The Tyrant’s Drama Queen Empress

CHAPTER 61: A Bully Who Picks on the Weak

　　Xue Yunshi was carried back to the residence gravely injured and unconscious, throwing the entire Princess’s Manor into chaos. The servants panicked, their faces pale with fear as they ran around like headless flies, not knowing what to do. Seeing them spiral in confusion, Shen Jinxiu had no choice but to step forward and take charge.

　　“What are you all standing around for? Hurry and bring the physician over!”

　　“The physician is here, the physician is here!”

　　The physician who arrived was quite old, his hair already white. A small medicine box hung from his shoulder, and his forehead was covered in sweat. He had practically been dragged all the way here by the servants. Before he could even catch his breath upon reaching the courtyard, he was hurriedly pushed straight into the room to check Xue Yunshi’s pulse and examine his leg.

　　Shen Jinxiu stood to the side, his expression tense with worry. “How is he?” What he cared about most was whether Xue Yunshi’s leg would be alright.

　　The physician’s forehead was dripping with cold sweat, and even his fingers trembled as he took Xue Yunshi’s pulse. “Th… this… this…”

　　Shen Jinxiu was already on edge, his mood growing more and more irritable. Hearing the physician stammering so incoherently, he snapped angrily, “Just tell me the result! What exactly is going on?!”

　　The physician swallowed hard. “Marquis Xue’s legs… both of them… are completely crushed fractures…”

　　Shen Jinxiu fell silent for a long moment. Even though he did not understand medicine, he still knew what those three words meant.

　　After a long pause, his eyes darkened as he asked, “Can it be treated?”

　　The physician shook his head. “I can fix dislocated bones, but Marquis Xue’s leg meridians are completely severed. My medical skills are not enough to heal this…”

　　Let alone healing it, this was even the first time the physician had ever encountered such a case. In most noble households, at worst it was just minor illnesses like colds or fevers. A few doses of medicine and it would be fine. Who would ever come across something like a shattered, crushed fracture? It’s not like they were on a battlefield.

　　It cannot be cured. It cannot be cured at all.

　　Shen Jinxiu swayed unsteadily, his body nearly losing balance. He had not expected such an outcome at all. Xue Yunshi’s legs were broken? And beyond saving? Was this some kind of joke?!

　　At a time like this, his legs were crippled?! Were they supposed to let all their plans collapse here?

　　No matter how he thought about it, Shen Jinxiu refused to accept this result. He strode forward, grabbed the physician by the collar, and said with a twisted expression, “Heal him! I don’t care what method you use, I want his legs restored perfectly. Otherwise, you might as well not keep your life either!”

　　The physician looked like he was about to cry. “Young Master Shen, I want to save Marquis Xue too, but I truly cannot do it.” He was not some divine healer. How could he possibly reconnect severed meridians in the legs? If he had that kind of skill, he would already be serving as an Imperial Physician in the Palace.

　　Shen Jinxiu did not want to hear any of his excuses. “In any case, your life is now tied to Marquis Xue’s legs.”

　　The physician sighed bitterly. “Young Master Shen, you are making things very difficult for this old man…”

　　Shen Jinxiu’s anger came from two things.

　　First, he wasn’t willing to give up his ambition of rising through the ranks and bringing honor to his family alongside Xue Yunshi. Second, when Xue Yunshi’s accident happened, he had been right there on the scene. Shen Jinxiu was worried that once Xue Yunshi learned his legs couldn’t be saved, he would lash out at him for no reason.

　　After all, if Shen Jinxiu hadn’t rolled on the ground twice to dodge the horse’s trampling, the one with a broken leg might have been him instead.

　　When someone was in a rage, reason always had its weak moments. If the main victim today had been Shen Jinxiu instead, he didn’t even dare imagine how violently he would react upon waking up.

　　“W-what happened…” Xue Yunshi, who had been unconscious on the bed, finally woke up and asked in a weak voice.

　　“Marquis!” everyone called out excitedly.

　　Xue Yunshi frowned. “I remember I fell off my horse before I passed out, and then my leg was stepped on… my leg… how is my leg now?”

