Chapter 115:
Jiang Juan was truly voluntarily working.
When they arrived at their destination, Jiang Juan was held in Xue Fangli’s arms while Xue Fangli began to review the memorials. Bored out of his mind, Jiang Juan grabbed some paper from the desk and started to pass the time.
Though Xue Fangli said it wouldn’t take long, by the time Jiang Juan had folded a pile of paper cranes and boats, Xue Fangli still hadn’t finished.
Jiang Juan couldn’t help but ask, “Aren’t you done yet?”
Xue Fangli replied with a nonchalant “Hmm,” without looking up, “Just wait a bit longer.”
Jiang Juan waited for a few seconds and then said slowly, “It’s taking a while.”
Xue Fangli: “………”
He looked at Jiang Juan with an almost amused expression. Jiang Juan lay across the desk, pressing down on the memorials to prevent him from reading.
“You promised it wouldn’t take long, but it’s been forever.”
Jiang Juan furrowed his brows and complained softly, like a petulant animal, lying on the desk and causing trouble, making it impossible for Xue Fangli to continue his work.
Xue Fangli wrapped his arms around Jiang Juan’s waist, applying slight pressure to pull him back. Jiang Juan clung to the desk and refused to move, mumbling, “When you asked me to come with you, you didn’t say it would take this long.”
“The longer you lie there, the longer you stay.”
Xue Fangli gave him a sidelong glance, “Didn’t you forget that you came willingly?”
Jiang Juan: “……”
Wasn’t he worried?
Now, regretting wouldn’t help.
Jiang Juan sat up despondently and rested his head on Xue Fangli’s shoulder. “Don’t talk to me. Just hurry up and finish your work. I want to go back to bed.”
He was the one causing the disturbance and urging Xue Fangli to hurry, and he said everything that needed to be said. Xue Fangli didn’t respond, only gave a nonchalant “Hmm” while continuing to review the memorials.
Jiang Juan had to muster up a bit more patience.
He was so bored, genuinely so bored.
He couldn’t sit still any longer.
From counting the tea leaves in the cups to the number of glass beads on the drooping curtain, and then counting the patterns on Chief Steward Wang’s clothing, Jiang Juan was completely at his limit.
He glanced at Xue Fangli and decided that he seemed to be doing alright, so he decided to make a break for it.
But making a break for it had its own nuances. Jiang Juan knew that Xue Fangli wouldn’t let him off easily.
After some deliberation, Jiang Juan sighed and placed his hand on his chest, slowly lowering his head until his forehead almost touched the desk.
“Not feeling well?”
A hand with defined joints reached out, supporting the lowest point to prevent Jiang Juan from hurting himself. Xue Fangli held him tightly and ordered, “Someone, call the—”
“No need,” Jiang Juan weakly shook his head. “Don’t bother the imperial physician. It just suddenly felt like a heavy thump. It’s a bit painful now, but it’s okay, just a little uncomfortable.”
Xue Fangli frowned, “Really no need?”
Jiang Juan said faintly, “No need.”
He glanced at Xue Fangli and pretended, “I’ll go get some fresh air and then rest for a bit. That should be fine.”
Xue Fangli’s gaze softened as he looked at Jiang Juan for a few seconds.
The young man had a slight frown, clearly uncomfortable but not in severe pain. It was probably nothing serious, and Xue Fangli knew that Jiang Juan had this issue before—staying indoors for too long made him feel out of breath. However, staying indoors and sleeping a lot wouldn’t usually cause discomfort.
“What’s wrong?”
Xue Fangli didn’t speak. Jiang Juan asked him, and Xue Fangli just inquired, “Do you need me to accompany you?”
Jiang Juan shook his head, “Finish up quickly and then come back to keep me company, so that…”
Before he could lie down for long, he was pulled back into action.
Understanding what Jiang Juan was thinking, Xue Fangli smiled slightly and nodded, “Take it slow. If you still feel unwell, let someone know so they can call the imperial physician.”
Jiang Juan agreed, “Alright.”
Even as he planned to leave, Jiang Juan remembered that Xue Fangli hadn’t taken his medicine today. Before he left, he specifically told Chief Steward Wang, “Can you help His Majesty prepare the medicine now?”
Chief Steward Wang quickly replied, “Certainly, I’ll get on it right away.”
Jiang Juan nodded in satisfaction and reminded Xue Fangli, “Remember to drink the medicine while it’s still warm.”
Xue Fangli glanced at him, and Jiang Juan added, “My nose is quite sensitive. If you try to deceive me and don’t drink it, be careful tonight.”
