Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Three Updates in One

"How should I know?"

Qin Chen: That's such an irresponsible thing to say!

"However, even if you tell him, the prince certainly won't believe it. Especially my stepmother, who's obsessed with having a grandson. I'm afraid she'll think the Zhenguo Mansion is jealous of the Qin family having a grandson." Qin Chen imitated the tone of the Jing'an Marquis' wife and spoke in a sarcastic tone, causing Gu Zhizhuo to chuckle. His eyes sparkled as he said, "How about you tell me your fortune?"

Figure out who is the child’s father.

His eyes lit up.

Hmm. Well, he definitely didn't mean to watch the fun. He just didn't quite understand. Clearly, his stepmother and the prince treated them, his illegitimate children, like garbage on the street, so why were they so desperate for an unborn illegitimate child?

In the end, the child wasn't Qin Su's. This was too exciting! Qin Chen felt his heart pounding just thinking about it.

Gu Zhizhuo gave him a blank look and knew that he was unreliable!

It is not difficult to tell a fortune, but you don’t have counting sticks or a compass.

Besides, what's the use of figuring it out? Why rush over to remind them? Oh, this is too easy for the Qin family.

Gu Zhizhuo's eyes flashed with a cold gleam, his mind reeling from the image of Ah Man's face, swollen and rotting from the river. That day, the Qin family mansion was draped in red silk, and the servants were all beaming with joy, rushing to announce the good news that Aunt Sun had given birth to a son. The wife of the Marquis of Jing'an beamed, and the entire household was filled with joy.

Before she could even enter the house with her aunt and A'man, she was blocked by people sent by Lady Jing'an. They pointed at A'man's nose and scolded her for bringing bad luck. They refused to let her body into the house and told her aunt with a mean look to just roll up a straw mat and throw the body away, so as not to disturb the joy of her precious grandson.

What did Qin Su say at that time: "A Liao, please understand me. The child has just been born and is most easily frightened. Ah Man is gone. He will be our only child in the future. You have to think about him and stop being willful, okay..."

Gu Zhizhuo tightly grasped the peace sign, his fingertips turning slightly white.

If I want to say it, of course I have to wait until the child is born, when the Qin family is at its peak of glory.

Qin Chen: "Here I come."

Gu Zhizhuo suppressed the surging thoughts in her heart, raised her eyes calmly, and found that Xie Jing had come out of Sanqing Temple at some point and was walking towards her.

Qin Chen finished what he wanted to say in one breath: "Young Master, what you mean is that we may not have the chance to meet alone today. I will go to Baiji Hall in two days to take a day off and bring your pulse record with me. You can pick it up when you are free."

Why.

Qin Chen felt annoyed just thinking about it. Who could have thought that the emperor would follow him!

Gu Zhizhuo shook his finger and smiled meaningfully: "No need."

Um?

"Yes."

After she finished speaking, she said loudly, "Thank you, Mr. Qin." She took the peace sign and left.

There are many pilgrims near the ancient cypress, who reverently hang peace sticks on the tops of the trees.

Gu Zhizhuo slowly walked around to the back of the ancient cypress tree. It was only three or five steps from the pond behind it, and there were not many people around. She picked a branch that was neither too high nor too low. Before she could hang the fortune stick, Xie Jing walked up behind her and said with a smile, "Miss Gu, why don't you hang it higher? I'll help you."

Gu Zhizhuo grabbed the peace sign with his backhand and tilted his head to look at him. Xie Jing's eyebrows were smiling, and he was as handsome as jade. Standing there, he looked like a graceful and noble young man. Only the scar on his forehead was a bit of an eyesore. He applied some powder and let down his bangs to cover it up a little.

"Third Young Master."

Gu Zhizhuo bowed slightly, ignoring his outstretched hand. Xie Jing saw the faint smile in his eyes, and he felt uncomfortable all over his body.

Xie Jing coughed uncomfortably twice, then said attentively, "Miss Gu, Taiqing Temple has three unique features: the bamboo forest, the forest of inscriptions, and the Taiqing giant bell. The bamboo forest is a must-see today. The temple master said there's an old Taoist meditating in the bamboo forest. How about I take you to the forest of inscriptions?"

"Third Young Master." Gu Zhizhuo didn't even glance at him. "We've known each other for a while. Stop pretending with me. It's pointless. There's no one else around anyway."

She held the peace sign and slowly smoothed out the wrinkles on it, then said with a smile, "How about we talk about something serious?"

Xie Jing suppressed his smile.

His facial features were gentle, and when he smiled, he looked refined and elegant. But once he stopped smiling, he became noticeably colder and harder.

He asked warily, "What do you want to talk about?"

Gu Zhizhuo said slowly, "Let's talk about our engagement."

