Killer Queen: Tyrant, prepare to die!

On the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, at night, the cold wind was biting.

Bao'er was fine during the day.

I chased after a few sparrows that weren't afraid of the cold in the yard for quite a while.

Her little face was rosy, and she even ate an extra small bowl of chicken porridge for dinner.

But at the end of the Xu hour (7-9 PM), Jinshu rushed over to report...

The young prince suddenly cried out that he was cold, and touched his burning forehead.

Shen Qingci was checking the secret report sent by Tingfeng Tower regarding the private meeting between Prince Jing and the Deputy Director of the Imperial Observatory.

Upon hearing this, he immediately dropped the files and hurried towards his bedchamber.

On the bed, Bao'er was wrapped in a thick brocade quilt.

Her face was flushed red, but her lips were a little pale.

His breathing was rapid, and his eyelids drooped heavily.

He mumbled incoherently, "Mother...cold...Baby'er is cold..."

Shen Qingci reached out and touched her forehead; it was burning hot.

Her heart tightened, but her expression remained completely calm.

"Jinshu, go fetch some warm water. You need cool well water mixed with some hot water."

The temperature should be such that it's neither too cold nor too hot to test on the back of your hand; prepare a handkerchief.

She spoke quickly and clearly.

"Eunuch Li, immediately present my token."

Go to the Imperial Hospital and ask Physician Chen for help.

If Physician Chen is not on duty, find Physician Wang or Physician Liu, and be quick!

"Yes!" The two accepted the order and acted swiftly.

Shen Qingci sat on the edge of the bed and picked up Bao'er.

Unwrap the blanket that was wrapped too tightly around him, leaving only a thin blanket.

The child was delirious with fever and nestled in her arms.

His burning hot little face pressed against her neck, rubbing against her uncomfortably.

"My dear, don't be afraid, Mommy's here."

She whispered words of comfort while quickly checking the child's body.

Check for rashes or other abnormalities.

My hand slipped inside her clothes and I could feel the abnormally high temperature and slight trembling of that small body.

Jinshu quickly brought over warm water.

Shen Qingci took the damp handkerchief.

Wring it until it's half dry, then start wiping Bao'er's forehead, neck, armpits, palms, and soles.

This is a commonly used modern physical cooling method that removes heat from the body surface through evaporation.

"Go fetch more water, prepare several basins, and change them in rotation."

She gave the order, and her men didn't stop working.

He was as calm as if he were handling a routine official business.

Eunuch Li was also extremely fast.

In less than fifteen minutes, Physician Chen returned with his medicine chest.

They arrived, panting, followed by two medical apprentices from the Imperial Medical Bureau.

Clearly, Eunuch Li barged directly into the Imperial Medical Bureau, alarming the staff on duty.

When Physician Chen saw that it was His Highness the Crown Prince,

Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately stepped forward to take her pulse.

After a moment, his expression turned serious:

"Your Highness has caught a cold from external wind, and may have been exposed to the wind after sweating from playing during the day."

The pathogenic heat invades the body rapidly.

The heat needs to be released immediately with acupuncture, followed by herbal decoction.

"Thank you for your help, Physician Chen, to administer the acupuncture."

Shen Qingci nodded and gave up her seat.

But his hand still gently held Bao'er's hot little hand.

Physician Chen took out silver needles and, with steady movements, inserted them into several acupoints on Bao'er's body.

In her dazed state, Bao'er whimpered in pain, her little body trembling.

"Don't be afraid, Bao'er. The Imperial Physician is helping you get rid of your illness."

Shen Qingci coaxed him softly, but her eyes were sharp as she watched every move of Physician Chen.

After the acupuncture, Bao'er's breathing seemed to have stabilized a bit, but her high fever had not subsided.

Physician Chen wrote out a prescription, and the young apprentice immediately went to prepare the medicine.

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the hall, and Xuan Ying's deep voice announced, "His Majesty has arrived!"

The moment the words left his mouth, Nangong Ye swept in like a gust of wind.

He wasn't even wearing a dragon robe, just a dark sable fur coat.

Her hair was slightly disheveled, clearly indicating that she had just rushed from her bedchamber.

His face showed undisguised panic.

"How is Bao'er?"

His gaze immediately locked onto the little figure on the bed.

Seeing the child's flushed face and weak appearance,

His pupils contracted sharply, and he rushed to the bedside.

Physician Chen and the palace servants immediately knelt down to pay their respects.

Nangong Ye ignored them and reached out to touch Bao'er's forehead.

But his fingertips trembled violently when they touched the scalding heat.

