The Tyrant’s Drama Queen Empress

CHAPTER 63: I Don’t Want to Cuddle With You!

　　“She wants to invite an imperial physician?” Xie Yuanxun listened as Senior Eunuch Feng reported the reason Princess Yuzhen had entered the palace. He frowned slightly, but soon seemed to think of something, and his expression turned amused. “Wasn’t it said that Xue Yunshi’s legs are already completely beyond saving? Why are they still coming to me for an imperial physician?”

　　Are they stupid? The legs he personally approved to be ruined, and now they still want to borrow an imperial physician from him to treat them. Do they not have brains?

　　Shen Ling, who had been listening at the side, spoke up considerately to comfort him. “Your Majesty, just lend them an imperial physician. You can even experience what it feels like to be ‘a cat crying over a mouse’ with fake compassion.”

　　“Besides, at a time like this, Xue Yunshi is probably clinging to the imperial physician like a lifeline. Deep down, he might still be holding onto the hope that his legs can be cured.”

　　Shen Ling sighed, “He’s already this miserable. Of course we should give him a heavy blow!”

　　—The higher his expectations, the deeper his disappointment will be.

　　—Wuwu, I don’t even want to be this cruel. My brain hasn’t even given the order yet, and my mouth already said it first. I’m actually still very delicate.

　　Xie Yuanxun looked at her. “Seems like you and I were thinking the same thing.”

　　Shen Ling let out a dry laugh.

　　“Wait, wait, wait—”

　　She stared straight into his eyes. “If that’s what you were thinking too, then why didn’t you say it earlier?”

　　—Why do I feel like you were just waiting for me to say it?

　　Xie Yuanxun replied, “Maybe I wanted to see how much tacit understanding we have. Didn’t expect the result to be this good.”

　　He patted Shen Ling on the shoulder. “No wonder you’ve never fallen out of favor.”

　　Shen Ling, “……”

　　—So me not losing favor is because I’m just too adorable?

　　—Pah!

　　—Who wants to have this kind of tacit understanding with you? I’m clearly a very kind person!

　　Xie Yuanxun said, “Let an imperial physician accompany her out of the palace.”

　　Senior Eunuch Feng replied, “Yes, this old servant will go inform Princess Yuzhen at once.”

　　At that moment, Liu Zhu entered the hall carrying a new batch of storybooks. These had all been selected according to Shen Ling’s preferences by Liu Yun. Most of the time, Liu Yun had been arranged by Shen Ling to stay at Music Palace. With Liu Yun around, whenever Shen Ling wanted to read, Liu Zhu could just head over and pick them up directly, no longer needing to spend time choosing like before.

　　As soon as Liu Zhu set the books down, Shen Ling picked one up, ready to read. Liu Zhu kept her head lowered and spoke softly, “Your Grace, Liu Yun mentioned that these storybooks were taken away by Senior Eunuch Feng before.”

　　Shen Ling paused. “Senior Eunuch Feng?” Would he even read storybooks? No, maybe it wasn’t him. More likely it was Xie Yuanxun. After all, without his order, Senior Eunuch Feng wouldn’t dare touch Shen Ling’s belongings on his own.

　　Shen Ling looked at Xie Yuanxun, suspicion clear in her eyes. “Your Majesty?”

　　—Did you read my storybooks?

　　Xie Yuanxun said, “I read a few. Nothing worth reading.” There was a hint of disdain on his face.

　　Shen Ling rolled her eyes.

　　—Right, right, nothing worth reading. And yet you still read them, hehe!

　　Shen Ling asked, “Which ones did you read?” She planned to pick those out to read herself.

　　Xie Yuanxun replied, “Why are you asking that? I don’t even remember when I read them. You insist on reading the ones I’ve touched. Being clingy isn’t supposed to be like this.”

　　Shen Ling gave a dry laugh. “Sure, whatever you say.”

　　—Clingy? Since when was I being clingy?

　　—I didn’t even say you were the one clinging to me. You didn’t seem like someone who would read storybooks before, after all.

　　Since Xie Yuanxun wouldn’t tell her, Shen Ling had no choice but to find out herself. She originally thought she’d have to ask him one by one, but then she realized that identifying which books he had read was actually ridiculously easy.

