La Novels
Chapter 23 Really Starving
Chapter 23 Really Starving
In Universe Palace.
After chatting with Emperor Mingyuan and Prince Rui for a while, Retired Emperor felt tired and let
them go. The imperial doctors were also cleared out, leaving Yuan Qingling alone in the hall.
Before Emperor Mingyuan went out, he gave Yuan Qingling an eye hint, without saying anything.
The hall was so quiet, and the curtains so thick. Even the wind couldn’t get in.
Standing by the bed, Yuan Qingling didn’t know what to do.
The Retired Emperor opened his eyes abruptly. His cold eyes skimmed over her. "On your knees!" He
ordered fiercely.
Yuan Qingling knelt slowly. Kneeling was much easier for her than sitting. After all, the herbal tea was
no longer taking effect now. Every pore of hers was screaming pain.
“Are you aware of your guilt?” The Retired Emperor asked coldly.
Yuan Qingling knew that the Retired Emperor wouldn’t really punish her, at least not at this point. As
long as he still wanted to live, she would be his only hope.
So, she raised her head and replied with honesty, “I know.”
“Why you’re guilty?”
“I’m not a professional doctor, and I did something I shouldn’t have done.” Yuan Qingling avoided the
key issue.
The Retired Emperor coldly asked, "Not a professional doctor? Very well, you just condemned all the
imperial doctors in the palace as quacks."
Hearing that, Yuan Qingling relaxed. Now that the Retired Emperor approved of her medical skills, it
would be a pleasant talk.
The Retired Emperor said again in a cold voice, “Come and sit. Tell me whether I can make it or not. If I
can’t, when will death fall upon me? If I can, how long can I live?”
Yuan Qingling slowly stood up and said, “I’m not sure yet. Please allow me to run a medical check,
Your Majesty.”
“Then save the red tape. Come and feel my pulse.”
The Retired Emperor saw Yuan Qingling take a strange thing out of nowhere and hang it on her ears.
She smiled and said, "Now, let's hear your heartbeat first..."
Momentarily, the Retired Emperor's mouth twitched and he scolded angrily, "What is this piece of junk?
Are you trying to freeze me?"
Yuan Qingling took off the stethoscope and hung it on the ears of the Retired Emperor. Then she
whispered, "Hush, please listen carefully, Your Majesty."
The Retired Emperor’s angry face slowly eased, and he looked a little confused. After a moment of
silence, he exclaimed, "It’s my heartbeat!"
Yuan Qingling nodded. “Right, it doesn’t sound very vigorous, but I’m afraid that heaven or hell will still
have to shut you out for the time being.”
“Language!” The Retired Emperor glared at her.
Yuan Qingling was about to kneel again. “I’m sorry!”
“Stop. There’s no need. Just sit!” the Retired Emperor snorted. He couldn’t care less about her apology.
Yuan Qingling put on a wry smile.
“I dare not.”
The Retired Emperor glanced at her and asked, “How did you get injured?”
Yuan Qingling was taken back.
She wondered how he found that she was injured.
"You keep on inhaling and trembling in pain once in a while. I’m not deaf. Your hand felt so hot on my
forehead. What happened to you?" the Retired Emperor asked calmly.
Yuan Qingling recalled her miserable life in Prince Wenhao’s residence, and she was filled with grief
and anger. But in the end, she only replied calmly, "I got it from a fall, the inflamed would is giving me a
fever."
“Can’t you treat yourself?” The Retired Emperor’s voice softened this time.
Yuan Qingling nodded. “Thank you for asking. I’ve got medicines.”
Because Yuan Qingling didn’t use honorifics, the Retired Emperor frowned in dissatisfaction. He was
curious this noble lady forgot her manners.
Anyway, the imperial palace already had enough courteous but nonchalant people.
"Take your medicines and have a rest. I need quietness." The Retired Emperor closed his eyes and
removed the stethoscope.
Yuan Qingling put away the stethoscope. Then she walked aside to rummage in the medicine box. But
the moment she opened it, she was dumbfounded. How come there was an infusion bottle?
She put on a wry smile and didn't even have the time to think about it. She swallowed anti-fever and
anti-inflammatory medicines without water and then opened the infusion bottle and walked back with it.
