Chapter Text
Liu Qingge fell ill.
The news sent chills down Shen Qingqiu's spine. Beside himself with worry, he almost shamelessly, without warning or invitation, rushed into the Snowy Pavilion. There was still hope that the mysterious illness was just a cold or a minor injury, but such thoughts smacked of outright self-deception. They would not notify the First consort about something petty and harmless. Shen Qingqiu felt his chest go cold as he saw the gloomy Yue Qingyuan and the doctor with a feigned sympathy written on an unpleasant face at the door to the private rooms.
"Qingqiu, " the lord tilted his head slightly, somehow becoming even gloomier. "Thank you for coming as quickly as you could. The situation is urgent. "
"What happened? " Shen Qingqiu asked, with difficulty giving his voice a semblance of calm.
"Ah, if Noble Lord Yue would let this lowly healer speak…" Wu Yanghou, the head healer at the estate, cut in. "The third consort, Liu Qingge, passed out while training with his sword in the garden the previous morning, after which he developed a fever. The antipyretic did not give a satisfactory result. This insignificant full day spent at the bedside of the third consort in search of a cure, but the news is disappointing. I'm afraid that victory over such a terrible disease is beyond human strength.
... incurable?..
"Qingge asked me to call you, " Yue Qingyuan added. "That worthless husband could not refuse his request in such a… difficult situation. Please, Qingqiu, be softer with him. "
'Softer than usual' hung almost palpably in the air, reflecting the lord's exhortation tones. As if Shen Qingqiu had ever really been cruel to Liu Qingge! It was the original goods, not him! Behind the indignation, he tried to hide the growing anxiety - after all, Qingge died from this disease in the drama, treacherously poisoned by the first consort. But Shen Qingqiu knew perfectly well that he had not poisoned anyone! He didn't even have poisons, although there was a small laboratory in his pavilion.
Two determined breaths later, he gently pushed back the bedroom door. The room was stuffy, the air distinctly smelling of soothing incense and medicinal herbs. Lying in bed, Liu Qingge looked exhausted and tense as he turned his head towards the guest. A barely perceptible relief appeared on his white, almost blue-colored face, he even tried to rise to greet the first husband.
"Lie down! " Before he could even think about it, Shen Qingqiu was at his side, gently placing Liu Qingge back on the pillows. A light touch caused a painful grimace on a beautiful face. "That is ... The third consort should not be so tense while he is sick. "
Instead of answering, Liu Qingge with difficulty relaxed his hand clenched into a fist for some reason before and reached out to Shen Qingqiu in some kind of pleading gesture. Shen Qingqiu quickly caught the trembling hand and carefully pressed it to his chest, barely holding himself back from the avalanche of questions. Did Liu Qingge hurt? Did he need anything right now? Did the healer know? And, if he knew, then really there were no painkillers to at least relieve the symptoms ? ! What...
"Qing… qiu, " Liu Qingge barely managed to say. "I…" he stammered, breathing heavily, as if just two words had exhausted him completely. Gathering his strength, he continued, "... wanted to... see... while I was... conscious. "
Shen Qingqiu did not like what the conversation was about. Adjusting the blanket, he gently touched the other's burning forehead with his free hand. At the pleasantly cool palm, Liu Qingge closed his eyes, breathing a sigh of relief, even though the improvement lasted less than a minute. His trembling began to gradually increase.
"Why does the third consort exhaust himself like this? " Shen Qingqiu muttered softly, about to put Liu Qingge's shaking hand back on the sheets, but his thin fingers clenched convulsively from one attempt.
"…don't…! " There was a hint of panic in his usually calm and confident voice. A short pause barely allowed Shen Qingqiu to come to his senses when he heard a quiet and somehow doomed request: "... hug… me... ? "
It would be extremely inappropriate and wrong, but Shen Qingqiu remembered how the brief and violent illness of the third consort ended. Denying him something so simple seemed like a mockery. Leaning over the bed, he gently grabbed Liu Qingge's narrow waist and elegant shoulders. Only now it became clear how much he was trembling. Shen Qingqiu gently stroked his back as Liu Qingge exhaustly limp in his embrace, shuddering with every breath.
"... I'm scared... " it sounded not even plaintively, but rather with humble sadness. Liu Qingge clumsily tried to hug him back, but he was too weak even for that.
