Chapter 41

When Gu Leyao arrived home, it was already completely dark. As soon as she entered the palace and walked into the dining room, she saw Li Heng sitting alone at the table, motionless.

Gu Leyao came in, but Li Heng didn't look up, as if he hadn't seen her come in.

Seeing the somber atmosphere between the two, the butler whispered to Gu Leyao, "You haven't been coming home for meals lately, and the prince is angry. He's sitting at the table and won't touch his chopsticks."

Gu Leyao's eyes widened slightly, and she said in a serious tone, "Is it that serious? Has our prince not eaten? I think we should write a memorial and let all the officials know about it."

As she spoke, she rolled up her sleeves and headed towards the study.

The butler hadn't quite processed what he'd just heard, but after a moment, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

Their princess is really making fun of the prince!

Sure enough, Li Heng looked up at Gu Leyao and said, "Don't go!"

Gu Leyao changed direction and squatted down in front of Li Heng, looking him in the eye. "Okay, okay, I won't go. I was just kidding."

When Li Heng heard her say she was joking, he reverted to his previous cold expression.

Gu Leyao stared at Li Heng's face carefully. It was indeed a very handsome face, with long eyelashes and a refined and elegant appearance.

When she has a cold expression, she's like a plum blossom braving frost and snow, defying the harsh winter sun and refusing to bend. When she smiles, she's like the dazzling spring sunshine, unforgettable at first sight.

Even when Gu Leyao saw Li Heng's cold face, she didn't get angry. Anyone would find it hard to get angry in front of such a stunningly beautiful face.

Gu Leyao stared at Li Heng's thin, pale red lips and couldn't help but smile. "Okay, okay, it's all my fault. I've been too busy lately and haven't had a meal with our Aheng. It's all my fault. Aheng, please don't hold a grudge against a little girl like me, okay?"

Li Heng couldn't help but break down, a slight smile curving his lips. "Are you trying to coax me like a little girl?"

Seeing her smile, Gu Leyao relaxed as well. "I'm not trying to coax a little girl, I'm just trying to coax my good husband!"

When Li Heng saw the dark circles under Gu Leyao's eyes, his smile vanished. He gently stroked the corner of her eye with his slender, well-proportioned fingers. "Is running this clinic too tiring? If it is, then quit. I can support you."

Gu Leyao held his fingers and gently rubbed them, feeling the coolness of Li Heng's fingertips. "Opening this medical clinic is a major event for the country and the people. You will know this in the future. My current fatigue is nothing. If it is done well, hundreds of millions of people will benefit from it."

Li Heng was a typical politician in the court and an invincible general on the battlefield. How could he not know that Gu Leyao's medical clinic was no ordinary institution?

He knew, but seeing Gu Leyao so busy that she was constantly on her feet, finishing her work at the hospital and then going home to give him a massage, with dark circles under her eyes, it was heartbreaking to see.

"Alright, alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Let's eat. It's been so long since we had a meal together."

Gu Leyao stood up from the ground, sat down on the chair next to her, and glanced at the food on the table.

Spicy and fragrant diced chicken, with a hint of sweetness, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside chicken thigh meat, the red dried chilies and golden fried chicken thigh meat pieces are interspersed, making it very tempting.

The sweet and fresh boiled shrimp looked like they had just been caught from the river; they were cooked through and turned red after being briefly dipped in boiling water.

The Buddha Jumps Over the Wall soup is tender and chewy, containing sea cucumber, abalone, tendon, quail eggs, fish lips, etc. It is fragrant with broth and Shaoxing wine, soft and chewy, and fragrant but not greasy.

The rich, white broth of the braised pork and bamboo shoot soup, along with the fresh, crisp spring bamboo shoots, the pork hock with its sinews, the perfectly balanced lean and fatty salted pork, and the paper-thin slices of ham, all combine to create an exquisite blend of flavors and sweetness.

Gu Leyao's eyes and brows revealed a smug look, "You said you were angry with me? These are all my favorite dishes! Our Aheng specially asked the cook to make them, right?"

Li Heng placed a piece of spicy chicken on Gu Leyao's plate, saying, "Come and eat. Don't talk while you eat or sleep."

Gu Leyao noticed Li Heng's slightly reddened earlobes, suppressed a smile, and ate her meal in silence.

She had been busy all day and was really hungry.

Seeing that Gu Leyao was enjoying her meal, Li Heng then picked up his chopsticks and started eating.

*

A hot spring resort located 300 miles from the capital.

This is the estate of the Duke of Yingguo. As the youngest daughter of the Duke of Yingguo, Pei Ran is deeply loved at home.

As long as it doesn't violate laws and regulations, all her requests can be fulfilled.

It was springtime, and the weather was warming up, making it a perfect time to go on an outing to the countryside. Pei Ran hosted a spring banquet to entertain everyone and invited his friends to have fun together.

Because of the distance from the capital, the young ladies and gentlemen of each family brought their own carriages and several attendants, and everyone was prepared to stay at the hot spring resort for ten days to half a month.