Xie Jing sneered. If it were in the past, he would definitely think that Gu Zhizhuo would be reluctant to give up the honor of being the Third Prince's wife. However, now, he no longer has the confidence.

He stayed in the Taimiao for ten days. Even after returning to Beijing, his father did not treat him as warmly as before. He was surrounded by people who flattered the powerful and looked down on the weak. He suffered the coldness he had never received in his life during these days.

Therefore, even if he was not happy with this marriage, he did not dare to displease his father again.

He waved his folding fan, smiling modestly like a gentleman, and said, "I've thought about it carefully. Our engagement is actually not bad. We have known each other since childhood, so we can be considered childhood sweethearts. I was always wrong in the past."

After saying this, he bowed deeply to Gu Zhizhuo.

"I hope Sister Zhuo doesn't mind."

Gu Zhizhuo: “…”

Even though she knew it was fake, it still made her shudder with disgust.

What to do if you feel nauseous!

Gu Zhizhuo raised his eyes and met his gaze that said, "What can you do to me?"

Xie Jing closed his folding fan and tapped it gently on his palm, feeling at ease. Their engagement was the emperor's idea. If she didn't want it, then she could find a way out herself. Trying to get in his way again was impossible!

Gu Zhizhuo smiled brightly. She looked at the turtle sunbathing on a large boulder in the pond and said slowly, "What do you think would happen if I jumped from here now?"

Xie Jing was stunned for a moment.

She leaned closer and smiled innocently, "What would happen if I said you pushed me?"

Xie Jing's face suddenly turned pale, and he blurted out: "You are despicable!"

Gu Zhizhuo lifted the hair from his ear and said gently and generously, "Thank you for the compliment."

Xie Jing subconsciously glanced in the direction of the Jinwu Guards and discovered that their current position was largely blocked by the thousand-year-old cypress tree. Her two maids were standing not too far away, so unless the Jinwu Guards climbed a few more steps, they would definitely not be able to see them. In other words, he didn't even have a witness.

If she jumped down now, even her father would think that he was the one who pushed her.

After all, he had just done something similar, and his father would definitely think that he wanted to kill Gu Zhizhuo for Ke'er again.

This is simply too much to describe.

It is true that he is the legitimate son, but the emperor has many more sons.

His eyes were a little vague, and he opened his folding fan and fanned it vigorously a few times.

Gu Zhizhuo curled his lips and added, "By the way, I think I saw the Second Young Master and the Fourth Young Master are here today too. Tell me, will they believe you or me?"

Xie Jing felt a chill all over his body.

This is not a question of who they will believe. His second and fourth royal brothers are more than willing to kick someone when he is down. To put it bluntly, even if they were standing here and saw Gu Zhizhuo jump down with their own eyes, they would testify with certainty that he was the one who pushed him!

Haha, just the two of them, I'm afraid they will not only instigate trouble in front of the emperor, but will definitely incite the imperial envoys to impeach me and make a scene in the court.

Gu Zhizhuo took a step towards the pond and said quietly, "Hey, if you do it again, I'm afraid you won't just go to the Imperial Ancestral Temple."

Just this one step made Xie Jing so shocked that he almost jumped up: "Stop!" For a moment, he couldn't help but think about whether he should shout and attract the Jinwu Guards over, so that she would not dare to be so blatant again.

Gu Zhizhuo saw through his thoughts at once. She leaned back, and her unbridled look clearly said: If you dare to shout, I dare to jump, let's see who is faster.

Scoundrel!

He cursed in his heart and kicked a small stone under his feet into the pond in annoyance.

"If I had the final say, I wouldn't be engaged to you at all!"

"How can you compare to Ke'er?"

These words did not leave Gu Zhizhuo any face. Xie Jing stared at her, trying to see embarrassment and shame, or anger on her face, but there was none. There was a determined smile on the corner of her mouth, and her pretty face was calm.

"Third Young Master, don't be so self-deprecating." Gu Zhizhuo casually peeled off his disguise. "If you truly wanted to cancel the engagement, it's impossible. However, it would displease the Emperor and the court officials, giving your brother an opportunity to exploit you. How unprofitable! By comparison, disfiguring me would be much simpler and more convenient. Then, ashamed of my appearance, I could ask to be divorced, and you could pretend to offer some words of comfort, preserving your reputation as a loyal and righteous person."

"Kill multiple birds with one stone, why not do it?"

Xie Jing gripped the folding fan tighter, his knuckles turning faintly blue.

Gu Zhizhuo looked towards the direction of Sanqing Temple, where a thin Taoist priest was walking leisurely up the steps.

As if noticing her gaze, the Taoist suddenly turned to look at her, his eyes gleaming with brilliance, his gaze seemingly able to penetrate the layers of shade. Gu Zhizhuo smiled at him, then turned his head and said pointedly, "Young Master, you are very familiar with the Taoist Master Qingping, right?"