Shen Qingqiu's insides seemed to freeze. The thought that Liu Qingge - not a book character, but his real, living and breathing one - was dying now, seemed too unreal. The doctor had already dropped his hands, Yue Qingyuan had also given up, even Liu Qingge himself had no hopes, only wanting to get a little warmth so that it would not be so scary. Not paying too much attention to his own actions, Shen Qingqiu carefully grabbed him under his knees and laid him on his lap. Liu Qingge only pressed his face into his shoulder, crumpling his light green upper pao with unruly fingers.
what to do what to do what to do what to do what to do what to do ...
Shen Qingqiu's mind raced through the same thought as he stroked the exhausted Liu Qingge's back and hair.
"I'll think of something, " he promised in a burst of desperate determination.
There must have been a solution. Any, even unrealistic and completely illusory, but a solution. Shen Qingqiu frantically went over in his head everything he knew about the world of this drama – too little! - and about ancient Chinese medicine in particular. The real first husband had a whole alchemical laboratory in his pavilion, he should have had thematic books too! He should have asked the doctor more, maybe there was a clue in the symptoms... But how could Shen Qingqiu let go of the frightened Liu Qingge now, when he needed support so much?
What to do, what to do, how to be, where to start...
"Qingqiu, " Yue Qingyuan's soft voice broke into Shen Qingqiu's convulsive thoughts. He was clearly not happy with what he saw. "It's a bit inappropriate. "
Found time to talk about appropriateness! Shen Qingqiu was deeply indifferent to all his "rules of survival in a harem" when Liu Qingge breathed hoarsely in his arms. Contrary to logic, he relaxed a little in the new position, and even snuggled closer to other's warm chest. And you know what? No one could force Shen Qingqiu to put him back on the bed if that made him feel better! A few minutes later, Liu Qingge's heavy breathing became more even, and he appeared to be dozing off.
"The third consort is sleeping, " Shen Qingqiu snapped softly. "This first husband doesn't think he should be disturbed. "
"You shouldn't have... "
"Lord Husband could take the third consort in his arms himself, " Shen Qingqiu frankly interrupted him rudely. His instinct for self-preservation was completely buried under anxiety and anger at everyone and everything. "He's in pain, " he muttered, with bitterness that overwhelmed him.
Yue Qingyuan froze and fell silent, looking as if he had been kicked. Guilt followed on his face, and he still silently bowed his head in acknowledgment of defeat. This unexpectedly angered Shen Qingqiu even more, but he forcefully forced himself to pull himself together and somehow draw up a plan of action in his head. Information, he needed information - about symptoms, about tests, about suspected causes. He didn't have a medical degree, but Shen Yuan had watched enough dramas about doctors in his life to have some idea of their work...
Doram...
Exactly.
At one time, he was literally obsessed with a multi-syllable drama called "Magnificent Pharmacist". Because of the "wuxia" genre, this series wasn't exactly historically or even medically accurate, but it was well-crafted. Yes, sometimes Mu Qingfang - the main character - came across obvious pianos in the bushes, but these rare encounters were quite forgivable against the general background. The creators seemed to be inspired by House M. D. , and the most beautiful moment in each episode was the moment when Mu Qingfang was finally able to make an accurate diagnosis.
It was a chance. Enough illusory and unrealistic, but a chance.
The ending of each episode was different, albeit to the same music - Mu Qingfang mixed the medicines that he mentioned in the episodes in it. Shen Yuan did not look at them very carefully, but he never skipped them either, now not knowing which gods to thank. If he could, he would have reviewed the whole process several times, making notes, but the very fact of viewing was already enough for him ... they had hope.
Please, great doctor Mu Qingfang, let it turn out that you talked about the right medicine in one of the episodes! ..
"This Qingqiu needs to know everything about the third consort's illness, " Shen Qingqiu said quietly but firmly, looking into Yue Qingyuan's eyes. He hesitated.
"This lord understands that the first and third consorts are close, but is it reasonable to entertain yourself with empty hope? "
"Are you suggesting we just give up? " Shen Qingqiu broke into a simple speech, almost hissing the last few words. Both of them tried not to make any noise, afraid to wake up Liu Qingge, who was barely asleep.
