Cuddling with the Cold Female Protagonist – Chapter 33
by Little PandaVolume 2: The Captivating Splendor of Jingdu
I am an Imperial Daughter
Ji Qingchi promptly sealed the acupoints on Su Yi’s shoulder, preventing excessive blood loss.
Feng Ruoqing opened her medicine chest, took Su Yi’s pulse, and frowned deeply. “How did she also get hit with Spring Poison1?”
“Can it be removed?”
“Of course, it can. The person who made this Spring Poison wasn’t skilled enough; it’s missing an ingredient. I have a ready-made antidote right here. It only has some effect right after being poisoned. Thankfully, you sealed her acupoints, so the poison didn’t spread. There isn’t much residual poison in her system. I’ll detoxify her right away. But before that, I need to treat the shoulder wounds for both of you first.”
After examining their injuries, Feng Ruoqing spoke gravely, “The person who captured you is particularly vicious. This is clearly a Dragon Claw Hand coated with rust. To heal the wound completely, we must use a heated knife to cut away the necrotic flesh around the shoulder, and then scrape away the rust-contaminated flesh bit by bit. The process will be somewhat painful; you’ll have to endure it.”
“I’m not afraid of pain. Let me go first,” Ji Qingchi said, shattering the clothing on her left shoulder with her true qi.
Upon seeing her mangled left shoulder, even the experienced Feng Ruoqing couldn’t help but gasp, “Ah, how are you injured so severely…”
Ji Qingchi had been solely focused on escaping with Su Yi earlier and hadn’t paid any attention to her own injury. After recklessly pulling out the iron claw, the wound on her shoulder had torn badly. She had only sealed the acupoints to stop the bleeding. Thus, her injury was much more severe than Su Yi’s.
“I checked just now; it didn’t injure the bone, only damaged the meridians. It’s not too serious,” Ji Qingchi said nonchalantly. “Hurry up and cut. Finish quickly and check on Su Yi.”
Suppressing her shock, Feng Ruoqing carefully heated the dagger she had brought over a candle flame before tending to the bloody wound.
When the sharp blade touched the soft flesh, Feng Ruoqing felt the pain for her.
Yet, throughout the process, Ji Qingchi remained silent. Only the cold sweat on her forehead and the bulging veins on her neck revealed the extent of her agony.
After finishing the wound treatment and reconnecting the damaged meridians with silver needles, Feng Ruoqing’s back was soaked with sweat. She handed Ji Qingchi several bottles of wound medicine. “Alright. Don’t let it touch water during this period, and be careful with your diet. I’ll write a few more prescriptions for you, for both external application and internal use. It should heal after some time.”
Ji Qingchi spoke, her voice hoarse, “I know all this. Quickly check on Su Yi. Can you force the poison out of her first? She’s weak; she can’t endure it.”
“No rush. Didn’t I say? The poison hasn’t spread, and there isn’t much residual poison in her body. I already sealed the poison she was previously afflicted with. She’s not in danger right now.”
Feng Ruoqing wiped her sweat. “While she’s not fully conscious, I need to treat her shoulder wound first, otherwise she might catch a cold. To prevent her from moving erratically or biting her tongue when the pain hits later, I’ll need to trouble Miss Chi to hold Miss Su for me.”
“Okay.” Ji Qingchi gently leaned Su Yi against her own right shoulder using her still-mobile right hand, bracing her with one arm. “Go ahead.”
Su Yi resembled a porcelain doll, liable to shatter at the slightest touch. Feng Ruoqing proceeded with extreme trepidation, her actions a thousand times more cautious than usual. She cut away the clothing on Su Yi’s shoulder and carefully used the knife to gently excise the already decaying flesh.
“Ah…” Although Su Yi was unconscious, she could still feel the pain and instinctively struggled. Ji Qingchi quickly held her steady, pinching her jaw to force her teeth apart, preventing her from biting herself.
Su Yi, though unconscious, murmured, “It hurts… wuwu… It hurts… I want to go home… I want to go home…”
Her tearful cries of pain were heart-wrenching. Ji Qingchi’s heart trembled as she held her close. “Qizhu, it’ll be over soon, it’ll be over soon.”
