Chapter 13: Desire

After leaving Wangchun Pavilion, Zhao Chong originally intended to return to the Hall of Diligent Governance.

But upon catching sight of the small glazed wine jar, he began thinking of Yun Ying. He decided to head to Qingzhu Pavilion to see her and, unexpectedly, arrived just as she was feeling unwell.

Under normal circumstances, a concubine’s nameplate would be removed from the roster during her menstrual period.

However, Zhao Chong had already made up his mind earlier to visit Wangchun Pavilion regarding the incident of the venomous snake at Qingzhu Pavilion, so he had simply instructed the eunuchs without paying attention to anything else.

His arrival had been too sudden.

To find her in discomfort and to be secretly resented for it wasn’t something worth getting hung up on.

In truth, this was Zhao Chong’s first time witnessing a woman suffering during her period.

Although he didn’t understand why it would be so severe, seeing Yun Ying in such visible pain—sweat beading on her forehead, lips bitten to endure the ache, her face deathly pale—made him take the matter seriously, even if he didn’t grasp the cause.

After carrying Yun Ying into the inner chamber and placing her on the bed, Zhao Chong saw a thin sheen of sweat on her forehead. Her pearly teeth bit into her lip as she endured the pain, her delicate face growing paler by the second. As she faintly opened her eyes, tears shimmered at the corners, and her usual vitality was nowhere to be seen. He couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of pity.

Zhao Chong wanted to express concern, but then remembered her complaints.

He paused, withdrew his arm, straightened up, and glanced sideways at the chief palace maid beside her. “Is there any way to make your mistress more comfortable?”

Biliu quickly bowed and replied, “Your Majesty, when Her Ladyship is like this, she usually uses a warming bottle to ease the pain in her abdomen.”

“It helps relieve some of the discomfort.”

A warming bottle?

Even in such hot weather?

Zhao Chong was briefly stunned, then said, “Where is it? Bring it to her immediately.”

Biliu responded at once, quickly fetched the warming bottle, refilled it with hot water, and placed it into Yun Ying’s arms. She also pulled over a thin silk quilt to cover her.

Zhao Chong stood silently by the bed and watched. Seeing Yun Ying curled up under the quilt, a bulge at her abdomen, her expression easing slightly, he finally understood why her hand had felt so cold when he held it outside earlier.

Being forced to hug a warming bottle in the middle of summer—how could she not have felt like that?

All the more reason to summon the imperial physician to examine her.

With this in mind, Zhao Chong sat down beside the bed.

He reached out and gently brushed the messy strands of hair from her forehead. “Beloved consort, endure it a little longer. The physician will be here shortly.”

With the warming bottle pressed against her abdomen through her clothes, the intense cramps gradually eased. Yun Ying’s discomfort lessened, and her previously irritable mood softened somewhat. Hearing Zhao Chong’s words, she lifted her eyes to look at him.

She had been surprised when the emperor suddenly scooped her up outside the corridor.

And now he was actually comforting her—quite a rare tenderness.

Tender as he might be…

If the emperor stayed at Qingzhu Pavilion tonight, she would inevitably have to serve him, entertain him. She really wasn’t in the mood.

So, taking advantage of the moment while she wasn’t in too much pain, Yun Ying decided to “considerately” speak up. Her voice was hoarse and weak as she said, “This concubine is unwell and fears she cannot serve Your Majesty tonight. I beg Your Majesty’s forgiveness.”

Zhao Chong, thinking she felt guilty, was about to reassure her when she added, “I also ask that Your Majesty visit another palace instead, so as not to dampen your mood.”

Zhao Chong paused, uncertain—was she hoping he would leave?

He tested her intentions. “It’s no matter. Since you’re not feeling well, I’ll stay and keep you company.”

Yun Ying replied, “This concubine dares not.”

“This concubine is unwell. I beg Your Majesty to go elsewhere, lest it be detrimental to Your Majesty.”

The reason she said “detrimental” was because, in the eyes of many, a woman’s period was considered impure and harmful to men.

Though Yun Ying found such superstitions utterly ridiculous, she couldn’t be sure whether the emperor believed them.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Chong’s intention to stay the night at Qingzhu Pavilion was firm.