　　At that question, everyone immediately shut their mouths tightly. Not a single person dared to step forward and tell him the devastating truth.

　　Xue Yunshi quickly sensed something was wrong. Even though his face was pale, his eyes still carried a sharp, chilling light.

　　He looked at Shen Jinxiu, who didn’t look any better either. “Jinxiu, you tell me. What happened to my leg?”

　　Shen Jinxiu hesitated. “Marquis…” He trailed off, clearly struggling to finish the sentence.

　　That hesitation alone was enough. A bad feeling immediately surged in Xue Yunshi’s heart.

　　He tried to move his legs like he normally would.

　　Nothing.

　　No matter how hard he tried, his legs didn’t respond at all.

　　His entire body froze.

　　Then, with a heavy thud, he collapsed back onto the bed. His expression twisted, turning almost feral as he roared, “Why can’t I move my legs?!”

　　Shen Jinxiu rushed to speak. “Marquis, please calm down. I will go find a divine physician…”

　　But before he could even finish, he was already being driven out.

　　“Get out. All of you, get out! Get out!!”  

　　Xue Yunshi grabbed whatever he could reach and started throwing it wildly.

　　The physician had been standing too close to the bedside. One of the objects flew straight at him and smashed into his head. It was a vase.

　　The impact left him seeing stars, and his stomach churned so badly he nearly vomited on the spot.

　　Outside the room, Shen Jinxiu saw the physician staggering out, blood still trickling down his face. Without much thought, he casually pointed at a servant.

　　“Take the physician down and get him treated.”

　　The physician groaned, “Thank you, Young Master Shen… ugh…” He looked like he was about to throw up again. It honestly felt like he’d gotten a concussion from that vase.

　　Shen Jinxiu returned to the Shen Manor with a heavy mood.

　　Then something suddenly crossed his mind. He stopped in his tracks and ordered his trusted subordinate in a low, dark voice, “Arrest all the servants who followed me out today. Not a single one is to be left. Send them all to the Princess’s Manor.”

　　“Also, when you return, bring a few physicians from Baokang Hall into the manor. Make it look proper and grand. I haven’t been feeling well lately, so I’ll be resting at home to recuperate. And Xi’er was also frightened today, her spirit is unsettled. We all need a physician.”

　　“Yes,” the subordinate replied immediately.

　　Shen Jinxiu let out a quiet sigh.

　　He wasn’t trying to avoid Xue Yunshi on purpose with this whole “being ill” excuse. It was just that Xue Yunshi’s mental state had been too unstable earlier.

　　He decided it was better to wait until things calmed down before visiting to check on him.

　　......

　　Shen Ling’s eyes went wide as she stared at the scene in front of her, completely frozen in place as if someone had pressed a pressure point on her.

　　“Your Grace?” Liu Zhu called out softly.

　　Shen Ling waved a hand. “I’m fine. I’m just… just a little too shocked.”

　　She rose from the couch, a hand warmer tucked in her arms, and slowly walked over to where the General was lying. Beside its paws, a small Tibetan mastiff pup was bouncing around energetically.

　　The little one was tiny and chubby, covered in fluffy fur. Standing next to the General, it looked like a miniature copy, almost identical in appearance, just a lot shorter. Unlike the General’s imposing and intimidating presence, the puppy was pure cuteness overload.

　　Shen Ling’s fingers itched. What should she do? She really, really wanted to pet it.

　　But she didn’t dare.

　　Not with the General watching right there.

　　Waaah, she felt like crying.

　　Maybe sensing the faint sadness coming off Shen Ling, the General lifted its head and glanced at her.

　　Then it lowered its gaze again and nudged the little Tibetan mastiff with its nose, gently pushing it away from its own legs and toward Shen Ling.

　　“!!!”

　　Liu Zhu smiled. “Your Grace, the General probably wants you to pet its child.”

　　Shen Ling’s eyes lit up. “Really? I can pet it?”

　　Seeing that Shen Ling still hadn’t moved, the General kept nudging the little one forward.

　　The puppy, however, seemed to think this was a game. Its little chubby body flopped right onto the ground, refusing to move, and it barked at the General excitedly.