　　It turned out that Xie Yuanxun had actually left annotations in the storybooks!

　　Things like “utter nonsense,” “incredibly stupid,” “complete idiot,” “should be killed,” “no brain at all?” and “mediocre ability, yet ridiculously ambitious” were all written in his sharp, merciless hand.

　　Shen Ling skimmed through the books he had annotated and found that, overall, his evaluations were actually pretty fair.

　　She commented, “It’s just that your wording is a bit too harsh.”

　　Xie Yuanxun replied, “I was evaluating them based on your personality.”

　　Shen Ling, “……”

　　—Now that’s a reply I don’t even know how to respond to.

　　......

　　On the other side, Princess Yuzhen left the palace with the imperial physician. The moment they passed through the palace gates, the tension in her body finally loosened.

　　When she got onto the carriage, she almost stumbled, but fortunately the nanny caught her in time. “Your Highness, you’ve worked hard.”

　　Princess Yuzhen shook her head. “It’s nothing. It’s all for Yunshi. Seeing him in so much pain is what truly tortures my heart.”

　　News that the imperial physician had arrived at the Princess’s Manor quickly spread throughout the residence.

　　The few physicians who had been desperately waiting for someone to take over nearly burst into tears on the spot when they heard the news.

　　He’s here, the imperial physician is finally here!

　　Now they no longer had to worry about losing their heads.

　　The imperial physician first reviewed Xue Yunshi’s previous medical records before sitting down to take his pulse and examine his legs. Xue Yunshi lay on the bed without speaking. On the surface, he looked calm, but his eyes, fixed tightly on the imperial physician, revealed everything he was feeling.

　　After finishing the examination, the imperial physician withdrew his hand.

　　Xue Yunshi hurriedly asked, “Imperial Physician, how are my legs?” Is there still any chance of recovery?

　　Surely the imperial physician’s skills should be better than those few physicians kept in the manor, right?

　　Under Xue Yunshi’s intense gaze, the imperial physician slowly shook his head. “A person’s ability to walk relies on both the bones and the meridians. What people usually refer to as a ‘broken leg’ is often just a fracture, a dislocation, or a joint injury. However, Marquis, your condition is different. The bones in both your legs have been completely shattered. I do have a medicinal plaster you can use over a long period of time. Its effects may stimulate new bone growth based on the old structure. However, as for the meridians in your legs that have lost function and snapped, I am powerless to restore them.”

　　In short, the imperial physician’s conclusion was simple.

　　He couldn’t save his legs either.

　　Xue Yunshi’s expression turned terrifying after hearing this. His fists clenched tightly, the veins on his forehead bulging. A metallic taste rose in his mouth, and he knew he had been so enraged that he was coughing up blood.

　　He swallowed the blood back down and fixed his gaze on the imperial physician. “Thank you for making this trip. As for the matter of my legs, I ask that you do not tell anyone else.”

　　The imperial physician replied, “Rest assured, I won’t tell others.”

　　But if someone were to ask, for example Senior Eunuch Feng, he would report everything truthfully. After all, he had only agreed not to voluntarily tell others. He had never promised to stay silent if questioned.

　　And even if Xue Yunshi thought of that possibility, it wouldn’t change anything. If the imperial physician were to meet Senior Eunuch Feng, he would still speak.

　　If Senior Eunuch Feng came asking, what would that represent? It meant Xie Yuanxun would be involved.

　　There was no way the imperial physician would risk his own life just to keep Xue Yunshi’s secret.

　　Although the imperial physician’s visit didn’t cure Xue Yunshi, it did allow him to go from being bedridden to at least sitting on a soft couch and being carried out of his room by servants.

　　Xue Yunshi asked his trusted subordinate, “What’s the situation with the Duke of Fuguo?”

　　The subordinate replied, “The Duke’s attitude toward you hasn’t changed. The people we planted in his army are all still there, not a single one missing. I’ve asked around, and they remain loyal to you, Marquis. Miss Song is also very concerned about you. She’s sent quite a lot of medicinal supplies to the Princess’s Manor.”

