The prefect’s official residence is naturally incomparable to the Taishu Palace.
The small courtyard where Xie Bufeng lived, both in size and decoration, seemed a bit shabby in the eyes of the nobles from Yongdu.
But for Xie Bufeng, accustomed to the Imperial Tombs, it posed no problem.
Returning to his quarters, he slowly opened the wardrobe.
Inside were several sets of dark-colored clothes for changing.
Only at the very top lay a jarring white item.
Temporarily setting aside the information he had heard from Consort Lan, he hesitated for a moment before taking that object out.
—It was a silver-white hand warmer made of fur.
When Xie Bufeng was in Suzhou, he had learned martial arts solely from books, without anyone correcting his movements or sparring with him.
He knew that martial arts couldn’t be learned through theory alone.
Without opponents, Xie Bufeng sought them out himself.
The Suzhou Imperial Tombs lay at the border between the desert and the grasslands, not far from a snow-capped mountain. The desolate surroundings were devoid of human presence, and wild beasts roamed freely at night.
The guards who watched over the tombs never imagined anyone would venture out at night to seek danger, so their vigilance around Xie Bufeng was always lax.
The pain-ignorant, fearless young man slipped out of the tomb city one night, searching for an adversary in the wilderness.
The scars on Xie Bufeng’s body were all from that time.
His first prey was a snow wolf he killed at the age of thirteen.
The harsh Suzhou winter was particularly grueling.
During heavy snowfall, hungry beasts often descended from the mountains to hunt.
And these were the most ferocious beasts.
A famished snow wolf was terrifying enough, let alone the fact that wolves were pack animals.
Each encounter involved about ten of them.
On the moonlit desert at night, their green eyes and silver fur stood out sharply.
They moved slowly, silently surrounding the young man like ghosts.
Even with martial skills, most people would have been terrified by this scene.
But that day, Xie Bufeng felt an excitement and exhilaration deep within his bones.
Gripping his heavy sword, he walked toward the wolf pack.
The specific details had long blurred with time.
… Xie Bufeng could only recall a sea of blood and the hoarse howls of wolves.
In the end, he used the not-so-sharp sword in his hand to kill the entire pack of snow wolves and skinned one of them.
From then on, he preserved it as a trophy.
This was something Xie Bufeng had once considered his most precious possession.
Thinking of this, his hand gently caressed the hand warmer.
This hand warmer was made from the snow wolf fur he had left behind all those years ago.
Xie Bufeng specifically chose the softest part of the wolf’s belly, personally crafting it into its current form.
—Growing up alone in the tomb city, he had always taken care of himself.
Xie Bufeng’s gaze fell upon the hand warmer, and he hesitated for a moment.
Although the material was excellent, its appearance left nothing to be desired.
Xie Bufeng had always prioritized practicality and durability, not knowing how to hide stitches.
Several obvious seams marred the otherwise smooth and glossy snow wolf fur, making it appear plain.
Seeing this, Xie Bufeng couldn’t help but furrow his brow.
… Although Wen Qingci was just a court physician and didn’t seem to have extravagant tastes, his clothing and belongings were always top-notch.
This hand warmer was a gift Xie Bufeng had prepared for Wen Qingci, but he had hesitated for days, unsure whether to give it.
After a brief pause, Xie Bufeng carefully placed it back into the wardrobe.
…
The newly refined Fuxuan Flower Pill temporarily alleviated the Emperor’s headaches.
However, his emotional and mental issues remained unresolved.
—Yet both the Emperor himself and the court officials tacitly avoided acknowledging this fact.
In the evening, the Emperor dismissed the palace maids and eunuchs, reclining on the bed in the back hall to rest.
Recently, he had experienced chest tightness and muscle spasms, so he had specially summoned Wen Qingci at this hour for acupuncture.
Now, only Wen Qingci and the Emperor remained in the entire back hall.
After inserting the silver needles one by one, the physician dressed in moon-white attire couldn’t help but glance toward the corner of the room.
