For some reason, it suddenly started to drizzle. The bloodstains on Qin Huaiqiu's body from his fight with Ji Min were washed clean by the pattering rain.
Qin Lan stood at the door, staring blankly at the rapidly forming puddle on the ground.
"What are you thinking about, Miss Qin Lan?" Xu Xian walked over and stood beside Qin Lan, asking.
Qin Lan came back to her senses and gently shook her head. "Nothing."
Xu Xian looked at her and seemed to understand. "Are you worried about Concubine De?"
Qin Lan was silent for a moment and then said truthfully, "I don't know why, but I've been feeling a bit panicked in my heart today."
Xu Xian pursed his lips and asked in confusion, "Panicked? Nervous?"
Qin Lan nodded.
Xu Xian smiled to comfort her. "Don't worry. You may not know this, but the emperor really likes Concubine De. Don't be fooled by the fact that the emperor used to always have a gloomy face towards Concubine De. I've been with the emperor for more than a decade, and this is the first time the emperor has truly cared about someone."
Xu Xian stroked his whisk and said, "In my opinion, the emperor might as well just make Concubine De the empress. Haha."
Qin Lan also smiled at him but didn't say anything.
"Boom!" Suddenly, a blinding flash of lightning streaked across the night sky, followed by a thunderclap. The rain immediately became heavier. Xu Xian clicked his tongue and said, "This weather is so unpredictable. It starts raining all of a sudden."
Qin Lan stared at the ground being pelted by the heavy rain. The bean - sized raindrops pounded down, turning the originally flat dirt ground into a pitted mess. Muddy water quickly filled every corner of the courtyard and meandered along the side of the paved path to the steps where Qin Lan was standing.
She stared at the muddy water flowing wildly. The strong wind made the lantern hanging at the door flutter noisily. The lantern swayed in the wind, and the light flickered, barely illuminating the muddy water.
For no reason, Qin Lan felt that the muddy water reflecting the flickering candlelight looked like meandering blood in the thick darkness.
"Concubine De!!"
Suddenly, Sikong Ting's shrill scream came from inside the room.
Both Qin Lan and Xu Xian were startled. Qin Lan reacted the fastest. She immediately turned around, pushed open the door, and rushed in.
Inside the door, Sikong Ting was kneeling on the ground, holding Qin Huaiqiu in his arms and crying heart - rendingly. Qin Huaiqiu was pale, lying in Sikong Ting's arms with his eyes closed. Black blood was slowly trickling down from the corner of his mouth.
"..." Qin Lan's face instantly turned as white as a sheet. She was struck dumbfounded, completely frozen in place. Then, she rushed over in three big steps, slapped Sikong Ting's hand away, and reached out to pinch Qin Huaiqiu's philtrum.
"Call the imperial physician!!!" Sikong Ting roared hoarsely at Xu Xian.
Xu Xian had already been shocked by the scene in the room. It was only after Sikong Ting's roar that he suddenly came to his senses and scurried out in a hurry.
Qin Huaiqiu's blood slowly dripped down Qin Lan's arm, still carrying his body temperature, just like his body which was gradually losing its warmth.
"... Young Master! Young Master!" Tears welled up in Qin Lan's eyes. Seeing that pinching the philtrum didn't work, she quickly picked up Qin Huaiqiu's limp hand and felt his pulse as fast as she could. Crying, she shouted, "How did he get poisoned! What's going on!"
"How should I know!" Sikong Ting hugged Qin Huaiqiu tightly and refused to let go. He turned his head and stared fiercely at Yazebu, his face showing a terrifying expression. "Was it you?!"
"Hey! It wasn't me!" Yazebu was also startled. He originally wanted to expose Qin Huaiqiu's identity and make Sikong Ting break off relations with the Qin family, but he had no idea why Qin Huaiqiu suddenly got poisoned.
Are you kidding me? He didn't want Qin Huaiqiu to die. If Qin Huaiqiu died, wouldn't it be so boring?
"I'll kill you!!" Sikong Ting had already lost his mind. Holding Qin Huaiqiu in his arms, his eyes were blood - shot, and his expression was terrifying.
Yazebu was scared by Sikong Ting's terrifying expression. He quickly waved his hands and explained, "Damn it! I really didn't poison him! Am I that stupid? Let him get poisoned right in front of me? If I wanted to kill him, I wouldn't let him die here!"
Qin Lan trembled as she took out some bottles and jars from her pocket. These were the antidotes that the Qin family's secret guards always carried with them for emergencies. But these antidotes were just basic ones. Although Qin Lan couldn't tell what kind of poison Qin Huaiqiu had been poisoned with, the toxicity was extremely fierce and rarely seen in the world.
