Abyss: Thank you so much Jujü女王Joō for the Kofi! Enjoy the triple-update! ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡
With slender wrists propping a paper umbrella, the wide sleeves slowly slid down, revealing a string of clear blue medicinal jade that gently swayed before Xie Bufeng’s eyes, occasionally emitting a crisp sound.
In just a few seconds, the young man’s mind was shaken.
The person beside him was Wen Qingci.
Xie Bufeng’s heartbeat suddenly lost its rhythm.
The heavy rain fell like a curtain, pattering loudly, obscuring everything.
The two walked side by side, neither speaking.
The cold air climbed up along the skin, and in a daze, Xie Bufeng remembered the snow not long ago.
As they walked, Wen Qingci’s hand holding the umbrella accidentally brushed against Xie Bufeng’s body.
The young man’s body stiffened.
Did Xie Bufeng not want to get too close?
After a few seconds, Wen Qingci subconsciously stepped half a step in the other direction.
It hadn’t been long since they last shared an umbrella.
But in this time, Xie Bufeng had not only grown taller but even his shoulders had broadened.
The umbrella seemed too small for them now.
Half of Wen Qingci’s body was in the rain.
“Be careful of the rain.”
Suddenly, Xie Bufeng reached out and grasped Wen Qingci’s arm holding the umbrella.
With little effort, the young man pulled him back under the umbrella.
Their bodies pressed tightly together.
But even then, Xie Bufeng did not let go.
His fingers even unconsciously rubbed against Wen Qingci’s arm.
…On the cold and delicate skin, there was a long scar.
That was left from the last time he took blood for himself.
It seemed that Wen Qingci had successfully detoxified the poison today. He had resolved the trouble of Huixin Palace without using his own blood.
Xie Bufeng breathed a sigh of relief.
The scar on Wen Qingci’s body was left only because of himself.
—This thought suddenly sprang into Xie Bufeng’s mind.
Then, a secret joy emerged in his heart, and he unconsciously gripped Wen Qingci’s arm tightly.
Wen Qingci: …!
Xie Bufeng himself had no sense of pain, no matter what he did, he did not know the weight of his actions.
Wen Qingci’s wound had already healed naturally.
But when Xie Bufeng gripped so forcefully, the area around the wound and the bone still throbbed with pain.
Hesitating for a moment, Wen Qingci finally couldn’t help but speak up to remind him: “Your Highness?”
His voice cut through the rain, finally bringing the young man back to his senses.
Xie Bufeng slowly let go, paused for a moment, and then took the umbrella from Wen Qingci’s hand: “I’ll hold it,” he said.
“Okay.”
The young man had indeed grown a lot taller; he easily held the umbrella over both their heads.
But the umbrella was too small, and Wen Qingci and Xie Bufeng’s arms were still pressed tightly together.
It seems that next time they go out, they must prepare an extra umbrella.
Wen Qingci couldn’t help but think.
…
When they returned to the Imperial Medical Bureau, the sky was already bright.
Just entering the courtyard, Xie Bufeng smelled a sweet fragrance.
“It’s magnolia rice porridge,” Wen Qingci smiled and said, “It has been simmering on the small stove since last night, and now it’s just right to drink.”
Wen Qingci found that Xie Bufeng seemed to particularly like magnolia rice porridge.
So when the flower season was about to end, he collected a lot, dried them, and stored them.
He didn’t know when the sky had cleared up again.
At this moment, the courtyard of the Imperial Medical Bureau was filled with the fragrance of flowers and the warm morning light.
In just an instant, it made one forget the cold of the early morning.
Xie Bufeng opened the umbrella and placed it under the eaves; he had just stood up when he saw Wen Qingci walking out of the room, smiling at him.
The accumulated water on the stone slabs of the courtyard shimmered with silver light.
At this moment, all the brightness was reflected in Wen Qingci’s eyes, rippling with his smile.
In an instant…
Xie Bufeng felt as if he had fallen into a deep, bottomless pool, dragged by the undercurrent at his ankles, pulling him towards the bottom.
But this time, he didn’t even want to escape.
Wen Qingci slowly shifted his gaze and walked towards Xie Bufeng.
—In his hand, he held a small box.