The Retired Emperor wasn’t asleep. When he heard the footsteps, he frowned and asked, “Why are
you here again? I told you to have some rest!”
"Please have an infusion first before you sleep." Yuan Qingling took out the infusion bottle carefully, C0pyright © 2024 Nôv)(elDrama.Org.
fearing that the Retired Emperor would find it strange and refuse to take it.
The Retired Emperor indeed felt it was very strange, but he was too tired to ask about it. After a glance,
he said, “Be quick.”
Yuan Qingling wasn’t skilled at administering an infusion, but luckily the blood vessel of the Retired
Emperor wasn’t difficult to find, and she easily pierced his vein and injected the medicine.
Once it was done, Yuan Qingling raised her head and met the Retired Emperor’s eyes.
She felt slightly embarrassed. “Well, I can explain it after you recovered.”
She found it hard to find any excuses now.
The Retired Emperor said, “Then you’d better have a good reason.”
Yuan Qingling put on a wry smile. She would try.
The infusion didn’t last long. Yuan Qingling was afraid that someone would come, so after this bottle of
medicine was finished, she took it off.
The Retired Emperor snored slightly and fell asleep.
Yuan Qingling was as tired as hungry. She was also in pain. She couldn’t sit, nor could he lie on her
stomach. She couldn’t eat, or even drink.
She quickly looked around and there was no one in the room. The Retired Emperor probably wouldn't
wake up within a short time, so she stood in front of the table, leaned forward on it, placed her head on
her hands, and then she slept like a groundhog digging a hole with her hips stuck out.
She wanted to have a rest and get rid of the tiredness and pain, but she fell asleep.
Eunuch Chang came back after a short rest. He was worried about the Retired Emperor’s condition,
especially when he heard that Princess Qingling was taking care of the Retired Emperor alone.
As soon as he came in, he saw Yuan Qingling sleeping on the table in a very strange posture. He
frowned. That’s not the right and usual way to sever His Majesty. She was indeed unreliable. And this
posture was really ugly.
But he was about to wake her up, the Retired Emperor said in a lowered voice, “Be quiet.”
Eunuch Chang tiptoed over and tucked the quilt for the Retired Emperor. He was a little puzzled.
The Retired Emperor said lightly, “Go prepare some food for her.”
Eunuch Chang was more confused at this moment. Given Princess Qingling’s way of taking care of the
Retired Emperor, how come the Retired Emperor wasn’t mad at all and even bestowed food on her?
He didn’t ask and walked out quietly.
Yuan Qingling didn’t wake up until her arms went numb.
She felt a chill on her back when she realized she had fallen asleep. She immediately turned over to
look at the bed behind her, and she was relieved to see that the Retired Emperor was still asleep.
She took out the medicine box and found a medical thermometer, and then she put it into her mouth.
Just by then, she heard footsteps outside, she was vigilant and quickly closed the box. As soon as she
hid it in her sleeve pocket and turned it over, Eunuch Chang came in with food.
Eunuch Chang noticed that thing in Yuan Qingling's mouth, he was startled, "Your Grace...."
Yuan Qingling didn't know how to explain. She wasn't sure if she needed to keep it in her mouth or take
it out. As a result, she could only look at Eunuch Chang in embarrassment.
Unexpectedly, the "sleeping" Retired Emperor helped her out. "Put the food on the table now. If you’re
a while late, I'm afraid she’ll start to eat my shoes."
"Oh!" Eunuch Chang was amused and put the food on the table. "Your Grace, you must be hungry,
right? Please help yourself."
Yuan Qingling was really starving. She was so hungry that she felt she could eat a horse. Besides, she
was also as thirsty as she was hungry, and her throat was as dry as a desert.
Seeing Eunuch Chang bring a bowl of soup, she gave up acting like a lady. She took out the medical
thermometer, and in a few seconds, she drank up the soup. Then she opened her mouth and released
a steamed breath. Without delay, she turned back to the food again.
Eunuch Chang frowned at her behavior. As hungry as she was, she shouldn’t gave up her princess
manners, especially in front of the Retired Emperor.