　　Hearing this, Xue Yunshi felt somewhat reassured. “Looks like that father and daughter are still under my control.”

　　After checking on the arrangements he had previously set up, he said coldly, “Go and summon Shen Jinxiu.”

　　“Yes,” the subordinate replied.

　　At the Shen Manor, Shen Jinxiu met the person sent by Xue Yunshi to invite him to the Princess’s Manor. His expression darkened, and he let out a silent sigh inwardly.

　　He had been pretending to be ill for so long, yet it seemed he still couldn’t avoid Xue Yunshi in the end.

　　Shen Jinxiu gave a bitter smile and shook his head. “Marquis Xue… he’s blaming me.”

　　Shen Xi looked at the expression on his face and gently fiddled with the handkerchief in her hand. She said gently, “Marquis Xue is being completely unreasonable. He got injured because he couldn’t control his horse properly. What does that have to do with you? Instead, you were the one dragged into it and frightened for nothing. If I’d known, we never should’ve gone with him that day.”

　　Every word Shen Xi said hit right where it mattered most.

　　Shen Jinxiu gently touched her cheek. “You’ve always been so kind and understanding.”

　　He knew Shen Kangzheng and Madam Jiang were unhappy with his feelings for Shen Xi, but what did they know? Compared to other women, Shen Xi was the only one truly compatible with him, both in body and in heart.

　　After parting with Shen Xi, Shen Jinxiu headed straight to the Princess’s Manor.

　　The moment he saw Xue Yunshi, he was shocked.

　　It hadn’t been that long since they last met, so how had Xue Yunshi become this thin? Even his aura had changed, turning cold and eerie.

　　Xue Yunshi was resting with his eyes closed. At the sound of Shen Jinxiu’s footsteps, he opened his eyes slowly and looked over.

　　But when he saw Shen Jinxiu’s perfectly fine legs, Xue Yunshi actually curled his lips into a faint smile.

　　Xue Yunshi said, “Jinxiu, you’re here.”

　　Shen Jinxiu replied, “Marquis, are your legs better?”

　　“Almost,” Xue Yunshi said lightly. His eyes darkened slightly. So eager to know the condition of his legs? Of course, he had no intention of telling him the truth.

　　Xue Yunshi waved him over. “I’ve been waiting for you. Come here, Jinxiu. I was planning to go back to my room, but there’s only one servant with me. The other one went to get my medicine. Why don’t you help carry the couch and take me inside? What do you think?”

　　Shen Jinxiu looked at Xue Yunshi’s smiling face and slowly closed his eyes.

　　Did Xue Yunshi really think he was an idiot?

　　The malice hidden in those words was obvious enough. There was no way he couldn’t feel it.

　　Being asked to carry the couch together with a servant was pure humiliation.

　　Xue Yunshi let out a soft sigh. “Jinxiu, why aren’t you answering me? Don’t tell me you’re unwilling? Ah, right. You’re the treasured talent of the Shen family, the one destined to bring honor to the household. How could someone like you do something like this?”

　　He let out a faint, mocking chuckle.

　　A dark, malicious glint lingered in Xue Yunshi’s eyes.

　　Shen Jinxiu, “...I’ll carry it.”

　　He didn’t want to completely break things off with Xue Yunshi. If he didn’t let him vent some of his anger, Shen Jinxiu was afraid Xue Yunshi would keep coming after him.

　　Unfortunately, Shen Jinxiu was thinking far too simply.

　　The anger in Xue Yunshi’s heart wasn’t something that could be easily let go. Especially now that he had confirmed his legs would never recover, that resentment only deepened further.

　　After that, Xue Yunshi summoned Shen Jinxiu to the Princess's Manor every single day. And every time he came, Xue Yunshi would deliberately order him around, making him do the work of a servant.

　　Things like wiping his legs and applying medicinal ointment, reading to him, or even making Shen Jinxiu personally go into the freezing cold pond water to catch fish for him to eat.

　　Shen Jinxiu gradually grew haggard from it all.

　　He barely had any time left to spend with Shen Xi when he returned home.

