Chapter 125
Gu Changqing, who was injured, did not alarm anyone when he returned home. He merely had the servant boy call the estate’s physician to his courtyard.
The physician had been accustomed to seeing Gu Changqing injured. Shizi was a sort of person who would work himself even to his death, and coming back with a little injury every other day was the norm for him.
However, after checking the condition of the wound, the physician was astonished, "Shizi, who st.i.tched up your wound?"
Gu Changqing asked, "What’s the matter? The medical officer of the military camp st.i.tched it up once, and then a physician outside st.i.tched it up again. Is there any problem?"
The physician said, "No, but the st.i.tches are very well done. I haven"t seen anyone who can handle torn st.i.tches so well. I wonder which physician did it?"
Hearing the physician say this, Gu Changqing realized something in his heart. He said, "You can withdraw, don"t tell anyone about my injury."
"This humble one understands."
It wasn’t just a day or two since he started working as a physician in the Marquis Ding"an Estate. He knew the habits of this shizi, he didn’t like to make things big and cause the whole estate to be in a panic.
After the physician stepped down, the servant boy brought a basin of hot water and took out a clean set of clothes.
In order not to attract attention on his way home, Gu Changqing covered the wound with his cloak, and now even the cloak was stained with blood.
While helping Gu Changqing take off his cloak, the boy servant spoke in a mutter, "Shizi, how did you hurt yourself this time? Ever since you were transferred to General Ran"s command, you have suffered more injuries than before. Is General Ran particularly harsh?"
"How can martial arts be without injury? It"s a good thing that General Ran is strict and impartial to his troops, it"s the blessing of the State of Zhao. Let’s not talk about this again."
"Oh." The servant boy responded and put the matter behind his head. He placed the blood-stained cloak into the clothes basket and began to take off Gu Changqing’s robe and mid-layer clothes for him, saying, "By the way, shizi, were you not rea.s.sured about your wound so you summoned the estate’s physician here? In the past, after having your injuries treated in the military camp, you would never call the estate’s physician to examine you again. Since you don"t trust the medical skills of whoever treated you outside, why did you let the other party treat you?"
That’s right, why did he let her treat him?
Gu Changqing couldn"t come up with an answer either.
She didn’t look very old and seemed to be just about the same age as Gu Jinyu. It was already admirable for a girl of this age not to cry loudly upon seeing such a ferocious injury, but she could still st.i.tch it up calmly.
Not only that, but she also had no qualms killing an a.s.sa.s.sin.
And after killing others, she acted just like nothing had happened and continued to st.i.tch up his wound.
After living for twenty years, he came across such a strange woman for the first time.
Her pet.i.te body seemed to be hiding great strength.
"Shizi, Concubine Ling asks for an audience." A servant girl reported from outside the door.
The servant boy looked at Gu Changqing and said, "Shizi, you’re injured. It’d be better for this servant to meet her instead."
"No need." Gu Changqing changed into clean clothes and went to the reception pavilion to meet Concubine Ling.
Concubine Ling was Ling shi"s younger sister from a concubine. She didn’t bear much resemblance to Ling shi. In fact, she was more beautiful than Ling shi. Unfortunately, neither she nor Ling shi could match Yao shi in appearance.
Perhaps it wasn’t only because Concubine Ling carried the same blood as Ling shi, but also because Concubine Ling was experiencing the same desolation as Ling shi did at the beginning, so Gu Changqing was very polite to her.
Gu Changqing said, "It"s so late, why is Aunt not resting yet?"
Concubine Ling smilingly replied, "I am already this old, I don’t need a lot of sleep unlike when I was young. It’s enough to have three or two hours of sleep a day. Recently, you always go out early and come home late and this Aunt hasn"t seen you for a long time. I came this time to see you."
Gu Changqing responded, "I let Aunt worry about me."
Concubine Ling said earnestly, "Don"t tire yourself too much, you have to take care of your own body too. There will be ample time for the matters at home, but we can"t afford to have something happen to you."
"I know."
Although Gu Changqing said this, he dared not forget the instructions of Old Marquis before he left the estate. He was the eldest son and the eldest brother, with an Old Madame above and younger brothers and sister below, as well as a century-old Marquis Estate. He had the responsibility to support the whole Marquis Estate on his knees.
Having finished all the pleasantries, Concubine Ling still had no intention of leaving.
Gu Changqing asked, "Aunt, is there anything else?"
Concubine Ling fiddled with the handkerchief in her hand and smiled awkwardly, "Well, Madame has returned to the estate. You must have heard about it already."
Gu Changqing looked at Concubine Ling and said, "Is Aunt here to tell me about the two children having been mixed-up at birth?"
Concubine Ling was slightly stunned, "You already know?"
Gu Changqing said, "I just found out."
Concubine Ling glanced at the servant boy behind Gu Changqing and understood. She said, "Although Jinyu is not your father"s own flesh and blood, she has been raised in the estate for many years and has also nurtured people’s affections. To send her away, not to mention your father and Madame, even the Old Madame is reluctant to part with her."