When Ji Qingchi had pulled out the iron claw for Su Yi, she had already sealed the acupoints around her shoulder. She had handled it carefully, using her true qi bit by bit to force the object out without letting the iron claw damage more flesh. Therefore, the wound on Su Yi’s shoulder was not very severe, and there was less necrotic tissue compared to Ji Qingchi’s.
A moment later, the wound was treated. Feng Ruoqing looked as if she had been fished out of water. She let out a sigh of relief. “Alright, alright. Thankfully, the iron claw was handled properly. Miss Su didn’t injure her muscles or bones. However, she is weak, so her recovery might be much slower. We also need to guard against her developing a high fever tonight.”
Ji Qingchi urged, “Stop talking, the person will die! Quickly give her the antidote!”
“Alright, alright, alright.” Feng Ruoqing quickly dissolved the antidote she held into some tea water and helped Su Yi drink it.
Soon, the abnormal flush on Su Yi’s face disappeared, leaving her very pale.
Feng Ruoqing took her pulse again. “Good, the poison has been cleared.”
But Su Yi still looked like she was on the verge of death. Ji Qingchi frowned. “But look at her complexion, it’s turned ashen.”
“Miss Su’s constitution is too weak, there’s nothing to be done,” Feng Ruoqing said helplessly. “If it were Miss Chi or me who was poisoned, we wouldn’t even need an antidote; just drinking more tea water would suffice. Besides, she was injured and lost blood, isn’t such a complexion expected?”
After a pause, she added, “Moreover, we must guard against Miss Su developing a high fever tonight.”
“What happens if she does?”
Feng Ruoqing’s smile vanished. “A slight misstep, and she could die.”
Ji Qingchi immediately became vigilant. “Alright, I understand. I will watch over her tonight.”
By dusk, Su Yi indeed developed a high fever. Her body was scorching hot, like a boiled crab. Feng Ruoqing had already prepared medicine and some saltwater, instructing Ji Qingchi to wipe Su Yi’s sweat while feeding her the liquids during the night watch.
Ji Qingchi also used her internal energy to dry Su Yi’s sweat-soaked blankets and clothes, preventing her from catching a secondary chill, paying special attention to her right shoulder area, shielding it with true qi. After such efforts through the night, Su Yi’s high fever finally subsided by dawn the next day.
Feng Ruoqing took her pulse. “Mm, the pulse is much more stable.”
She checked the wound again. “Good, it hasn’t split open, and surprisingly wasn’t soaked by sweat. It’s recovering quite well.”
Ji Qingchi looked haggard. “So, does this mean she’s past the critical danger?”
“Yes.”
Hearing her answer, Ji Qingchi let out a breath of relief and slumped onto the chair. She hadn’t even been this tired when commanding troops in battle.
“However, Miss Su will need quite a long time to recuperate.”
Saying this, she sighed again, “If only we had the Silver Pearl Kou2. That item could help Miss Su suppress all the toxins in her body, and perhaps even help improve her constitution.”
She had mentioned this item before. The Su family had originally thought the Pinyang Marquis estate would have it. When Su Yi went to pay respects, she had secretly asked Su Ban while she was in a good mood, but Su Ban hadn’t even heard of it.
Ji Qingchi pondered, “That item is a tribute for the imperial family. The Emperor should have it.”
“Not necessarily the Emperor. Perhaps those Imperial Daughters have it too. We common folk can’t meet the Emperor, but those few Imperial Daughters are said to be approachable. Maybe we can find a way to meet one and ask them for it.”
Her words reminded Ji Qingchi. Last year, for her Second Imperial Sister’s birthday, their Imperial Mother had bestowed upon her several gifts from the Huachen Kingdom.
Among them seemed to be a silvery-white, pearl-like object.
She had seen a palace maid packing it into a box in a side hall at the time, but she had only glanced at it casually and hadn’t paid much attention.
“That’s true.” Ji Qingchi decided to go ask her Second Imperial Sister, but before that, she had something else to do.
Ji Qingchi slowly stood up and looked directly at Feng Ruoqing. “Miss Feng, your medical skills are so superb. Are you really just an apprentice from an ordinary clinic?”
Here it comes again, here it comes again. Why does this Miss Chi love digging into her identity so much?
