Chapter 120: Extra Chapter 5
"The emperor didn't have a fever last night, but he didn't sweat either." Bai Ren furrowed his brow, worried he might have missed something. After thinking, he added, "Oh right, he woke up once in the middle and drank half a cup of tea."
Doctor Zhang nodded continuously, slowly saying, "Since the fever has broken, there's nothing to worry about. Looking at his pulse, he's already out of danger. It's just that not sweating isn't good. Your Highness, please encourage the emperor to drink some hot soup."
Bai Ren agreed: "And his diet?"
Doctor Zhang bowed: "Same as the past two days—eat something light."
Bai Ren was still worried and pulled Doctor Zhang aside to ask for quite a while longer. Finally it was Qi Xiao calling him from the warm pavilion that made him let the doctor go.
"Just a slight cold, why are you making such a fuss..." Qi Xiao leaned lazily on the couch, his phoenix eyes half-closed, voice somewhat muffled. "Do I really have to drink that bitter medicine again today?"
"One more day. I just checked—today's prescription has been changed. It shouldn't be as bitter."
"Lying to me again..." Qi Xiao raised an eyebrow and smiled. "It's fine. If it's still bitter... you can just feed me the medicine the way you did before."
Bai Ren's face flushed slightly... After entering the twelfth month, several heavy snowfalls had fallen. Perhaps due to being overworked this year, Qi Xiao, who hadn't been sick in years, had caught a cold. At midnight he suddenly came down with a fever, and Qi Xiao, worried about contagion, immediately told Bai Ren to keep his distance. But Bai Ren would never listen to such an order—he stayed by Qi Xiao's side without leaving for a moment. When gentle words failed, Qi Xiao索性 tried to scare him with anger. It didn't frighten Bai Ren at all, but terrified every palace attendant in the hall. Who knew Bai Ren was even more fierce—he shouted right back. Qi Xiao instantly lost all his bravado and had no choice but to submit.
After Bai Ren's powerful display, he commanded everyone's reverence. Even the imperial physicians spoke to him with extreme caution. Only after repeatedly confirming it was truly just a cold did he relax. From brewing medicine to feeding it, he did everything personally, always tasting it himself first before each feeding. Qi Xiao felt deeply touched, yet couldn't resist teasing him. Things like feeding medicine, wiping his body, changing clothes—all these tasks he delegated to Bai Ren, always waiting until Bai Ren's face turned red before stopping.
Qi Xiao sighed softly: "Recovering from illness like this... is quite a joy."
Bai Ren shot him a glare. Qi Xiao下意识 turned his words around: "But since I've experienced this treatment... I should get better quickly."
Bai Ren gave him a sickly look. Qi Xiao shook his head with a rueful smile: "Being an emperor... I'm losing more and more control over you..."
Bai Ren himself found it amusing. Not to mention when he and Qi Xiao were still doing business together, even after the two of them truly gave their hearts to each other, Bai Ren had never been so bold around Qi Xiao. Back then Qi Xiao was still the Crown Prince, and Bai Ren always felt a layer of apprehension. Qi Xiao would occasionally really put on a stern face and lose his temper at him, but now... Qi Xiao had become the ruler of all under heaven, yet Bai Ren feared him even less.
When it came to Bai Ren, Qi Xiao's temperament had unconsciously become better and better. In the past, whenever something came up, he would find ways to hide it from Bai Ren. But now, whether great matters or small, Qi Xiao would tell Bai Ren in advance so he'd have time to prepare. The two consulted on everything together—one an emperor, one a prince, but behind closed doors like an ordinary couple, slowly planning, discussing everything.
Naturally, this was only when facing Bai Ren. To others, Qi Xiao was still that fearsome temperament. Jiang Deqing once joked that Qi Xiao had used up all his good temper on Bai Ren.
"I heard someone from the prince's manor came looking for you today?" Qi Xiao rubbed his brow. "Something important?"
Bai Ren hesitated, then smiled: "No... It's just that the princess dowager heard His Majesty was slightly unwell. She sent someone to pay respects, and also sent some tonics."
Qi Xiao looked up at Bai Ren, smiling lightly: "Lying to my face? You think I can't tell?"
Bai Ren had no choice but to confess honestly: "It's... Kang Tai had an accident."
Qi Xiao raised an eyebrow: "Didn't it come out before that something happened? She was poisoning someone from the Li household, right? Isn't that finished yet?"
Bai Ren shook his head: "Not that one. After the incident, the Li family made Kang Tai kneel in the ancestral hall. She only knelt for two days, and then she... lost the child."
Qi Xiao frowned: "She was pregnant? Then why make her kneel in the ancestral hall?"
Bai Ren苦笑: "Even she didn't know herself, let alone anyone else. For the past two months she's been scheming and plotting against others every day—how would she have time to notice her own condition? It's... already gone. The Li family couldn't bring themselves to be too harsh, so they let her return to her own courtyard to recover. But those who went to see her said... she probably won't be able to have children easily in the future either."
Qi Xiao嗤笑: "She brought it on herself. She killed someone else's child, so her own child is gone too... That's that, not worth discussing. By the way, this morning when I was half-asleep I heard someone say Kangtaifu came. Is that true?"