There sat a low jade incense burner.
Wen Qingci had never been interested in incense, but since witnessing Zhao Gonggong ignite an incense pellet, he had taken the time to learn more about it.
In the world of incense, incense pellets were rarely used. When they were burned, a low, squat incense burner like the one before him was typically chosen.
Thinking of this, Wen Qingci’s heart suddenly raced.
At this moment, the back hall was so quiet that he could even hear the crackling sound of the flickering candle flames.
“… Your Majesty? Your Majesty?” Wen Qingci called softly.
Seeing no response from the figure on the bed, Wen Qingci carefully set down what he held and stood up, pretending to address the person calmly: “It seems the incense over there has run out. I’ll go check.”
The Emperor, still sound asleep, remained unresponsive.
Wen Qingci finally breathed a sigh of relief. Using light footwork, he moved toward the area, making no sound as he stepped.
Once there, he cautiously bent down and lifted the lid of the incense burner.
Before he had entered, Zhao Gonggong, responsible for the Emperor’s daily life, had just replaced an incense pellet. It hadn’t burned for long.
Through the faint smoke, Wen Qingci saw—Zhao Gonggong hadn’t completely crushed the incense pellet into powder. Several larger fragments were visible in the burner.
And even… those fragments bore intricate engraved patterns.
Incense pellets were a refined luxury popular among the nobility.
Although they were meant to be crushed and placed in the burner during use, their production still required great attention to detail.
Several renowned incense workshops in the court had their unique molds.
Some nobles even had custom molds made to distinguish themselves.
Wen Qingci glanced back at the Emperor, confirming that he still slept undisturbed. Then he removed the silver hairpin from his head and gently brushed away the incense ash.
Immediately, the complete pattern on the fragments revealed itself to Wen Qingci.
“It’s the lotus pattern…” he murmured involuntarily.
As he recognized the pattern, Wen Qingci’s heart sank.
The candle flames in the room crackled once more at this moment.
He quickly covered the incense burner and stood up, retreating to where he had been earlier. His hand instinctively rested on his chest due to nervousness.
Wen Qingci’s heart raced wildly, and no matter how deeply he breathed, it refused to slow down.
He instinctively wanted to leave, but acupuncture typically required twenty to thirty minutes. Now wasn’t the time to go.
Wen Qingci walked slowly to the window, closing his eyes against the warm breeze.
His long hair fluttered in the wind, but he paid no attention to it.
The pattern on the incense pellet was all too familiar.
… Thinking of this, Wen Qingci unconsciously bit his lip.
Since transmigrating into this world, he had read the books left behind by the original owner almost every day.
Among them were medical texts summarized by the renowned physician Gu, as well as the notes written by the original owner himself, titled “.”
In addition to recording the medical cases he had handled, the notes contained his own anatomical drawings and some rare herb illustrations.
The pattern imprinted on the incense pellet was identical to one Wen Qingci had seen in “.”
The pattern was unique, hand-drawn by the original owner. Wen Qingci couldn’t possibly be mistaken…
So, this mercury sulfide incense pellet was closely related to him, even if he hadn’t made it himself.
Perhaps the original owner entered the palace to assassinate the Emperor!
… Unbelievable.
Wen Qingci’s vision darkened for an instant.
So after searching for a long time, he found out that he was one of the masterminds behind this?
What dark irony!
With this suspicion, many things gradually became clear.
For instance, the Fuxuan Flower Pill.
He hadn’t recklessly used this prescription—when Wen Qingci had flipped through the book, he noticed that the original owner had made extensive notes on this page. The special bookmark indicated that he had been prepared and was about to try it.
Now it seemed that he had long known the consequences of becoming dependent on the Fuxuan Flower Pill.
Even the side effects were intentionally left incomplete.
Based on Wen Qingci’s recent observations of the Emperor’s symptoms, he guessed that although the Fuxuan Flower Pill could alleviate headache symptoms, prolonged use could exacerbate the negative effects of heavy metal poisoning.