Xue Fangli gave a light click of his tongue, “Got it.” Jiang Juan then headed out, but he didn’t watch his step and almost tripped. Luckily, Xue Fangli extended his hand and caught him.
Almost falling was really embarrassing. Jiang Juan was scrambling for an excuse when Xue Fangli picked him up and said gently, “Why are you so fragile?”
He clearly misunderstood Jiang Juan’s condition as being due to a heart issue.
Jiang Juan: “……”
He wanted to explain, but after thinking it over, decided against it.
Being weak and frail due to a heart condition, unable to even walk properly, was a better excuse than admitting he tripped on his own. It was less embarrassing.
“I didn’t mean to.”
Jiang Juan muttered as Xue Fangli carried him out. After placing him into the palanquin, Xue Fangli instructed, “Go back and rest well. Don’t endure it if you feel unwell.”
As long as he could lie down, anything was fine. Jiang Juan agreed eagerly, “Yes, okay.”
As the sedan chair swayed on its way, just as they neared Lingguang Hall, Jiang Juan heard someone calling him.
“Young Master!”
It was Lan Ting, eagerly waiting outside the hall.
A few days ago, when Jiang Juan left the prince’s residence, Lan Ting said she was worried about Bai Xuechao, so Jiang Juan didn’t bring her back. Seeing her now, he was a bit surprised. He lifted the curtain to ask, but Lan Ting smiled and said, “Young Master, Divine Doctor Hua has arrived!”
Divine Doctor Hua?
Jiang Juan was momentarily stunned. Lan Ting reminded him, “He’s the friend of master. Didn’t you want him to check on His Majesty?”
He arrived so quickly. Realizing this, Jiang Juan immediately asked, “Where is he?”
“He’s at Prince Li Residence.”
This time, Jiang Juan, truly willing to abandon his plans for rest, told the palanquin bearers, “To Prince Li Residence. I need to go there now.”
“Yes, Empress.”
As the sedan chair changed direction, Jiang Juan felt quite pleased.
This old friend of his grandfather, known as the divine doctor, must be highly skilled. With Xue Fangli’s severe illness and frequent coughing up blood, perhaps he could truly be cured. Otherwise, if Xue Fangli continued like this, Jiang Juan feared he would become a widower sooner or later.
He had no desire to be a widower now!
Meanwhile, Chief Steward Wang had just instructed someone to start brewing the medicine and was about to enter the hall when the guards approached and whispered a few words to him. His eyes lit up.
“Your Majesty,” Chief Steward Wang entered the hall, “the divine doctor has arrived. He is quite renowned in Jiangnan, Doctor Hua Ling. He has entered the capital.”
The movement of flipping through the memorials paused, and Xue Fangli looked up, “Where is he?”
Chief Steward Wang replied, “At Prince Li Residence. I heard he is a close friend of Mr. Bai, so he went there.”
Xue Fangli nodded, “Prepare the carriage.”
“Yes, I will make the arrangements immediately.”
Chief Steward Wang responded and hurried out. Xue Fangli’s fingers tapped lightly on the desk as he lowered his eyes thoughtfully.
A divine doctor from Jiangnan.
He had better live up to the name and cure the young man’s heart condition.
Otherwise…
If the young man’s heart condition continues to flare up so frequently, leaving him weak and frail, it would be a serious problem.
With this in mind, Xue Fangli’s expression turned cold.
Jiang Juan was anxious to see the divine doctor, but Lingguang Hall was in a remote area. It took a considerable amount of time just to leave the palace, and getting to Prince Li Residence was another long journey. By the time they arrived, it was already quite late.
As soon as Jiang Juan stepped out of the sedan chair, he had Lan Ting lead the way.
Lan Ting, half-amused and half-exasperated, said, “Young Master, no one’s competing with you. Why are you in such a hurry?”
No one was competing, but Jiang Juan was eager to ask the doctor if Xue Fangli could be cured. Naturally, he was in a hurry. “Hurry up, I have something to ask him.”
Lan Ting had no choice but to quicken her pace.
“He’s here.”
Entering a courtyard, Lan Ting pointed ahead. Jiang Juan dashed forward in a flash.
Lan Ting: “……”
Honestly, her young master had been extraordinarily lazy lately. Lan Ting had grown accustomed to him sitting whenever possible and lying down whenever he could. This was the first time she saw him run so fast.
The next moment, Lan Ting was astonished to find that her young master not only ran fast!
