As for Su Yi, after he had received treatment from Wanyan Xia, his condition indeed improved miraculously and he had yet to spit out another mouthful of blood. When he woke up at mid-morning, he felt that his body was feeling much more comfortable than before. The nausea and pain that had plagued him was almost totally gone. Zi Nong and the rest were relieved to see that he was on the mend, and after the medicinal decoction was sent up, Zi Nong served it to him.
Wanyan Xia smiled and said: “In the end, you are really a general. Your body still has a foundation of strength, if that wasn't the case, with the way you were throwing up blood, you should have died several times over.” With that, he said to Zi Nong: “Since he is not feeling nauseous at this time, quickly go to the kitchen and get some light and thin porridge for him. We don't need a lot of it, it is just to replenish his stomach a little to stave off hunger pangs.”
Zi Nong agreed and left, leaving the few people in the room to have a merry chat. Suddenly she heard the sound of approaching footsteps from beyond the room. The curtains over the doors were quickly lifted by palace maids and Wanyan Xu rushed headlong into the room. Guilt and shame were written all over his face and there were tears clinging to the corner of his eyes. Su Yi was greatly alarmed; just as he was considering what could have happened to cause Wanyan Xu to be in this state, he saw that he had stepped forward and was now clutching his hand in a death-grip. He kept on weeping, but he did not say a word.
Su Yi was growing increasingly anxious, shaking his hand, he said: “Wanyan, what has happened to you?” Seeing that Su Yi was growing distressed, Wanyan Xu was afraid that he would vomit blood again. Only then did he wipe away his tears, and in a voice that still sounded choked up, he said: “Su Su... why did you... confess to the accusations against you? Why did you choose to endure that kind of... grievance that is as great as the Heavens, why... didn’t you tell me? No, that’s not right, that... that’s not your fault... not your fault.”
Suddenly, he gave himself a fierce slap on his face and said: “It was I, I was the greatest scoundrel, why did I not believe in you, why did I not believe? How can I have the face to stand in front of you again? Su Su, knowing what I’ve done to you, how could I have the face to stay by your side?” As he was speaking he had been slapping himself in the face. His two cheeks were already slightly swollen up.
Su Yi's bleeding had just been staunched, although the symptoms that had caused him so much discomfort had been largely eradicated, his body was still feeling very feeble. He was totally unable to prevent Wanyan Xu's self-flagellation. To see that his beloved's emotions were already somewhat unstable because of his overt guilt and self-condemnation, Su Yi was both panicked and afraid. He had no alternative but to gather Wanyan Xu into his arms, and now weeping himself, he said: “Don’t be like this Wanyan, don’t be like this, it had nothing to do with you... nothing to do with you... I know that you are good to me... I know... on that rainy night, you brought me medicine and a quilt. On that winter’s day, the reason you sent for me to play the flute was to give me a chance to warm up, all of that.... I know all of that.”
When he said these words, Wanyan Xu began to cry even more fiercely. The dark clouds that he had long kept buried in his heart were finally able to be dispelled, for a long time he stayed like this, burying his head in Su Yi's thin and frail chest. He did not care that as the Emperor, he should be dignified. He did not care that there were many people around them who were watching him, including Wanyan Xia who hated him deeply. In the same fashion, he continued to weep. Su Yi also could not keep his tears from flowing down his face, as if coaxing a child, he slowly patted and stroked him while saying softly: “It’s in the past, Wanyan Xu, it is all in the past... all in the past.” With his feelings so turbulent, he even forgot to ask Wanyan Xu how he had managed to find out the truth about Su Yi having been framed.
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