"How can it burn so badly?!"

His voice trembled with anger that he himself was unaware of.

"Imperial Physician! What happened?!"

Physician Chen quickly reported the patient's condition and treatment plan.

When Nangong Ye barged in, Shen Qingci paused almost imperceptibly for a moment before regaining her composure.

She continued to wipe Bao'er's palms with a warm, damp cloth, and said calmly upon hearing this:

"Doctor Chen is already administering acupuncture and medication; the high fever will take time to subside."

Your Majesty, please calm down and do not disturb the imperial physicians' treatment.

Her composure contrasted sharply with Nangong Ye's loss of composure.

Nangong Ye seemed to be stung by her calmness.

Take a deep breath and force yourself to calm down.

He looked at Shen Qingci, who was focused on taking care of the child with her eyes down.

His profile appeared somewhat pale in the candlelight.

There was a faint bluish shadow under his eyes, but his back was straight and his movements were methodical.

He suddenly realized that from the time he discovered Bao'er was sick until now...

She remained calm and composed, directing everything as if she could withstand anything, even if the sky were to fall.

But the moment he heard the news, he was thrown into complete disarray.

A mixture of guilt, heartache, and helplessness gripped him tightly.

He should have been the child's father, the master of the palace, and the support for the mother and child.

But in fact, when she and Bao'er needed it most,

He was almost always...absent.

Or like now, we can only stand by and watch helplessly.

"What...can I do?" he asked in a hoarse voice, his gaze fixed on Bao'er's face.

Shen Qingci glanced at him, her gaze calm and unwavering.

"If Your Majesty is truly worried, you may wait quietly from the side."

But please do not touch Bao'er unnecessarily, or disturb the imperial physician.

The tone was polite, but it carried a clear sense of distance and a desire to draw a clear line.

Nangong Ye's Adam's apple bobbed.

He silently took half a step back, but did not leave.

He just stood there by the bed, watching without blinking.

His clenched fists betrayed his inner anxiety.

Physician Chen was under immense pressure and became even more cautious under the watchful eyes of the Emperor and Empress.

After the medicine was decocted, Shen Qingci personally tested the temperature, then helped the dazed Bao'er up and fed him the medicine little by little.

Bao'er had a high fever and was feeling unwell, so feeding her medicine was not going smoothly, and she vomited most of it.

Shen Qingci was extremely patient.

While gently coaxing her, I fed her little by little with a small spoon.

He didn't care that his clothes were soaked with the medicine.

As Nangong Ye watched, his heart felt as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand, the pain making it difficult for him to breathe.

He wanted to go forward and help, but found himself too clumsy to know where to begin.

Time passed slowly amidst the torment.

Midnight has passed, and Bao'er has finally recovered from her fever thanks to the combined effects of medication and physical cooling methods.

I started sweating, and the high fever began to subside slowly.

Her face was no longer so red, her breathing gradually became steady, and she fell into a deep sleep.

Physician Chen took the pulse again and breathed a long sigh of relief:

"Your Highness's fever has subsided, and his pulse is gradually stabilizing. He should be out of danger."

Caution is still needed at night.

If it gets hot again, wipe it with warm water.

Take your medicine on time, and you should be fully recovered by tomorrow.

Everyone in the hall breathed a sigh of relief.

Shen Qingci nodded to Physician Chen in thanks: "Thank you for your hard work, Physician Chen. Please rest in the side hall tonight, just in case."

Physician Chen repeatedly said he dared not, and withdrew to rest.

Jinshu and Eunuch Li also temporarily retreated to the outer room, leaving the Emperor and Empress and the sleeping Bao'er behind.

Once the crisis is over and the tension eases, a wave of fatigue washes over you.

Shen Qingci let out a soft sigh of relief and raised her hand to rub her throbbing temples.

Her straight back relaxed almost imperceptibly.

Nangong Ye remained standing in the same spot.

His gaze shifted from Bao'er's peaceful sleeping face to Shen Qingci's tired profile.

The candlelight flickered, casting a shadow beneath her long eyelashes.

She sat there quietly, watching over the child.

It resembles a silent and resilient solitary mountain.

He wanted to say something.

For example, "You must be tired, go and rest. I'll stay here."

Or, "I'm sorry, I'm late."

But all the words stuck in my throat felt pale and powerless.

Just then, Bao'er on the bed suddenly stirred.

She seemed to be sleeping restlessly; her little brows were furrowed.

He unconsciously uttered a mumbled, incoherent murmur.

A small hand reached out from under the blanket and groped around in the air.

