Chapter 8: Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Chapter Eight

In the dead of night, Qi Guan hurriedly rushed toward the emperor’s bedchamber with his medicine box. As torches suddenly flared to life, he stepped into the hall and heard Xiaoyun let out a startled cry.

Qi Guan nearly tripped, breaking into a cold sweat. It was then that he saw the troublesome emperor himself, leaning against the headboard coughing, with a smear of blood at the corner of his mouth in the dim candlelight.

“Ah, Lord Qi, practicing martial arts at this hour?” Fang Zhihe teased, then covered his mouth with a handkerchief and coughed harshly for a moment.

Qi Guan’s face darkened. “How long have you had that cough?”

Fang Zhihe dabbed at his mouth. “Not long, just started coughing when I woke up.” He paused for two seconds, then added, “I only just woke up.”

Qi Guan ignored him and looked at Xiaoyun, who stood nearby. Xiaoyun glanced fearfully at Fang Zhihe, tears welling up in his eyes as he spoke shakily, “His Majesty was coughing even while asleep and choked up a lot of blood… When I came in to check, I was terrified. I didn’t care about anything else and called out for ages before His Majesty woke up. Then he started coughing again—it wasn’t just a little while, it was practically the whole night…”

Fang Zhihe was taken aback and said, “Exaggerating.”

Qi Guan reached over to light the palace lantern by the bed, leaned in to look at the smear on Fang Zhihe’s mouth, and his face went dark.

“Xiaoyun, go get some hot water, bring more braziers, and grab some hand warmers too.”

“Yes, I’ll go right away.” Xiaoyun bowed and quickly hurried out.

Qi Guan held back his anger, his voice icy. “What did His Majesty have for dinner?”

Fang Zhihe touched the corner of his mouth, reminiscing, “Lotus meat…”

Qi Guan let out a deep breath. “Didn’t I tell you to stay away from that? Your cold hasn’t healed, the cold condition you’ve had since Xiaoyuan was born is acting up, and your heart just can’t handle it! I told you to stick to a light diet and no meat—so why did you eat it?!”

“But it was…” Fang Zhihe started to say, then stopped when he saw Qi Guan’s worried look. “I haven’t had it in forever. Lanning, dear Lanning, don’t be mad at me…”

Qi Guan’s hand shook as he wiped Fang Zhihe’s mouth, his voice hoarse. “You’re coughing up clumps of blood; your heart and lungs are definitely hurt. I won’t fight with you anymore. Just think of it as doing a good deed for yourself, and just hang on for a few more days, okay?”

The palace lanterns lit up the whole room. Fang Zhihe watched Qi Guan’s worried face and felt a rare warmth in his heart. “Not quarreling with me counts as charity? You think you’re so important, Lord Qi.”

Qi Guan touched his forehead; it was ice-cold, and his heart sank. “I saved both your life and your son’s. How could I not have that kind of clout?”

Fang Zhihe smiled dreamily. “Yeah, Qi Lanning’s got such a big face—”

Qi Guan glared at him, which made him want to both cough and laugh. He struggled, spat up a bit of blood, and then calmed down.

“I used to wonder a lot, if I died one day, what would happen to Xiaoyuan?” Fang Zhihe murmured softly. “But he’s back now… I could die without regrets.”

“Maybe there are some regrets, but he won’t let me keep them, so I’ll just let them go.”

*

Fang Zhihe couldn’t attend the next morning’s court session. He was too sick to even get out of bed.

Word was that Lord Qi had stayed with His Majesty all night until the fever broke. As Lu Wuyou headed toward the Eastern Palace, he paused and looked back at the tallest building—the one where he’d taken Xiaoyuan yesterday.

“Lord Lu.” Palace maids and servants bowed to him. Lu Wuyou nodded. He had top-notch martial arts skills and could hear clearly from a distance what the servants were saying.

“His Majesty’s health is really terrible… Thank goodness for Lord Qi, otherwise he’d be coughing up blood by the bucket every month, and he’d have been dead long ago.”

“I heard from the night staff that Steward Yun dumped seven or eight basins of bloody water out in the courtyard. Looks like His Majesty’s illness is worse this time…”

“But the Crown Prince is still so young…”

“His Majesty’s fate is bitter. Ever since he brought the prince back, his health has been worse. No one knows where he spent that year…”

“One year? Hasn’t His Majesty always been in the palace?”

“Shh! Keep your voice down… I heard this from the inner court people. In the early years of the Fang Dynasty, not long after General Yuhong’s campaign, some noticed His Majesty was off—his diet, preferences, even his behavior were completely different from before. But no one dared to say anything; everyone just went along. But then when he brought the prince back…”

“Those strange habits turned back… They say either His Majesty was possessed by something unclean, or that one was a fake.”

“As for the prince, no one knows which unlucky woman gave birth to him. Probably not favored either, otherwise His Majesty wouldn’t have gone so many years without even a single court lady, let alone concubines…”

“…”

Lu Wuyou stood still, frowning deeply. That year… was the year Fang Zhihe had written him the most letters. So he wasn’t in the palace all that time? No wonder those letters hadn’t been stamped with the official seal—nor were they urgent dispatches.

Remembering how in the first year it was almost a letter every three days, he nearly wrinkled his forehead to threads. He detested it; he already despised this man, and for him to keep pestering him shamelessly—wasn’t that begging for contempt?

Fortunately, the man later learned some restraint.

Lu Yuan usually went to pay his respects after his father’s court sessions, but today a servant from the Longevity Palace came especially to tell him: His Majesty was ill, and the audience was canceled. The prince should focus on his studies.

He was worried, but he knew his father’s temper best. Anything that could harm himself, his father wouldn’t let him near.

Even believing in superstitious nonsense like passing bad humors. Lu Yuan thought bitterly.

Lu Wuyou’s first glance upon entering fell on his son, sitting silly on the threshold with a pout, looking thoroughly unhappy.

Lu Yuan looked up at the sound and brightened instantly. “Dad!”

Lu Wuyou picked him up, smiling. “Xiaoyuan, why are you sitting here in the cold wind?”

Lu Yuan’s mood sank again. “Dad’s sick. I said yesterday we shouldn’t have provoked him. It must be because the two of us made him angry yesterday…”

Lu Wuyou pinched his cheek. “His health has always been frail; he’s probably used to it by now. Don’t worry.”

Lu Yuan shot him a strange look. A strange feeling rose in his heart. Sure, this was his biological father, but his other father was also very good to him. Why was his biological father so unconcerned about him?

“Dad’s health wasn’t this bad before,” Lu Yuan pursed his lips. “Lord Qi said it was after I was born, because Dad was so worried I wouldn’t survive… he wore himself down day and night.”

Lu Wuyou almost laughed scornfully. “It’s not like he gave birth to you. What’s he so worried about? He’s already emperor—what’s there to fret over?”

“…” Lu Yuan glared at him indignantly. “Don’t talk about Dad like that!”

Lu Wuyou froze for a moment, then suddenly smiled. “Alright, I get it. Your father has always been weak, no need to worry. He’s cunning and ambitious; he’s not about to leave this world so soon.”

Lu Yuan was so angry he pounded his fists against him.

Lu Wuyou didn’t mind and laughingly took the hits, carrying Lu Yuan inside.

“Today, let’s learn about the way of a gentleman.”

“Don’t you bully my dad!”

“Alright, alright, who would bully him… Have you finished the running script you were supposed to memorize last time?”

“How come you’re bullying me again!”

“Who’s bullying you? I’m just asking about your homework.”

“Not finished.” (Quietly)

“What were you doing?” (Slightly louder)

“…”