Gu Changqing didn’t have much thought about it. He didn’t care about it whatsoever, so he wouldn’t pay it any thought.
Concubine Ling smiled warmly, saying, "Jinyu"s birthday is coming soon. Do you need me to prepare a birthday present for her?"
Gu Changqing said, "Aunt can just arrange it as usual."
Although he didn’t recognize Gu Jinyu as his sister, he wouldn’t go out of his way to embarra.s.s her. He didn’t have the habit of bullying a little girl.
Concubine Ling added, "Yan"er has also come to the capital. Yan"er and that child... Would you also like to send both of them a birthday present?"
Gu Yan moved to the Hot Spring Villa when he was four or five years old. They hadn’t seen each other for ten years. Gu Changqing actually couldn’t remember anymore what Gu Yan looked like.
He nodded, "If you can send things over, just send it together."
Anyway, it was just about maintaining face.
Concubine Ling said with a smile, "Alright then, I"ll get the presents ready and hand them to your father so he can bring them over there."
Gu Changqing had no opinion and only said, "It’s enough to have Aunt decide this kind of trivial matter."
Before leaving, Concubine Ling told him once more to pay attention to his health.
Gu Changqing was well aware how badly hurt he was and estimated the pain to subside only after three to five days. However, he was able to sleep all night and after waking up the next day, the wound actually didn"t hurt much.
He applied some of the jinchuang medicine given to him by Gu Jiao. It had a cool sensation and the wound became even less painful.
Gu Changqing felt amazed.
Just where did that girl get all her medical skills? She might be even better than the medical officers in the military camp.
There was no training these two days, but Gu Changqing still decided to go to the military camp for a walk.
When he pa.s.sed by the hanging flower pavilion, he happened to meet Gu Jinyu walking in the garden with Yao shi.
He saw the other party, and the other party saw him, the scene was a bit awkward.
When Yao shi first entered the Marquis Estate, Gu Changqing was still a little boy who had just lost his mother. He harbored resentment against Yao shi and said a lot of harsh and mean words to her many times.
He even threatened to drive Yao shi out, saying in this estate, there could only be either him or Yao shi.
He had also falsely denounced and complained about Yao shi in front of his grandparents.
Now that he was old, he naturally wouldn’t be as childish and ignorant as he was when he was young.
It was just that he would never call Yao shi mother.
Never in his life.
Yao shi nodded at him from a distance while he bowed slightly at her. They greeted each other politely and distantly.
This should have been the end of the awkward encounter, but Gu Jinyu suddenly stepped down from the pavilion, came up to Gu Changqing, bent her knees in greeting and said, "Good morning, eldest brother."
"Good morning." Gu Changqing’s expression was cold.
Gu Jinyu seemed unbothered by it as she raised a sweet smile, saying, "Eldest brother, my birthday is in a few days. Will eldest brother be at the estate that day?"
Before Gu Changqing could speak, Gu Jinyu quickly added, "Imperial concubine said she would come, I hope eldest brother can come as well."
Facing that pair of smiling yet apprehensive eyes, Gu Changqing didn"t refuse firmly as before, "I"ll come when I have the time."
Gu Jinyu’s countenance grew very joyful as she said, "Thank you, eldest brother!"
Gu Changqing said coldly, "It’s too early to thank me, I also may not be available that day."
With that, he brushed past Gu Jinyu and left without looking back.
However, this encounter made Gu Jinyu think of something. It appeared that because she really wasn’t her mother’s real child, her eldest brother felt less angry with her.
Before returning to the capital, she was very worried that she would be looked down upon by the rest of the world after her real background was exposed, but it turned out that wasn’t entirely true.
Imperial Concubine Shu liked her because of her talent, and the Old Madame liked her because of Imperial Concubine Shu’s fondness of her. What did it matter if she wasn’t her father"s own flesh and blood?
Once she became a county princess and had the love of her eldest brother, who would dare to look down on her in the future?
Right, there was also An Junw.a.n.g.
Last time she went to the palace, she was so preoccupied with solving problems for the Fifth Prince that she forgot to mention An Junw.a.n.g.
This banquet happened to be a great opportunity to meet An Junw.a.n.g again!
After their stroll, Gu Jinyu found Marquis Gu and told Marquis Gu what she had in mind.
Marquis Gu was surprised and said, "What? Send an invitation to An Junw.a.n.g? Isn’t this inappropriate? We are not that familiar with An Junw.a.n.g."
He didn"t dare to rush to befriend An Junw.a.n.g just because he had taken in An Junw.a.n.g and his sister for a few nights back in the county.
Leaving aside the concerns from different major factions, An Junw.a.n.g alone wasn’t someone he could easily claim connections to.
The Old Marquis might have that capacity. After all, the Old Marquis had received military merits, but he wasn’t his father.
Gu Jinyu said confidently, "Dad, believe in your daughter. An Junw.a.n.g will definitely come."
In the end, Marquis Gu couldn"t resist the cajole of his daughter. He unfurled the knit on his forehead and sent an invitation to An Junw.a.n.g!