[BL] Eternal Spring

第三十一章

A/N  Winter break is finally here!!! An early happy holidays with a (almost) 3k chapter!

After the whole incident, there was a brief spell of quiet. Despite his responsibilities, the king still had time to drag him to the imperial physician and get his leg assessed. The doctor was baffled by the rate of recovery and could only lament that young people had good vitality and healed quickly. He could only prescribe a tonic to boost bone growth and suggest reduction of strenuous use of his leg. Because Liu Qingyuan refused to obediently stay in bed, an extra chair was installed in the king's study.

Jiang Zhilan was working through his usual pile of documents when Eunuch Shuang announced the presence of noble consort, Xiu Ying. Jiang Zhilan frowned, but he assented her entrance with a noncommittal hum.

Xiu Ying entered, her jade skin luminous and her rosebud lips pouty and red. Her haughty neck supported a head full of gold and jewels and an exquisite fur lined, cream coloured robe was wrapped around her slender figure. A timid maid followed after her, her head lowered so much, one couldn't even see her face. "This consort greets your majesty." She smiled gracefully as she straightened up.

"En." Jiang Zhilan said. He put down his brush, picking up the teacup by his hand and taking a sip. "Does consort Xiu require something?" Otherwise, why would you have come to see this king? Liu Qingyuan quietly got up to refill Jiang Zhilan's cup with tea.

"Can this consort not come to see your majesty? After seeing you well, I feel much better."

"Oh..." Jiang Zhilan was a bit distracted, eyeing the cup at his side. Liu Qingyuan, this broken servant! He suspected he was doing this deliberately. After speaking, Xiu Ying raised her hand delicately and coughed quietly into her sleeve. She glanced up, gaze fluttering at the perfect angle only to freeze. The king wasn't even looking at her! "That's enough, that's enough." Jiang Zhilan quickly patted Liu Qingyuan's hand, stopping the flow of tea that was about to come out of the teacup. "Ai...why did you fill it so much?"

The tea in the cup held an alluring honey bronzed colour but the taste was rather...indescribable. Only, the imperial physician had prescribed this pot of medicinal tea to keep up his health as winter began. Jiang Zhilan sucked slightly on his tongue, trying to get rid of the deep bitter taste.

"Cough, cough!" The sound came again from the side and Jiang Zhilan finally remembered there was a noble consort waiting in front of him. Xiu Ying raised teary and delicate eyes. "Just a small matter...a small matter..."

"Oh...did you say something?" Xiu Ying's maid saw her mistress' brewing temper and quickly jumped in. "My lady hasn't been feeling well lately, but she came here just to check on you..."

"Xiao Tao! Don't trouble his majesty with such small matters! Cough, cough..."

"My lady! How can your health be a small matter?! You've worked too hard, keeping the harem in check..." Over here, the master-servant pair were successfully performing a two-man play. But on the other side, the audience was busy performing their own private show.

"Qingyuan! That's enough!" The king hissed under his teeth. He'd taken a large gulp of tea to placate Liu Qingyuan's insistent stare but who knew that empty space in the teacup would be immediately filled back up by him?

"The doctor said you must finish this pot of tea. It's getting cold and reheating it would lessen its effects." Jiang Zhilan stared mournfully at the full cup, his grip still clutching Liu Qingyuan's sleeve in a desperate attempt to pull his arm away.

"I'm not that delicate. This little bit of cold won't do anything to me."

"Your majesty's body is precious. You must take care of it."