BLPSG Chapter 57: Returning to the court with great victory

This winter in Yongdu was both hurried and chaotic. 

 

It wasn’t until the cold winds had stripped the last leaves from the trees that the first snow finally arrived, gently and belatedly. 

 

But just two days after the heavy snowfall, the temperature abruptly warmed again.

 

The dormant magnolia trees, mistaking it for spring, eagerly sprouted buds and trembled as they blossomed. Yet, as the flowers opened, the snow returned once more.

 

Wen Qingci stood in the courtyard of the Imperial Medical Bureau, holding an umbrella. 

 

He gazed up at the tall magnolia tree and the white snow clinging to its branches. It had been five days since he last stepped outside.

 

The absurd spectacle at the Baiqiao Tower had ended with the emperor’s emotional outburst and subsequent unconsciousness.

 

Before losing consciousness, the emperor had stubbornly mistaken the Hengxin Guard for engineers working on the Yinchuan Grand Canal. He had even shouted for someone to kill them, convinced they were there to take his life.

 

His confused mind blurred the line between illusion and reality, leaving him unable to distinguish truth from fiction. Wen Qingci’s words lingered faintly in the emperor’s memory, even after he woke up.

 

But with the recent incident involving the Hengxin Guard, the emperor couldn’t help but wonder if it had all been a hallucination. Perhaps that young man in moon-white attire wasn’t as harmless as he seemed.

 

After all, Wen Qingci was renowned throughout the court and the martial world as the “Enchanting Face, Ruthless Heart.”

 

If the emperor’s suspicions were correct, he dared not delve deeper into the matter.

 

That night, as the emperor lay ill, Wen Qingci remained in the Ninghe Hall, guarding him throughout the entire night. When Xie Zhaolin finally woke up, the first person he saw was Wen Qingci.

 

Usually, having a physician nearby would bring comfort, but that day, seeing Wen Qingci sent shivers down his spine. Driven by fear, Xie Zhaolin once again restricted the area, confining Wen Qingci to a small corner of the Imperial Medical Bureau.

 

Even in his own discomfort, Xie Zhaolin refused to summon Wen Qingci.

 

The heavy snow enveloped the entire Taishu Palace. The emperor lay on his bed, staring out the window. His once deep brown eyes now held a murky, unsettling quality.

 

Yu Guanlin, the physician examining him, cautiously raised his head. As an experienced old Physician, he immediately recognized the pulse and was taken aback. 

 

The emperor lying on the bed was likely nearing the end of his strength.

 

Ignoring his mental state, the emperor’s physical appearance seemed robust, no different from before—except for the frequent headaches and muscle spasms.

 

But beneath the surface, the pulse revealed a different story. In just a year or two, the emperor had aged as if two or three decades had passed. His organs showed no major issues, yet his body was rapidly deteriorating.

 

Aging was an incurable ailment.

 

“…Why is Physician Yu silent? How is my health?” The emperor’s mind was unusually clear today. His voice, hoarse and rough, sounded as if it had been scorched by fire.

 

Yu Guanlin, having observed him silently, felt his own nervousness rise. He replied, “Your Majesty’s organs are healthy, with no major issues.”

 

“Hmm…” The emperor nodded heavily, unsure whether to believe Yu Guanlin’s words.

 

Unbeknownst to Yu Guanlin, the emperor wasn’t truly concerned about his answer. He knew the old physician was astute, even if he were on the brink of death, Yu Guanlin would still reply with a reassuring “no major issues.”

 

In that moment, the emperor sensed something—his body was likely not as robust as before.

 

After completing the pulse examination, Yu Guanlin slowly withdrew his hand. He stood up, preparing to write down his findings. But just as he took a step back, the emperor called out, “If I recall correctly, your father was also an imperial physician, wasn’t he?”

 

Why was the emperor suddenly engaging in casual conversation?

 

Yu Guanlin’s heart skipped a beat, but he didn’t show it. 