Inside was the gift Wen Qingci had prepared early for Xie Bufeng.
He had originally planned to give the gift to the young man early this morning, but an unexpected event had delayed him for so long.
Wen Qingci stood in front of Xie Bufeng and slowly took out the item in his hand.
He smiled at the young man and said softly, “Your Highness, happy birthday.”
…Wen Qingci had not forgotten this day.
In an instant, Xie Bufeng’s breath almost stopped.
He carefully took the box from Wen Qingci’s hand.
This was Xie Bufeng’s first birthday with the first gift he had received.
After taking the item, he showed a rare moment of awkwardness.
For a time, he didn’t know whether to accept it directly or open the box in front of Wen Qingci.
“Open it and take a look, Your Highness.”
“Mm.”
The young man used his fingers to open the clasp of the brocade box, and the next moment, a bracelet appeared before his eyes.
It was a bracelet about two fingers wide, made of off-white wool twisted into thick yarn and woven together.
At first glance, it looked like a style popular in the Western Regions.
But the pattern woven was more exquisite than any bracelet Xie Bufeng had ever seen.
Wen Qingci didn’t speak, he directly took out the gift and gently wrapped it around the young man’s wrist.
“It’s done,” Wen Qingci smiled.
In just an instant, the warmth left by the wool brushing against the skin, along with a slight itchiness, traveled up Xie Bufeng’s wrist to his mind.
He thought of the lamb that belonged only to him.
…And the warmth of Wen Qingci’s wrist.
“In the Valley of Divine Physicians, there is a custom of giving birthday gifts. This is a weaving method I learned in the Western Market a few days ago, soaked in herbs for a few days beforehand, it has a slight refreshing effect,” Wen Qingci naturally fabricated a “custom” that did not exist in the Valley of Divine Physicians.
After wrapping the bracelet, Wen Qingci turned and pushed open the thin wooden door, entered the kitchen, and served the magnolia rice porridge that had been simmering in the sand pot.
He looked up through the window and smiled at Xie Bufeng, saying, “It’s not worth much, Your Highness, don’t disdain it.”
…So this bracelet was hand-woven by Wen Qingci?
Wen Qingci didn’t know that his simple words had stirred up a storm in Xie Bufeng’s heart.
“Won’t…”
Xie Bufeng murmured: “Never.”
On his wrist was the most precious gift of his life.
Xie Bufeng’s other hand couldn’t help but tightly grasp the bracelet.
As if he was firmly grasping the elusive “warmth” in his hand.
In just an instant, a flurry of thoughts suddenly surged into Xie Bufeng’s mind.
There was emotion, and there was panic.
He couldn’t help but think of that snowy night again, and the lamb that died under the snow blanket.
Power.
The young man slowly narrowed his amber eyes.
Now that Wen Qingci’s identity as a “medicinal man” had been exposed, he was coveted by countless people, even seen as a “miracle drug” by the emperor.
Only power… the most supreme power in the world, could keep Wen Qingci by his side forever.
In his previous life, Wen Qingci, who was born in an orphanage, did not have a specific birthday.
But his adoptive parents would still prepare a cake and longevity noodles for him on the day they adopted him every year.
That used to be the most anticipated delicacy of the year for Wen Qingci.
Perhaps because he got up too early, Wen Qingci was not sleepy at this point.
After serving the magnolia rice porridge, he went back to the kitchen and got busy.
Wen Qingci made two poached eggs for the young man according to his memory, boiled a handful of fine noodles, and in just five or six minutes, he had made a bowl.
Different from the usual meals, this bowl of noodles had no extra seasonings.
It only had the simplest seasoning and a drizzle of sesame oil when it came out of the pot, looking very light and plain.
After all, it had rained all night, and the temperature in the early morning was still a bit low, and the small white porcelain bowl was steaming slightly.
Like a chain, it hooked out one’s appetite.
“Your Highness, try it and see how it tastes,” Wen Qingci gently placed it on the table and said with a smile, “My parents used to make it like this when I was a child.”
The young man slowly picked up the bamboo chopsticks.
The steam and the aroma of the longevity noodles rose together.
The taste was fresh and delicious.