Qin Lan had no other choice. She quickly poured out the pills from the medicine bottles and stuffed them into Qin Huaiqiu's mouth without thinking. She lifted Qin Huaiqiu's head with both hands, trying to force him to swallow. But Qin Huaiqiu had already lost consciousness and was spitting out blood. Most of the medicine Qin Lan fed him was spat out. Qin Lan broke down and cried loudly, shouting painfully, "Young Master... Young Master... Wake up! Wake up!"
"The imperial physician is here! The imperial physician is here!" Xu Xian rushed in hurriedly with Imperial Physician Zhang, followed by a group of concubines and eunuchs.
Since there was no bed in the room, to prevent delaying the treatment, Sikong Ting laid Qin Huaiqiu on the ground with a thin cushion. Imperial Physician Zhang took a quick look at Qin Huaiqiu, frowned immediately, and then quickly took out a bunch of silver needles from his bosom. He said to Sikong Ting, "Your Majesty, I need to undress the concubine to administer the acupuncture. Please, gentlemen, step out for a while!"
"Let Qin Lan stay. Everyone else get out of here!" Sikong Ting roared angrily.
Xu Xian quickly led the people out one by one. Yazebu was the last one to leave. He couldn't help but keep looking back as he walked. Xu Xian kicked him on the butt, and he was pushed out cursing.
Suddenly, there were only the three of them left in the room. Qin Lan wiped her face and directly started to undo Qin Huaiqiu's clothes.
As soon as the undergarment was pulled aside, the cushion that Qin Huaiqiu always wore on his chest was revealed. Without saying a word, Qin Lan tore it off, exposing Qin Huaiqiu's slightly lean and flat chest.
Imperial Physician Zhang was stunned the moment he saw the cushion. After seeing Qin Huaiqiu's chest, the old imperial physician was so shocked that he almost dropped the needles.
Sikong Ting cursed, "What are you standing there for! Treat him!"
"Yes! Yes!" Imperial Physician Zhang started to administer the acupuncture in a flurry.
"If you can't save him, I'll make you accompany him to the grave!" Sikong Ting gritted his teeth and said.
Imperial Physician Zhang was sweating profusely. He nodded timidly and skillfully inserted twenty - eight needles into Qin Huaiqiu's chest, barely managing to seal the poisoned blood.
Then he lifted Qin Huaiqiu's hand to feel his pulse, and his face immediately turned grim.
Sikong Ting stared at him, his heart hanging with the imperial physician's expression. "What's going on? Tell me!"
Imperial Physician Zhang wiped the sweat off his face and said tremblingly, "This... Concubine De... was poisoned with the Yin Poison Powder... This... this poison... There is no antidote, Your Majesty!!"
Sikong Ting kicked him over and cursed, "What do you mean there is no antidote! If he dies, I'll kill you!"
Imperial Physician Zhang quickly knelt on the ground and kowtowed. "Your Majesty, Your Majesty... This is a highly poisonous drug. There is simply no antidote... A person poisoned with this will bleed from all seven orifices and die within seven hours. Now that the concubine's nose and mouth are already bleeding, it is estimated that the toxicity has spread throughout the body. I... I really can't do anything!"
After hearing this, Qin Lan cried out in disbelief. She hugged Qin Huaiqiu's head and wailed, "No! It's impossible! Young Master! Young Master!!!"
Sikong Ting felt as if he had been pierced by thousands of arrows. He looked at Qin Huaiqiu lying beside him, hugged his head desperately, and roared, "I don't care whether it's the Yin Poison Powder or something else. You must save him for me!"
Imperial Physician Zhang kept kowtowing and crying, "Your Majesty, I really have no way. This poison is not from the Central Plains. There is no way to find an antidote..."
Sikong Ting's tears kept flowing. He cried bitterly and held Qin Huaiqiu's cold hand tightly.
How could it be! How could it be?!
How could he die?
He was fine just now. He had just kissed him voluntarily. Why did this happen!
Sikong Ting put his cold hand to his lips and kissed it desperately, hoping that this could warm Qin Huaiqiu's hand.
"Concubine De, Qin Huaiqiu, I'm begging you. Wake up, okay? You're just kidding me, right? You're so smart. How could you get poisoned? Stop pretending. Wake up quickly..." Sikong Ting called out desperately, but Qin Huaiqiu's face became paler and paler.
Qin Lan was crying heart - rendingly beside him. Sikong Ting felt as if his heart was about to break. He was like a helpless child, just crying and praying non - stop, but he could only watch as Qin Huaiqiu's lips gradually lost their color and was completely helpless.
For God knows how many times, Sikong Ting felt a sense of powerlessness again.
Every time this feeling came because of Qin Huaiqiu.
Sikong Ting's tears streamed down like rain. With his heart broken, he called out, "Qin Huaiqiu..."
"Bam!"
The door was kicked open by someone.
Yazebu stood at the door, scratching his face with his hand. "I heard you say the Yin Poison Powder?"