I, The Substitute, Am With The Main Character Chapter 19

His hand followed up his knee.

Suddenly, a very nervous voice came from outside, “Your Majesty.”

Cui Lingjing’s hand didn’t stop, his other hand gently caressing Xueya’s face. Xueya’s cheeks turned red from being pinched, like a layer of peach blossom powder on his snow-white skin, his fox-like eyes scattered, stuttering, “Your Majesty, my foot… foot…”

He was dizzy and forgot to call himself a servant. But Cui Lingjing, who hadn’t been angry for ages, was instead stirred by Xueya’s coquettish manner and rubbed his neck.

“Your Majesty, there’s an assassin breaking into Ningfu Palace.” The Grand Eunuch said again.

Cui Lingjing froze, immediately got up, and even didn’t put on his shoes, walked barefoot outside. “What are the Imperial Army doing? Is the Empress Dowager injured? Has the imperial doctor been called? Has the assassin been caught?”

Xueya was left on the couch, turning his head to watch Cui Lingjing walk out of the inner hall. He was still a little lost, and after a while, he slowly got up from the couch.

His head was dizzy, and he wanted to sleep.

Xueya put on his soaking wet embroidered shoes again and walked out of Cui Lingjing’s sleeping palace. The lights outside the sleeping palace were bright, and he saw Cui Lingjing had already changed his clothes and sat on the imperial carriage. Xueya’s mind was still dazed, so he didn’t think about anything and turned back to his room to sleep. It wasn’t until he woke up the next day that he realized what he had missed last night.

Cui Lingjing clearly wanted to favor him last night, but because of what happened to He Xulan, Cui Lingjing got up and left, not even looking at him on the couch.

Xueya felt a bit sulky. He carefully examined his feet again and found they hadn’t gotten frostbite, which comforted him somewhat. Yesterday he was uncomfortable, his body was dizzy and he slept a lot, feeling much better, and his mind was back.

If he hadn’t fainted yesterday, Cui Lingjing wouldn’t have walked away so easily. Xueya couldn’t help but wash and think of what happened to He Xulan being assassinated, just as someone outside called for him, saying Cui Lingjing sent for him.

Xueya first looked at the situation outside the window, and saw today was still snowing, dressed in a little more, then went to Cui Lingjing’s sleeping palace.

Cui Lingjing seemed to have not slept all night, his eyes were very obvious blood red, his face tired sitting on the dragon throne, seeing Xueya come in, he ordered, “You will go to Ningfu Palace to send medicine later.”

Xueya stopped at the words, let him go to send medicine? Wouldn’t he be sent to die, so Xueya hesitantly said, “Your Majesty, the servant seems to have caught a cold last night, my body is not very comfortable, can you change someone else to go ah?”

Cui Lingjing stared at Xueya’s face, which looked no different from usual. Suddenly, he remembered the scene from last night on the couch, his expression momentarily awkward. But he quickly said, “Don’t quibble with me. When I tell you to deliver medicine, you deliver medicine. Also, if the Empress Dowager asks about last night, about the Empress, you mustn’t say a word. Claim ignorance.”

Xueya wanted to say something, but Cui Lingjing didn’t give him a chance. “Hurry up. If you dawdle any longer, I’ll punish you with a whipping.”

Unable to disobey the royal command, Xueya took the wound medicine and a box of supplements to Ningfu Palace. Initially, it was only lightly snowing, but it soon intensified, and by the time he reached Ningfu Palace, his shoes and socks were wet again.

The palace servants at Ningfu Palace recognized Xueya and immediately opened the hall door upon seeing him.

Xueya pursed his lips and took out the items from his bosom. “I am here on His Majesty’s orders to deliver something to the Empress Dowager.”

“The Empress Dowager was wounded by an assassin yesterday and is resting in the hall now,” a palace servant said.

Upon hearing this, Xueya quickly said, “Please help me deliver these things to the Empress Dowager. I don’t want to disturb his rest.”

The palace servant called another one over and whispered to them before turning back to Xueya. “Please wait here for a moment.”

The whispered palace servant hurriedly left and returned shortly. “The Empress Dowager asks you to enter and speak.”

Xueya tightened his grip on the box. He glanced inside Ningfu Palace, hesitated, and the palace servant who had spoken earlier added, “It’s freezing outside. Come in first.”

Being urged like this, Xueya felt his body almost freezing stiff. With no way to refuse, he mustered up the courage to go in.

He had visited He Xulan’s sleeping palace many times before. The hanging gauze curtains hung still, and the faint fragrance lingered in the air. Xueya stepped on the plain-colored carpet and gently lifted the gauze curtain.

Inside the hall was quiet. On the left was a carved window with pear wood beauty couch, covered thickly with bedding due to winter. On a small table lay a soup pot. In the middle was a medium-sized charcoal stove burning silver thread coal, while the right wall held a landscape painting with He Xulan’s private seal.