　　“Woof! Woof! Woof woof woof!”

　　It sounded almost like it was saying, “Come on, push me again! Push me!”

　　Shen Ling froze completely.

　　Wait a second.

　　Why did this little Tibetan mastiff bark like that?

　　Shouldn’t it be soft and cute like “awoo awoo” instead of this fierce “woof woof woof”?

　　The cuteness level was dropping!

　　But the moment the little Tibetan mastiff’s chubby body bumped into her leg, Shen Ling immediately broke into a bright smile again.

　　What do you mean it was getting less cute? Rubbish. It was basically exploding with cuteness, okay?

　　Shen Ling bent down and scooped the puppy into her arms. “So cute, so cute.” Honestly, no matter what type of mammal it was, it was always adorable during its baby stage.

　　She scratched under its chin, then gently ran her hand along its back and belly.

　　Maybe her petting skills were just too good, because the little one relaxed completely and even rolled over to expose its round belly. Its four tiny legs clung tightly to her hand, refusing to let go.

　　Shen Ling was smiling so widely she looked utterly delighted.

　　She said softly, “Oh? You like this pressure too? Your taste is actually the same as His Majesty’s.”

　　Her fur-smoothing technique was honestly good enough to open a professional academy at this point.

　　Liu Zhu: “……”

　　Your Grace… putting His Majesty and a dog in the same category… isn’t that a bit inappropriate?

　　Shen Ling hugged the little Tibetan mastiff and walked a few steps. Liu Zhu thought she was just heading back to the couch to lie down. Not only Liu Zhu, even the General seemed to think the same.

　　But no one expected what happened next.

　　Shen Ling suddenly bolted out of Chang Le Palace with the little cub in her arms.

　　The pattering footsteps faded farther and farther away until they could no longer be heard at all.

　　Liu Zhu: “……”

　　The palace attendants: “……”

　　Liu Zhu glanced sideways at the General. Even though she was still a little afraid of it, she forced herself to speak in a dry voice.

　　“General… Your Grace just took the little one out to play…”

　　The General: “ROAR!!”

　　I KNOW THAT, YOU TWO-LEGGED CREATURE!

　　It roared straight at Liu Zhu, and she instantly shut her mouth and didn’t dare say another word.

　　The General turned around and slowly made its way in the direction Shen Ling had left.

　　Liu Zhu lifted a foot, about to follow, but the attendants responsible for taking care of the General quickly stopped her.

　　“Lady Liu Zhu, please don’t worry. The General is very intelligent. It knows Her Grace is just playing with it. It won’t hurt her.”

　　These attendants treated the General like a sacred ancestor. They were terrified of serving it poorly and ending up on Xie Yuanxun’s bad side. If that happened, they wouldn’t even know how they died.

　　Liu Zhu replied lightly, “If anything happens to Her Grace, and His Majesty decides to hold people accountable, who here thinks they can escape it?”

　　“Ah… th-that’s… yes, yes, Lady Liu Zhu is right. Her Grace is the priority.”

　　Liu Zhu sighed. “I’m not trying to scare you. Let’s hurry and catch up. If we delay any longer, the General will already be too far ahead.”

　　Shen Ling didn’t wait for the General or Liu Zhu to catch up. She hurried all the way to Taiji Hall.

　　When she saw Xie Yuanxun sitting inside, her steps slowed a little. She lowered her head and carefully hid the little Tibetan mastiff in her arms. Then she walked up to him.

　　“Your Majesty?”

　　Xie Yuanxun looked at her. Under his gaze, Shen Ling instinctively straightened her chest a little.

　　“Why are you here?” he asked flatly.

　　Shen Ling blinked. “Guess what I brought you.”

　　“I’m not guessing,” he replied coldly.

　　“……”

　　—Did you have to refuse so quickly?!

　　Shen Ling’s face immediately fell. If he wasn’t going to play along, what was even the point of this?

　　She started to loosen her grip, about to pull the little Tibetan mastiff out from her arms.

　　Seeing her expression and movement, Xie Yuanxun clicked his tongue.

　　“You changed your clothes?”