“I don’t believe in all that superstitious nonsense. You need not worry nor try to persuade me otherwise.”

Yun Ying: “…”

Forget it. After all, even when he had selected her previously, nothing had happened.

Zhao Chong, hearing her inner voice clearly: “…”

Was she… dissatisfied with him?

For a moment, Zhao Chong felt she was utterly outrageous. To think that he—an emperor—would be viewed this way by one of his own concubines? He was both amused and slightly annoyed.

He glanced over at her. Her eyes, clear as autumn water, carried an innocent expression, which only made his teeth itch. And yet, with her current condition, there wasn’t much he could do.

But the future is long.

Zhao Chong narrowed his eyes slightly and raised his voice, asking whether the physician had arrived.

Since the emperor had personally given the order, no one dared to delay. A eunuch rushed off to the Imperial Medical Academy.

The attending physician for the night was quickly summoned to Qingzhu Pavilion.

The physician arrived out of breath, barely having time to catch it before he followed the palace attendants into the inner chamber.

With his head lowered, he passed through a screen painted with landscapes and saw gauzy curtains falling around the bed. The emperor stood beside it with hands clasped behind his back. The physician immediately stepped forward and bowed.

“No need for formalities, Imperial Physician Liu,” Zhao Chong said. “See to Lady Yun’s pulse first.”

The physician immediately complied, bowed once more, and stepped up to the bed to take Yun Ying’s pulse.

The room fell silent during the examination. Zhao Chong stood by, observing and listening to the physician’s thoughts.

After a long moment, Physician Liu withdrew his hand and respectfully saluted Zhao Chong. “Your Majesty, Lady Yun’s pulse shows signs of a sunken and taut pattern. It suggests liver qi stagnation and cold deficiency in the Chong and Ren meridians. When these meridians are cold and deficient, it leads to qi stagnation and blood stasis, which causes pain when the flow is blocked.”

This aligned with what the physician had already internally assessed.

Knowing he hadn’t concealed anything, Zhao Chong asked, “How should it be treated?”

Physician Liu replied, “This humble servant will first prescribe a formula to soothe the liver, regulate qi, activate blood, and dissolve stasis. I will also administer acupuncture to relieve the sharp abdominal pain. However, after today, Lady Yun will need long-term, gentle nourishment, a regulated diet, and should avoid cold foods. If she follows the treatment plan with both medicine and acupuncture for several months, she should recover without further issues.”

Zhao Chong looked at Yun Ying. Seeing no objection from her, he nodded. “Very well. I’ll leave Lady Yun’s treatment in your care, Physician Liu.”

Physician Liu bowed deeply. “This humble servant accepts the order.”

He then proceeded to administer acupuncture treatment to Yun Ying.

Zhao Chong stood at the bedside the entire time, watching Yun Ying lie there languidly, enduring the treatment without resistance. Yet, as Imperial Physician Liu stepped out to the outer chamber to write a prescription, she still couldn’t help but say with a touch of guilt, “Your Majesty, this concubine truly cannot serve you tonight.”

Once again suspecting that Yun Ying hoped for his departure, Zhao Chong couldn’t help but ask, “Beloved, why do you seem unwilling for me to stay tonight?”

Seeing that he truly had no intention of leaving, Yun Ying gave up completely. “It was this concubine’s loose tongue. I beg Your Majesty’s forgiveness.”

At that moment, Yun Ying was still undergoing acupuncture and didn’t have much else on her mind.

Zhao Chong couldn’t pick up on any of her inner thoughts, nor could he confirm his suspicions. He could only let it go and moved to sit on the arhat bed nearby to wait.

Physician Liu’s acupuncture session lasted for about half an hour. Meanwhile, the palace staff took nearly a full hour to prepare and decoct the medicine.

By the time the medicinal soup was delivered to the inner chamber, it was already quite late.

When Zhao Chong returned to the bedside, Yun Ying was drinking the medicine with Biliu’s help.

The bitter medicine, in Yun Ying’s eyes, was no different from slow torture. She didn’t hesitate and downed the entire bowl in one go.