Not sure if it was too hot or just an illusion, Wen Qingci seemed to see Xie Bufeng sniffing lightly.
It was just a simple bowl of longevity noodles.
But the young man sitting in front of it seemed pitiful for the first time.
Like… a little dog that was finally picked up and brought home.
…Wait, wait!
Wen Qingci immediately cleared these messy thoughts from his mind.
The person in front of him is the future boss of this book. What the hell is he thinking about!
This dynasty follows the old system of the previous dynasty. According to the regulations, after the age of seventeen, Xie Bufeng should leave the palace and set up his own household.
At the same time, he also had to intern at the grassroots level in the three provinces and six ministries to become familiar with court affairs.
However, the emperor was reluctant to mention this matter, as if he had no intention of continuing the old system.
In the court, no official dared to speak openly, but they were all secretly guessing why this happened.
In the end, everyone thought that Xie Bufeng grew up in the imperial mausoleum, and what he knew and learned was totally insufficient to support him to work in the six ministries, so the emperor’s move was very normal.
But not long after, the second prince turned seventeen, and there was still no movement from the emperor.
There were undercurrents in the court.
All the officials tried their best to guess the emperor’s intentions, but they could not figure it out for a long time.
Only Xie Bufeng knew that the emperor was afraid.
The inner voice in his ear told the young man that Xie Zhaolin had calculated carefully: he was not yet fifty this year, and in another twenty years, when he was in his sixties, the princes would be nearly forty years old.
At that time, would they still be willing to be just princes?
The more afraid Xie Zhaolin was, the more he didn’t want these princes to grow up too early.
Therefore, Xie Bufeng, who was supposed to leave the palace, stayed in Taishu Palace temporarily.
*
Huixin Palace, front hall.
In a blink of an eye, the little princess has been born for almost a month. Compared to her pitiful skinny appearance when she was born, she is now white, plump and much cuter.
Wen Qingci’s sick leave has not yet ended.
That day, he had used poison on Consort Lan, and although the poison had been neutralized, Wen Qingci remained somewhat uneasy. Every few days, he would check Consort Lan’s pulse to see if there were any abnormalities.
After several pulse checks, Consort Lan’s health showed no significant issues, and Wen Qingci gradually began to ease his worries.
It was said that when he first started to regularly check her pulse, Consort Lan enjoyed chatting with Wen Qingci.
And now, even more so.
“…In a few months, His Majesty will go on a southern tour, taking the water route, almost entirely along the canal,” Consort Lan said softly while gently patting the infant in her arms to sleep, “I guess by then His Majesty will surely ask Wen Xiansheng to lead the imperial physicians there.”
Her physical condition had recovered quite well, and her voice had regained much of its strength.
Today, Consort Lan wore a light red palace dress, which made her look exceptionally radiant.
Currently, there are two chief physicians in the Imperial Medical Bureau.
Yu Guanlin was advanced in years and probably could not leave the capital and follow the southern tour.
Thus, this “business trip” would fall on Wen Qingci.
However, this matter had not yet been officially announced.
Wen Qingci did not quite understand why Consort Lan, always so cautious, would suddenly bring this up?
He paused for a moment, then could only smile and nod: “Perhaps so.”
At this point, the pulse diagnosis was over, and Wen Qingci had packed up most of his medicine chest.
“…The Yinchuan Grand Canal.” Consort Lan’s hand, which was patting the baby, suddenly stopped, and she looked out of the palace, her tone becoming complex.
Wen Qingci was startled for a moment before he realized.
Perhaps it was because of this canal that Consort Lan thought of her own father and brothers.
No wonder her behavior was a bit unusual just now.
After a light sigh, Consort Lan seemed to realize that what she had just said was somewhat inappropriate.
She glanced down at the little princess in her arms, then once again set her gaze on Wen Qingci.
This time, Consort Lan finally returned to her usual demeanor, and she made small talk with Wen Qingci: “If I remember correctly, Wen Xiansheng’s home in Songxiu Prefecture is also nearby.”
“Yes,” Wen Qingci nodded, “Indeed, it is there.”
“If you have time, Wen Xiansheng, you could also go back for a visit,” Consort Lan said with a smile.