"This lord only suggests thinking rationally. Qingqiu... Xiao Jiu, listen... Master Healer has tried everything possible, do you really think you know more than him... ? "
What is "xiao Jiu"? The question that popped into Shen Qingqiu's mind immediately vanished as his rage boiled over. If Yue Qingyuan had always given up so easily, then Luo Binghe had definitely made the wrong choice in life!
"This lowly consort dares to assume that he knows more about poisons than many others, " he blurted out the first thing that came to his mind and that should theoretically correspond to Shen Qingqiu's original character.
To his pleasant surprise, Yue Qingyuan finally stopped trying to convince him to give up and froze, looking shocked.
"Qingqiu thinks that poison could be the cause of the third consort's illness? "
What do you mean "could be"? What else was supposed to be a sudden serious illness that no one could diagnose? It was a harem drama, and this genre had its own laws.
... and oh, it seems he voiced some of his thoughts aloud, as Lord Yue's confused and guilty gaze harshly sharpened and grew heavy. Now at least it became clear what Luo Binghe found in him - many people liked the type of a stern and fairly ruler. Although Shen Qingqiu would rather not have this harshness directed at him.
"This lord will investigate it. Does Qingqiu know exactly how the third consort was poisoned? " Yue Qingyuan asked seriously.
"Without the results of the examination, this consort will not be able to say anything specific, " Shen Qingqiu shook his head, mentally going through the options.
Food, water, some substance applied to the hilt of a sword or somewhere else, sprayed gas, a prick with something sharp, touching an open wound. It is unlikely that this is a slow poison, then the deterioration would occur gradually and imperceptibly. The killer was rushed - did he have a time limit? Usually they didn't take such risks in harem showdowns, quick and accurate strikes were more likely to be characteristic of hired killers, or those who had nothing to lose. Revenge? But who did Liu Qingge manage to cross in his twenty years? Or did someone want to get Lord Yue through him?
"Qingqiu has some guesses, " Yue Qingyuan did not even ask, but stated confidently. The prospect of doing something clearly cheered him up.
"Yes, " Shen Qingqiu had to agree. It was not difficult to retell his reasoning to a sudden ally.
"Good, " Yue Qingyuan solemnly nodded, and in a second, he quickly turned from a stern lord into his usual insecure and indecisive self. "Do Qingqiu knows the antidote? "
"Without additional information, this consort will not even be able to determine the type of poison, " Shen Qingqiu shook his head, hoping to finally get the information he needed so much. Exhaling, he decided to finish off his - oh - husband with what he thought, but which looked completely indecent in their realities. "This Qingqiu would like to transfer the third consort to the Bamboo Pavilion. "
"What for? " Yue Qingyuan managed to be confused, embarrassed and a little angry at the same time, but before he could remember his overbearing alter ego, Shen Qingqiu hurried to reply:
"Laboratory. This consort should run some tests" well, he hoped he could "and start looking for an antidote. Leaving the third consort alone without supervision would be imprudent. "
"The servants could take care of the third consort ... "
"Poison, " Shen Qingqiu said laconically. "That consort would advise the Lord Husband and the second consort to be careful as well. Trusting the wrong people can lead to something... irreparable.
Yue Qingyuan twitched as if he had been hit and stared at the floor. Liu Qingge, in Shen Qingqiu's arms, suddenly groaned, trying to somehow change his posture and awkwardly cowering in an attempt to ease the pain. Thin fingers dug into the skin on the sides almost to the blood. This interrupted the awkward conversation about Shen Qingqiu's unknown backstory, and both of them switched to Liu Qingge in an attempt to calm him down.
"Easy-easy, don't hurt yourself, " Shen Qingqiu gently removed Liu Qingge's hands from his dangerously creaking sleeping clothes. "What? What happened? How can I help you? "
"…it hurts…" Liu Qingge whispered into his neck, opening his tightly clenched teeth with difficulty and trembling with his entire body.
Yue Qingyuan knelt on the floor without thinking, not knowing what to do, but showing his readiness. He gave Shen Qingqiu a questioning look.
"Hold his hands, " he immediately responded. "Shh, where does it hurt? " Shen Qingqiu gently ran his hand along Liu Qingge's ribs, starting from the collarbone and moving towards the hip bone. Judging by the Liu Qingge's whistling exhalation through his teeth, he identified the place correctly. "Does it hurt inside, behind the ribs? "
It could have been the lungs or the heart - probably - it could have been a muscle spasm eather. Liu Qingge shook his head negatively, closing his eyes in discomfort, and the second option became more likely.
