Edited by Larkspur

Chapter 34: The Crown Prince Awakens (Part 1)

Qin Yi got up and supported his head with his hand as he frowned as he endured the waves of dizziness. After the dizziness finally passed, he looked at his warm hands that could touch things and could not get used to it for a while.

He had returned just like this?

Qin Yi was stunned for a while but quickly returned to the aloof and noble bearing of a Crown Prince. Qin Yi propped his body as he slowly moved to a sitting position. When the young eunuch saw it, he ran over hurriedly to support him.

“Lord, how are you feeling?”

Qin Yi felt that his body was very weak. He had been out of the body for too long. Even though he could not feel anything, his body has been in a coma for almost two months. No matter how well the people under took care of him, his body would inevitably lose weight and become weak.

Qin Yi sat up with great difficulty and spoke after collecting himself, “What is the time now?”

It was only now that he felt that his voice was exceptionally hoarse. More and more servants in the temporary Imperial residence were alerted and were now standing outside the room with their hands clasped in front of them. Upon hearing the Crown Prince’s words, a palace maid immediately filled a cup of hot tea and handed it to Qin Yi.

Qin Yi moistened his throat and finally felt better. Xiao Lin-zi diligently placed a throw pillow behind Qin Yi and took the tea over to hand it over to the palace maid behind before replying in an appropriate manner, “Replying to Your Highness, it is currently Xu Shi (modern timing: 7pm – 9pm), the nineteenth of third lunar month.” 

“Nineteenth of the third lunar month…” Qin Yi murmured, “It has been a day and night.”

Xiao Lin-zi did not understand those words, he asked carefully, “Lord, what day and night?”

Qin Yi meant that it had been a day and night since he had lost consciousness at Chu Jin Yao’s side and woken up.

He had clearly remembered that it was the eighteenth of the third lunar month that the womenfolk of the residence of Marquis Chang Xing went out together to purchase jewelry, and he accompanied Chu Jin Yao out. There came a group of people riding their horses on the streets and Chu Jin Yao, that fool, jumped out and was almost knocked out by the fallen wooden frame.

It was only in that last instant that Qin Yi saw the wooden frame fell, and he rushed towards Chu Jin Yao. It was such an hair-raising moment that he immediately wanted to pull Chu Jin Yao out of the way, but he discovered at that time, he was unable to leave the jade pendant for unknown reasons. He watched wide eyes as the wood fell onto Chu Jin Yao, cutting her arm wide open.

The last scene he saw was Chu Jin Yao’s blood trickling down like beads from her slender wrist. She did not even care about the injury and felt for the jade pendant as soon as she regained her footing. Qin Yi seemed to have seen her blood seeping into the jade pendant, turning to strands of red flakes afterwhich his soul felt stronger like never before. Thereafter, he fell into darkness and lost consciousness.

Qin Yi reached out and felt for something at the bedside cabinet. When Xiao Lin-zi saw it, he quickly bent over, “Lord Crown Prince, what are you looking for? Just let this servant do it. How can one let you do it!”

However, Qin Yi paid no attention to him. He quickly saw what he wanted and with a little force yanked it out with his fingertips.

There was a round and clear jade pendant on his arms, with traces of red flakes floating inside, just like blood frozen at the first moment upon dripping into the water. The jade pendant was decorated with a bright yellow tassel and did not look ordinary at first glance.

When Xiao Lin-zi saw that Qin Yi suddenly looked for the jade pendant that the previous Empress had given to His Highness, he lowered his head and did not know what to think. He did not dare to interrupt and simply stood aside quietly, waiting for Qin Yi to give instructions.

Once he was done looking at it in detail, Qin Yi muttered to himself in a mocking tone, “It turned out to be like this. If one had known it earlier, why would there be the need to take so much effort.”

Xiao Lin-zi finally concluded that he could not understand a word of what the Crown Prince said since he woke up. He did not dare to continue the topic, but he did not know what else to say, so he could only laugh, “The Crown Prince’s memory is really good. The Crown Prince is brillant.”

Qin Yi swept a look at him, “Shut up.”

“Oh.” Xiao Lin-zi folded his arms and immediately lowered his head.