Bai Ren nodded: "He came to pay respects to you. I didn't let him in."
Qi Xiao looked thoughtful. After a long while, he slowly said: "Being sick these past two days, I've had time to think about some things... Come up here first."
Bai Ren removed his boots and climbed onto the couch to nestle against Qi Xiao. Qi Xiao took Bai Ren's hand and slowly said: "My constitution is considered good, but even I can have minor illnesses. Although I shouldn't think so far ahead... there are some things that need to be planned early."
Bai Ren felt an inexplicable discomfort in his heart. Frowning, he asked: "What kind of planning?"
Qi Xiao pointed to the carved hexagonal cabinet beside the couch, saying firmly: "You remember what I told you before—that there's a hidden compartment inside? I wrote an imperial edict yesterday and affixed the great seal. It's inside there. If anything happens to me, you can..."
"Who told you to write that!" Bai Ren could barely contain the fire in his chest, shouting, "It's just a slight cold! Who told you to—"
"I know." Qi Xiao smiled, lowering his head to kiss Bai Ren's flushed cheek. Softly he said, "I know this time there's nothing wrong. But some things still need to be planned for thoroughly. Like... my father. Back then he never imagined he'd die outside the palace. One moment of carelessness... and all those later events happened."
Mentioning past events made Bai Ren's heart ache. Qi Xiao smiled slightly and continued: "Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Today I'll just say all the unpleasant things clearly... The edict already makes it clear—if something happens to me, Qi Yu will be made Crown Prince, and you will be Regent Prince. To appease the imperial clan, the aristocratic families, and the scholar officials... I've drafted eight chief ministers. They're all loyal to me—old hands from back in the day. And they each have interests tied to different factions. They check and balance each other. Even if not for my sake, for the sake of being chief ministers they'll follow the decree..."
"This edict will stay here for ten years. After ten years... we'll see Qi Yu's aptitude. If he's not suitable, I'll change it." Qi Xiao淡淡 smiled. "Change it to someone younger, so you'll have an easier time controlling things."
Bai Ren held back the tears in his eyes with all his might. Coldly he said, "Your Majesty surely trusts me too much. Setting up such a decree... aren't you afraid I'll kill you right now? If you die... I'll be Regent Prince. Qi Yu isn't even a year old yet. What couldn't I have?"
Qi Xiao turned his head to look at Bai Ren, tilting his lips into a provocative smile: "Go ahead, kill him. Kill your husband, and this whole world will be yours."
"You—" Bai Ren was so angry he blurted out, "You're not even twenty-two this year! Why are you thinking this far ahead?! And who said I wanted to be Regent Prince for your son?! If you go, I'll follow immediately! In the next life, wherever we reincarnate, we'll be together!"
Qi Xiao's heart ached fiercely. He closed his eyes and said, "When that time comes, of course I can't stop you. But what if you still want to live? I... must always leave you a path so you can live well even without me."
Bai Ren gritted his teeth, but the tears he'd been holding back for half the day finally fell. Qi Xiao's heart ached terribly. He quickly sat up to coax him: "All right, all right, I said it was just precautionary. Your husband has such a good constitution. Although living forever isn't possible... living to ninety-nine with you is something I can do. There, it's my fault, let's not talk about this."
Bai Ren took a deep breath, lowering his voice: "After the New Year... I'll be adopting an heir too. After that, I have no more concerns. If that day truly comes, I'll properly arrange your funeral. Then I'll accompany your coffin all the way to the underground palace, and never come out again..."
Qi Xiao's heart ached deeply. He stared at Bai Ren for a long time, unable to speak.
Perhaps because of Qi Xiao's illness making Bai Ren's heart heavy, or perhaps because that night conversation had been too heart-wrenching, though Bai Ren still checked Qi Xiao's forehead from time to time to see if he had a fever, or brewed him some clear tea—like the past few nights, taking meticulous care—he refused to speak a single word to Qi Xiao.
The next day, just as dawn was breaking, Qi Xiao turned over and wrapped his arms around Bai Ren from behind, saying softly with a smile: "Still not talking to me?"
Bai Ren kept his small face expressionless, saying nothing. Qi Xiao chuckled: "It was my fault yesterday. I've already apologized. Why are you still unhappy?"
Seeing Bai Ren seemed to have softened, Qi Xiao continued: "People say couples hold no grievances overnight. It's been a whole night now. Your Highness the Prince of Lingnan... should消气了吧?"
The person in his arms relaxed a bit. Qi Xiao pressed his advantage, smiling and saying: "Still not happy? You're bullying a patient, you know..."
Hearing this, the person in his arms stirred, then slowly leaned back into him. Qi Xiao curled his lips into a smile, leaned close, and murmured near Bai Ren's ear in a deep voice: "Your Highness... have mercy on me."
Qi Xiao's cold wasn't quite better yet. His voice was deep, but especially撩人. Bai Ren couldn't help but blush a little. Qi Xiao had been abstaining for many days. Seeing Bai Ren wasn't angry anymore, his hands started to misbehave. Bai Ren frowned: "No! You're not fully recovered! The imperial physician said you need to—"
Qi Xiao rolled over and pressed on top of Bai Ren, smiling lightly: "I know. You need to sweat, right? Easy..."