383: Renascence

Renascence

​​"Princess, there's really nothing we can do!" The head physician agitatedly said as his hands hovered mid-air, too scared to touch the hands of the woman clenching his collar.  2

"Nalan, calm down. I'm sure they're all doing all they can -" Molin said as he weakly tried to gently separate the two. 

Princess Nalan shrugged Molin off and continued her assault on the head physician, "What do you mean there's nothing you can do? Didn't you give the other guy medication? Why does he get medication and my Shan doesn't?! Are you looking down on us, is that it?" Princess Nalan menacingly asked, her expression getting even worse. 

"Princess please! I've explained that his body has been prepped to fight the poison -"

"Then tell me why isn't he waking up?!" Princess Nalan shouted as she threw the head physician towards the bed. The other physicians stretched out their hands and moved to rush to their leader but worried they would be her next target, their momentum was snuffed before they even began.

"Princess, you shouldn't treat the hea-" A brave physician piped up from behind but then Princess Nalan turned her glare to him and his bravery quickly fizzled out, then he lowered his head and meekly said, "...we're really doing all we can."

"Exactly..."

"It's not like we're gods or something..."

"We're already trying our best -"

"This is really too much..."

The mumbles of protest the other physicians further aggravated Princess Nalan was about to launch for them when Molin caught her, "Nalan, please settle down. This really isn't helping!"

Princess Nalan frowned at Molin and then turned her glare back on the physicians. It was not that she liked bullying the elderly either, but when they are blatantly disrespecting you like this, kicking up a fuss was the only option.

She had even asked for Lei Xing but was told that the Empress was unavailable, what could possibly be keeping her busy in these circumstances? What could be more important than what was happening here? There was no way Lei Xing was not aware of what was going on, since 

She would have gone over to find Lei Xing herself, but she could not trust Prince YI in the hands of these incompetent physicians. They were already treating him like this in her presence, who knows what they would be if she left? 

Anyway, it was clear they were looking down on them right now. The only reason she was a bit calm was the fact that they at least had the decency to send Molin to her before she had to ask.

The head physician groaned and got on massaged his lower back as he got to his knees. What was wrong with today? First of all, the Empress threatened his life and now this Princess has come to actually end his life. Perhaps it was about time for him to retire, serving young masters was not really becoming too much. 

Seeing the head physician struggling on the ground made Princess Nalan feel a bit remorseful, but she shook it off. She had to be strong right now so she unrepetently said, "If anything happens to him, you won't live either!" 

The head physician cast her a hidden disgruntled glare before he grabbed the bed and pushed himself to his feet and looked down at his patient, only to see Prince Yi's eyes slightly open, "P-prince Yi! You're awake -" Before he could finish, he was shoved out of the way and sent back to the floor.

"Shan! Are you okay?" Princess Nalan excitedly said with a smile as she grabbed his hand and held his face. Prince Yi stared in a daze and then he squinted at her as if he trying to see her more clearly, "You're finally awake, how do you feel?" She asked again

"How - you're-" He paused and then flexed the hand in her hands as if confirming that the hands were really holding his hands and then he slightly smiled and weakly continued, "You're really here. Xing er, I- I've - I-" He tried but then his eyes closed again and his hand went limp.

Princess Nalan who had frozen in confusion at the mention of another's name, snapped out of it with a frown. She blinked at him in confusion and then still confused, she looked at the head physician who also had a confused frown on his face, "Why - why - he's unconscious again, check on him!" Princess Nalan said, regaining herself as she dropped Prince Yi's limp hand and took an absentminded step back to give the head physician space.

The head physician turned back to her and calmly said, "There is no cause for worry, he is simply asleep. His condition seems to be stabilizing."

"En." Princess Nalan absentmindedly responded again, her mind clearly not in the conversation as her eyes remained fixed on Prince Yi's face. 

The head physician cast her hesitant glance and after getting nothing more, he bowed his head, "We will retreat now... to let him rest." He finished, bowed and then signaled for his physicians to move, but then Princess Nalan snapped out of her stupor again and went, "Wait... What did you hear?" She asked turning to the retreating physicians and sweeping them with a fierce glare.

The other physicians gulped but the head physician remained calm as he responded, "What do you mean?... Was there something we should have heard?" He asked, blinking cluelessly at her. 

Princess Nalan narrowed her eyes at the man and then she let out a breath, "It's fine since you heard nothing. Get out." She dryly said turning back to resume watching Prince Yi. The physicians bowed again and then quickly exited the room, all letting out a sigh of relief. 

"I thought the Princess's name i-" Before the young physician could finish his words, he received a slap to the back of his head, "Keep your mouth shut and mind your own business if you want to keep your life." The head physician warned with a frown, then he continued on to his other patient's room where Prime minister Zhao was also waiting with his own trouble. As for why Prince Yi was looking for the Empress's namesake, that was none of his business. 

{...Ahhh...I think it is truly time to retire...}

***

"Molin... What do you make of this?" Princess Nalan calmly asked as she took a seat on the bed, next to Prince Yi's unconscious form, still staring at his face.

