Oops! The Black Lotus Can’t Be a Female Supporting Character

CHAPTER 31

“Ah Ze!”

Empress Liu gasped, her elegant makeup failing to conceal the pallor that had overtaken her face. Her eyes quickly filled with a mist of unshed tears.

She helplessly looked toward the emperor, her expression sorrowful, so delicate it was heart-wrenching.

The emperor’s heart trembled, and without thinking, memories of their first meeting many years ago flooded his mind. At that time, she had looked at him through teary eyes.

Just that one glance had taken root deep in his heart.

He couldn’t help but want to protect her, comfort her, and hold her in his arms.

“Lian’er, don’t worry,” the emperor said softly, trying to reassure Empress Liu. “I saw that Ah Ze broke his fall when he fell off the horse. He should be fine.”

As they spoke, Tang Yueze had already been helped up by the eunuchs. He appeared disheveled, his usually immaculate appearance now in tatters. His dark, winged crown had fallen to the grass, his hair and robe covered in dust and grass, with a scrape on his right temple.

Seeing her son, usually so dignified and well-groomed, in this state made Empress Liu’s heart ache. Her eyes reddened as she bit her full lower lip, clutching the emperor’s sleeve with trembling hands. “Your Majesty, it was Gu Feichi.”

“Gu Feichi must have done this on purpose!”

“Lord Wei of the Gu family is truly overbearing! The arrogance of him and his son is outrageous!”

Her eyes filled with tears, her expression a mix of helplessness and fragility, like a delicate flower battered by the rain.

The moment she had seen her son fall from the horse, she had felt as if her own heart had shattered, her anguish unbearable.

The emperor’s expression darkened as well. He gazed at Gu Feichi, standing at the center of the polo field, his eyes turning cold.

Every time he saw the fox-like eyes behind Gu Feichi’s mask, a sense of unease washed over him. Those eyes not only resembled those of Lord Wei but also reminded him of the late Gu Mingjing, making the emperor think back to the years when he had been forced to marry Gu Mingjing for the sake of the empire.

The Duke of Wei and Gu Mingjing, brother and sister, were like two thorns deeply embedded in the emperor’s heart, occasionally twisting and digging into his chest.

And now, even Gu Feichi dared to openly bully the noble prince.

The emperor’s anger surged, and he began to feel faint, his head spinning with the pressure mounting inside.

The Duke of Wei, Gu Mingjing, Gu Feichi, Tang Yueze, Empress Liu… the figures and past events all flashed in his mind in a chaotic whirlwind, making his aching head feel as if it were being hammered repeatedly, each throb like a pounding hammer.

He pressed his hands tightly against his head, his face ashen, veins throbbing on his forehead.

The pain was unbearable, a torment anyone could see.

Empress Liu, frightened and lost, completely forgot the rest of her sentence, her voice breaking as she cried, “Your Majesty!”

Around them, the eunuchs and palace servants, including Gao An and Eunuch Liang, were drenched in cold sweat, their panic palpable.

Inside the pavilion, chaos erupted in an instant.

Empress Liu was at a loss, not daring to move the emperor carelessly. She could only anxiously ask, “Has the Imperial Physician arrived yet?” while gently instructing the eunuchs to help the emperor lie down on the short couch.

“Crash!”

A sudden loud sound of breaking porcelain echoed through the room.

The emperor’s arm swept across the tea table, knocking over all the teacups, bowls, and plates. The shattered porcelain and spilled tea scattered across the floor, sending a jolt of shock through everyone present.

Before long, someone outside the pavilion called out, “Imperial Physician Cao has arrived.”

Not far away, the sweaty Imperial Physician Cao hurriedly approached, breathless from his run. He had originally been summoned to attend to the Crown Prince, who had fallen from his horse, but midway, he was told that the Emperor’s head ailment had flared up again.

Imperial Physician Cao quickly entered, while the others in the pavilion were ushered out by the eunuchs—some waited outside, others retreated to the nearby Tianyi Pavilion.

The palace maids quickly cleaned up the shattered porcelain on the floor, while two eunuchs brought over a six-fold screen, placing it in front of the emperor to block the prying eyes from outside the pavilion.