　　When Shen Jinxiu’s attention toward Shen Xi lessened, her quality of life naturally took a hit as well. Madam Jiang was already dissatisfied and distant toward her, and the maids and servants in the inner residence were the type who always looked at who was favored and who wasn’t, bowing and scraping to the powerful while trampling the weak. On top of that, Shen Jinxiu was constantly tied up dealing with Xue Yunshi’s endless difficulties, so Shen Xi’s days inevitably became uncomfortable.

　　Her meals were no longer served piping hot, the dishes had been reduced to only a few repeated options, and even the porcelain in her room had not been changed in a long time.

　　Shen Xi did think about selling off those neglectful servants, but their contracts were all in Madam Jiang’s hands. She had no way to move them at all.

　　In the end, she could only take the initiative to go to Shen Jinxiu’s courtyard, casually hinting at her grievances so he would stand up for her.

　　Shen Jinxiu said, “I’ve already chased those servants out. I haven’t had time to come see you lately, you’ve been wronged.”

　　Shen Xi shook her head. “I’m not the one who’s wronged. You are. Look at you, you’ve lost weight, and there are dark circles under your eyes. It’s obvious you haven’t been sleeping properly.” She continued complaining softly, “I really don’t know what Marquis Xue is trying to do. Why is he making things so difficult for you? In my opinion, his temper is just too bad. It’s no wonder even the heavens couldn’t stand it and made his legs break.”

　　Shen Jinxiu didn’t stop Shen Xi from complaining. He only spoke after she finished.

　　“You shouldn’t say things like that anymore,” he said quietly. “He’s still a Marquis, and he’s also my friend. I should be the one sharing his suffering.”

　　“And besides, the palace banquet is coming up soon. His condition has actually improved quite a bit lately.”

　　Shen Xi replied, “The palace banquet? Then when you attend it, you have to tell me everything after you come back. I’ve been to one before.”

　　Shen Jinxiu lowered his voice. “It’s fine. In the future, you can attend as many palace banquets as you want, as long as…”

　　As long as what he and Xue Yunshi planned to do at the banquet succeeded, then those words he said to Shen Xi would come true.

　　Shen Jinxiu never doubted that Xue Yunshi’s legs wouldn’t recover. After all, Xue Yunshi himself had said they were almost healed. Once everything was done, the suffering Shen Jinxiu endured during this time would all be worth it.

　　But what he didn’t know was that Xue Yunshi’s claim about his legs “almost being healed” was nothing but a lie.

　　......

　　From the last day of the year into the new year, the palace traditionally held a grand banquet.

　　Shen Ling, who hated the cold, stayed tucked away in the Chang Le Palace. Unless there was something urgent, she rarely went out. She only heard about the upcoming banquet from Liu Zhu.

　　But what she found strange was that even though a palace banquet was being prepared, the palace didn’t feel festive at all. There was no excitement, no buzz in the air.

　　Curious, Shen Ling asked Liu Zhu about it, and ended up hearing a whole story about Xie Yuanxun’s past “creative decisions.” In short, not a single banquet in previous years had gone by normally or peacefully.

　　Whenever nothing was wrong, Xie Yuanxun would somehow make something go wrong. At this point, it almost felt like another “special tradition” of the palace during his reign.

　　Shen Ling was eating hot pot when Xie Yuanxun walked in from outside, bringing a wave of cold air with him.

　　Shen Ling exclaimed, “Don’t come any closer! Get rid of that cold air on you before you come over!”

　　“I’m warm and cozy right now, and I do not want to feel your chill.”

　　Xie Yuanxun: “…”

　　She dared to openly dislike him like that? Her courage really had gotten bigger.

　　But the real question was, was Xie Yuanxun the type of person who actually listened to others?

　　Of course he wasn’t.

　　Not only did he not keep his distance like Shen Ling demanded, he actually strode over in a few quick steps and pulled her straight into his arms.

　　And then he pressed his face against hers.

　　That would’ve been bad enough already, but he even started rubbing against her.

　　Shen Ling: “!!!”

　　“I said get off meeeee!”

　　“I do NOT want to stick to you! And I definitely do NOT want you rubbing against me!!” 

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