"What?!"
"I said, you'll be changing Ye An's bandage." Governess Hsu responded calmly.
"No, I'm sorry. I refuse to do it." Xi Chen shook his head as he firmly turned away from the governess.
Governess Hsu thought of Xi Chen as a mild-mannered man who would never reject anyone's plea for help. Hence, she was surprised by the clear rejection that she had just received. It seemed like she was wrong for making assumptions.
Seeing how the governess was trying to hide her disappointment from the corner of his eyes, Xi Chen suddenly felt conflicted and ran his fingers through his hair. "Shouldn't you be the one to change it? I'm a man and the emperor is.."
"Yes, I should, shouldn't I? But I don't think it's time for me to see her yet.. At least not so soon after what I had told her yesterday. She might refuse to change her dressing if I'm the one who's tending to it. I believe you know her temperament by now." The governess said glumly.
Xi Chen thought about it and sighed. "What about the other servants? The court maids? Can't you teach them?"
"If I were to teach them, I would need to demonstrate it on Ye An since they are either mute, deaf, illiterate, or all of those. But like I said I don't think it's time for me to meet Ye An yet."
"Still.." Xi Chen was put in a difficult predicament. It wasn't as if he didn't want to help, he wanted to, but he just didn't think that he could help in the way that the governess was requesting him to. And so, he tried grasping at whatever he could. "Or you could just use me to demonstrate to the court maids?"
"Lieutenant Yun, those servants don't have any medical expertise. It would take me too much time to teach them how to dress the wound properly. You're in the military, and I believe you have the basic knowledge and experience in bandaging wounds. That is why I'm assigning this task to you. And not only that, it is also because I know that you are an honorable man and I trust you."
Xi Chen looked into the governess's pleading eyes before sighing and giving in. "Alright, I'll do it."
"Thank you, Lieutenant Yun." Governess Hsu grabbed Xi Chen's hands and gratefully thanked him. "Now, you only need to take off the bandage that she has on now. The paste that I put on yesterday was not as fine as the one that I've prepared today since it was just a bunch of herbs that I haphazardly pounded. It would probably just come off with the bandage. If there's still some residue on her, gently wipe it away with some clean warm water before putting the fresh ointment on the wound. Then, wrap the bandage as tightly as you can. And make sure the bandage wraps tightly over her entire chest area. Ye An knows how to do it. Ask her if there's any problem."
While listening to the governess, Xi Chen started to regret his decision. "Is there really no way for someone else to do this instead of me?"
Governess Hsu merely looked at him quietly.
Xi Chen could only sigh dejectedly. How could the governess trust him with this task? He himself wasn't even sure that he was as much of an honorable man that the governess thought that he was.
"Now, I need to go and prepare your morning meals so I'll leave this to you, alright? Oh and make sure she drinks the medicine while it's still warm. She needs to have it before her meal. I'll send over your breakfasts before her morning reading session with Tutor Jiang today. She'll need to have something to take the edge off the medicine else her stomach might be upset by the medicine's strong effects."
Xi Chen only nodded, not trusting himself to speak.
After Governess Hsu left, Xi Chen picked up the medicinal supplies and left his chambers dejectedly. He took long strides across the courtyard towards the emperor's chambers. The court maids who usually stood by outside the emperor's private chambers were nowhere to be seen. Xi Chen assumed that they were inside to help the emperor dress for the day.
Xi Chen gave a soft knock on the wooden frame of the door.
"Who is it?" Ye An's voice rang out clearly.
"It's me, Your Imperial Majesty. The governess asked me to pass the medicine for your wound to you."
It took some time before Ye An answered. "Come in."
Xi Chen opened the door and as he assumed earlier, the emperor was dressing. A screen was temporarily erected between the entrance and the emperor, blocking Xi Chen's view.
A court maid came over to accept the medicine on behalf of Ye An.
"Your Imperial Majesty, you wound needs to be redressed too. And um- Governess Hsu sent me on behalf of her."