Imperial Physician Cao had just bowed to the emperor when he heard the Emperor impatiently growl, “Hurry! My head hurts terribly…”

Imperial Physician Cao obediently responded, then immediately began the treatment without checking the emperor’s pulse, quickly applying acupuncture instead.

The emperor’s chronic headaches had plagued him for nearly two years. Physicians from the Imperial Medical Institute came to treat him regularly, but the emperor was always impatient with their long processes of examination and consultation. He typically urged them to simply proceed with acupuncture to relieve the pain quickly.

One silver needle after another was inserted into the emperor’s scalp. Despite the sweat pouring down his face, Imperial Physician Cao’s hands remained steady. Before long, the emperor’s head was covered with a number of needles.

“Your Majesty, how do you feel?” Empress Liu asked with concern.

The emperor reclined on the short couch, his face still contorted in pain, with no sign of relief. His brow furrowed even tighter.

“A quack! Truly a quack!” the emperor scolded in fury.

In the past, after receiving acupuncture, the emperor’s headaches would ease somewhat.

But this time, not only had his headache not alleviated, it seemed to be worsening, as if countless sharp needles were relentlessly drilling into his skull.

“It’s my fault.” Imperial Physician Cao, terrified, suddenly collapsed to the ground, kneeling with his forehead pressed against the cold floor, sweat pouring down his face. His back quickly became soaked, and his body trembled uncontrollably.

Previously, the Emperor’s headaches would only flare up once or twice a month, but in the past year, they had become more frequent, occurring once every seven or eight days. At first, acupuncture worked well, and after a few needles, the pain would subside for several days. However, in the last two to three months, the effects of acupuncture had been wearing off more and more quickly.

Now, acupuncture had completely lost its effect.

The atmosphere in the room seemed to freeze, and the palace servants held their breath in silence.

The emperor gritted his teeth, enduring the pain, his jaw audibly clenching as he urgently ordered, “Dan medicine… quickly, bring me the pills!”

Only the Dan medicine could offer him a momentary sensation of euphoria, as if he were entering a celestial realm, temporarily allowing him to forget the torment of his headache.

Gao An’s face showed hesitation.

The emperor had just taken a pill earlier. Master Wu Liang had once said that only one pill should be taken in a day; any more would be an overdose.

“Gao An!” The emperor’s voice, impatient and urgent, cut through the tension.

Gao An quickly responded, nodding obediently. He hurriedly retrieved the small porcelain bottle, poured out another pill, and personally placed it into the emperor’s mouth.

The emperor swallowed the pill with warm tea and then closed his eyes, lying quietly on the short couch.

Imperial Physician Cao carefully removed the silver needles from the emperor’s head, while Gao An used a cloth to wipe the cold sweat from the Emperor’s forehead and temples, then gently massaged a few pressure points to relieve the pain.

The water pavilion was eerily silent, the sound of a falling needle would have been audible.

At this moment, the emperor remained silent, and no one dared to make a sound.

Gao An observed the emperor’s changing expression closely, noticing that beads of sweat were accumulating more and more on his forehead. Soon, his temples were soaked, and his whole body seemed as though it had been pulled out of water.

“Father… Father, how is he?” Tang Yueze, who had just fallen from his horse, couldn’t care less about his disheveled appearance. Covered in dust and grass, he stumbled over with the help of the palace attendants.

Seeing his son in such a pitiful state, the emperor felt a pang of sympathy. Struggling to endure the pain, he spoke in a weak, broken voice: “A’ze… you should go… apply the medicine…”

Empress Liu hurriedly nodded, instructing the attendants to take Tang Yueze away.

Tang Yueze hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided not to provoke the emperor further. He turned back several times before leaving.

The emperor continued to rub his forehead, remaining silent for a long time, his face growing darker with each passing moment. Suddenly, with a violent sweep of his arm, he knocked the newly placed teacup off the table, scattering it across the floor in a chaotic mess.

“It hurts… my head… still hurts so much…” The emperor groaned in agony, drenched in sweat. At times, he clawed at his hair, and at others, he pounded his head with his fists, his features twisted in pain, as though he was being tortured.

Seeing him in such excruciating pain, it seemed to have worsened from before.

Empress Liu became even more panicked. Her eyes were clouded with tears as she quickly ordered, “Hurry… prepare the imperial palanquin, we must return to the palace immediately.”