As soon as these words came out, Xie Jing's heart began to beat wildly. He pretended to be calm and said, "I'm not familiar with her."

"If they weren't familiar, why did you bother to lure Master Xie to Taiqing Monastery?" She fiddled with the red string of the fortune stick with her fingers, and made her point clear, "You invited Master Qingping out for one purpose: to expose Cousin Ke to Master Xie as the 'blessed woman' everyone's talking about, so that he could summon Cousin Ke from the monastery."

Xie Jing swallowed, feeling a little guilty, his eyes wandering.

Last year, he and Ke'er went out for an outing and met the Taoist Master Qingping. The Taoist Master Qingping immediately determined that Ke'er had the destiny of a "blessed girl destined by heaven". At that time, he did not believe it and thought that this was an opportunistic sorcerer. However, the Taoist Master Qingping read three hexagrams for him in a row, and all of them came true!

They have been in contact from time to time over the past year.

When Xie Jing returned to the palace from the Taimiao this time, he learned that his mother had asked the Duke of Zhenguo to send Ke'er to a nunnery.

Life in the women's convent was hard, and Ke'er had been pampered since childhood. How could she possibly survive?! Thinking of the suffering she endured in the convent, he wished he could take her place. His mother refused to relent, and after much deliberation, he decided to ask for help from the Immortal Qingping.

He asked with difficulty: "How do you know?"

"I calculated it." Gu Zhizhuo folded his arms across his chest and answered reluctantly.

Xie Jing was so angry that he waved his sleeves and simply didn't look at her.

Gu Zhizhuo smiled and made a finger-splitting motion. "I've figured it out. You can ask Master Qingping to tell Mr. Xie later that it's because of our engagement that you've been having so much trouble, even putting your life in danger, like falling into the water and nearly drowning."

"you!"

There was no need to calculate it. She was simply telling him clearly what she wanted him to do.

mean!

Gu Zhizhuo slowly took a step closer, the two of them very close, the wind blowing her hair. She said, "You resent this engagement, and I'm tired of it too. It would be better for both you and me if we ended it sooner, wouldn't it?"

Gu Zhizhuo had a smile on her face, like a harmless little white rabbit, but to Xie Jing, she was simply a venomous snake with its tongue sticking out.

Xie Jing said in a weak voice, "Aren't you afraid that I will tell my father?"

Gu Zhizhuo said indifferently, "If you don't mind that you and Cousin Ke are not destined to be together, you can go ahead and tell me."

This is not a threat, it is a fact.

Gu Zhizhuo knew this, and Xie Jing knew it even better.

Xie Jing stared at her intently, and suddenly he stretched out his hand and tried to pull her veil. Gu Zhizhuo tilted her head, and his hand missed.

Gu Zhizhuo smiled without saying anything, which made Xie Jing feel quite bored.

He did suspect that there was no injury on her face, but even if it was confirmed now, it had been more than half a month, who could say that she had deceived Jun?

If I continue to argue about this, I will only look stupid. I have been stupid once, and I will do stupid things every time. How blind must my father be to appoint me as the crown prince?

The sun-drying turtle jumped into the water and swam away with its four limbs. Gu Zhizhuo raised his phoenix eyes and said, "If I jump into this pond, you'll probably be criticized again. It's hard to say whether you can turn things around."

"If you jump, not only will your wish be granted, but you will also regain your king's heart."

"You said so?"

Gu Zhizhuo bowed, walked past him briskly, and hung up the peace sign.

Xie Jing pursed his lips and stood there silently, feeling a little confused and conflicted.

Gu Yican won a great victory in suppressing the bandits and even dug out the bandits' lair. Not only that, it also led to a whole gang of criminals. The commander of Yizhou Xindu Guard colluded with the bandits to smuggle and sell military pay. Xindu Guard, Changyang Guard and three or four other guards were involved.

Although his father did not say it explicitly, as soon as he entered the Sanqing Hall, he sent him out and asked him to accompany Miss Gu for a walk. Just by doing this, he naturally understood his father's current attitude towards the Zhenguo Mansion.

Saying nice things is comforting.

To put it bluntly, it means praising something, praising it highly.

Therefore, he really didn't dare to offend Gu Zhizhuo now.

Gu Zhizhuo is despicable and shameless. If he doesn't make her happy, she will definitely hurt him and run to her father to complain about him.

The king is the father, the king is the father, the former king is the father.

If he cannot do what the king wants, he will be rejected by his father.

Why.

Xie Jing was still standing by the pond.

"If you jump, not only will your wish be granted, but you will also regain your king's heart."

