Plan A
The Days and Nights of the Courtesan 12
Humor
Qu Feiqing noticed the marks she left on Su Xin’s neck. She reached out to touch them, but found that Su Xin’s body was cold and sticky, with a faint smell of alcohol.
It wasn’t hard for Qu Feiqing to imagine what had happened. She tucked Su Xin in and waited for the Imperial Physician to arrive.
Shujuan hurriedly summoned the Imperial Physician. After the physician paid his respects, he felt Su Xin’s pulse and withdrew his hand.
“Reporting to Her Majesty, this young lady has caught a cold, and combined with her unfamiliarity with the climate in our Quliu, as long as she takes the prescribed medication on time, she will be fine.”
The physician wrote down the prescription and explained the dietary restrictions and precautions before leaving with his medical kit.
“Go and prepare the medicine.”
Shujuan nodded and took the prescription to the Imperial Physician’s clinic, then hurried back to prepare the medicine.
Qu Feiqing lifted Su Xin’s blanket and cradled her horizontally, walking towards the small bathhouse in the palace.
Su Xin lay unconscious in Qu Feiqing’s arms.
Qu Feiqing undressed Su Xin and used a towel dipped in water to gently clean her body.
Because Su Xin was in a state of unconsciousness, it was not suitable for her to be immersed in water.
Qu Feiqing didn’t expect her own mouth to be so harsh. The fair skin of the young girl was marked with dark purple or crimson traces, arousing people’s imagination.
After cleaning Su Xin’s body, Qu Feiqing realized that she had forgotten to bring clean clothes for Su Xin. Helpless, she could only hold the naked Su Xin in her arms.
Her footsteps were quick, fearing that Su Xin’s condition would worsen.
After stuffing Su Xin into the quilt, Qu Feiqing began to search the wardrobe for the clothes Su Xin usually wore.
She found two revealing undergarments and changed Su Xin into them.
First, it was a bellyband. Qu Feiqing pursed her lips and protected the trembling pair of snowy white buns with her hands, tying a knot behind her back with a thin string.
After dressing Su Xin in revealing undergarments, Qu Feiqing covered her with a blanket and sat by the bedside, looking at Su Xin’s flushed face.
Shujuan came over with medicine, but it was still too hot.
“Let the lonely one do it, you go down first.”
Qu Feiqing took the bowl, Shujuan looked at her and then retreated.
It’s strange… Emperor Qu hasn’t visited the young lady for ten consecutive days, but now that she’s sick, she’s showing such deep concern for her.
Qu Feiqing stirred the medicine with a spoon to cool it down.
She set the bowl aside and gently woke Su Xin up after a while.
Su Xin struggled to open her eyes and saw a bowl of medicine in front of her.
She shook her head, picked up the medicine bowl, and drank more than half of it in one gulp, wrinkling her brows from the bitterness.
Su Xin continued to finish the rest of the medicine, then she thrust the bowl into Qu Feiqing’s hand, randomly touched the corner of her mouth, and then lay back down.
Qu Feiqing put a piece of preserved fruit into Su Xin’s mouth, and her wrinkled brows slowly relaxed.
Qu Feiqing left, as she still had her own morning affairs to attend to.
When Su Xin woke up, it was already evening. Shujuan had been by her bedside the whole time and quickly helped her up when she woke.
“You’re awake, Miss! Are you hungry?”
“I’m a little hungry…”
“Wait a moment, Miss. I’ll bring you some plain rice porridge.”
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Su Xin looked at her clean clothes and wearily rubbed her temples.
Master Fourteen, I regret it so much.
【Regret what? Did you cause trouble?】
No, it’s not that. Yesterday, at such a perfect moment, I didn’t even ask her if I was beautiful!
Su Xin lamented in her heart, oh the mission, the mission!
In the confusion of last night, both of them were in a daze. If she had asked, ‘Am I beautiful?’, Qu Feiqing would definitely have answered with a definite yes.
【That’s true. I forgot to remind you.】
Fourteen felt somewhat annoyed. It never paid attention to the process of mosaic, and yet it missed such an opportunity.
After Su Xin finished drinking the plain rice porridge, she planned to put on some clothes and sit on the chair for a while. She had slept for too long and felt lazy and weak all over.
After taking the medicine at night, she fell into a deep sleep and didn’t wake up until the next morning.
The weather was still good, with bright sunshine. She planned to put on her clothes and take a walk in the courtyard, basking in the sun and dispelling the illness.
Shujuan followed her closely, afraid that something might happen to her again.
Su Xin was bored, so she pulled Shujuan to play Bingo with her.
One piece of paper, a tic-tac-toe grid, circles and crosses. Whoever connects three in a row wins.
At first, Shujuan didn’t know how to play, so Su Xin kept winning. Fortunately, the game was very simple, and Shujuan quickly learned. The two were in a stalemate, but eventually Su Xin started winning again.
“Shujuan, your intention is too obvious.”
Su Xin put the pen on the table and rested her chin on her hand, looking at Shujuan.
“No, it’s because the lady is too clever, and Shujuan is too foolish.”
Shujuan pursed her lips and smiled shyly.
“What are you playing?”
A child’s voice came from the doorway. Su Xin and Shujuan stood up and bowed to the child, who seemed to be around eight or nine years old.
“Greetings, Your Highness.”
This child is Qu Feiqing’s younger brother’s child. She imprisoned her own brother and then brought his child to raise him personally. Although it was not explicitly stated, everyone assumed that this child was the Crown Prince of the kingdom.
