After the Empress and her entourage departed, Emperor Jiande seemed to finally remember that Yan Qushan was still kneeling on the ground. He cast a brief glance at him before speaking coolly, “You may rise.”
“This student thanks Your Majesty.”
“I heard that the other day, when the Second Prince was left without medical attention, it was you who went to provide emergency treatment?” the Emperor asked.
“It is so.”
Unexpectedly, Emperor Jiande let out a cold snort. His gaze turned piercing as he suddenly struck the dragon desk with his palm. A thunderous crash echoed through the room. “Yan Qushan, do you recognize your crime!”
Yan Qushan’s eyelids twitched and his heart skipped a beat, but he quickly steadied himself and dropped into a deep kowtow. “May the Emperor appease his anger!”
“This student is foolish; I implore Your Majesty to show me my error!”
The Emperor shouted sternly, “You have incredible nerve! Having read only a few medical texts, you dared to show off your meager skills! Do you realize that if anything had happened to the Second Bengal Prince because of you, I would have executed your entire clan!”
The Son of Heaven’s wrath was formidable; life and death hung on a single word. Yan Qushan knew he was young and did not dare to recklessly speculate on the Imperial mind lest he make a mistake. He steadied his spirit and spoke:
“I beg Your Majesty’s forgiveness! At that time, the situation was dire. The Second Prince’s condition could no longer be delayed; this student only resorted to such a plan out of absolute necessity!”
Having said this, he struck his head against the floor twice more. “This student comes from a humble background and only had the fortune of entering the palace because I caught the Second Prince’s eye. From that moment, I resolved that I only wish to accompany His Highness for the rest of my life. I would give my life and blood without hesitation; how would I ever dare to make a joke of my Master’s life!”
Yan Qushan kept his head lowered, so he did not see the Emperor standing above him, his gaze sweeping over him with indifference. After observing him for a long time, the Emperor’s frozen expression finally thawed, and he actually began to laugh. “Rise. Look at how frightened you are.”
It was common for the Emperor to be temperamental. This treatment of Yan Qushan carried a hint of testing him. Yan Qushan was, after all, only a youth of sixteen or seventeen, yet he could handle himself with such composure in the face of Imperial rage. This was truly enough to make one look at him with newfound respect.
Hearing those words, Yan Qushan breathed a sigh of relief, knowing he had turned the danger into safety.
As he stood before the dragon desk, Emperor Jiande suddenly summoned his personal eunuch, Manager Li. He pointed at Yan Qushan and commanded, “Reward him with one hundred gold taels, a bushel of South Sea pearls, and take that Solitary Crane on the River painting from the storehouse to be sent along with them.”
Such a lavish gift! Yan Qushan lowered his head, trying his best to hide the joy in his eyes. He was about to kneel and give thanks, but the Emperor’s next question interrupted his movement.
The Emperor asked, “While the Second Prince was gravely ill, did Consort Lan show any concern?”
The smile on Yan Qushan’s lips stiffened. After a moment of silence, he answered tactfully, “Lady Consort Lan’s health has always been delicate. At that time, she had already retired for the night, and the servants did not dare to wake her without permission, so”
The Emperor sneered, “A fine already retired for the night.”
As soon as he spoke, his expression became weary and cold again. Emperor Jiande propped his hand against his forehead and waved him away. “You may withdraw.”
Yan Qushan left as ordered.
The efficiency of the Internal Affairs Office was always high; by the time he returned to the Cheng’en Palace, the Emperor’s rewards had already arrived. Two heavy crates of gold were piled at the door of his side chamber. He pushed the door open and saw the bed curtains drawn, with a faint figure visible inside.
Xiao Qi was sprawled at the head of Yan Qushan’s bed, his alabaster legs crossed and swinging. His hair fell beside his lowered eyes, looking like a masterpiece meticulously sketched by a famous artist.
Yan Qushan walked over softly and leaned in close to his side, almost resting his chin on Xiao Qi’s shoulder.
Feeling a sudden warmth of breath near his ear, Xiao Qi turned his head. Seeing Yan Qushan suddenly appearing beside him, he was startled.
He pretended to be annoyed and gave Yan Qushan a push; though it was just for show, as his hand lacked any real strength. “Why did you jump out like that? You are like a cat, walking without making a single sound.”
“This student called out to Your Highness, but Your Highness did not hear me,” Yan Qushan said with a smile, his gaze gradually drifting downward. “What is Your Highness looking at? You seem so absorbed.”
“It is the Solitary Crane on the River painting Father gave to you.” Xiao Qi’s eyes lit up. “This is a famous work by a master of the previous dynasty, worth a thousand gold pieces and full of sublime atmosphere. Of course I have to admire it!”
“But, what did Father call you for?” Xiao Qi sat up straight and asked.
“He just asked a few questions about that day, it was nothing extraordinary.” Yan Qushan reached out and pulled up the collar that had slipped off Xiao Qi’s shoulder. “Perhaps it was because what I said happened to please the Emperor.”
Hearing this, Xiao Qi felt somewhat uneasy. “Since I woke up, Father has not even come to visit, yet he summoned you and rewarded you with such treasures. He truly does value you.”
“In the future, after you pass the Imperial examinations and become an official, I fear you might even become a high ranking minister.”
Yan Qushan smiled calmly. “What kind of jealousy is Your Highness feeling?”
He cupped one of Xiao Qi’s hands with both of his own and pressed his face against the back of it. He looked at Xiao Qi with burning eyes. “If the future is truly as Your Highness says, this student will still be a guest under your banner. We shall share life and death; I will spend my entire life ensuring Your Highness’s safety and peace.”
Xiao Qi felt uncomfortable under that gaze and turned his face away, withdrawing his slightly sweaty palm. He murmured as if complaining, “You, if you have something to say, just say it. Why must you always be so handsy?”
Hearing his words, Yan Qushan stole a cautious glance at him and quickly lowered his eyelids. “It was this student’s recklessness”
He made a move to get off the bed, as if to kneel and beg for forgiveness. “I beg Your High”
Seeing this, Xiao Qi hurried to stop him, his ears turning red as he scolded, “I have not even said anything yet, what are you apologizing for?” He paused, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “And I did not say, that I did not like it”
Only then did Yan Qushan look up at him, the corners of his mouth curving into a look of pure, watery tenderness. Xiao Qi’s heart raced under his gaze, causing him to involuntarily look away. He did not know that the moment he turned his eyes, the tenderness in Yan Qushan’s eyes vanished completely.
Only indifference and calculation remained.
The Emperor rewarding him with lavish gifts appeared on the surface to be Yan Qushan gaining Imperial favor, but in reality, the Emperor was using the reward to back Xiao Qi up.
Everyone in this palace, whether it was Consort Lan, the Emperor, or the Empress, hid unknown motives. As for why the Emperor’s attitude toward Xiao Qi was currently so awkward, Yan Qushan did not yet know.
Those matters would take years of piecing together clues to uncover the past. Yan Qushan was in no hurry, but he also did not want Xiao Qi to know too much.
Clearly, if he told Xiao Qi that the Emperor actually cared for him and encouraged him to win the Emperor’s favor, his own status as a study companion would rise even higher;
Yet, for some reason, Yan Qushan wanted to bury this fact in the dark, unreachable mud.
Perhaps it was because on that rainy night when no doctor came, the way Xiao Qi cried was too pitiful, and he had held onto him far too tightly. From that moment on, the idea that they were the same kind of person had taken deep root in his heart, and he was unwilling to let it change, even in death.