 

He pretended to be surprised and replied with great fear: “That’s right, Your Majesty is not mistaken, my ancestors have been physicians for generations, not only my father is an imperial physician, but my grandfather was also an imperial physician.”

 

“Oh… then the medical skills you know are all passed down from generation to generation in your family?” the emperor asked slowly.

 

The emperor’s voice was too hoarse today, and Yu Guanlin could not hear the emotion hidden in his words. He could only tell the truth: “Only part of it is inherited from my family. When I was young, I also worshiped a teacher several times… And no matter where it comes from, I will read all useful medical books carefully.”

 

After saying this, he secretly praised himself a few times.

 

Hearing this, the emperor finally laughed slowly.

 

“That’s good.”

 

Yu Guanlin: “…”

 

The old physician’s heart sank heavily. His intuition told him that what the emperor said was not simple at all.

 

Xie Zhaolin likes to beat around the bush when speaking, and he has the habit of expressing what he thinks through other people’s mouths.

 

But today, whether it was because there was no one around or because he was really sleepy due to his illness, he finally didn’t beat around the bush and just asked directly what he really wanted.

 

“So, my dear, you should know how to make pills with blood?”

 

This time Yu Guanlin was finally completely frightened by his words. The old physician stood there for a long time, unable to move. He felt the chill in the hall running along the soles of his feet and penetrating into his body.

 

In just a moment, his heart felt cold.

 

Using blood to refine pills is against ethical principles, and few people would do this, but in fact it is a basic step in alchemy.

 

If he said no, the emperor probably wouldn’t believe me.

 

…But if he said it, Yu Guanlin wouldn’t have to guess what would happen next.

 

The emperor is finally planning to use Wen Qingci’s blood to make medicine.

 

Yu Guanlin slowly clenched his fists. At this moment, he only regretted that he had not told the matter of resignation earlier and stayed away from Yongdu, a place of trouble.

 

“Why don’t you speak, my dear minister?” asked the emperor.

 

Yu Guanlin smiled, nodded, and forced out the word “yes” from between his teeth.

 

“That’s good.” The emperor laughed and looked out the window again.

 

At some point, the Taishu Palace was covered in white. There was no scenery outside the window, and it looked particularly deserted.

 

The emperor paused for a moment and muttered to himself, “An imperial physician’s duty is to diagnose people… no matter what method they use. Then they have made the best use of one’s abilities.”

 

The four words “making the most of one’s abilities” are really scary.

 

Hearing this, all the blood in Yu Guanlin’s body seemed to be frozen by his words.

 

He never stood out and never interfered in government affairs, but after experiencing two dynasties and living safely in Taishu Palace until now, Yu Guanlin’s mind is clearer than anyone else.

 

The emperor had this idea ever since he learned that Wen Qingci is a medicine man.

 

At the beginning, seeing that Wen Qingci could give his blood to Xie Bufeng without hesitation, the emperor was still waiting for Wen Qingci to take the initiative to give him blood for medicine.

 

But later he gradually came to regard this as a trump card.

 

The trump card always has to be played till the end.

 

Wen Qingci’s temperament is different from that of the imperial physician in the palace. After all, he is a man of the Jianghu.

 

Wen Qingci would never swallow this insult if he was forced to take his blood.

 

No one knows what he will do by then. It is possible that he will kill one thousand enemies but lose eight hundred of his own.

 

If that happened, the emperor would suffer a great loss.

 

Not to mention that he had to pretend to be wise before.

 

As a Hanlin and the emperor’s confidant, Wen Qingci has a strong presence in Taishu Palace and even in the entire Yongdu.

 

If he suddenly disappeared, it would surely arouse the suspicion of countless people.

 

Therefore, in the emperor’s view, forcibly taking Wen Qingci’s blood was a one-time deal.

 

Now, realizing that his physical condition was extremely poor, he finally couldn’t help but want to use this trump card.

 

Like most people in the palace, Yu Guanlin had long realized that the emperor was doomed. He usually went along with the emperor, but couldn’t help but point out what the emperor hadn’t finished saying: “The blood of the medicine man can cure all poisons, but your majesty is not poisoned…”

 

As an imperial physician, Yu Guanlin was naturally curious about medicine men.