After a brief chat, Wen Qingci had already packed up his medicine box.
He was about to leave, but Consort Lan stopped him.
“Physician Wen, please stay,” Consort Lan handed the little princess to the wet nurse and said to Wen Qingci, “I happen to have some fresh tea from before the , have a couple of cups before you go.”
“Yes, Physician Wen, the weather is nice today, why not take this opportunity to rest a bit,” the personal maid Mingliu also urged.
After speaking, Consort Lan glanced at the little princess again and casually mentioned, “Fuyin has gained weight these past few days.”
The emperor seemed to like this little princess very much.
Not only did he give Consort Lan many rewards, but he even named her “Xie Fuyin” as soon as she was born.
This name comes from the idiom “,” originally used to describe beautiful jade.
…The first time he heard this name, Wen Qingci suddenly thought of the second prince’s name “” and the third prince’s name “.”
These names all seemed to come from idioms.
So by that logic… Could it be that Xie Bufeng’s name originated from the phrase ““?
Thinking of this, Wen Qingci felt a twinge of resentment for him.
Hopefully, he was wrong.
Before he had time to think of how to refuse, a young eunuch cheerfully took the medicine box Wen Qingci had just packed up and placed it aside.
Seeing Consort Lan’s insistence, Wen Qingci found it hard to refuse.
“Then I will impose,” Wen Qingci sat down beside a small table, and with a smile, he gestured to Xie Bufeng on the other side, “Your Highness, please wait for me a little longer.”
“Alright.” Xie Bufeng, who had just stood up with Wen Qingci, also sat back down.
Logically, Xie Bufeng’s injuries had long since healed.
He should return to his own Yuguang Palace.
But for some reason, the young man never mentioned it.
Wen Qingci thought that after Xie Bufeng moved back, he would have to spend more time and effort delivering meals, so he just let it be.
Over time, Wen Qingci had realized that Xie Bufeng was indeed a completely invisible person in the palace.
No one cared where he lived, nor did they care where he went.
After realizing this, Wen Qingci would boldly bring Xie Bufeng with him every time he visited Consort Lan.
The palace maid of Huixin Palace brought up the new tea.
The faint aroma of tea filled the room, naturally calming the heart and mind.
Wen Qingci picked up the teacup and took a light sip.
At this moment, a light breeze blew, startling the bell hanging on the eaves.
Hearing the light jingle, the little princess held by the wet nurse suddenly babbled something.
Consort Lan and Mingliu gathered around, then carefully picked her up and played with her in their arms.
The atmosphere in Huixin Palace became incredibly warm for a moment.
Wen Qingci couldn’t help but sneak a glance at Xie Bufeng.
The young man was drinking tea, his face expressionless, as if indifferent to everything around him.
Xie Bufeng was sent out of the imperial palace when he was three years old, too young to remember anything.
Therefore, he had no impression or affection for either his birth mother Consort Lan or the Empress Dowager who had raised him for three years.
In the original story, Xie Bufeng only respected Consort Lan in the end.
“Supporting the Ming Hall” ends with Consort Lan becoming the Empress Dowager, and everything that happened afterward is briefly summarized in a few sentences.
The description of Xie Bufeng was — a lone and isolated person.
When reading the book, Wen Qingci had no special feelings about this sentence.
But after meeting Xie Bufeng, he could no longer ignore it.
…Wen Qingci did not want the young man before him to continue being alone.
After his own death, the only people in the palace who could accompany him would probably be Consort Lan and the little princess, right?
Thinking of this, Wen Qingci put down the teacup in his hand and subconsciously looked towards Consort Lan and the little baby in her arms.
At some point, the little Xie Fuyin started to cry again.
Consort Lan coaxed her for a long time, but she did not quiet down.
Their gazes met in mid-air.
Consort Lan suddenly smiled at Wen Qingci, as if thinking of something, and said, “Wen Xiansheng is our little Fuyin’s lifesaver, why don’t you try holding her, maybe she’ll stop crying.”
As soon as she finished speaking, without waiting for Wen Qingci to refuse, Consort Lan had the wet nurse bring the little Xie Fuyin over.