The intense bitterness instantly overwhelmed her tongue.

She furrowed her brows deeply and, unable to hold back, muttered a curse in her heart. Zhao Chong caught it loud and clear, and was both shocked and amused.

Though surprised—

Because it was Yun Ying, he wasn’t too astonished.

“Have a preserved plum to get rid of the bitterness.”

Zhao Chong picked up a honey-soaked green plum and held it to her lips.

Yun Ying opened her mouth and took it without hesitation, her tongue accidentally brushing the pad of his finger. The warm, soft sensation made Zhao Chong glance at her again. He saw her brows relax, clearly delighted as the bitter taste faded.

After the acupuncture, the pain in Yun Ying’s abdomen had eased somewhat, and the color had returned to her lips.

Zhao Chong’s gaze fell upon them, and thinking of their softness, a ticklish itch brushed across his heart, making his Adam’s apple bob slightly.

Unaware of what the emperor was thinking, Yun Ying only remembered that it was late. She prepared to get out of bed to help him wash up for the night.

Seeing this, Zhao Chong pressed her gently back down onto the bed. “Since you’re unwell, just lie down and rest.”

Yun Ying replied innocently, “This concubine feels better now and thought to help Your Majesty prepare for bed.”

“No need to trouble yourself,” Zhao Chong said. “There are palace attendants for that.” He immediately ordered hot water to be brought in and had Biliu and Biwu assist Yun Ying with washing up.

The emperor’s thoughtfulness moved Yun Ying, and she thoroughly enjoyed the moment.

She relaxed and allowed Biliu and Biwu to help her freshen up. Soon after, Zhao Chong had also finished washing, and the attendants were quickly dismissed.

Not long after, Zhao Chong, now in his inner robes, climbed onto the bed.

Yun Ying looked at him with wide eyes. He reached out and pulled her into his arms. Meeting her gaze, he recalled the inner thought she’d voiced earlier about “nothing happening last time.”

His eyes drifted once again to her lips.

His gaze darkened slightly as he tightened his hold around her waist. With his other hand, he tilted her chin upward.

The emperor’s sudden intimacy stunned Yun Ying.

Before she could even react, something soft pressed against her lips.

The kiss came without warning, and her mind blanked for a moment.

Seeing her dazed, Zhao Chong felt a great deal of satisfaction. A faint smile curled on his lips.

Pulling the quilt over them both, he continued holding her in his arms. “It’s late. Sleep.”

Yun Ying gradually came back to her senses and buried her face against the emperor’s chest.

Closing her eyes, she could still feel the warmth of his kiss.

She frowned slightly, unable to suppress the question rising in her heart: What on earth was wrong with him today? Kissing me for no reason?

The surroundings were quiet.

But her inner voice sounded crystal clear in Zhao Chong’s ears, making him laugh in exasperation.

He opened his eyes again, took her chin once more, and—without saying a word—turned that fleeting kiss into something far more lingering.

At first, Yun Ying was confused, but she let him do as he pleased. By the time their lips finally parted, she was left breathless.

Zhao Chong, not hearing any more of her irreverent inner monologue, looked at her flushed cheeks and felt his mood lift slightly.

He gently stroked her cheek with his fingers. “Yingying, you will always be mine.”

Yun Ying: “…”

In that moment, she suddenly understood—So this is what unfulfilled desire looks like.

Her lack of romantic flair made Zhao Chong’s forehead vein twitch. He took a deep breath and yanked the quilt up to cover her head. “Sleep!”

Lying against his chest, Yun Ying couldn’t see Zhao Chong’s expression. But instinct told her she’d best not provoke an emperor who was clearly craving something.

So, in a voice soft and obedient, she murmured her agreement and quietly shifted to a comfortable position, drifting off to sleep.

Soon, the sound of her gentle breathing reached his ears.

Zhao Chong lowered his gaze to Yun Ying’s peaceful sleeping face, so serene and familiar.

He felt that he couldn’t bring himself to be angry with her.

Oh well…

Zhao Chong comforted himself. With such a clear-headed little woman, perhaps it’s not a bad thing to spoil her a little more.