“Send for Master Wu Liang to come into the palace at once!”

“Your Majesty, please reconsider,” Imperial Physician Cao, who had been kneeling, lifted his head and advised, “The Emperor’s condition is unclear. We must not move him hastily. If something unexpected happens on the road… it might…”

“…”

Empress Liu hesitated as she looked at the emperor, unsure of what to do. Her cheeks were flushed, her breathing slightly labored, and tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to fall.

Gao An glanced at the indecisive Empress and suggested to the Emperor, “Your Majesty, perhaps it would be better to summon both the royal physician and Master Wu Liang to the palace and have them meet in the palace hall.”

The emperor was in so much pain that his vision blurred, unable to think clearly. All he could focus on was escaping the agony. He nodded weakly, “Quick, tell them to come quickly!”

Gao An turned, facing Eunuch Liang with a haughty expression. He gave an order with an air of authority, “Eunuch Liang, didn’t you hear the emperor’s command?!”

Eunuch Liang’s face stiffened. He glanced at the emperor on the couch, knowing that Gao An didn’t want him to stay by the Emperor’s side. Since the Emperor was ill, there was no room for any hesitation or excuses at this moment.

After quickly weighing the situation in his mind, Eunuch Liang had no choice but to respectfully agree, “Your Majesty, I will send someone immediately to summon them at once.”

After bowing, Eunuch Liang slowly retreated from the room.

This left Gao An alone, attending to the Emperor.

Gao An alternated between massaging the emperor’s acupoints, instructing Imperial Physician Cao to try moxibustion, and ordering a palace maid to bring a basin of warm water.

The atmosphere in the Pavilion was tense, and everyone dared not make a sound.

Like a stone thrown into the water, the chaos here spread to the polo field. Everyone became uneasy and a bit flustered, exchanging nervous glances.

With the Emperor ill, the game of polo could no longer continue. After a brief pause, everyone slowly turned their horses toward the Tianyi Water Pavilion, making their way there.

Xiao Yanfei watched the palace attendants coming and going in the Pavilion, absentmindedly stroking the neck of the red horse beside her. She murmured softly to herself, “As expected.”

Her voice was so soft that only Gu Feichi, standing next to her, could hear.

“Mm?” A low hum escaped from the young man’s throat, his tone rising at the end in a way that was oddly captivating.

Gu Feichi raised an eyebrow and looked at Xiao Yanfei, a playful glimmer dancing in his eyes, like the shimmering surface of a lake under the distant sun.

He had heard it clearly. When Xiao Yanfei counted “ten,” the emperor had collapsed in response.

It was as if she had shot an invisible arrow at the emperor, one that no one else could see.

Xiao Yanfei tugged at the reins and gently steered her horse closer to him, lowering her voice, “I just saw the emperor taking a pill.”

If she were speaking to anyone else, Xiao Yanfei would never dare to speak so freely about the emperor but Gu Feichi was different. He was a man who dared to act even against the emperor’s most trusted officials.

Gu Feichi nodded slightly.

The emperor was deeply devoted to the Dao, especially to the Master Wu Liang of the Guiyuan Temple. He took the pills made by Master Wu Liang every day, even sharing them with close ministers and confidants. This was no secret, and many in both the court and the public knew of it.

Xiao Yanfei continued, “I suspect it has been going on for years.”

“When the toxic heat flares upward to the brain, triggers headaches. The emperor just took the pill again, which is like drinking poison to quench thirst. And now, his headache has only worsened.”

When she had been in the pavilion earlier, watching Gao An feed the Emperor the pill, she had carefully observed him. She noticed a rash on the emperor’s neck, a reddish tint that had spread.

This was likely caused by prolonged use of the pills, leading to heavy metal poisoning and the development of abscesses, also known as Danpo or “pill poison” sores. These typically started on the back of the patient’s body, and the fact that the rash had spread to the emperor’s neck indicated that his body had accumulated a significant amount of poison.

The pills, though seemingly invigorating, were actually of no benefit to the body. In fact, they slowly eroded the internal organs, much like termites hollowing out a tree trunk. The emperor now was that strong-looking tree, but hollow and withered on the inside.