By that time, Ye An was nearly fully dressed. She pushed the screen aside while wrapping the outermost robe and tying the sash herself, surprising Xi Chen. "What? You? But-"
Suddenly remembering that the court maids were still in the room, Ye An waved her hand and ordered them to leave. The court maids bowed and closed the doors behind them.
Once they were alone, Xi Chen continued their conversation. "Yes, I understand your concern. I refused at first as well but the governess insisted."
"Couldn't she do it herself?"
"Do you want her to? I could call her back if that's what you want." Xi Chen looked calm on the outside but on the inside, he was praying hard that Ye An would request for the governess instead.
Ye An thought about the encounter yesterday and what was revealed to her. She couldn't help but feel a sense of betrayal from the governess. Truthfully, she was even feeling a little resentful towards Governess Hsu for keeping such a secret from her. "No.."
Xi Chen was disappointed, but only slightly. Even without her telling him, he understood the dilemma that Ye An was in. Xi Chen's eyes softened as he spoke quietly. "If it makes you feel better, I'll do it from behind."
"..."
Replaying his last words in his head, Xi Chen realized it probably sounded really inappropriate. "Please don't misunderstand! I just meant that I'll tend to your wounds with your back facing me."
Ye An sighed. She really didn't want to be put in this awkward position with the lieutenant but Ye An suddenly remembered that one time when she left a wound for too long without redressing and the wound ended up being infected. It happened when she was twelve. She had a huge cut on her leg while she was out of the palace. It was the time when she met Xiao Yan for the first time. She didn't want the governess to find out that she had snuck out so she just slapped some herbal paste that she had secretly obtained from the royal physician's office and carelessly wrapped the wound up herself. The wound was left improperly bandaged for a few days until she felt like her flesh was being eaten up alive by the wound itself. Ye An could still remember the putrid smell when she finally let Governess Hsu tend to her wound. The memory made Ye An shudder.
Xi Chen saw Ye An's disgusted shudder and thought that it was directed at him so he turned away. "I should just ask Governess Hsu to help you with this."
"No! It's fine. Let's just get this over with." Ye An grabbed onto Xi Chen's arm and said in determination.
There was a pause in the room as they looked at each other awkwardly.
Xi Chen gave out what felt like his hundredth sigh of the day and took a resolute breath into his dry lungs. "Alright."
He went over to the table where a kettle sat and poured the now lukewarm water into the clean basin that was used by Ye An to clean up earlier. Xi Chen then pulled two stools and placed them by the table before sitting at one of the stools himself. The medicinal supplies that he had brought along with him were placed on the ground beside him. Xi Chen patted on the stool in front of him to prompt the emperor to sit which Ye An cautiously did.
With her back to the lieutenant, Ye An untied the sash that she had just tied earlier and pulled down the outer robe, letting it pool at the floor to reveal her white inner robe. She then unsashed the inner robe and let it fall to the ground as well.
There was palpable static in the air as Xi Chen's eyes involuntarily followed Ye An's every move. Xi Chen cleared his throat subtly in a bid to clear his mind as he prepared to remove the bandage over Ye An's chest. One hand held the small of her back as he prepared to cut the bandage off at the center of her spine with a small knife. When their skin made contact, Ye An shivered and Xi Chen's hand trembled slightly, both trying to conceal how much that touch affected them.
Xi Chen shook his head before continuing. Focus, Xi Chen. You don't want to accidentally hurt her. After what seemed like a million years, the bandage was finally off. Ye An let out a gasp as her chest was exposed to the frigid morning air.
Knowing that the emperor was probably cold, Xi Chen tried to reassure Ye An. "I'll make it quick."
Like the governess told him, the herbal paste did come off with the bandage taking with them most of the now-crusted blood that seeped into the blend of herbs but there were some pieces of herbs still stuck to the wound. He dabbed the corner of the used bandage with the water in the basin and wiped at the wound gently. As gentle as he was, it still made Ye An hiss in pain.
"Is it still painful?" Xi Chen asked in concern.