Because he was in such a hurry, Jiang Juan forgot all about social etiquette. Forget knocking, he kicked the door open with a loud “bang.”
“Doctor, my husband frequently coughs up blood and is weak and frail. I don’t want to become a widow just yet, so can you…”
Inside the room, Xue Fangli had the Divine Doctor Hua by the throat, lifting him off the ground with one hand. His expression was dark and fierce as he said, “My empress’s heart condition frequently flares up, leaving him too weak to take care of himself. Can you treat it, or…”
Their eyes met mid-sentence.
Xue Fangli: “?”
Jiang Juan: “?”
After a few seconds of silence, they spoke simultaneously.
“What are you doing here?”
“What are you doing here?”
Jiang Juan asked, “Aren’t you supposed to be reviewing memorials and drinking your medicine?”
Xue Fangli frowned, “Aren’t you supposed to be resting at Lingguang Hall?”
Not mentioning the medicine was fine, but upon hearing it, Jiang Juan was shocked and asked, “Aren’t you supposed to be weak and frail? How can you lift him with one hand?”
Xue Fangli slowly replied, “Aren’t you supposed to be suffering from a heart condition, unable to walk steadily? How can you kick the door open?”
Jiang Juan: “……”
Xue Fangli: “……”
Their eyes met again, and the air grew thick with awkwardness.
Xue Fangli released Divine Doctor Hua and said to Jiang Juan, “I may cough up blood, but I never said I was weak and frail.”
Jiang Juan slowly said, “Even though my heart condition acts up frequently, I never said that my unsteady walking was because of it. Maybe I just tripped.”
“…..”
Silence. A deathly silence.
Divine Doctor Hua, completely puzzled, said, “Both of you…”
Xue Fangli glanced over, “Leave.”
Jiang Juan frowned and said, “Don’t speak yet.”
Divine Doctor Hua: “???”
Fine, I’ll leave if you want me to.
The atmosphere between these two was clearly off, so Divine Doctor Hua decided to leave. He rubbed his nose and turned to go, but before he had taken a few steps, Xue Fangli said, “Wait.”
“Please check the pulse of my empress,” Xue Fangli said with a slight smile, though his tone was rather dangerous. “His heart condition acts up frequently, causing me constant worry.”
By this point, Xue Fangli had a suspicion, and perhaps it was more than just a suspicion.
“You’ve been pretending that your heart condition is acting up?”
He had realized it, and Jiang Juan was almost there too. “You keep coughing up blood and saying you don’t have long to live—were you just trying to scare me?”
Xue Fangli didn’t respond, just smiled slightly and said, “Your heart condition is so serious, have Divine Doctor Hua check your pulse first.”
Jiang Juan, not to be outdone, said, “You’re worse. You were coughing so badly earlier, you should have him check you first.”
“On a regular basis, you’re either panicking or feeling chest pain. It’s only right you go first.”
“I’m fine, it’s just a bit of discomfort now and then. Unlike you, who coughs up blood all the time. You should go first; coughing up blood isn’t a small matter.”
“Your heart condition isn’t a small matter either.”
They kept pushing each other, staring each other down, neither willing to give in. Divine Doctor Hua looked at Xue Fangli, then at Jiang Juan, and finally suggested, “Why don’t I see both of you?”
Jiang Juan: “…..”
Xue Fangli: “…..”
“No need,” Xue Fangli said calmly, not showing any emotion. “I came here for my empress. Since he is here, just see him.”
What a coincidence, Jiang Juan thought as he glanced at Xue Fangli. He said, “I came here to ask Divine Doctor Hua if he could treat your coughing blood. There’s no need to say ‘no need’; you must let him check.”
Actually, Jiang Juan wasn’t worried about Divine Doctor Hua checking his pulse. He had been checked before, and as long as the doctor could detect his congenital heart defect, he would pass without a problem.
With this in mind, Jiang Juan said, “Fine, check my pulse. But you have to get checked too.”
Xue Fangli: “…..”
Jiang Juan asked him, “Why aren’t you saying anything? Are you feeling guilty?”
Xue Fangli looked at him, “So you’re not feeling guilty?”
“Of course not!”
To prove his point, Jiang Juan immediately extended his hand to Divine Doctor Hua. “Can you check my pulse?”
Divine Doctor Hua saw this and walked over to Jiang Juan, placing his fingers on his wrist and concentrating for a moment.
“How is it?”
Although Jiang Juan extended his hand decisively, he felt a strange sense of unease. Seeing that Divine Doctor Hua had not spoken yet, he couldn’t help but ask.