　　Shen Ling shook her head hard. “Nope.”

　　He glanced at her head again. “Then it’s a new hairstyle.”

　　Shen Ling kept shaking her head. “Still not.”

　　—I’m definitely not telling you I’m carrying a little puppy.

　　Xie Yuanxun raised a brow. “I know what it is now.”

　　Shen Ling blinked. “What is it?”

　　With a completely blank expression, Xie Yuanxun pointed at the little Tibetan mastiff poking its head out from her arms.

　　“That stupid little thing.”

　　Shen Ling: “……”

　　She looked at the little dog’s head, then at Xie Yuanxun. Seeing that he didn’t show even a trace of surprise, she asked thoughtfully, “So how did you figure it out?”

　　Xie Yuanxun replied flatly, “When you said ‘no’ the first time.”

　　Shen Ling: “……”

　　—Are you kidding me, you saw the little puppy head that early?!

　　—And you still played that whole “guess what I brought you” game with me? You already knew the answer and still acted like you didn’t. Wow, you’re really good at pretending, huh.

　　—I was even a little proud thinking you couldn’t guess it. Turns out… sigh, never mind.

　　Shen Ling set the little Tibetan mastiff down and nudged its little backside, trying to push it toward Xie Yuanxun.

　　But the puppy didn't give her any face. Instead of going forward, it kept backing away.

　　Watching it tuck its tail and shrink back the moment it faced Xie Yuanxun, Shen Ling felt like rolling her eyes straight into the sky.

　　Shen Ling felt like she was being let down beyond saving.

　　—So cowardly. I honestly can’t even look at it.

　　—You’re a Tibetan mastiff. You’re supposed to have some backbone and fierce spirit, not bully the weak and fear the strong!

　　Xie Yuanxun placed his hand on top of the little puppy’s head. The puppy immediately let out a soft, pitiful “awoo” and shrank into a tight little ball.

　　Shen Ling: “……”

　　—Useless little dog!

　　When the General arrived, Shen Ling immediately returned the puppy to it. Her speed in giving it back was so fast there wasn’t even a hint of reluctance.

　　—This cowardly little thing can go home and drink milk instead!

　　Xie Yuanxun said, “Why did you chase them away? I only got to watch for a little while.”

　　Shen Ling: “……”

　　“Watch what exactly? Watch them shed dog fur?”

　　Xie Yuanxun let out a light scoff and said casually, “Fine. If you say there is, then there is.” He looked completely unbothered, like a big shot too lazy to argue over something so beneath him.

　　Shen Ling quickly changed the topic. “Your Majesty, did you send out that ‘fall off a horse and break a leg package’ you mentioned last time?”

　　Xie Yuanxun replied, “Of course I did. It could have been a two-person deal originally, but Shen Jinxiu dodged it. So only Xue Yunshi ended up with a broken leg. The two of them haven’t been having a good time lately.”

　　Heh. Those two useless trash were barely even worth this much entertainment value.

　　That was exactly what Shen Ling felt Xie Yuanxun was implying.

　　So Shen Ling asked him to tell her more about Shen Jinxiu and Xue Yunshi’s situation. Since she couldn’t leave the Palace to watch it live herself, she could only rely on his “broadcast” instead.        

　　Not gonna lie, Xie Yuanxun was honestly terrible at storytelling. If she hadn’t been so desperate to know how miserable Shen Jinxiu was doing, Shen Ling would’ve already walked away by now.

　　To get him to talk more, Shen Ling even clapped her little hands from time to time to set the mood, like she was the only audience in a hall full of thousands.

　　Xie Yuanxun glanced at her. “Why do I feel like you’re treating me like a storyteller?”

　　Shen Ling: “……”

　　“Of course not. You’re overthinking it.”

　　—Cough, was I really that obvious?

　　Xie Yuanxun: “……”

　　Good. He was sure now. She really was treating him like a free storyteller.

　　Heh. Sneaking little advantages from him like this, that was about all she was capable of.

　　Tch. So tacky.

　　Xie Yuanxun’s expression turned unreadable. The next second, he was already pondering about how to stretch out the remaining bits of the story so it would last longer.  

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