Consort Lan was always clear about matters, although she still couldn’t understand why Wen Qingci entered the Taishu Palace, after the last incident, she completely regarded the physician before her as the lifesaver of herself and her daughter.
The wet nurse quickly came over, intending to place the little princess in Wen Qingci’s arms.
Wen Qingci: !!!
Wait, he never actually held a baby before!
This tiny bundle actually made Wen Qingci somewhat afraid.
He pretended to be calm on the surface, but his gaze involuntarily fell on Xie Bufeng.
Suddenly, everyone heard Wen Qingci laugh a little, and with a hint of regret, he said, “My arm is a bit weak, I’m afraid I dare not hold the princess.”
“Ah!” Mingliu exclaimed softly.
She just remembered that Wen Qingci’s arm had been tightly bandaged for a long time to stop bleeding, and afterward, he had shown symptoms of weakness.
Consort Lan’s expression also changed.
…She wondered if what she had just said had touched a sore spot for Wen Qingci?
However, just as everyone was tense, Wen Qingci looked as if nothing had happened towards Xie Bufeng sitting beside him: “Why don’t you come and try it, Your Highness? You are Princess Fuyin’s elder brother, maybe if you hold her, she will stop crying.”
Wen Qingci’s tone was always so gentle, carrying the power to soothe and calm the heart.
As his words fell, the wet nurse momentarily forgot all the rumors about Xie Bufeng, seeing him just as an ordinary brother.
She couldn’t help but bend down and carefully placed the little princess beside Xie Bufeng’s hands.
“Your Highness, hold her,” Wen Qingci said softly.
As if compelled by some unseen force, Xie Bufeng slowly took Xie Fuyin into his arms.
The newborn infant was soft all over, as if boneless.
The young man held his breath, his arms stiffening as if frozen in place.
He was terrified that a moment’s carelessness would hurt the little baby in his arms.
Xie Bufeng was indeed careful, but having never held a child before, his movements were awkward and seemed somewhat perilous.
Seeing this, Wen Qingci, sitting beside him, leaned in closer.
He glanced at Xie Fuyin and smiled, “The little princess has beautiful eyes, amber-colored, just like Your Highness.”
…Like me?
Xie Bufeng had always disliked children, but after hearing Wen Qingci’s words, he suddenly found the child in his arms more pleasing to the eye.
His actions and gaze softened with a rare tenderness.
Unseen by those sitting at the small table, Consort Lan, not far away, suddenly had tears welling up in her eyes.
Since Xie Bufeng had memories, he had only been surrounded by guards responsible for watching over him, without any family or friends. Growing up in such an environment, his emotional development was naturally different from ordinary people.
But Consort Lan could never forget the ten months of pregnancy and the labor of childbirth.
How could she not have feelings for Xie Bufeng?
She just never had the chance to express them.
This scene before her eyes… for a moment, it made Consort Lan feel as if she were just an ordinary mother, and Xie Bufeng had never been a monster.
After a while, Xie Fuyin, still held by her brother, continued to cry loudly.
Seeing this, Wen Qingci, a physician, couldn’t help but come closer and gently touched the little princess’s forehead.
Thankfully, it wasn’t a fever or anything of the sort.
In an instant, a familiar warmth and bitter fragrance wafted towards them.
Concerned for the little princess’s health, Wen Qingci only knew that little Xie Fuyin had suddenly stopped crying and was now blinking up at him.
He did not notice that the young man’s ears had turned completely red at some point, perhaps due to his own approach.
AHHHHHH!!!! What a soft, tender, and beautiful chapter! My crops are watered, my skin is clear, and my heart is full 💕 God this is too happy to be this early on in the story… XBF finally starting to realize his feelings and and and! The absolute CARE WQC shows him 😭💕💕💕 I’m in a class cage of emotion!!!!
I CAN’T WITH THE FLUFFF AAAAAH!🥰 Normally I hate children-baby trope scenes but…these novel does them so well😩
Finally have the time to come back and reread this series. Oh my delicate heart!!! TT_TT <3 This was such a sweet amd thoughtful and much needed gesture to XBF. It's not much monetary-wise, but it's everything he needed. You ARE loved XBF!!!! Such a soft and tender moment. My eyes are legit tearing up! Thanks again for your hard work translating 😀