High fever

Qi Yu made no more fuss. He drew his hand back, clutched the hem of Qi Xiao's robe, and curled up in his arms, quietly closing his eyes. His breathing slowly evened out, and his fingers loosened their grip on the robe. Qi Xiao looked down at him and pulled the quilt up to cover his exposed shoulders.

The bedchamber fell quiet. The flame in the corner lamp flickered softly. Outside the window, the shadow of the persimmon tree lay motionless against the paper panes. In the latter half of the night, Qi Xiao was woken by the heat.

It felt as though a piece of red-hot charcoal had been pressed against his chest. Qi Xiao reached out to feel Qi Yu's forehead. The moment his palm touched it, his hand went still. Qi Yu was as hot as a steamed bun fresh from the steamer, even hotter than when he had come down with smallpox.

"Yu'er," he called softly.

There was no movement in the outer room. He raised his voice a little.

"De'an!"

De'an turned and ran. He caught his foot on the threshold and nearly fell. Grabbing the doorframe, he steadied himself, but he had no time to retrieve the shoe he had kicked off and ran outside with one foot bare. A young eunuch under the covered walkway staggered as De'an collided with him. Before he could regain his footing, he heard his master shout hoarsely, "Quick! The physicians on duty at the Imperial Medical Bureau! Bring them all! Run!"

"My head hurts..." Qi Yu's voice caught in his throat, sounding like sleep talk, or perhaps crying. His eyes were still closed, but a little moisture seeped from their corners. It slid down into his ears. Qi Xiao wiped it away with his thumb, then replaced the cloth with a fresh cold one.

The imperial physicians arrived quickly. All three physicians on duty came, the first through the door being the elderly Imperial Physician Zhou, Zhou Zhongming, who was over sixty and whose hair had gone completely white. His robe had been pulled askew as he ran, and he was still fastening his collar as he entered. Qi Xiao sat on the edge of the bed, drew Qi Yu's hand out from under the quilt, and laid it on the edge for the physician to take his pulse. Imperial Physician Zhou knelt on the footstool and set his fingers on Qi Yu's wrist. He kept them there for a long time, his brow furrowing ever more deeply.

"Wind-cold has penetrated inward and turned to heat." Imperial Physician Zhou withdrew his hand, then lifted Qi Yu's eyelids and felt the side of his neck. He turned back, trying to keep his voice steady. "His Highness is young, and this illness came on suddenly. It will take time for the fever to subside. I will write a prescription at once."

Qi Xiao said nothing. He simply held Qi Yu's hand, slowly stroking the back of it with his thumb.

The staff from the Imperial Medical Bureau brewed the medicine under the covered walkway. The medicine pot bubbled, and a bitter smell filled the courtyard. De'an went in and out, carrying water, medicine, and cloths. When the medicine was ready, Imperial Physician Zhou brought it in himself and knelt to present it beside the bed. Qi Xiao helped Qi Yu sit up against his chest, holding the bowl in one hand and gently easing his mouth open with the other. The medicine was dark brown, bitter and astringent. Qi Yu frowned in his stupor and turned his face aside. Qi Xiao set the bowl down and gently turned his face back.

"Drink the medicine. Your fever won't go down unless you drink it."

All that remained was to wait. Wait for the medicine to work, wait for the fever to subside. Qi Xiao neither returned to his own bedchamber nor lay down. He sat on the edge of the bed with one hand resting on Qi Yu's quilt, reaching out every so often to feel his forehead, then his palm. Qi Yu was delirious with fever. Sometimes he would start awake, open his eyes, and close them again when he saw his imperial father there. Sometimes he would grope about until he found Qi Xiao's sleeve and clutched it. After a while, his fingers would loosen, and Qi Xiao would tuck his hand back under the quilt. Once, he suddenly said, "Osmanthus cake," so indistinctly that Qi Xiao leaned close and listened for a long time before making it out. What he said was, "Imperial Father... rabbit."

Qi Xiao sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at that fever-flushed face, and remained silent for a long while.

It was nearly time for morning court. De'an stood at the door for a long while before coming in and saying softly, "Your Majesty, it is time for morning court."