A figure sat on the bed in profile. Seeing that figure, Xueya quickly withdrew his hand, letting the gauze curtain fall again, concealing the interior.

After a while, he lifted the gauze curtain once more and stepped inside. Xueya stopped far from the bed and bowed, “Servant pays respects to the Empress Dowager.” After a slight pause, he continued, “Servant is here to deliver something to the Empress Dowager on His Majesty’s orders.”

A deep voice came from the bed, “What is it?”

“Wound medicine, and some supplements. I’ll put them on the small table for you, Your Majesty.” Xueya hurried over and tried to set the box down, but as soon as he did, He Xulan’s voice spoke up.

“Wound medicine? Bring it over.”

Xueya took a deep breath, opened the box, and slowly moved it to the bedside. He handed over the wound medicine. “Empress Dowager.”

No one took it.

Xueya reluctantly took another step forward. He didn’t look up, just stretched out his hand. “Empress Dowager, here is the wound medicine.”

A long, fair hand stretched out towards him, bandaged at the palm.

Xueya looked at He Xulan’s hand, hesitated for a moment, and then said, “Servant… Servant doesn’t know how to change medicine.”

“No one is born knowing how to do it. Give it a try,” He Xulan’s tone wasn’t forceful, even gentle, but Xueya had been suspicious ever since he heard about He Xulan’s intention to kill him. Now he felt He Xulan was probably using this wound as an opportunity to harm him.

He had also thought that He Xulan might have feelings for Cui Lingjing, but because of societal norms, He Xulan couldn’t marry the Emperor and then marry his son, so he had to endure his feelings and even chose an empress for Cui Lingjing.

Speaking of choosing an empress, Xueya felt He Xulan was somewhat intentional, deliberately choosing an empress who Cui Lingjing disliked, so Cui Lingjing wouldn’t truly fall in love with her. His heart was still with He Xulan. 

Moreover, the assassination attempt last night was too coincidental: Cui Lingjing’s wedding night, He Xulan was attacked, and they hadn’t caught the assassin. Xueya saw that there was no assassin at all; everything was orchestrated by He Xulan himself. Although He Xulan chose an empress for Cui Lingjing, deep down he didn’t want Cui Lingjing to share a bed with another woman, so he used the excuse of an assassin to drive Cui Lingjing away from Empress Lei’s bed.

But last night, Cui Lingjing wasn’t with Empress Lei; he was with him.

Xueya thought further that today, when he came to deliver medicine to He Xulan, might also be He Xulan’s idea. He Xulan might have found out that he was the one with Cui Lingjing last night, so today he might want to kill him.

The more Xueya thought, the more flustered he became. He felt he couldn’t touch He Xulan’s wound; if anything happened to He Xulan’s hand later, it would definitely be blamed on him, and his life would be in danger.

He had to refuse to unwrap He Xulan’s bandage and find a way to prevent He Xulan from easily harming him. After thinking it over, Xueya gritted his teeth and pretended to be shy, saying, “Empress Dowager, to be honest, this servant was too tired last night serving His Majesty by his side. My hands and waist are sore, so I’m afraid I can’t help change your bandage. I’d better call someone else in to help you.”

His words were ambiguous and veiled, hinting at something that happened between him and Cui Lingjing.

Xueya dropped those words and wanted to leave, but He Xulan spoke first, “No rush. Your hands and waist ache? Was it difficult serving His Majesty last night?”

Xueya discreetly clenched his hands inside his sleeves but wore a shy smile on his face. “It was a bit tough, but this servant can endure. His Majesty also showed consideration; he even allowed me to use the same basin of water last night.” He chuckled softly, “When His Majesty instructed me to come and deliver the medicine, he also told me to return early.”

As he spoke, Xueya rubbed his waist a bit to make He Xulan believe there was something between him and Cui Lingjing. He had noticed the young attendants in the building rubbing their waists after performing such services.

He Xulan quietly observed Xueya, not saying a word. Under such scrutiny, Xueya involuntarily suppressed his smile and looked at He Xulan with some unease. Yet, in his mind, he reasoned that almost something had happened between him and Cui Lingjing the previous night, so he wasn’t entirely lying. Even if He Xulan were to ask Cui Lingjing, he could say that He Xulan had misunderstood.

But regardless, it was best not to linger here.

Xueya promptly bowed to He Xulan. “The items have been delivered. Please forgive this servant for taking leave.”

He turned to leave without observing proper etiquette. Just as he took a couple of steps, a hand wrapped around his waist, almost in an instant, pulling him onto the bed.

Author’s note:

Tea Tea, did you cry today?

Xueya: No.

Then… what about tomorrow?

Xueya: …I don’t think so.