"Does it hurt more? " Weak but sharp nod. "It's okay, it's okay, just be patient... "
Shen Qingqiu hesitantly pulled aside the collar of his sleeping robe before gently kneading his cramped muscles. He did not dare to use qi - some poisons in the "Magnificent Pharmacist" reacted badly to it. Under his soft but insistent touch, the tension slowly began to weaken. Liu Qingge breathed a sigh of relief and went limp again, although he never completely relaxed even in his sleep.
"... lord... husband? " He wondered languidly as he caught Yue Qingyuan's worried gaze, still holding his cold palms gently.
"Qingge, how do you feel? " He tried to give him a reassuring smile. "Can you answer a few questions for me and Qingqiu? "
Liu Qingge nodded, still a little harsh, but with a hint of his usual confidence. Shen Qingqiu looked at their common - and admittedly very strange - husband inquiringly, but he only somehow strangely jerked his head, giving an incomprehensible signal. Deciding that Yue Qingyuan knew what he was doing, Shen Qingqiu obediently remained silent, as befits a humble consort.
"When did you first feel bad? Last morning? " Head shake. "Earlier? " Nod. "That evening, before bed? " 'Yes' again. "Did it get worse in the morning? " Nod. "Your Qi was okay? " The response was a shrug of the shoulders. "Imbalance? " 'Not'.
"Maybe it was exhausted? " Shen Qingqiu interjected into the 'conversation', intensely recalling everything he remembered about poisons. Liu Qingge nodded in the affirmative.
"Did anything happen before you felt unwell? Maybe something unusual? " Head shake again. "Thank you, you're doing so great, Qingge. The first consort would like to transfer you to his pavilion, for the sake of access to the laboratory. Do you agree? " A surprisingly determined nod. "Would you be more comfortable in a palanquin or if…" Yue Qingyuan was amusingly embarrassed. Qingge, at the mention of the palanquin, grimaced. "Or one of us can carry you in our arms. This lord correctly understands that the second option is better? " Confused 'yes'. "Alright… Qingqiu won't be too hard? "
It's amazing how easily and quickly he went from disgruntled "this is inappropriate" to tacit support. Shen Qingqiu suspected that he was overlooking some trick, but having a strong ally in such a situation was priceless. The main thing is that Mu Qingfang does not fail and that his medicines work. Grabbing Liu Qingge comfortably under his back so that he didn't have to hold on to his neck, Shen Qingqiu slowly rose to his feet, following his tired expression. Oddly enough, on the contrary, he seemed to feel better.
"Like this... No pressure anywhere? Not cold? Are you comfortable? " His worried questions stumbled upon a single shake of his head, followed by a short:
"... fine. "
With Yue Qingyuan they wrapped Liu Qingge in a warm blanket, not wanting to risk it. After half a stick of incense, he fell asleep again, this time in the arms of his husband. Apparently, the phrase "you could do it yourself" offended Lord Yue more than he let on. Shen Qingqiu, relying on the excellent pharmacist Mu Qingfang, went to the healer to question him. He felt that both Liu Qingge and Yue Qingyuan trusted him, and it was very, very scary to let them down.
Everything will work out, Shen Qingqiu repeated to himself, trying not to run. Confused Ming Fan hurried after him silently, Yang Yixuan remained a restless shadow at the door to the bedroom of the Bamboo Pavilion. A polite conversation with Wu Yanghou quickly turned into a two-way caustic interrogation, where Shen Qingqiu had to recall all his experience of forum wars. The results of his not only did not please, but frankly angered. No tests were carried out - the healer listened to the pulse, tried several medicinal mixtures, assessed external symptoms - and that was it. The only thing that turned out to be useful were Liu Qingge's complaints, which were written down the previous morning, when the third husband was still feeling, in his own words, "tolerably".
The main problem is pain, as if all the muscles in the whole body were constricted at the same time. Dizziness, weakness, confusion, loss of control over movements... Shen Qingqiu mentally thanked Dr. House for the science, but looking for an autoimmune was somewhat out of hand, for a cultivator. All this had one thing in common - the relationship with the nervous system. And after all, Mu Qingfang had a similar experience, and not one! Symptoms of poisoning were also present - as it turned out, Liu Qingge had not eaten or drunk anything since the day before last. He just couldn't. He didn't sleep either - the pain didn't let him to cose, that's why he gone off so easily in the arms of Shen Qingqiu or Yue Qingyuan - this position turned out to be the most comfortable. Most likely, he had a stomachache, but he did not mention this. About the high temperature was clear anyway.