“You don’t have to bow, are you the woman brought back by Auntie?”
Qu Xingchen raised his chin. His aunt never liked to be close to others, so it was rare for her to bring someone to the palace. He had been busy with the task given to him by his aunt in the past few days, so he couldn’t come earlier to see what this person looked like.
Su Xin nodded and tidied up the table next to her.
“You haven’t told this palace what game you’re playing.”
“It’s a little game, something like this…”
Su Xin explained the rules of the game to the young Prince Qu Xingchen, who was eager to try.
Su Xin completely crushed Qu Xingchen in several rounds, but Qu Xingchen gradually grasped the rules, leading to a situation of “if you don’t let me win, I won’t let you win either.”
The game was fun for a while, but it became boring as time went on.
When Qu Xingchen, with a sly smile, blocked Su Xin’s path, his body suddenly trembled. He quickly put down the pen in his hand and got off the chair, looking in the direction of the courtyard entrance.
In the next moment, Qu Feiqing walked in from the courtyard entrance. Qu Xingchen greeted her in a childish voice.
“Greetings, Auntie.”
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Su Xin and Shujuan also greeted Qu Feiqing. Su Xin watched Qu Xingchen’s actions, sensing the level of sensitivity the child had towards Qu Feiqing’s presence.
“Chen’er, it’s getting late, you should go back.”
Even though the weather was still early, the sun was shining brightly.
“Yes, Auntie.”
Qu Xingchen didn’t look sideways, not even glancing at Su Xin, and quickly walked out.
“It seems like he’s afraid of you.”
“Mm.”
Qu Feiqing responded with a sound. She was probably a terrifying presence in her nephew’s heart, casting a dark shadow.
Qu Feiqing waved away the servants guarding the courtyard, leaving only the two of them.
“Is your illness better?”
“It’s almost healed, thanks for Your Majesty’s concern.”
“After all, if you’re sick, I also have a responsibility.”
That night was truly absurd. Qu Feiqing, half-drunk and half-awake, couldn’t control her strength.
I can’t forget the bright moonlight that night, and this person with disheveled long hair, her eyes half-lowered, with a touch of crimson at the corners.
“Well… do you think I’m beautiful?”
It doesn’t matter how the question is asked, as long as it is asked. Even if she is seen as narcissistic, it doesn’t matter. If Qu Feiqing admits it, she can just leave.
Qu Feiqing’s smile froze. Why is this woman so persistent about this question?
Qu Feiqing wanted to tease her, so she remained silent.
Why is she so mean? Will she die if she says someone is beautiful?
【Um… well…】
After tormenting her like that, she didn’t even say a word about her being beautiful!
【Host, let me remind you, it was you who initiated it, and you also played with her, tormenting each other.】
You’re actually taking her side! You don’t love me anymore!
【Host, you’re quite playful. I won’t participate.】
…I can’t handle this statement.
Life has become dull and unremarkable. Su Xin can only stay in this palace and can’t wander around. She is waiting for another chance to take advantage of, and once she succeeds, she will ask questions.
Qu Feiqing is not in a good mood today. A group of people in the court are demanding that she take in male concubines and produce offspring. She wishes she could grab something and smash it in their faces right then and there.
If those men could get pregnant, she might consider it. But that’s impossible. To have men touch her and then get pregnant? Forget about it.
Setting aside her aversion to men touching her, when she’s pregnant, she will definitely be physically weak, especially in the later months, which is even more dangerous. It would be so easy to put her in a life-threatening situation. She doesn’t need a child, nor does she need to go through all of that.
Seizing the throne is just to give a profound lesson to those who have insulted her and her mother, and to fulfill her own ambitious aspirations.
This world is meant to be ruled by a person surnamed Qu, so she brought her brother’s child, Qu Xingchen.
There is hope in those loyal to her that her offspring can inherit the country, while those who wish to harm her hope she can get pregnant and have a child, providing an opportunity to exploit her.
They were all promoting their own sons, and some even suggested holding a selection process like a talent show. Qu Feiqing sneered coldly. Did they think she was foolish? Going through all this trouble, what a mess.
If she were to take on many male consorts, it could be called promiscuity in a nicer way, or she could be likened to a dignified prostitute in a harsher way. Those male consorts didn’t give her wealth; instead, she had to spend her own money to support them. It was disgustingly vile.
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Centuries of suppressed beliefs, Qu Feiqing alone was powerless to change them. She was an anomaly in several generations of dynasties and the most dazzling existence among the four kingdoms.
Feeling upset, Qu Feiqing left the court and changed into casual clothes. Looking at those memorials, her mood became even worse. She left the Imperial Study Room intending to take a walk and change her mood.
When she reached the Imperial Garden, she heard a burst of laughter.
In a pavilion surrounded by flower clusters, two people sat close to each other. One of them was covering their face with silk, laughing heartily, almost leaning onto the other person.
Su Xin had a stern face, deeply doubting the absurdly low threshold of humor of the princess beside her.
“Sister, you seem to be in high spirits. I could hear your laughter from outside the Imperial Garden.”
Qu Feiyun, upon hearing Qu Feiqing’s voice, immediately straightened up like a mouse seeing a cat, and respectfully bowed to Qu Feiqing.
“Greetings, Imperial Sister. May you be well.”
The author has something to say:
Qu Feiyun: Tell me a joke.
Su Xin: Oh, one day when I was wandering on the street…
Qu Feiyun: Hahahahahahahaha
Su Xin: [???] Is she crazy?