“Your Majesty….you’re fine.”
Jiang Juan: “?” He couldn’t believe it. “How can that be? Check again. Don’t I have a congenital defect?”
Divine Doctor Hua smiled. “Indeed, you do have a congenital defect. But after years of treatment, your qi and blood, although slightly deficient compared to ordinary people, are now balanced and harmonious. It’s impossible for you to have frequent episodes.”
Jiang Juan: “???”
It was said so decisively that Jiang Juan was unwilling to accept it. He struggled, “How do you know it’s impossible? What if it happens?”
Divine Doctor Hua laughed leisurely, “There is no ‘what if’. Because over the years, the medicine you’ve taken, the medicinal baths, and even the medicinal meals, were all personally prepared by me. Naturally, I can guarantee this.”
Jiang Juan: “……”
Jiang Juan: “???”
He stared at Divine Doctor Hua in shock, feeling utterly defeated.
“But, I, you…”
Jiang Juan couldn’t even speak properly. Even without looking up, he could feel a gaze fixed on him.
It was a half-smiling, fierce look, as if he wanted to devour him.
No.
He couldn’t be the only one to fail.
Jiang Juan pointed at Xue Fangli, “What about him? Check him quickly. He always coughs up blood and says he doesn’t have long to live.”
Divine Doctor Hua walked over to Xue Fangli respectfully. “Your Majesty, please extend your hand.”
Xue Fangli looked at Divine Doctor Hua without any expression but didn’t extend his hand.
Jiang Juan said softly, “Is it because you don’t date?”
Xue Fangli smiled slightly. “You don’t have any illness, yet you dared to have your pulse checked. Naturally, I have nothing to fear either.”
With those words, Xue Fangli finally extended his hand, and Divine Doctor Hua touched his wrist.
Jiang Juan asked, “How is it?”
Divine Doctor Hua hesitated for a moment, then said, “His Majesty does have some minor ailments, but nothing serious, certainly not to the extent of coughing up blood. As for not having long to live, that…”
Divine Doctor Hua tactfully told Xue Fangli, “Your Majesty, once you return to the palace, you can expel the imperial physician who said you don’t have long to live from the Imperial Physician Courtyard. His skills are truly lacking and he shouldn’t remain there.”
Jiang Juan: “……”
Xue Fangli: “……”
By this point, everything was clear.
Jiang Juan had been pretending to have a heart condition.
Xue Fangli’s coughing up blood was also an act.
Jiang Juan thought back and suddenly realized, “No wonder.”
“Today, you wanted me to stay with you while you read the memorials. I refused, and then you started coughing, making me so worried that I stayed with you. The last time, I said I would pawn off the jade pendant. You said to put it in the storeroom, but you didn’t put it there; you gave it to someone else. I got angry, and then you coughed up blood again, making me so worried that I forgot to be angry.”
“And there’s more…”
When they were at the county manor, Xue Fangli had Steward Gao ask Jiang Juan for a sachet. Jiang Juan found it strange and went over, only to see Xue Fangli coughing up blood again. Worried, Jiang Juan stayed the night there.
Jiang Juan hadn’t noticed anything odd about these events before, but now that he realized Xue Fangli’s coughing blood was fake, looking back, it all seemed suspicious.
Jiang Juan asked Xue Fangli incredulously, “Are you even human? Back at the county manor, you were already using coughing blood to trick me into sleeping with you?”
“You, you—” The more Jiang Juan thought about it, the more shocked he became, not knowing what to say.
Xue Fangli’s expression wasn’t good either. “And your heart condition is always acting up.”
He had often thought it odd that Jiang Juan’s heart condition always flared up at convenient times. Whenever Jiang Juan didn’t want to do something—like letting him touch or hug him, or when they were about to go out—it would conveniently act up.
Jiang Juan shouted, “So what! I only lied about one thing, my heart condition. You lied about two things, pretending to be good in front of me and faking your coughing blood, making me worry about you all the time.”
“You—” Jiang Juan fumed. “You liar, I’m not staying with you anymore!”
After saying this, Jiang Juan turned and left. He seemed truly furious, his lips pressed tightly together, his eyes misty, looking extremely aggrieved.
But in reality, once he walked out of the room, Jiang Juan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
—It was good he reacted quickly and threw a tantrum first, making a loud fuss. Otherwise, he would have been scolded and punished harshly.
Jiang Juan knew very well how bad Xue Fangli could be!
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