The water flowed, creating ripples. Xie Jing could clearly see the pebbles and copper coins scattered in the lake. Three or five water turtles of different sizes swam back and forth in the water, looking particularly comfortable.

The water is not deep.

This was Xie Jing’s first thought.

He glanced in Qin Su's direction again, and walked to a place where Qin Su could see him as if he was strolling in the garden.

Before they knew it, it was past noon and the sun was getting a little strong. Xie Jing waved to Xiao Yunzi, who brought him some water. After Xie Jing drank it, he said a few words and sent Xiao Yunzi away.

Qing Ping Zhenren also advised him -

Destroy and then build!

Xie Jing made a decision. He pretended to turn around and go back, then deliberately stepped on the boulder. He slipped and fell into the pond with an unstable center of balance.

thump!

In an instant, he was swallowed by the cold pool water.

"Help..." Before he could even open his mouth to ask for help, he gulped down several mouthfuls of pond water.

For a moment, he couldn't help but wonder, could it be that the water was actually very deep, and Gu Zhizhuo was deliberately coaxing him, wanting him to drown?!

Even though he knew the idea was absurd, he still panicked, and this panic made him thrash even harder, his entire body bobbing up and down, unable to find the bottom. Qin Su had been keeping an eye on this place from time to time, for no other reason than that the Jinwu Guards were accompanying him, and he couldn't let anything happen to the prince.

Who would have thought that something really happened.

Qin Su's face changed drastically, and he shouted loudly: "Master...!"

"Hurry up, the young master has fallen into the water!"

"Someone come!"

He shouted as he rushed over and dived into the water.

The pond was indeed not deep, and Qin Su could swim as well. However, Xie Jing had already panicked at this moment and clung to Qin Su tightly, pulling so hard that he swallowed several mouthfuls of water. After finally dragging Xie Jing ashore with great difficulty, Qin Su was almost exhausted.

Xie Jing pulled away the water plants at the corners of his mouth and spat out the pond water mouthful by mouthful. He choked and coughed, unable to utter a word.

Qin Su had no choice but to cheer up and asked the little Taoist boy who rushed over for a room. Then he remembered that he had not yet reported, so he quickly sent someone away. Qin Chen, standing in front of the Sanqing Hall, saw the chaos. The Jinwu Guards and Xiao Yunzi were all running into the hall, so he took advantage of the chaos and followed them in.

The emperor had already walked from the main hall to the side hall.

Not long ago, a pilgrim knelt in front of the mountain gate to ask for medical treatment. The abbot took his leave first, leaving only Qingping Zhenren to accompany him.

Xiao Yunzi arrived faster than the Jinwu Guards and said in a panic, "Emperor... Master! The Third Young Master has fallen into the water!"

What? !

The emperor was talking to Master Taiqing. When he heard this, his face changed and he asked quickly, "What's going on?"

Xiao Yunzi replied, "The third young master slipped and fell into the pond. He has been rescued and taken to the wing room by Qin and his guards."

The emperor couldn't believe his ears. How could such a small pond fall into the water just like that? His son couldn't be so stupid.

Everyone looked at the emperor in unison, and Qin Chen returned to Xie Yingchen silently.

The emperor suddenly asked, "Where is Miss Gu?"

Little Yunzi didn't quite understand why the question was asked about Miss Gu, but she still told him everything: "Miss Gu talked to the Third Young Master for a while and then left. The Third Young Master was alone afterwards, and there were no other pilgrims around at the time."

The second prince and the fourth prince looked at each other in bewilderment. How could he fall into the water for no reason?

The Second Prince said tentatively, "Father, why don't you go check on Third Brother first?"

right!

The emperor nodded and said to Master Qingping, "Please come with me to take a look."

"yes."

Qing Ping Zhenren was born thin, with deep cheeks and slightly dark skin. He had two black mustaches on his lips that curled up when he spoke. At first glance, he looked like a sorcerer.

"lead the way."

At the emperor's command, little Yunzi responded repeatedly.

Even if he led the way, as a eunuch, he had to lag half a step behind the emperor. He bowed and waited on the side. When Master Qingping passed by, he quickly pulled his Taoist robe.

Qingping lowered his eyes to look, and Xiao Yunzi quickly bent his index finger to indicate to the Third Prince that he had danced on his own. He wasn't sure if Qingping could understand, so he anxiously mouthed the word "gua" several times. Xie Yingchen's eyes swept around, and naturally he wouldn't miss it.

Qingping thought for a moment, then called out to the emperor, "Thank you, sir."

The emperor paused slightly. Seeing that Qingping was hesitant, he sent his two sons to check on Xie Jing first, and signaled others not to follow too closely. So, except for Li Deshun, everyone else lagged far behind.

The emperor said, "Master, please speak."

