words were both subtle and clear.

 

However, he did not expect that as soon as he finished speaking, Xie Bufeng, who was walking beside him, suddenly stopped, frowned, and asked, “Are you saying that men and men… can also be together?”