Feng Ruoqing felt quite helpless. “Miss Chi, you really are persistent. I—”
Before she could finish, Ji Qingchi raised a hand to stop her. “As the saying goes, sincerity is exchanged for sincerity. I wish to befriend Miss Feng. How about this: I’ll trade my own identity for one of Miss Feng’s hidden identities. What do you say?”
Her saying this indicated that her own identity was not simple.
She had fled to the Yanxue Kingdom as a refugee. One more person knowing her identity meant one more degree of danger.
But similarly, if she gained another friend, it meant an additional layer of security.
Feng Ruoqing’s brow twitched. Meeting Ji Qingchi’s sincere gaze, she weighed the options for a good while before reluctantly nodding. “Alright.”
Ji Qingchi removed the human-skin mask in front of her, revealing her own devastatingly beautiful face. “I am the ninth daughter of the current Emperor, my real name is Ji Qingchi. Harmed by others, I had no choice but to flee and became husband and wife3 with Su Yi.”
Legend had it that the Ninth Imperial Daughter of the Yanxue Kingdom possessed heavenly beauty. Seeing Ji Qingchi’s exquisite features clearly, Feng Ruoqing quickly confirmed that she was telling the truth.
Although she had guessed this Miss Chi was no simple character, she hadn’t imagined she would actually be an Imperial Daughter of the Yanxue Kingdom.
“Alright.” Ji Qingchi extended her hand in a “please” gesture towards her. “Now it’s Miss Feng’s turn.”
Feng Ruoqing sighed. “It seems the legends are quite right. Your Highness the Ninth is not only outstandingly beautiful but also exceptionally intelligent. Your Highness is correct; I am not an apprentice from an ordinary clinic. I come from Longevity Valley4. My master is the Baicao Daoren5, known as the Medicine Immortal6. Similarly harmed by others, I had no choice but to flee to the Yanxue Kingdom.”
“Miss Feng was harmed by others, why didn’t your esteemed master in Longevity Valley help?”
Feng Ruoqing smiled faintly. “Isn’t Your Highness the Ninth in the same situation? It’s been so long, yet Her Majesty the Emperor hasn’t even discovered that Your Highness is missing. The one in the palace is an imposter.”
“You’re right.” Ji Qingchi smiled and sighed. “It seems we are fellow sufferers adrift in the world7. Miss Feng, I am determined to make you my friend.”
“To associate with Your Highness the Ninth is Feng’s good fortune.”
Having revealed their identities to each other, Ji Qingchi didn’t waste words. She directly requested Feng Ruoqing’s help, “Su Yi has suffered because of me. While she recuperates next, I hope Miss Feng can help me take care of her.”
Feng Ruoqing was surprised. “Does Your Highness the Ninth intend to…”
“I must go back and reclaim everything that belongs to me.” The hatred in Ji Qingchi’s eyes could not be dispelled. “If I keep yielding, others will only bully me further.”
Feng Ruoqing nodded. If she had Ji Qingchi’s martial prowess, she would have done the same long ago.
Noticing her desolate look, Ji Qingchi said, “I swear in my name as an Imperial Daughter, once I regain my status and the time is right, I will definitely help Miss Feng return to Longevity Valley.”
“Then I thank Your Highness the Ninth in advance.”
“No need.” Ji Qingchi glanced back at the unconscious Su Yi on the bed, lowered her eyes, and said, “Just, Miss Feng, please take good care of my Qi… Miss Su. If she asks about her fulang, just tell her… he already fell off a cliff and died.”
Footnotes
- 春.毒 | Chūn dú | Often refers to aphrodisiacs or poisons causing heat/lust in Wuxia/Xianxia genres. The dot suggests censorship or avoidance of the full term 春药 (chūnyào – aphrodisiac).
- 银珠蔻 | Yínzhū Kòu | Literally “Silver Pearl Cardamom/Clasp”.
- 俩妻夫 | liǎ qīfū | Literally “a pair of wife-husband.
- 长生谷 | Chángshēng Gǔ
- 百草道人 | Bǎicǎo Dàorén | Hundred Herbs Daoist.
- 药仙 | Yàoxiān
- 同是天涯沦落人 | Tóng shì tiānyá lúnluò rén | A line from a famous Tang Dynasty poem by Bai Juyi, meaning “We are both travelers fallen on hard times at the ends of the earth,” expressing shared misfortune and empathy between strangers.
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