"Thank you, Master." True Man Qingping didn't mince words and asked, "Has Third Young Master been having a rough time lately?"

Unlucky! It was indeed quite unlucky. The emperor nodded and sighed, "Last month, I hit my face. The wound hasn't healed yet, and now this..."

If you think about it carefully, the suffering Jing'er has endured in this month is equivalent to what she has endured in the past eighteen years.

Qingping stroked his beard.

For those who practice Taoism, entering the world is a necessary step in their practice, and he is no exception.

That's right. He came to the world to cultivate, not to overcome tribulations. Of course, he couldn't let himself be wronged and had to try his best to live a good life. He saw at a glance that the Third Prince, Xie Jing, had the appearance of a potential dragon. That was fine, but the most important thing was that the girl who was connected to his fate was truly invaluable, born under the protection of heaven.

Qingping had calculated that these two would be destined for the throne. Helping the Third Prince with a few harmless favors was in line with Heaven's will, while going against it would be against it.

Moreover, if he establishes a good relationship with the third prince now, he might even be able to become a royal teacher in the future.

Therefore, even if the Third Prince used his name to spread the hexagram of the Destiny Blessed Girl everywhere while he was in seclusion, he would not care.

Perhaps because of his indifference, the Third Prince came to him as soon as he was released from confinement. He asked him to find a way to rescue his beloved from the confinement. It wasn't a big deal, and given the girl's good fortune, even if he did nothing, she could resolve the situation in less than a month.

To him, it was like doing a favor.

But the third prince didn't say that he was going to jump into the pond.

What do you think?

Divination? That's right. When the Third Prince came back last time, he complained to me for a long time about his unhappy marriage. I read his fortune, and it seemed to indicate "destruction before establishment."

So, the third prince changed his mind at the last minute and wanted to take the opportunity to break off the engagement?

Qingping pondered how to deceive him, his expression becoming even more mysterious. "When I was in seclusion, I once divined a fortune, and the hexagram showed an auspicious sign of a blessed girl destined by heaven."

He said this with a meaningful tone and made a "please" gesture.

The emperor walked away. Indeed, he had come today because of this rumor, but before he could ask, Jing'er was in trouble. Now, it was Qingping who took the initiative to speak. Could this so-called "destined lucky girl" be related to Jing'er?

He said, "Please speak frankly, sir."

"Yes," Qingping continued, "The hexagram indicates that this woman can inherit the blessings of heaven and prosper the country."

The emperor frowned unhappily. What did it mean to "carry on the prosperity of the country"? Ha, could Daqi even have a female emperor? Such words were simply treasonous. If Qingping hadn't been quite famous in the capital over the past year, the emperor would have immediately turned hostile and called him a "monster."

Qingping was able to thrive among the powerful and influential people in the capital, so he naturally understood the taboos.

Who made the Third Prince jump without even consulting him? Alas, when he said that he would destroy and then rebuild, the Third Prince was still very confident, saying things like "A gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall". This Third Prince is really fickle.

Despite his thoughts, Qing Ping smiled calmly, "Thank you, Master. This hexagram is of great significance. I dare not be careless, so I retreated for a few more days and interpreted it again. This time, the result is 'prosperity'."

"Wang?" The emperor repeated the word silently.

Qingping's mustache curled up as he said, "That's what people call 'wang' (meaning "prospering a husband")."

"Not only will it bring prosperity to your husband, but it will also bring prosperity to the world."

"Thank you, Master. You just asked me which of the people you brought with you had the potential to be a latent dragon. I can honestly say it was the Third Young Master. But now it seems that he is only a latent dragon."

At the outset of Emperor Taizu's uprising, he encountered an old Taoist priest who bowed down and declared that Taizu was an imperial star. It was also this same Taoist priest who, when the late Emperor took Xie Yingchen to offer sacrifices to heaven, had pronounced him to have the potential to be a latent dragon. Upon his return, the late Emperor conferred upon him the title of Grand Crown Prince, regarding this as a divine omen.

The late emperor had no taboos about it, and the emperor, who imitated the latent emperor in everything, certainly would not have any taboos about it. What's more, now that Qingping said that the one with the image of a hidden dragon was his own son, he was still very happy, thinking: Those stubborn men in the court who always flatter Xie Yingchen should come and listen to who the hidden dragon is!

Qingping observed his expression, smiled, and asked, "Master Xie, what is destiny?"

He went on to say: "If you follow the will of Heaven, you will live; if you go against the will of Heaven, you will suffer perdition." (Note)

"Forgive me for being blunt, but a dragon lurks in the abyss. Only those who can leap out can transform into a golden dragon. Otherwise, what's the difference between you and a water snake?"

The emperor was moved when he heard this.

After a moment, he nodded thoughtfully.

