Story of Yanxi Palace

Chapter 55.2: Serving the Sick

Mingyu looked away and said: “She wanted to, I didn't force her!”

   “Mingyu, you always blame the Empress Niangniang for not loving you now, for alienating you but don't think about what you've done?” Erqing stared at her with a very strange look, “Niangniang is not in the Forbidden City, you have pushed Concubine Yu and Fifth Prince out of the way! Now you're asked to go to the Yanxin Palace and you're pushing back! My lord has a clear eye, can he not see? Not to mention the Empress Niangniang, even the people of the Changchun Palace, see who trusts you!”

   Mingyu's jaw dropped, looking at Erqing's back as she walked away and for the first time he muttered: “Did I... Did I do wrong?”

   Trust, like water, always builds up into a river, or leaks out into a desert and hearing Mingyu's refusal to go, the Empress simply said: “This Palace Mistress understands.” The look in her eyes became more and more indifferent and a look that resembled Erqing's gaze that day, leaving Mingyu with a kick in the gut and a vague feeling that she had done something wrong and no chance to regret it...

   The group soon moved into the Yanxin Palace.

   When Hongli was ill, the Empress was there to comfort him to talk to him to relieve his pain but other than that, the dirty work was the responsibility of Wei Yingluo and the rest of the court.

   “Before the Emperor can administer the medicine, he must first cleanse his body with alum tea.” The Imperial Physician placed a box of ointment in Wei Yingluo's palm, “After his Majesty has bathed, apply the sulphur ointment all over his body, two more times on the affected areas.”

   “Yes.” Wei Yingluo took the ointment in both hands.

   She had never seen a man's body before, let alone a naked man.

   Taking a few deep breaths, Wei Yingluo gathers her thoughts and entered the Yanxin Palace chambers.

   The chamber is slightly warm, the barrels have just been removed but the residual warmth still lingers in the air, with a faint smell of alum tea.

   Inside the large palace, only one person sits, from a distance, alone, truly alone.

   “... Is that you?” Hongli opened his eyes slowly and said coldly, “Get out!”

   Wei Yingluo was worried about how to serve a naked man, at his words, he was relieved, put the ointment on the table next to him and answered: “Yes.”

   As soon as the door was closed, it was quickly opened again and Liyu entered.

   “Your Majesty, let this lowly servant attend to you.” Liyu went in with a firm hand, careful though he was, he still hurt the wound that had broken the skin.

   Hongli took a breath, then kicked him in anger and said: “Get out of here, get someone else!”

   Wei Yingluo's voice came through the door: “Your Majesty, most of the Yanxin Palace has been evacuated, the rest are mostly eunuchs, the Empress Niangniang is worried that they will hurt the dragon's body, that's why she ordered this lowly servant to come. If you were to call someone else now, it would be no better than Chief Manager Li.”

   To Hongli's ears, this was no different from offering oneself as an opportunity to get closer, Hongli could not tell what strange feeling he had in his mind, he only said with a smile: “You are not so clumsy?”

   Wei Yingluo did not want to get close to this bad tempered man but on reflection, she was here to get close to his inner circle, one of the most crucial people, the Chief Eunuch Liyu, if not to please him but not to dislike him, so she passed the hard work that was her So to put the blame on him for the hard work that is his, must not be done, otherwise now Liyu will not say anything but the seeds of complaint will be planted in his heart, who knows when they will sprout and bear fruit?

   “This lowly servant used to be the Embroidery Workshop court lady, her embroidery was of the finest silk to prevent it from scratching her brocade, she made it a habit to take care of her hands daily.” So, Wei Yingluo patiently explained, “Your Majesty, if you do not want Chief Manager Li, nor this lowly servant to come, the Empress Niangniang will come and apply the medicine herself.”

   Hongli was silent for a moment, he cannot bear to let the Empress come to him, talking is fine, the anointing, it will inevitably touch his wounds, what if it spreads to her?

   “Come in!” Hongli said, slightly annoyed, “Give Zhen the medicine!”

   “Yes.” There was a creak and Wei Yingluo re-entered, took the ointment from Liyu's hand, dabbed a little on to Hongli's sore spot with his long washed fingers and gently dropped it on Hongli's sore spot.

   Hongli felt the coldness of the wound, he could not tell if it was the warmth of the ointment, or the warmth of her finger.

   As a son of the emperor, he would never be without a woman, Hongli thought he was used to the touch of a woman but somehow, he was not used to her touch.

   Hongli had never felt this way before, he felt ashamed and annoyed, he could not help but be angry again but when his eyes touched her calm brow, it was like a fire meeting a rainstorm and a snowy sky meeting a spring breeze, the fire went out and the grass grew, the ice melted.

   Wei Yingluo looked up and met his gaze.