 

He once asked Wen Qingci and talked with him about the magical effects of blood – his blood could indeed cure all kinds of poisons, but “reviving the dead” was a bit too fantastic and exaggerated.

 

But people have always only believed in exciting rumors and would not delve deeper into the matter.

 

The emperor laughed, and his laughter was chilling.

 

Realizing that he had said the wrong thing, Yu Guanlin hurriedly knelt on the ground, his body shaking uncontrollably.

 

Recently, the emperor’s hysteria has become more and more serious, and his emotions are completely out of control. He has dealt with many people in the past few days.

 

He didn’t want to be the next one.

 

Unexpectedly, the emperor was not angry. After the laughter stopped, the hoarse voice sounded again.

 

“It is rumored that the blood of a medicine man can restore vitality and save lives,” the emperor said after a pause, “…How can we know if it works if we don’t try it?”

 

This is the most widely circulated rumor in the martial arts world. The emperor is already certain that it is the truth, and Yu Guanlin has no way to refute it.

 

“Yes, Your Majesty.” After a long silence, Yu Guanlin had no choice but to bow and shut up.

 

Fatigue came over him again like a tide.

 

The emperor’s eyelids began to twitch and noisy phantom sounds rang in his ears again.

 

Worried that he would be seen losing his composure again, he waved his hand impatiently and said, “Okay, you can leave now.”

 

“yes……”

 

It was snowing heavily in Taishu Palace, and a thick layer of ice had already formed on the surface of the lake not far away.

 

But after walking out of the hall, Yu Guanlin realized that he had been sweating all over without knowing when.

 

He couldn’t help but look back at the hall, then he took a deep breath and slowly tightened the handle of the medicine box.

 

When using blood as medicine, it is best to take fresh blood and add it to the prescription to make a decoction, or just let him drink the blood like Wen Qingci did when he helped Xie Bufeng detoxify.

 

The steps for making elixirs are complicated, and the efficacy of the medicine is lost after it is made, so it is a bad choice.

 

The only advantage is that it is easy to store.

 

But the emperor only mentioned the elixir…

 

His purpose is obvious.

 

Wen Qingci is definitely not someone who is easy to control.

 

In order to prevent any unexpected events, the emperor actually threw aside the Fuxuan Flower Pill and his headache, and made up his mind to make a one-time deal. He wants to drain all of Wen Qingci’s blood and make it into pills and store them.

 

“Ah…” The old physician sighed heavily.

 

He was originally planning to walk back to the Imperial Medical Bureau, but he paused and suddenly changed direction, heading towards Huixin Palace where Consort Lan was.

 

Having worked in Taishu Palace for decades, he had always been obedient, but this time he chose to disobey the emperor’s order.

 

Unlike the always busy front yard, the backyard of the Imperial Medical Bureau is always deserted.

 

Silence amplifies all sounds.

 

There was no snow that afternoon and the sun was dim. Wen Qingci was sitting under a magnolia tree reading a book. When he heard footsteps outside, he subconsciously put aside what he was holding and stood up to look outside.

 

Hengxin Guard, who was guarding the corner of the yard, suddenly became nervous.

 

Before they could ask who the person from Hengxin Guard outside was, a familiar voice reached their ears.

 

“Master Wen, how do you open this door?”

 

It turned out to be Xie Fuyin.

 

She was less than two years old and did not understand what “house arrest” meant. She only knew that she wanted to come and play with Wen Qingci, but she could not push open the door for a long time.

 

“Your Highness, please don’t be anxious…” Wen Qingci said as he walked towards the door, intending to persuade Xie Fuyin to leave.

 

Before he finished speaking, he heard Xie Fuyin ask the Hengxin Guard who was guarding outside: “Can you help me open this door?”

 

The little girl’s voice was childish and ignorant, and she didn’t seem to realize why so many people were guarding the Imperial Medical Bureau.