Therefore, Jing'er was destined to be the blessed woman, but now because of this inappropriate marriage, he has violated the destiny, which has caused him all kinds of misfortunes and weakened his well-being.

After realizing this, the emperor looked indifferent, and it was impossible to tell whether he was happy or angry.

Qingping knew very well that after all he said, the emperor only believed about 50% to 60%. There was nothing he could do about it. The third prince jumped too quickly and did not give him enough chance to fool people, or rather, to gain the emperor's trust.

As he was pondering what to say next, the emperor suddenly spoke up and asked, "Have you ever met Miss Gu?"

“I have met you.” Qingping nodded with a smile.

"What is her fate?"

"What bad luck! A fate destined for doom." Qingping couldn't help but think of it in his heart. But this was just when he saw her a year ago. Just before entering the Sanqing Temple, he had also caught a glimpse of her. Somehow, it seemed as if there was a glimmer of hope.

With this kind of fate, she is destined to be lonely all her life. Whoever gets close to her will be unlucky. How can she have any chance of survival?

It must be because I am not skilled enough.

Qingping complained in his heart and shook his head.

He had wanted to gloss over it, but seeing that the emperor didn't want to be vague, he could only say, "Heaven's unlucky star."

More than that—

"Anyone who gets close to her will have their fate affected by her. As the saying goes, they will become unlucky. The closer they are, the more unlucky they will be."

Halfway through his speech, Qingping suddenly noticed that the emperor had stopped. He looked over and saw that the emperor was staring at the young master Chen who was lagging behind him with a somewhat sinister look in his eyes.

After a while, the emperor seemed to realize that he had lost his composure. He coughed twice, beckoned Xie Yingchen over, and said, "It's a rare opportunity for you to come out. You don't have to accompany me all the time. Go and take a walk by yourself. The scenery at Taiqing Temple is quite nice."

It was as if I had just looked at him just to ask him to speak.

"Yes," Xie Yingchen said with a smile, "My nephew has heard that the calligraphy stele forest at Taiqing Temple is truly exceptional."

"Go, don't be blown by the cold wind." The emperor sent him away considerately.

Xie Yingchen stepped aside, respectfully saw the emperor off, and then left the Sanqing Hall.

As the sun fell on his body and he felt the wind blowing towards him, Xie Yingchen suddenly felt a lot more relaxed.

A little Taoist boy came forward and said, "Thank you, Master. Please come this way."

Xie Yingchen nodded: "Thank you for your trouble."

The little Taoist boy led them through the path. Gradually, there were fewer and fewer pilgrims. Before long, they arrived at a large dark green bamboo forest. From a distance, they could vaguely see a round pavilion standing by the water in the bamboo forest.

This is not a forest of steles, but a bamboo forest.

The little Taoist boy stopped walking and said with a bow, "Thank you, Master. Miss Gu is at the Guanshui Pavilion ahead. No outsiders will enter the bamboo forest today, so you can rest assured."

Xie Yingchen expressed his gratitude. The abbot of Taiqing Temple was a close friend of his father's. When he was seriously ill, it was the abbot who had used his entire life's medical skills to bring him back from the brink of death.

Qin Chen followed him, walking towards the round pavilion, and whispered, "Lao Huai, Miss Gu said that we would definitely see him today, and she was right again."

Xie Yingchen only brought Qin Chen and Huai Jingzhi with him on this trip.

Huai Jingzhi is slightly older than Qin Chen and has an ordinary appearance. Not just ordinary, he is the kind that would be hard to find if thrown into a crowd.

Huai Jingzhi did not answer but asked: "What did you see when you were outside?"

Qin Chen recounted the entire story of the Third Prince slipping and falling into the pond, without adding any speculation.

Huai Jingzhi said calmly: "It wasn't a slip, he jumped on his own."

ah?

Qin Chen didn't understand, but was greatly shocked. Miss Gu was so eloquent that she persuaded the Third Prince to jump into the pond with just a few words?

He gave a thumbs up: "Miss Gu, amazing."

Huai Jingzhi didn't think so. He pondered, "Young Master, you should check whether Miss Gu has any evidence against the Third Young Master..."

He was talking, but his son wasn't listening at all.

Huai Jingzhi followed his gaze and saw the small round pavilion not far ahead. From this distance, he could clearly see Miss Gu brewing tea in the pavilion, looking leisurely and contented, with faint white smoke lingering around them.

Is the young master taking care of the eldest girl?

Xie Yingchen walked briskly. When he reached the round pavilion, Gu Zhizhuo raised his head and smiled brightly at him.

"Thank you, Master. You are here."

The smile brightened her beautiful face, shining brightly in the sunlight, making people's hearts flutter and unable to control themselves.