Molin sighed and went over to the bed, he looked down at Prince Yi for a bit and then said, "Well… smells like a ruse. The Emperor clearly wants to get rid of him, but now with you in the picture and the Lei - his Empress being your friend..." He intentionally avoided her name, "He must have thought it would upset her if he sentenced him to death, not to mention you and our country. It's easier when it's a random assassin's handiwork, delivered by the Prime minister's son's own hand…"

"...There are two ways to look at this part, either one, he wants to use to get rid of the Prime minister's family, or two, that he would never use his trusted Prime minister's own son as an expendable pawn, therefore it could not be him. It's really a perfect cover, he could sell it either way to his benefit… Either way, it's definitely the Emperor's work. After all, he was right under the Emperor's thumb. How many can have that reach?" Molin asked with a scoff.

Princess Nalan knit her brows, looking conflicted. She turned to Molin and asked, "What do we do? We should escape-"

"Nalan, even if we don't admit it. We are prisoners here just like he is." Molin honestly responded. 

Princess Nalan turned back to Prince Yi and the silence stretched as she sat in deep thought until she finally said, "You know... there were rumors that they were together before the Emperor -" She stopped and a fierce scowl formed on her face. 

Molin blinked at her and then brought a hand up to massage the back of his neck as he awkwardly responded, "Nalan... you don't really think that - You shouldn't be bothered by that, he's out of it and probably high on medication -"

"They haven't given him anything." Princess Nalan corrected in the same dry tone that was unlike her. 

"O-okay, uh, well, poison can confuse you too. Relax, he was just confused. It happens." Molin said with conviction, giving Princess Nalan a reassuring pat, "Don't think too much, it's not like you."

Princess Nalan did not say anything in response, keeping her remaining thoughts to herself. 

"You must be tired. Why don't you go back and rest, I'll look after him...Or I can have them bring in a cot for you if you don't want to leave. This kind of stress isn't good for a child." Molin eagerly said, trying to diffuse the awkward atmosphere. This eerie silence was not like Nalan and it was incredibly off-putting to be a part of. 

Princess Nalan absentmindedly nodded in response. Molin knit his brows but then sighed and went to find someone to get a cot for her. Leaving Princess Nalan alone in the room, still sat staring absentmindedly at Prince Yi's face with a deep contemplative frown. 

****

Lei Xing felt a hand on her forehead and opened her eyes to find the Emperor sitting next to her with a worried expression on his face, "I'm not sick." Lei Xing said with a smile as she grabbed the hand that was checking for a fever on her forehead. She had simply fallen asleep while reading and here this guy was, worrying over nothing. 

"En...just tired." The Emperor said before she could. 

"You're the one who asked me to stay here." Lei Xing said, narrowing her eyes at him as she sat up. She was still in the royal study, actually, she never left.

"Who was the one looking to hide from a certain Princess?" The Emperor jokingly asked with a smile.

Lei Xing pouted, "You're the one who told me to stay out of it. This is staying out of it... Anyway, how is it now? Any progress?" Lei Xing asked, a bit anxious. She had been asleep for quite a while. 

"He's stabilized... Princess Nalan did cause a ruckus earlier but she's calmed down as well. As for Zhao Chang, they are doing their best." The Emperor summarized, "Since you're tired, let's go back. It's already late."  He said, rising to his feet, then he reached down to help Lei Xing, "Want me to carry you?"

"No, I'm not sick. I can walk." Lei Xing said, turning down his offer. Still, the Emperor kept a hand anchored on her waist to give her the support she clearly did not need. Lei Xing stared up at his face as they walked towards the door, just before they reached the door, she stopped him and  kissed his cheek with a smile, "I love you." 

{...Don't worry I'm definitely going to find that old man and then I'll strangle him on our behalf...I've got this, I can fix this, you don't need to worry ...}

The Emperor blinked at her and then narrowed his eyes with a slight smile. Odd as it might be, this phrase was not one he heard often from Lei Xing. It was welcome, if not sought after, and always put a smile on his face. But still, he could not shake the feeling that something was off with her today. 

"Don't you have something to say in return?" Lei Xing asked with a playful pout when her declaration of love was met with silence. The Emperor smiled and kissed her lips, "I love you too~" He said with a warm caress on her cheek. Lei Xing beamed at him and before he could say anymore, Lei Xing turned and pulled him along through the doors. 

As they made their way, a racing eunuch intercepted them, falling to the ground in front of them out of breath, "Your majest- Your majest- Ah, the- Pr -" The eunuch words kept getting cut short as he wheezed, clearly very out of shape.

"Aren't you Princess Nalan's eunuch?" Lei Xing asked with a frown, "Hurry up and spit it out." She irritatedly said, concerned.

The eunuch nodded, took a few deep breaths, and then blurted out, "P-Prince Yi is dead -"

"Dead?!" Lei Xing exclaimed in shock, "I thought you said -?" Lei Xing went, turning to the Emperor, who was staring down at the eunuch with a confused frown of his own. "What do you mean dead?" The Emperor imposingly asked.

"I-I don't know the details. We just - We heard the Princess and then - we went in and he...he passed away in his sleep." The eunuch said, bowing low to the ground with a cry. 

Lei Xing and the Emperor turned to each other, their expressions mirroring the other's stupefied expression.

This was not part of the plan...not part of either of their plans. 

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