 

Sure enough, Hengxin Guard rejected her in a bad tone.

 

As a princess, Xie Fuyin naturally has some temper.

 

After hearing what Hengxin Guard said, she sat down by the door, snorted angrily, and then said to the people inside: “If you don’t let me in, then I won’t come in~”

 

Because of the door, Wen Qingci couldn’t see Xie Fuyin’s expression, but he could guess that she was definitely pouting.

 

Although Wen Qingci was under house arrest here, the emperor did not point this out after all. He only said “strictly guard.”

 

The most important thing is that the Hengxin Guard is not qualified to expel the princess from here.

 

Hearing the noise outside, Wen Qingci couldn’t help but smile softly while standing there.

 

The boring and depressed mood of the past few days seemed to have eased a little.

 

The wooden door of the small courtyard of the Imperial Medical Bureau was very thin, so Xie Fuyin’s voice was clearly heard by Wen Qingci.

 

Although Wen Qingci is much older than her, he never treats her like a child. Instead, he is gentle and serious to her.

 

The little girl had no playmates, so she didn’t know when she developed the habit of coming to the Imperial Medical Bureau to chat with Wen Qingci.

 

Xie Fuyin chattered on and on about what he had done in the past few days.

 

Seeing that the little girl had no intention of leaving for the time being, Wen Qingci also sat on the other side of the door.

 

“…I, I originally wanted to come and play with Master Wen yesterday, but my father likes to come and see me recently, as well as my mother.”

 

“Sometimes he would ask me to find him!”

 

The little girl didn’t understand anything, she just thought it was a very happy thing that her father could play with her.

 

In fact, this matter had already spread throughout the entire Taishu Palace. Perhaps only Wen Qingci, who was under house arrest, did not know about it.

 

Hearing the little princess’ words, the two Hengxin guards guarding outside looked at each other but did not interrupt her.

 

She didn’t see it because of the door. After hearing what she said, Wen Qingci’s face suddenly changed.

 

All the adults in the palace knew that the emperor was not a father who had the leisure to play with the princes and princesses.

 

“That’s right! Father told me to move in with him a few days ago… Oh, mother wants to go too.”

 

The little girl’s voice was full of anticipation.

 

After she finished speaking, Wen Qingci suddenly guessed the emperor’s intention.

 

The war is about to end, and the northern army should be returning to Yongdu soon. The emperor wants to keep Xie Fuyin and Consort Lan by his side as “hostages.”

 

Wen Qingci’s heart immediately became uneasy.

 

Along with the worry, there is also a faint sense of regret and guilt.

 

When Xie Bufeng returned to the palace, he always remained “far” from his mother.

 

But he tried to get closer to them some time ago…

 

If Xie Bufeng, Consort Lan and Xie Fuyin had always kept their distance, the emperor might not have made such a decision.

 

However, now the emperor saw that the intimacy between the two sides was different from before, and believed that this was Xie Bufeng’s weakness.

 

Xie Fuyin and Consort Lan were instantly in danger.

 

These are plots that did not appear in the original book.

 

…If I hadn’t done this unnecessary thing before, Xie Fuyin and the others might not have been in danger.

 

“Master Wen, why are you silent?” Xie Fuyin couldn’t help but ask when she noticed that Wen Qingci remained quiet.

 

“It’s nothing.” Wen Qingci’s voice sounded hoarse at this moment.

 

After a brief pause, he smiled and explained to Xie Fuyin through the thin wooden door, “I apologize, Your Highness, I suddenly remembered a rather complex medicinal formula and got lost in thought.”

 

“Oh…” Xie Fuyin didn’t think much of it.

 

The young girl was always talkative, eager to share whatever she saw or heard, and her imagination was exceptionally vivid.

 

After hearing Wen Qingci’s words, she blurted out, “Physician Yu seems to be facing a difficult problem lately—always researching how to refine pills.”

 

During their lengthy conversation in the Huixin Palace, Wen Qingci had talked extensively about medicine. Although Xie Fuyin couldn’t understand the content, she sensed that he was troubled.