Xie Yingchen was stunned for a moment, then his brows softened: "Miss Gu, thank you for your hard work."

“It’s not hard.”

Gu Zhizhuo said it as a matter of course.

The temple master asked the little Taoist boy to bring her here, so she could drink some tea, enjoy the scenery, and chat with Qiongfang Qingmei. It was not that hard.

The pot of tea had just started to boil when the young master arrived.

What good luck!

She was even happier: "Please sit down."

Xie Yingchen took off his cloak, lifted his robe and sat down.

Gu Zhizhuo poured him a cup of tea personally and handed it to him.

The tea had a very special smell. Gu Zhizhuo said, "It's a medicinal tea. Try it."

Xie Yingchen picked up the tea and took a sip. The temperature of the tea was just right, and it didn't have a strong medicinal taste. It smelled bitter but tasted sweet instead.

"Is it delicious?"

“Delicious!”

Gu Zhizhuo's eyebrows curved with satisfaction.

Xie Yingchen finished the tea in just a few sips. The warm feeling in his stomach and the warmth he hadn't felt in a long time permeated his limbs. He put down the tea bowl with satisfaction and let Gu Zhizhuo pour him another cup. He introduced, "Qin Chen, you know him, this is Huai Jingzhi."

Oh, we're old acquaintances!

Gu Zhizhuo raised his eyebrows, looked at Huai Jingzhi, and let him look at him calmly.

In her previous life, she knew Huai Jingzhi so well that she couldn't be more familiar with him——

An old fox who loves to put on airs.

He seems gentle and refined, like a modest gentleman, and is shy when talking to strangers. But in fact, he is very scheming and cruel.

Before the young master died, he gave all his belongings to himself and entrusted his subordinates to Huai Jingzhi.

At the end of his life, the young master paved a smooth path for the rest of their lives for all of them.

But they were both not very obedient. As soon as the young master was buried, they both hit it off immediately -

How can you live a peaceful life if you haven't avenged your blood feud?

She returned to the capital, hid in the dark, and stirred up trouble in the court.

Huai Jingzhi went to the northern border to recruit soldiers.

However, she died before him, and no one knew what happened to this person in the end.

Huai Jingzhi smiled shyly: "Miss Gu, Third Young Master Xie just fell into the water." After saying that, he stared into Gu Zhizhuo's eyes.

Gu Zhizhuo said innocently, "I asked him to jump."

She said to Xie Yingchen excitedly, "I told him, either he jumps or I jump. If I jump, he's finished. Even if he grows a hundred mouths, he won't be able to explain himself. He has no choice but to jump himself."

It would be more accurate to say that Xie Jing was forced to do so rather than being persuaded by her.

Xie Jing wanted to use the blessed girl to bring Ji Nan Ke out of the nunnery.

And she also wanted to use the two of them to ruin the engagement without any harm.

She wanted to convince the emperor that this marriage would kill his precious son. Today she could threaten Xie Jing to jump into a pond, and the day after tomorrow she could instigate him to jump through a ring of fire...

Having done it once, Xie Jing has no choice but to stick to it.

The most important thing is that when Xie Jing fell into the water and the situation was still unknown, the emperor would definitely not bring the young master with him, so they would have a chance to meet!

"I'm awesome, right?!"

Her eyes were sparkling and her eyelashes fluttered, as if saying: Come and praise me.

Xie Yingchen had a delighted smile on his face: "You're amazing!"

His face was full of admiration, or rather, he liked the way she did things, which was not mixed with too many emotional impulses, and did not let emotions influence her judgment.

Calm and decisive, without any hesitation.

"So," Gu Zhizhuo's pretty face turned serious, "Why didn't you listen?"

Observe, listen, ask and feel.

As soon as he saw his face, Gu Zhizhuo knew that he had been recovering from his illness poorly recently.

Xie Yingchen didn't hesitate at all and immediately said aggrievedly, "I was wrong."

Gu Zhizhuo chuckled softly, her eyes and eyebrows suddenly brightened. She stretched out her hand and said to Xie Yingchen as a matter of course: "Give me your hand."

Xie Yingchen lifted up his wide sleeves, revealing his bony wrists.

Gu Zhizhuo's fingers on the pulse were as steady as a rock. She felt the pulse very carefully, with her eyes lowered and not saying a word.

Qin Chen nudged Huai Jingzhi with his elbow and asked softly, "Did you figure out anything?"

Huai Jingzhi ignored him.

Qin Chen quietly took a step towards him, then another step: "Lao Huai."

Huai Jingzhi: "Don't make noise."

The two words were spoken without any emotion, not even his eyebrows moved, making his already ordinary face look even more dull.