Qin Yi had finally woken up, as he wished, but he was inexplicably unhappy. What happened to Chu Jin Yao in the end? He did not even have time to take a look at the injury before he lost consciousness, so he did not know if her injuries were serious. It was ridiculous to mention it, but he had long wanted to leave, however, when that moment really arrived, he was caught off guard. He had remembered that he did not even have time to say goodbye and before he left he was saying to her, “Where are you going?”

The last sentence that he said to her was “Raise your hand and step back.”

Qin Yi secretly felt that it was too hasty. Even if he were to leave, the scenario should not be as such.

He turned the jade pendant around to look and fell into deep thought unconsciously. When he realised it, he saw Xiao Lin-zi standing in front of the bed, hesitating to speak and the rest were standing around.

Seeing that the Crown Prince had finally recovered his senses, Xiao Lin-zi quickly asked, “Crown Prince, the Imperial Physician had been waiting outside. Please see and advise if he should be called in.”

“Imperial Physician?” Qin Yi’s voice was still hoarse, but the vigilance in his voice was like usual, “Whose people are they?”

It was founded by the Great Tong’s General Army. He is from a family of doctors, who went to the capital during the tenth year of Jian Xing for a position in the Ministry of Rites but was not successful, thus he went back to his hometown as a general practitioner. He has been here for quite a number of years and would often take a look at the injuries of the Generals to the brothers, thus he knows the surrounding military families.” Xiao Lin-er paused before continuing, “This Imperial Physician has no dealings with the Palace. This servant has enquired secretly and heard that he has no knowledge of the current matters in the Palace.”

No knowledge, at least this meant that there was not too much contact with the people of the Palace and did not seem to be the Empress’ people. Qin Yi was slightly relieved, “Call.”

After the Imperial Physician took Qin Yi’s pulse, he wrote a prescription before standing and bowing as he said, “Your Highness has been ill for a long time, thus the body is still a little weak. However, there are no big issues in general, it will be fine after a few days of recuperation.

When Xiao Lin-zi heard it, he felt that it was incredulous. The Crown Prince had been in a coma for almost two months for no reason, and now the Imperial Physician actually said that only his body was weak and there were no big issues? The Imperial Physician did not know that Qin Yi was unconscious and only thought that he was avoiding people to recuperate from his injuries, but Xiao Lin-zi knew the oddities about it. Xiao Lin-zi did not quite believe it and was determined to instruct him to take a good look, but Qin Yi nodded his head indifferently and let the Imperial Physician leave.

From listening to this Imperial Physician words, one knew that he did not come from the Imperial Medical Institute. When the Palace’s Imperial Physician treated illness, which one of them would dare to say that there was no big issues? Even if they were very confident, they would discount it by half.

This person was right in every way so Qin Yi no longer spent additional thoughts on the Imperial Physician. Xiao Lin-zi bent over as he sent the Imperial Physician off before hurrying back. When he entered, he saw Qin Yi standing up and reaching his hand out to the report on the table with palace maids and eunuch surrounding him, all of whom wanted to stop him but did not dare to.

Xiao Lin-zi carefully spoke to probe, “Lord Crown Prince. You have just awakened, how about having a meal first? It would be good to drink medicine after food.”

However, Qin Yi knew that there was nothing wrong with him. When he was seriously injured the last time, for some reason his soul came out and now that the injuries in this soul had been fully healed and the injuries on his physical self almost recovered, after two days of adjustments, he would be able to patrol like usual.

As compared to his body, he was much more concerned about whether there was any issues with Great Tong and the Eastern Palace during the two months that he was unconscious.

Qin Yi waved his hand to let the palace servants set the meal up, and he only retained Xiao Lin-zi to ask, “How was the situation during my absence?”

During the time the Crown Prince was absent? Xiao Lin-zi thought to himself that the Crown Prince’s words were getting stranger. The Crown Prince was obviously in a coma, why did he say that he was absent? However, even though Xiao Lin-zi was murmuring, he replied respectfully, “A month ago this servant and the rest were guarding you diligently, saying that you needed to rest due to injuries and would not receive guests. Afterwards the Army Commander-in-Chief inisited to see you and this servant was unable to withhold and thus led the Commander in.”

When Qin Yi heard it, he nodded with a light smile, “It is rather clever to lead the Commander in.”