Chapter 387 – Pain Reliever

Chapter 387 - Pain Reliever

It was already on his own bookshelf.

For the second one, it took him about seven or eight days to carefully complete it without a single mistake.

Yun Li stood up and wrapped the book, placing it on the table.

She then touched the petals of the flowering crabapple before coming over to He Jinli. "He Jinli, I want to sleep with you."

He Jinli felt a bit awkward. "You really are..."

"Want it or not? Let's go, no nonsense." Yun Li's face was also red, but that was due to the alcohol.

What nonsense did He Jinli have left to speak? Without further ado, he lifted her up.

Only, he almost walked the wrong way.

Hmm, he was indeed not very familiar with this place...

Yun Li didn't mind either. As she was being held, she removed all the large hairpins from her head and casually threw them on the ground.

She then discarded her earrings as well.

She even pulled off He Jinli's headdress and carelessly tossed it aside.

Yin Cha watched in distress as the red gemstone in the mouth of the golden dragon on His Majesty's headdress chipped off.

It pained her heart.

Yin Cha picked up everything from the ground, feeling sorry for each and every item.

In the end, after gathering all those cherished belongings, she placed them carefully in a box. But where did she eventually put that box?

On the other hand, the precious notebook of the Empress was respectfully stored in a purple sandalwood box by her command.

The flowering crabapple was also directed by her to be placed in a warm spot shielded from the cold wind.

The bud was delicate; if it were exposed to the cold, it would wither away by tomorrow.

You ask, is it more important to have a sacred text or a blossoming tree? Or is the golden headdress and hairpin of the Empress and His Majesty more significant?

Yinchá continued to sort through her belongings with a gentle smile on her face. She imagined that mortals would place value on gold and precious gems.

But perhaps, for the Empress and His Majesty, it was the bond of affection that mattered most?

Although, this affection seemed uneven, like the weight the Empress placed on His Majesty versus how much he valued her – they were worlds apart.

Yet, wouldn't it be fine if the Empress deceived His Majesty for a lifetime?

As long as everyone was happy, what difference did truth or deception make? In a single lifetime, how could one distinguish between reality and illusion?

What if one lived in a world of lies? If one never had to awaken from it, wouldn't that be a wonderful thing too?

Lüwei instructed the servants to move the braziers further away and prepared the stove for hot water at night.

She also asked them to prepare two large jugs of hot water for the Empress and the others to wash up later.

Then, she sat on a small couch in the warm chamber on the other side of the room, chatting with Yinchá.

"Wouldn't some in the harem be even more restless after today?" asked Reed.

Lotus Tea nodded. "Definitely. But I have faith in our Empress."

Reed also smiled. "Of course, how could we not have faith? Otherwise, how could we serve?"

It was precisely because of her faith that she dared to have a child. If she believed her mistress's position was unstable, would she have dared?

"How about your little guard? Is he still trying to persuade you?" asked Lotus Tea.

At first, the guard thought Reed could be his concubine, but then he started considering making her his official wife.

"I told him that if he keeps talking nonsense, our relationship will end. I'll find someone else. He doesn't dare now," Reed recalled, thinking about how pitiful he looked every day.

"You're really not tempted? If you were interested and wanted to marry him, the Empress would approve," said Lotus Tea.

Reed chuckled. "To say I've never been tempted at all would be a lie. He's a decent person. But after considering the future, I realized it's unnecessary."

"If I were to get married, I'd miss serving the Empress and would need to come back. We'd see each other less often. Do you know men's nature? Could he resist not seeing me for months? Would I endure or explode? I don't think I could bear it. And it wouldn't make sense to be angry since it's expected. Besides, serving the Empress means I can't continuously bear children. Two would already cause problems. When they demand descendants, wouldn't there be issues? Moreover, my own parents passed away early, and I didn't get to serve them. I really don't want to serve in-laws in the future."

"Besides, I work tirelessly in the palace to support my family, and who knows if they're betraying me behind my back? Am I just looking for trouble?"

Incha couldn't stop laughing. "That's exactly what I think, so I have no desire to find a man. But seeing you, I might consider having a child without getting married. At least I could have a young guard for company."

Reed burst into laughter.

Incha whispered, "But we can't be reckless in the palace. We'll have our fun outside on our days off."

Both sisters giggled uncontrollably.

"I've decided that when I'm too old to serve, I'll leave the palace. I'll live as a wealthy old lady and adopt an unwanted girl. I'll raise her and find her a husband. Isn't it better to have a family, a career, and children? Why bother with all this struggle now?"

Incha said.

Reed clicked her tongue. "You're making me reconsider. No, I'll still give birth to my own child."

As they talked, night fell, and they heard a call for their service. They hurried over promptly.

Upon their return, it would be time for sleep. One of them was bound for Hebi, while the other would remain here.

He Jinli and Yun Li reclined close together, their hearts still pounding rapidly.

This woman could drive him crazy with her antics.

Now that she was tired, she fell asleep quickly.

He Jinli's hand softly caressed her back, lost in thought.

When dawn arrived, He Jinli was indeed still asleep.

However, there was no early court session that day, and Yun Li remained in slumber as well.

Naturally, they didn't attend the morning greetings.

The queen's intentions were unknown to all, but the other concubines were swarmed with mixed emotions.

They were both envious and admiring.

Yet, no one dared to comment, for Wu Zhao would merely spout empty words, which held no substance in the end.

The Empress waved her hand, dismissing everyone.

After the crowd dispersed, the Empress, holding Ruyi's arm, slowly returned to her inner chambers. She had been experiencing excruciating pain these past few days.

"Your Highness, why don't you... take a few days off starting tomorrow? Otherwise, how will we manage during the New Year?" Truffle worried.

The Empress sighed. "Forget it. There are only a few days left until the New Year. If I were to claim illness now, it would cause even more trouble. Go call Doctor Zhuang over."

In the beginning, the Empress was attended by Doctor Liu from the Imperial Medical Institute, an experienced elderly physician. As he grew older, his disciple, Doctor Fang, also began serving her.

Both doctors were dismissed due to the incident involving Prince Fourth and the drug usage back then.

Now, the Empress was attended by Doctor Zhuang, another middle-aged physician with ample experience. However, since he did not serve her from the start, his loyalty was somewhat limited.

Upon learning that the Empress wanted him to prescribe medicine to help her endure through the New Year without collapsing, he felt a sense of apprehension.

Without any unnecessary chatter, he agreed to the queen's request.

It was likely just pain relief she needed, for her body required long-term rest and recuperation.

What else could there be that would serve any significant purpose?

If the bone issue couldn't be properly addressed, what could he do? If he had the power to cure the queen with a single dose of medicine, he wouldn't be spending his days here idly.

Thus, Doctor Zhuang promptly agreed.

The next day, he sent over the medication, primarily focused on pain relief, ensuring the queen wouldn't suffer too much discomfort during movement.

In addition, there were some cooling agents to reduce inflammation. Apart from these, there was nothing more.