Pei Ran, who enjoys lively gatherings, prepared fresh delicacies from the estate for his friends, such as sweet apricots, crisp plums, and expensive, deep purple grapes from the Western Regions, among other things.

She also brought along dancers from the Duke's mansion. These dancers were trained from a young age, and their graceful figures and enchanting dances were like celestial maidens descending from heaven. Their captivating beauty dazzled the eyes of all, and even the young women couldn't take their eyes off them.

These girls are all around fourteen or fifteen years old, and they will be getting married in a few years. They greatly admire the dancers' good figures and good looks.

Halfway through the banquet, Pei Ran was happily chatting and laughing with her friends when suddenly, her trusted maid whispered a few words in her ear.

Pei Ran's smiling face froze for a moment. She gestured for her friends to continue having fun, while she herself got up and left the banquet with her maid.

Pei Ran walked through the hall filled with singing and dancing, and followed the maid to a secluded courtyard.

The maid draped a veil around her neck. "Miss, the people there seem to be seriously ill. We should be careful."

Pei Ran clenched her fists, frowned, and asked, "How did you get it? Is this disease contagious from person to person?"

The maid glanced inside, licked her chapped lips, and then said, "It seems to be an epidemic that came from outside the capital. There are people from the south on this estate who may have been infected, and their symptoms only appeared after they arrived. The estate's doctor has examined them and said the patients have developed many red rashes. Some say it's venereal disease, others say it might be... it might be..."

Pei Ran was still a young girl, not very old, and lacked patience. "What could it be? Tell me quickly!"

Perhaps because she was in a hurry, her words were somewhat sharp. The maid, not daring to anger her, frankly said, "A man with many pockmarks on his face said that this disease might be smallpox..."

smallpox?

smallpox!

Pei Ran suddenly staggered. She felt a little dizzy. If it really was smallpox, then none of them could escape!

Smallpox, that's a terminal illness that can wipe out an entire village or a city!

Pei Ran knew she couldn't keep this a secret. She had to send someone back to tell her father. She couldn't handle such a big matter on her own!

"Arrange for a few guards outside the estate to deliver the message back to the capital. Oh, and don't let them enter the house. If they really have an illness, don't let them infect Father and Mother!"

Pei Ran patted his face. "Pei Ran, you need to calm down, you need to calm down! If you panic and others find out, this manor will be in chaos!"

Her face was flushed a rosy pink from the slapping, as if she had drunk too much peach blossom wine and was drunk.

Pei Ran drank a cup of cold tea to calm her racing heart and walked lightly toward the banquet venue. As the host, she had to remain calm so that the others could too.

When everyone at the banquet saw her arrive, they all smiled and raised their glasses to her.

Pei Ran smiled appropriately, showing no sign of anything amiss.

At the banquet, some people admired the flowers, others drank wine, some composed poems, and some drank alone in their own company.

*

British Duchy.

It was afternoon, and after finishing his meal, the British man did a set of boxing exercises in the courtyard to stretch his muscles.

He had been on the battlefield in his youth and fought for several years. Later, the old Duke of Ying died of illness, and as the eldest son, he naturally returned to the capital to inherit the title.

Having enjoyed wealth and luxury for decades, the Duke of England gradually became overweight and began to suffer from various illnesses. Heeding the advice of the royal physician, he started practicing the Eight Pieces of Brocade.

I must say, since I started practicing the Eight Pieces of Brocade, my body feels much more comfortable. My back doesn't hurt anymore, my legs don't ache, and my steps are much lighter.

A knock on the door interrupted the British Duke's exercise.

The Duke of England frowned. "Who is it? Didn't I tell you not to bother me unless it's important?"

The steward outside the door cried out in a trembling voice, "My lord! Something terrible has happened!"

Upon hearing this, the British Duke strode to the door.

He opened the door with his large, fan-like hand, pulled the butler inside, and then slammed the door shut in one swift motion.

"What happened?" The Duke of England's eyes were burning, staring at the steward like a tiger eyeing its prey.

The steward broke out in a cold sweat under his gaze. "My lord, our young lady has sent word that smallpox has been discovered at the hot spring estate!"

smallpox?

The British official's face turned serious. "Is this true? Could it be a misdiagnosis?"

The British nobleman was shrewd and knew that many diseases in the world had symptoms similar to smallpox.

The butler wiped his brow. "The person sent by the young lady said that someone on the estate had contracted smallpox. That person personally confirmed the symptoms and said that the disease was indeed smallpox."

The Duke of England shuddered. He knew that smallpox was a disease that could wipe out a city. So, Ranran might perish at the hot spring resort.

Ranran was his daughter born in his old age, and the Duke of England had always cherished her like a treasure.

But the Duke of England also knew the importance of the matter, and he hurriedly wrote a memorial to report to the Emperor.

He dared not hide the fact that something had happened to the people at his estate, as there were still many children of officials living at the hot spring estate.

Even though he is a Duke, he is not capable of handling such a big matter. He should quickly submit a memorial to the Emperor and ask him to make a decision on this matter!

The Duke of England made up his mind, quickly wrote a memorial, ordered his steward to prepare a horse, and rushed to the palace.