 

“Refining pills?” Wen Qingci squinted his eyes.

 

What kind of pill does the Emperor want at this moment?

 

And what pill could pose a challenge for Yu Guanlin, who had practiced medicine for decades?

 

“Yes!” Xie Fuyin replied crisply. “It’s what Father wants.”

 

The Hengxin Guard didn’t notice anything amiss in her words, but just as Xie Fuyin mentioned the Emperor, they timely interrupted her: “Your Highness, it’s getting late. You should return.”

 

Wen Qingci stood up slowly, pressing his hand against the thin wooden door.

 

Apart from Xie Fuyin’s voice, there was an eerie silence around him. Wen Qingci finally realized what was unusual.

 

Whenever Xie Fuyin visited, her attendants and maids would occasionally exclaim to remind her about safety or proper etiquette. But today, he hadn’t heard their voices at all.

 

Had they not followed her?

 

Or perhaps they were here but intentionally refrained from interrupting Xie Fuyin’s conversation?

 

Wen Qingci’s keen mind, imprisoned in this place, magnified every sound and movement.

 

He suddenly realized that Xie Fuyin’s words might have been suggested by someone else.

 

It was probably Consort Lan and Yu Guanlin.

 

They were using Xie Fuyin’s mouth to send him a message!

 

With this realization, Wen Qingci’s heart settled.

 

“Your Highness, don’t worry Consort Lan. You should return now. I’ll find you for another chat in a few days,” Wen Qingci’s gentle voice came through the wooden panel.

 

Xie Fuyin pouted and said, “Okay then, it’s a promise!”

 

“A promise.”

 

After a moment, the footsteps gradually faded and disappeared.

 

This afternoon was destined to be anything but calm.

 

Wen Qingci’s heart raced due to Xie Fuyin’s recent words.

 

He sat back under the magnolia tree, intending to pick up a medical book and read in peace. But before he could, a loud noise erupted outside.

 

The Imperial Medical Bureau was situated in a corner of the Taishu Palace, not far from Yongdu’s main street.

 

The palace was heavily guarded, and commoners dared not raise their voices here. Those inside often forgot about the bustling world beyond the walls.

 

Before Wen Qingci could figure out the source of the noise, a deafening cheer echoed from outside the palace:

 

“We won! We finally won—”

 

“Victory over the Northern Di!!!”

 

“The army is returning to the capital!!!”

 

The loud noises outside the palace seemed to shake the heavens.

 

Commoners gathered, loudly repeating the messenger’s words, trying to spread the good news throughout Yongdu as quickly as possible.

 

From their cheers, Wen Qingci learned that a few days ago, the Wei Dynasty’s army had decisively defeated the Northern Di, capturing their capital.

 

The Northern Di nobles either died or surrendered, leaving no room for resistance.

 

The treaty had been signed, and the former Northern Di territory was now part of the Wei Dynasty.

 

…This battle had truly come to an end!

 

It ended even faster than anyone had imagined.

 

Unfortunately, like Yongdu, the weather in the north was also unpredictable at this moment.

 

The wind howled, and snow fell relentlessly. Only the messenger, riding alone, had returned to report the good news to Yongdu.

 

But soon after, the large army would follow, returning to the capital.

 

Wen Qingci’s peripheral vision caught sight of the Hengxin Guard guarding him. Their faces turned extremely ugly, and as the cheers reached their ears, they tightened their grip on their swords. It was as if they were ready to rush out and strike down anyone celebrating outside the palace.

 

But Wen Qingci had no time to pay attention to them at this time.

 

Wen Qingci stood in the small courtyard of the Imperial Medical Bureau and slowly turned to look towards the north.

 

The sky, which was clear just now, suddenly began to snow lightly again.

 

Wen Qingci slowly closed his eyes… In a trance, he seemed to smell the cold air of the north again, and saw the young man wearing black armor, walking southward in the wind and snow.

 

In a few days.

 

Xie Bufeng will be back in a few days.