In other words, it acted as a catalyst.
What a fitting remedy…
As the acupuncture session neared its end, Wen Qingci slowly walked back to remove the silver needles.
Feeling a slight prick, the drowsy emperor opened his eyes. Before he could fully regain his senses, footsteps echoed from outside the back hall.
Xian Gonggong, accompanied by a soldier clad in silver armor, approached. It seemed they were here to deliver a military report.
Reacting, the emperor pressed his temples with his fingers and instinctively popped a Fuxuan flower pill into his mouth.
Since the Northern barbarians had captured that town, they remained inactive, as if they had no intention of further aggression. But if the Wei dynasty did nothing now, wouldn’t it be tantamount to surrender?
The emperor had recently taken charge of remote military affairs. Originally, his southern expedition was scheduled to continue for some time, but due to the impact of the northern conflict, he reluctantly decided to return to the capital early.
In a few days, their party will depart from here.
“…Very well, My loyal subject, You may leave,” the emperor slowly sat up.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Physician Wen Qingci picked up his medicine box and hurriedly exited.
As soon as he stepped out, the palace doors closed behind him.
Now, only Wen Qingci and Xian Gonggong remained.
Unbeknownst to them, darkness had fallen, and the Jiangnan courtyard was overgrown with vegetation, casting an eerie shadow.
Xian Gonggong glanced toward the courtyard, then turned back to Wen Qingci with a smile. “Physician Wen, it’s quite dark in the courtyard. Fortunately, I have a lantern. Allow me to escort you.”
Wen Qingci had initially considered declining, but the words caught in his throat.
He nodded and smiled at the old eunuch. “Thank you, Xian Gonggong.”
“Not a bother at all!” Xian Gonggong feigned surprise, holding the lantern and leading Wen Qingci forward.
After a few steps, Wen Qingci coughed lightly.
“What’s wrong, Master Wen?” Concern filled Xian Gonggong’s voice.
“No worries,” Wen Qingci chuckled. “Perhaps the incense in the back hall irritated my throat.”
Xian Gonggong joined in the laughter. “Indeed, some of those incense can be potent, but we can’t simply stop using them.”
Wen Qingci nodded in agreement.
The mansion was meticulously designed, each step revealing a new scene. However, the narrow pathways were a drawback.
With summer approaching, sudden rain showers made the stone paths even more slippery.
“Watch your step,” Xian Gonggong cautioned.
Wen Qingci stepped back behind the steward, and the path cleared.
His gaze darkened.
After a few silent seconds, he resumed their previous conversation. “Xian Gonggong, do you know where the various fragrances His Majesty uses come from?”
“Well,” Xian Gonggong pondered, “I can’t recall the specifics, but each fragrance is unique. Most are procured from major incense workshops, while others come as tribute from different regions.”
“Has His Majesty been using these fragrances for a long time?” Wen Qingci probed.
This time, Xian Gonggong didn’t hesitate. “His Majesty dislikes changing scents, so he has stuck to the same few. The shortest-used fragrance… it’s been several years, I believe.”
“I see…” Wen Qingci nodded, refraining from pursuing the topic further. Yet his mind raced.
He had been in the palace less than a year, yet the emperor had used the shortest-used fragrance for much longer.
Apart from “himself,” there must be someone else in the palace plotting against the emperor.
What is his relationship with the original owner?
As they walked slowly, Wen Qingci and Xian Gonggong hadn’t gone far when a soldier in silver armor emerged from the back hall, clutching a letter.
The envelope was bright yellow. Based on Wen Qingci’s recent observations, it likely contained orders for deploying troops to the north.
If his guess was correct, the imperial decree to send Xie Bufeng to the battlefield is about to be issued….
AHHHHHH-
NOOOOOOO
sTOPPPPPPPP NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO DONT GOOO HE’S JUST SEVENTEEN PLEEKKK ;A;