Miss Gu risked her life to save him, but she had no desire for any benefit from the young master. Huai Jingzhi initially thought that she was most likely attracted to his young master and had a crush on him. But when they met, he found that her every word and action was too pure and too frank.

Rather than admiration, it's more like respect, trust, admiration, even dependence, but without the shyness of a young girl in love. On the contrary, the young man's gentle eyes, which seemed to be about to drip with water, clearly showed that he was moved.

Gu Zhizhuo withdrew his hand, seeming to be thinking about something.

Huai Jingzhi said, "Miss Gu, the young master has been feeling cold and sweating a lot recently."

Gu Zhizhuo pursed his lips slightly and said unhappily, "This is because I ate something that conflicts with my diet."

Huai Jingzhi's eyes flashed, and he said in surprise: "Conflict!?" His voice also rose slightly.

Gu Zhizhuo glanced at him with disdain in his eyes, as if to say: Stop pretending, don’t you know?

Huai Jingzhi: “…”

Miss Gu didn't have a good reputation in Beijing. From what he had heard, she was arrogant and extravagant, unfilial, stupid and ignorant. He didn't know where these words came from. But when he saw her today, he knew that she was definitely not stupid. She even concluded at a glance that he was testing her.

Interesting! Huai Jingzhi wanted to continue, but his own son turned against him first.

"yes."

This word was spoken softly.

Seeing Huai Jingzhi's suffocated look, Qin Chen almost laughed out loud. He quickly turned his head away and raised his sleeve to cough a few times.

Gu Zhizhuo spread his hands towards Huai Jingzhi: "Give me the pulse diagnosis and the prescription written by the imperial physician."

Huai Jingzhi took out a copied pulse diagnosis and prescription from his sleeve pocket, as well as a small porcelain bottle containing some medicinal juice.

It was just a thin piece of paper, and the handwriting was very small when it was copied, so it looked densely packed at a glance.

It takes a while to finish reading.

Xie Yingchen peeled the pine nuts in front of him slowly, without rushing or getting impatient. His fingers were long and slender, with distinct joints, and the skin on his hands was very white, a kind of sickly white.

After peeling a plate of pine nuts and finishing reading, Gu Zhizhuo casually put the silk paper over the flame of the red clay stove.

The small stove was still boiling water, and with the sound of gurgling water, the thin silk paper was soon reduced to a pile of black ash.

Gu Zhizhuo said, "It's harmless, Taiping."

The pulse diagnosis showed no major flaws, other than a weak mother and a chronic illness. The prescription was flawless and a relatively excellent health-preserving formula. The one currently seated in the throne room always managed to maintain a flawless appearance; something so blatantly displayed before others couldn't go wrong.

She poured the medicine into her palm and smelled it, then took the handkerchief handed to her by Qiongfang and wiped her hands, saying, "This medicine conflicts with your constitution, and will do more harm than good."

She always spoke her mind in front of Xie Yingchen, and this time was no exception.

She said, "Master Xie, you have a long-standing illness. To strengthen your body and replenish your vital energy, you should use warm and hot herbs..."

"This prescription uses the proven recipe of Bian Que's Life-Saving Decoction, which can indeed nourish the blood and liver, replenish fire and boost yang. However, the prescription reduces the amount of aconite and increases the amount of white peony root. This may be fine for ordinary people, but for you, the imbalance of yin and yang will only make your cold symptoms worse. You can definitely feel it."

Gu Zhizhuo said this, looking at the cloak Qin Chen was holding in his hands.

"If you continue like this, your cough will get worse and your airway will become tight."

First he had lung abscess, then his body gradually weakened and his five internal organs failed, until even the gods could not save him.

Just like the ending of the previous life.

Gu Zhizhuo slammed the stone table, making it slam loudly: "I can't stay in the palace anymore!"

In the palace, the young master is just a caged bird, his every move, every drink and every meal are under the eyes of others.

From Huai Jingzhi's attitude, it was clear that the young master must have discovered that there was something wrong with the medicine long ago, but he still had to take it.

Xie Yingchen's narrow eyes held a smile: "The girl is right."

He frankly stated his plan: "Is there any medicine that can make me suddenly get a serious illness?"

Gu Zhizhuo lowered his eyelids slightly, and his eyelashes left a faint reflection on his eyelids.

If the young master were to suddenly fall seriously ill, the emperor would certainly not want him to die in the palace, so as to avoid candlelight and axe shadows in the future.

However, with so many imperial doctors in the palace, this serious illness could not be fake, but must be a real illness.

He was weak and even a small cold could be fatal to him. He could not withstand such torture.

"I disagree."

She pursed her lips, huffed, and put her hands on her hips.

The green bamboos around rustled in the wind.

Xie Yingchen sat very straight and handed her the plate of peeled pine nuts.

"Miss Gu, I only trust you."