Since earlier, the emperor had been rubbing his temples intermittently, clearly suffering from a headache. This was caused by Danpo, the pill poison, which had risen to his brain. Unaware that the pills were toxic, he had been taking them to relieve his headache—essentially committing a slow form of self-destruction.

Xiao Yanfei sighed softly. Throughout history, emperors had always hoped for immortality, and the current Emperor was no exception.

She recalled reading history books and traditional Chinese medicine essays in her time, which mentioned that many emperors in the past, who were fond of consuming pills, met untimely deaths. The youngest among them was Emperor Sima Pi of the Eastern Jin, who died at just 25.

Gu Feichi said nothing but gazed at her, the amusement in his eyes growing.

Her certainty now suggested that, since the emperor’s strange behavior earlier, she had already sensed something was wrong with him. It was much like the day at the Pavilion, when she instantly figured out his identity…

Before long, they had ridden out of the polo field, and ahead of them, they saw Eunuch Liang walking slowly out from the Tianyi Water Pavilion, turning to give instructions to a small, thin-eyed eunuch in green robes.

The young eunuch had an expression of righteous indignation, as if he were standing up for Eunuch Liang. However, Eunuch Liang raised a hand to stop him and glanced back toward the Tianyi Water Pavilion. In his sharp eyes, there was a suppressed surge of emotions—resentment, frustration, and a budding ambition to take the place of others.

Catching sight of the look in his eyes, Xiao Yanfei curved her lips into a smile and leaned closer to ask Gu Feichi, “What’s your opinion of Eunuch Liang?”

As the son of the Duke of Wei, Gu Feichi frequently entered and left the palace, so he must have known a thing or two about this Eunuch Liang.

“Him?” Gu Feichi almost immediately saw through her intentions. He gave a brief answer, “Ruthless—ruthless with others, even more so with himself. And his ambition is far from small.”

He chuckled softly and nodded in approval. Her judgment was sharp; she had picked the right person.

Very well. Xiao Yanfei smiled in satisfaction, dismounted from the red horse, and tossed two words over her shoulder to Gu Feichi: “Goodbye.”

“Goodbye,” Gu Feichi replied in a low voice, his eyes glinting with insight as he watched her walk toward Eunuch Liang, her steps light but with a confident elegance.

“Eunuch Liang,” Xiao Yanfei called out with a smile to the eunuch dressed in dark blue, a long robe embroidered with bulls.

Eunuch Liang turned at the sound of her voice, quickly searching his mind for the identity of this young lady. He instructed the small-eyed eunuch, “Hurry up and go.”

The palace was quite a distance from the capital, and a round trip would take a considerable amount of time. Therefore, Eunuch Liang decided to prepare for both possibilities—sending someone to the capital for the imperial physician and Master Wu Liang, while also ordering his subordinates to check if there were any famous folk doctors nearby.

The small-eyed eunuch hastily acknowledged the command and withdrew, passing by Xiao Yanfei.

Smiling warmly, Xiao Yanfei stopped a few steps away and got straight to the point. “I have a medicine that can treat His Majesty’s head ailment.”

Eunuch Liang looked her up and down. The young woman in her peach-colored dress had delicate, fair skin that, under the sunlight, appeared as elegant and beautiful as a camellia.

“Miss Xiao has quite the bold claim,” Eunuch Liang sneered, his lips curling into a smile that remained on his face but never reached his eyes.

What gave this girl the confidence to believe she could cure an ailment that even the imperial physicians couldn’t solve?

Furthermore, the emperor’s health was the state’s lifeblood. Even if it wasn’t poison, if anything were to happen to the Dragon Body, he wouldn’t have a hundred lives to spare.

Eunuch Liang lightly brushed off his sleeve, not wanting to engage further with Xiao Yanfei, and continued walking ahead.

At the mention of her identity, Xiao Yanfei was initially surprised, but then she realized it made perfect sense.

This Eunuch Liang had likely memorized everyone attending the banquet today.

A capable, patient, and ambitious person—if given the chance, he would seize it without hesitation and take a bold risk.

This realization only reinforced her belief that choosing Eunuch Liang had been the right decision.

Xiao Yanfei smiled faintly. “Is Eunuch planning to remain stuck at the position of Deputy Eunuch?”

