Dance Of The Dragons
Chapter 259 : Restitution (9)

Chapter 259: Chapter 259 : Restitution (9)

The question caught Zhang Fengxi by surprise.

"I... I have something to do at the military today, so I need to leave early."

Thinking back, that was rather a poorly constructed lie. By the time he realized it, it was already too late to come up with a better one.

Xie Jianyu rolled to his side and used an elbow to prop himself up.

"Why are you still here, then?" he squinted at his husband in suspicion.

"...."

Zhang Fengxi’s Adam’s Apple bobbed up and down nervously.

"I was just... I brought you a tonic."

He gestured toward the bowl of steaming medicine just next to Xie Jianyu’s bed. "The two physicians come up with the recipe together, so no one will raise an objection."

Xie Jianyu could not help but chuckle when he recalled the verbal arguments between Lady Song and Xie Jianshen.

"I will drink it later," Xie Jianyu said. "You should leave now. Don’t come back too late."

Zhang Fengxi’s face contorted into a mask of conflicting emotions.

Xie Jianyu mistook it for concern. He grabbed his husband by the lapels and pulled him in for a kiss.

"It’s just a fever. No need to worry. Go now."

Zhang Fengxi squeezed his wife affectionately.

"... Alright."

He cast a side glance at the bowl of tonic before he left. By the time he went back home today, the baby would be gone. Alone the thought was enough to shatter his heart, reminiscent of a giant boulder that dislodged itself from the side of a mountain and crushed the landscape beneath.

The heavy sorrow gave rise to a pain so intense, so unbearable.

Still, he had to steel his determination and walk away.

It was all for the best, he told himself again and again.

After Zhang Fengxi left, Xie Jianyu summoned Qingyun to his bed chamber.

He was hungry, so he wanted to have some breakfast first.

As he enjoyed the bowl of congee with scallion and ginger that the kitchen prepared according to Lady Song’s strict and detailed recipe, Qingyun knelt on a cushion next to him, ready to serve him any moment.

Her eyes were drawn to the bowl of tonic next to Xie Jianyu’s bed. Xie Jianyu had not touched it.

"Your Majesty, the tonic..."

"I know," Xie Jianyu interrupted her mid-speech. "I will drink it after I finish my breakfast."

Truthfully, he was sick of medicines.

He had been downing bowls of medicine, tonic, or other concoctions one after another ever since Lady Song suspected that he was pregnant.

It would not harm him in any way if he skipped a bowl or two. Or drank them a bit later than usual.

Xie Jianyu turned to look at Qingyun.

"Qingyun, how is Mingyu doing?"

Qingyun was relieved from her job of attending to Xie Jianyu to take care of Mingyu, but she kept loitering around Xie Jianyu out of habit.

Xie Jianyu had to dismiss her a few times a day to remind her of her currently temporary, but important task.

"She is still the same as before," Qingyun spoke, her words laced with a mixture of gloom and resignation. "The physicians came to look at her every few days, but they could not do anything to wake her up."

"In essential, she just needs to wake up, doesn’t she?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Qingyun rubbed her hands together anxiously.

"I try to talk to her every day but..."

Xie Jianyu push a steamed bun in Qingyun’s direction.

"Don’t blame yourself. It is good for her to rest for the time being. She will wake up when the time is right."

Qingyun’s eyes turned round as she stared at the steamed bun in front of her.

"Your Majesty, this is your breakfast! You have to eat it!"

"Eat that bun, this is an order," Xie Jianyu said. "You have lost a lot of weight these days. You need strength to take care of Mingyu."

Tears welled up in Qingyun’s eyes.

"Your Majesty, t-thank you."

"Hm. Eat."

Qingyun bit into the warm bread. Never before had she tasted such a delicious treat in her life. It was soft and delicate, made of the best, high-grade wheat flour that was harvested from Qifeng Palace’s fertile grounds.

Lady Song specifically arranged to send catties of this flour to Fuxi Palace regularly to make food for Xie Jianyu.

Eating this bun was akin to stealing from the baby in Xie Jianyu’s belly.

Qingyun shot Xie Jianyu surreptitious glances.

"What is it?"

"N-no, Your Majesty, it’s just... Are you... Are you comfortable?"

Xie Jianyu arched his brow at her.

"Why would I not be?"

"I mean... Your Majesty has never had major sickness before, and you keep contracting fever these days..."

Xie Jianyu chuckled.

"It’s nothing serious. It is just an aftereffect of the pregnancy."

There was a certain gentleness in Xie Jianyu’s gaze when he spoke of his pregnancy that caused Qingyun’s heart to flutter.

"Your Majesty, you look happy," Qingyun commented with a smile.

"I am happy," Xie Jianyu returned the smile. He placed a hand against his stomach protectively. "Very happy."

Qingyun continued eating her bun with a face full of smiles. If her master was happy, she was also happy.

After he finished the bowl of congee, Xie Jianyu gave the bowl of tonic by his bed a side glance.

He took it to his hands and observed the brownish liquid inside.

Hopefully, it was not bitter.

Xie Jianyu lifted the bowl to his lips.

Before his lips touched the edge of the bowl, an unprecedented series of events transpired quickly one after another.

First, the door was shoved open in a forceful manner.

Second, a pale and bandaged Mingyu burst through the door.

Third, Mingyu launched herself at Xie Jianyu and pushed the bowl of tonic out of his hands.

The bowl fell to the ground, breaking into two and sending its content splashing everywhere.

Xie Jianyu’s mouth dropped open in shock.

Qingyun looked like she was seeing a ghost. She might just suffer from a heart attack then and there.

Mingyu put her shaking arms around Xie Jianyu and sobbed uncontrollably.

"Master," she cried out. "Master, don’t drink that medicine. It is an abortifacient!"

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Author’s note :

I decide to release this Chapter early because I don’t want to torment my loyal readers any longer (⁠｡⁠•́⁠︿⁠•̀⁠｡⁠)

In turn, please don’t burn the author’s house.