Muttering to himself all the facts he could remember from the series and tapping his chin with a fan, Shen Qingqiu returned to his pavilion. The first thing he heard was Yue Qingyuan's low whisper, who was trying to calm the faintly whimpering Liu Qingge. All thoughts of the lab immediately vanished, and Shen Qingqiu rushed towards the bedroom.
"What happened? " Lowering his voice so as not to frighten Liu Qingge, he couldn't suppress the panic sounding inside it.
"Qingge… I… This one tried to help him drink some water, but…" Yue Qingyuan looked no less confused and frightened as he cradled his third husband in his arms.
"I know, the body didn't accept, " Shen Qingqiu paraphrased not the most appetizing details.
So... So... What could he do, what to do... Without water, Liu Qingge would quickly face dehydration, his qi would hardly be able to support his body right now.
Here would be his er-ge with a doctorate in medicine!
Dehydration, what did he know about dehydration... Desert? Desert movies? No, it's still a dead end... Trying not to give in to emotions, Shen Qingqiu re-sorted all the concoctions that the healer tried to give Liu Qingge. Now it became clear why the antipyretic did not work - it did not have time to really assimilate! The idea persistently entered my head that under such conditions in a normal, modern world, droppers would be used and the problem would be solved.
Droppers...
Shen Qingqiu froze in the middle of a nervous movement and threw the fan towards the table with a sharp swing. Saline! Wait-wait-wait, he is on the right track! Almost... He did remember that saline consists of water with the physiologically correct concentration of salt dissolved in it. But it's easier to say than to understand! Okay... Okay... Shen Yuan had read er-ge's article about dihydration - he was bored enough to read anything - and now he remembered – he saw something useful! Rice water... Salty and sweet? The taste of tears? He should've read the article more carefully to be sure, but it was a hint!
Almost knocking down a light bamboo screen, he rushed to the kitchen. Here Shen Qingqiu dissolving some salt and some very suspicious ancient Chinese sugar in pure water... And then he immediately froze, doubting its purity. As a result, Shen Qingqiu asked to bring some fresh rice water from the common kitchens of Ming Fan. Despite the villainous behaviour of the servant boy towards Luo Binghe, he was faithful to his master - this was emphasized more than once in the text.
Despite a slight delay, in less than one ke, Shen Qingqiu returned to the bedroom. Liu Qingge seemed to feel slightly better, but he couldn't sleep again, even in his husband's arms. Yue Qingyuan gave his first husband a haunted look, tinged with desperate hope.
"Xiao Jiu... "
"It should help, " he replied in a half-whisper, again ignoring the strange appeal, and showed a small porcelain teapot with warm solution. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he gently stroked Liu Qingge's cheek. "Third husband, look at me. "
Startled, he shifted his bleary gaze to Shen Qingqiu. On an already pale face, dark shadows under the eyes now clearly stood out, tightly compressed lips were cracked almost to the point of blood. Shen Qingqiu slowly brought the teapot to them, but Liu Qingge suddenly turned away, confusing him.
"...no need."
"The third consort needs to drink a little..."
"...don't want."
"Qingge…" Yue Qingyuan muttered helplessly, blaming himself for the mistake with the water, judging by his expression.
"The third consort has nothing to fear, " Shen Qingqiu continued softly, still stroking Liu Qingge's cheek. He tried to speak with a confidence he didn't really have. "He won't fell sick again. Come on, only a little sip. Just try. Does the third consort not trust this first consort? "
It was a blatant manipulation, but it worked – Liu Qingge reluctantly turned his gaze back to Shen Qingqiu and, after a slight hesitation, unsurely took a tiny sip from the teapot brought to his lips. After a short pause, he plucked up courage to drink some more, but then he turned away again. Literally ten minutes later, to everyone's relief, he dozed off. Yue Qingyuan carefully placed Liu Qingge on Shen Qingqiu's lap, intending to return to the immediate issue of the investigation.
"Be careful, " the first consort muttered to his husband with only his lips, not knowing why.
...if it was just a harem showdown, it would be easier.