"Of course it's still painful. Do you want me to shoot an arrow at you so that you could experience it for yourself and see if it's still painful just one day after you've been shot?" Ye An spat.
Xi Chen was flustered by Ye An's reaction. "My apologies, Your Imperial Majesty. I thought that you were all better since you seemed to be fine during yesterday's meeting with the Northerners."
Ye An sighed, already regretting her childish spite. "It's alright. It was probably the medicine that helped with the pain. I think it's losing its effect now."
Realizing that she hadn't drunk the medicine that he brought earlier, Xi Chen said, "You should have it after we're done here. Governess Hsu said that you have to drink up while it's still warm."
Xi Chen picked up the ointment that was placed at his foot. When he opened the container, he could see that it was a slightly different concoction than the one that he had just removed from Ye An. He took a spoonful of the paste using the wooden spoon that came with it and dabbed it on the wound.
As they were talking, Xi Chen started wrapping the bandage. "Could you lift both your arms up, Your Imperial Majesty?"
Ye An did as Xi Chen had requested. As he started to wrap the bandage around her, Xi Chen adjusted his posture and leaned in. Ye An could feel the lieutenant's light breath on the nape of her neck and the warmth that was radiating from him. All of her hairs were now standing in attention not because of the cold but because of how aware she was of Xi Chen's close proximity.
Ye An suddenly realized that she was holding her breath the entire time and her air supply was rapidly declining. She wanted to gulp some air into her lungs but felt really embarrassed to do so with the lieutenant's arms around her. She was almost blue when Xi Chen finally finished with the bandage.
Ye An gasped and scrambled to pull both her inner and outer robes once they're done, sashing them tightly over her body and was probably cutting off her own circulation. She felt a sudden surge of embarrassment and adamantly kept her back to the lieutenant. "Y-you can go now. T-thank you."
Sensing the sudden panic from the emperor, Xi Chen quietly and quickly packed his supplies. Before he left the room, Xi Chen stopped at the doors without turning to look at Ye An. "Take your time, Your Imperial Majesty. I'll head back to my chambers first. Don't forget to drink your medicine before it cools. You need to have it before we have our morning meal later. Governess Hsu said that she'll have some food brought to us before your morning reading session so that you won't have an upset stomach after the medicine."
Once he closed the doors to the emperor's residence behind him, he finally let out a huge breath of relief. He clutched at his racing heart as he staggered back to his own residence, eyes unfocused. Xi Chen wondered if Ye An heard his pounding heartbeat. He felt as if his heart was thumping outside of his body the entire time he was in the emperor's private chambers.
When he was finally inside his chambers, he threw the supplies by the door and slumped in one of the chairs nearest to him. He bent over and covered his reddening face with both of his hands. His ears were already beet red when he was in the emperor's chambers but Ye An didn't notice since she had her back to him the entire time.
Consumed with a sudden surge of determination, Xi Chen stood up abruptly. "I need to help her and the governess mend their relationship. I can't do this another time." He thought he might either die of a heart attack or embarrassment or both.
After putting in a tremendous effort to calm and center himself, Xi Chen strode back to the emperor's chambers when the sun slowly bathed the courtyard between their two residences.
Xi Chen rapped his knuckles on the door frame.
"Come in, Lieutenant Yun."
"Your Imperial Majesty." Xi Chen greeted.
Ye An only nodded.
Xi Chen took his usual seat adjacent to the emperor. "Did you have your medicine already?"
"Yes." Ye An gave the shortest answer possible.
Both of them started on their meals in uncomfortable silence. The atmosphere was different today. They usually had a lot to talk about, from the invasion, to the hunt, to Ye An asking Xi Chen on his views on Confucianism, food, and culture. Even when they were dining in silence, it was usually easygoing, not tensed like how it currently was.
Ye An cleared her throat. "I realized that I've forgotten to ask you for a favor, Lieutenant Yun."
"What is it?" Xi Chen lifted his head from his meal searchingly.
"To keep my secret."
+*Thanks for reading! Don't forget to vote, comment, and follow if you like what you've read <3*+