Nangong Ye subconsciously extended his finger.

That little hand, its fever subsided and it regained some warmth and softness.

She groped around in the air and then gently grasped his index finger.

They held on very tightly, showing complete dependence on the child.

Immediately afterwards, Bao'er mumbled something in her sleep, a sound that was nasal yet perfectly clear:

"Father..."

The sound was very soft, like a feather brushing against the tip of the heart.

But it struck Nangong Ye's heart like a thunderbolt.

He froze completely.

It felt as if all the blood in my body rushed to my head in that instant.

Then it vanished with a bang, leaving behind a cold tremor.

He looked down, staring incredulously at the small hand that was tightly gripping his fingers.

Looking at the child's unconsciously affectionate profile as they sleep.

Father...

Bao'er calls him...Daddy.

Not the unfamiliar "Father Emperor,"

Not a timid "Your Majesty,"

It is the most instinctive and affectionate way a child addresses their father.

How long did he wait? How long did he hope for it?

How many times have I imagined this scene in the dead of night?

But when it actually happens, it happens in the fragile ramblings of a sick child.

Immense sorrow and belated ecstasy

Like ice and fire intertwining, it instantly shattered all his defenses.

My eyes suddenly felt hot, and my vision blurred rapidly.

The warm liquid rolled down without warning.

It hit the back of his own hand, and also the small hand that was tightly holding his.

He abruptly turned his head away, trying to hide his sudden loss of composure.

But she couldn't stop her shoulders from trembling slightly.

The man did not shed tears, but he did not go to the sad place.

His tears at this moment were for this unexpected, humble, and insignificant sweetness.

Shen Qingci took in all of this.

From the moment Bao'er grabbed Nangong Ye's finger,

Until that cry of "Father,"

Then there's Nangong Ye's sudden breakdown, tears streaming down his face, his head turned away, and his trembling back as he tries to hold back his tears.

Her fingers curled slightly inside her sleeve.

His face remained expressionless; he simply watched quietly.

Looking at that once high and mighty emperor who held the power of life and death,

At this moment, because of a child's unconscious call,

She cried like a child who had lost their most precious treasure and then suddenly found it again.

Looking at the hand that Bao'er was tightly holding, the hand that belonged to her father.

After a long while, Nangong Ye seemed to finally calm his turbulent emotions.

He used his other hand with extreme gentleness, as if handling a fragile treasure.

Gently place it on Bao'er's little hand.

I paused for a moment, feeling the real temperature and texture.

Then, he carefully, little by little,

She pulled her fingers out of Bao'er's grasp, afraid of waking him.

After doing all this, he slowly turned around.

Her eyes were still a little red, and the tear stains on her face were not yet dry.

But he quickly suppressed all outward emotions and regained the composure of an emperor.

However, the complex emotions surging deep in his eyes had not yet completely subsided.

He looked at Shen Qingci, opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something.

Shen Qingci spoke first, her voice calm: "Your Majesty, it is late. Now that Bao'er is alright, please return to the palace to rest."

The decision to evict them was made as decisively as ever.

Nangong Ye swallowed all his words. He looked at her and the child deeply, his eyes filled with unspeakable emotions.

In the end, he simply whispered:

"...Take good care of yourself and Bao'er. I...will come to see him again tomorrow."

After saying that, he didn't linger. He turned around and left the bedchamber with somewhat heavy steps.

Xuan Ying followed silently, and the figures of the master and servant disappeared outside the door.

The footsteps faded completely, and the bedchamber fell silent, with only the occasional crackling of the candlelight and Bao'er's steady breathing remaining.

Shen Qingci remained seated on the edge of the bed, maintaining the same posture, without moving.

After a long while, she slowly reached out her hand.

A barely perceptible tremor ran through his fingertips.

Gently wipe away the fine beads of sweat that had once again seeped from Bao'er's forehead.

The movements were extremely gentle.

Then, her gaze fell on Bao'er's little hand, which had once tightly gripped Nangong Ye's fingers.

His gaze was complex and difficult to decipher.

There was coldness, scrutiny, and a faint trace of weariness.

And... some things that even she herself might not want to delve into...

The subtle loosening, frozen beneath a thick defense.

Length of night.

The child's fever has subsided.

And some things, it seems, also emerged after that night of high fever and tears.

Something irreversible has quietly occurred.

Like an undercurrent beneath the ice, it began to slowly surge.

"That tear was real... but the snow in the Cold Palace was real too. Shen Qingci, don't be soft-hearted, you can't afford to lose."