Her words made Eunuch Liang, who had initially dismissed her, halt in his tracks, stopping right beside her shoulder.

Not letting the moment slip, Xiao Yanfei continued casually, “Being excluded, humiliated, and unable to rise to higher ranks.”

“As long as ‘that person’ is around, you’ll always be beneath him, never able to climb higher.”

Eunuch Liang: “…”

His expression stiffened, as though she had struck a nerve, his lips trembling for a moment.

“As long as ‘that person’ is around, it’s like a knife pressed against your back, never knowing when it will strike you deeply.”

“Eunuch Liang, are you truly willing to live like this?” Xiao Yanfei’s tone was light and casual, her expression indifferent, yet every word struck straight at Eunuch Liang’s heart.

The smile at the corner of Eunuch Liang’s lips froze, his face turning as cold as water. In that instant, his entire demeanor shifted dramatically. He was no longer the cheerful, smiling Eunuch Liang that everyone knew.

Of course, he still desired to move up, but it was incredibly difficult. The emperor’s trust in Gao An was not easily shaken.

Moreover, Gao An was always blocking his way, never allowing him to approach the Emperor.

From Eunuch Liang’s expression, Xiao Yanfei understood. She reached into her sleeve and took out a small porcelain bottle, about the size of a baby’s fist. She gave it a gentle shake, and the soft sound of something rolling inside echoed faintly.

“There are two pills inside that can relieve headaches,” she said with a smile, silently adding in her mind: although ibuprofen can only treat the symptoms, not the root cause.

She looked at Eunuch Liang’s hesitant gaze and spoke with certainty, “Eunuch Liang must have been testing medicine on the emperor, right?”

Eunuch Liang’s neck also bore red rashes, most likely a sign of the same carbuncle condition.

“This medicine… whether to use it or not, it’s up to you, Eunuch Liang.”

With that, Xiao Yanfei handed the small porcelain bottle to him, smiling brightly, leaving the decision in his hands.

Eunuch Liang stared at the delicate bottle for a moment before finally reaching out to take it.

After all, the choice of whether to use the medicine or not was his to make.

Xiao Yanfei handed him the medicine and then turned away without a second glance, walking toward the Tianyi Water Pavilion.

Eunuch Liang remained where he stood, watching her retreating figure for a long time. Finally, he opened the small porcelain bottle, poured a white pill into his palm, and stared at it for a while. He sniffed it, then licked it, but could not tell what kind of medicine it was.

Should he take it?

Eunuch Liang hesitated for only a few breaths before steeling himself and swallowing the pill.

Fortune favors the bold—a truth that has remained unchanged through the ages.

The emperor’s medicinal pills were always tested on someone, and while the job was dangerous, it earns the trust of the Emperor. Thus, Eunuch Liang had volunteered for this task.

As a result, he had risen in rank and eventually attained the position of the Palace Steward, second only to Gao An.

For the past few months, Eunuch Liang had often experienced a dull ache in his head, but those who served the emperor could not show any signs of illness, so he had to endure it. His only solace had been the occasional acupuncture treatment from the Imperial Medical Bureau.

When the Emperor’s headache had flared up earlier, Eunuch Liang, in his panic, had felt the same pain in his own head. Even now, the ache in his temples pulsed rhythmically, like the sensation of needles.

Slowly, Eunuch Liang turned and looked back toward the Tianyi Water Pavilion. Through the screen in the pavilion, he could not see the emperor, only a few faint, shadowy figures beyond.

Gao An was rushing in and out, moving as if he never touched the ground.

Eunuch Liang stood motionless, watching Gao An, letting the wind tousle his robes.

After a moment, he raised his hand to adjust his three-mountain cap and then smoothed his robes…

Suddenly, he froze, raising his hand to touch his temples, disbelief in his eyes.

His headache was gone.

Unable to resist, Eunuch Liang pinched his own thigh. The sharp pain told him that his headache was truly gone.

He looked down at the small porcelain bottle in his hand, his expression hardening, his eyes growing more and more fiery with determination.

This was his opportunity!

Such a once-in-a-lifetime chance, if missed, who knew if it would ever come again!

With a firm bite of his teeth, Eunuch Liang resolutely turned back toward the Tianyi Water Pavilion, holding the porcelain bottle tightly, his steps unwavering.

***