Chapter Nineteen

Gu Leyao specifically sought out the doctor in the manor and asked him any questions she didn't understand.

The doctor initially thought the princess was an unteachable talent, asking all sorts of ridiculous questions. He thought that after teaching her for a few days, the princess would give up on this impulsive attempt because learning medicine was too difficult.

Later, the old man discovered that the princess was exceptionally gifted and progressed rapidly. Gradually, he accepted the fact that the princess was a medical prodigy.

The royal physician was a fifty-year-old man who knew a special massage technique. With prolonged massage, stiff muscles would gradually soften, relieving some of the pain.

Therefore, he was kept in the Prince of Dingbei's mansion and became the resident physician there.

Gu Leyao had long noticed that Li Heng was very reluctant to see a doctor for his leg ailment, but she thought that it wouldn't be good to wait until his legs started hurting before starting a massage.

She should massage him regularly, so Gu Leyao learned massage from the doctor and planned to force Li Heng to massage her every day after she learned it.

She had long noticed that Li Heng, though not usually cheerful, was very tolerant of her and had never lost his temper with her.

While learning medicine from the doctors in the manor, Gu Leyao also had the craftsmen in the manor build a large heated kang (a traditional Chinese bed-stove) in her room.

It's like the heated kang (a traditional heated platform bed) in rural northern China, where firewood is burned underneath, making it warm and cozy all night long.

Gu Leyao's college roommate in her previous life was from the north. She had heard from her that this kind of heated kang bed was particularly good, and that people with rheumatoid arthritis could relieve their pain by sleeping on it.

She figured that since Li Heng's legs would ache on rainy or cloudy days, it was probably similar to rheumatoid arthritis. Since Li Heng's legs were in pain, it meant they weren't completely damaged, and there might still be hope for recovery.

Gu Leyao recalled that in modern times, people with rheumatism would go to the Turpan Basin to bury themselves in the scorching sand for sand therapy. She felt that the heated kang bed she had made had a similar effect to sand therapy.

Once the heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed) was ready, Gu Leyao decided to trick Li Heng into sleeping in her room every day. She would make him sleep on the scalding hot kang, hoping that his leg pain would subside when it rained or was cloudy.

*

As for Li Heng, aside from mealtimes and walks, he usually went back to his own courtyard to do his work. Sometimes he would also go to the palace to discuss important military and national affairs with his elder brother, the emperor.

He had heard about the things Gu Leyao had been tinkering with recently, but Li Heng thought that teenage girls might have a lot of energy, so if Leyao liked it, he should let her do it. If he went against her nature, she might be unhappy.

Once Le Yao's initial excitement wears off, she'll probably stop tinkering with it.

*

Another day passed, and Li Heng heard that the Qiang people in the west were making trouble, and small groups of them were robbing the people in the border areas from time to time.

He went to the palace to discuss countermeasures with his elder brother, the emperor, and did not return home until evening.

Li Heng returned to his courtyard and had just changed out of his court robes for the palace and into his everyday clothes when Gu Leyao came looking for him.

Her face was beaming with a bright smile, her cheeks were rosy, and she looked very happy. Li Heng was naturally infected by her smile as well. "What happy thing happened? Why are you so happy?"

Gu Leyao's lips curved into a smile, her eyes crinkling like crescent moons. She said nothing, but pushed Li Heng's wheelchair away. "I'll take you to see it, and you'll see. I promise, it will absolutely surprise you!"

Gu Leyao asked the craftsmen of the Prince's Mansion, and they said that there was no such thing as a heated kang in the Great Zhou Dynasty. The heated kang that she had the craftsmen of the mansion make might be the first heated kang in the world!

Gu Leyao took Li Heng to her courtyard and asked Li Qi to help Li Heng to the newly heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed).

The kang (heated brick bed) was very warm. When Li Heng sat down on it, he felt it was too hot and instinctively wanted to get up.

Gu Leyao pressed down on his shoulder to stop him from getting up, "Sit a little longer, don't worry, it's very safe here!"

Li Heng sat for a while longer, gradually getting used to the heat. "What kind of bed is this? Why is it so hot?"

Gu Leyao also touched the heated kang bed. "It is quite hot, but it should be this hot, otherwise it won't be effective."

Gu Leyao also sat down on the kang. She said to Li Heng, "This is a heated kang. You will sleep on it every two or three days. Try it and see if it's hot enough. If it's not hot enough, I will ask them to add more firewood."

Li Heng had only been sitting on the heated kang for a short while when a fine layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.

It was indeed quite hot, but his long-crippled leg seemed to really enjoy the scalding, dry heat.

The cold, dampness hidden deep within the bones seemed to evaporate with this heat.

Gu Leyao saw that Li Heng had adapted to the temperature. First, fine sweat appeared on his forehead, and then his body was covered in sweat, even his clothes looked a little damp.

Under the flickering lamplight, his close-fitting clothes outlined Li Heng's deep collarbones, slender waist, and flowing black hair that cascaded down like a waterfall.

Gu Leyao didn't know what was wrong with her, but she stared at Li Heng's good looks for a while in a strange way.

After a while, she plopped down next to Li Heng and said, "Alright, now take off your coat."

A hint of confusion appeared on Li Heng's face. "Why are you taking off your clothes?"

"You're sweating, and sweating is a way of detoxing. After you've detoxified, we need to give you a massage."

The principle is actually the same as getting a massage after a sauna.

When Gu Leyao first became wealthy, she went to a local hot spring hotel, took a sauna, and then had a massage from a female masseuse. She found the massage incredibly pleasurable. The next day, she woke up feeling refreshed and full of energy.

Li Heng didn't want to take off his clothes; he had never been shirtless in front of Gu Leyao before.

Gu Leyao had already made her move, reaching out to unbutton Li Heng's coat. Li Heng instinctively grabbed Gu Leyao's outstretched hand.

Li Heng's face had turned from fair to slightly flushed, and his eyes were somewhat uneasy. He said to Gu Leyao, "Leyao, there are other people here. This won't do."

Gu Leyao thought about it and realized that Li Heng was his man and she couldn't let others see his body, so she immediately chased Li Qi and Chun Tao away.

Only Gu Leyao and Li Heng remained in the room.

Li Heng was somewhat helpless. He finally told the truth, "Le Yao, I may not have much time left to live. If you do this kind of thing with me, you will regret it later."

In her previous life, Gu Leyao was a single person. She didn't quite understand what Li Heng was trying to do. She subconsciously thought that Li Heng was resisting getting a massage.

This won't do. How can a patient avoid seeking medical help? A massage is necessary.

Li Heng held onto her clothes, preventing Gu Leyao from unbuttoning them. Gu Leyao couldn't resist him, so she pouted, covered her eyes with her hands, and pretended to cry, "Why am I so unlucky? I was originally the daughter of a noble family, but I was maliciously switched and thrown into the countryside, where I endured sixteen years of hardship. I finally returned to the capital, but I wasn't liked by my parents and brothers. I finally left the noble family and married into the royal family, thinking I could finally have a few good days, but my husband is in poor health and doesn't even take care of himself. How am I supposed to live? I don't want to live anymore! I don't want to live anymore! I don't want to live anymore!"

Li Heng was so overwhelmed by Gu Leyao's crying that he could only gently take her hand and place it on his lapel.

Fine, let her be. Let Le Yao do whatever she wants, as long as she's happy.

Gu Leyao was stunned; she had never thought that her tears were such a useful thing.

She used to cry when she was bullied by older children in the orphanage, but telling the adults was useless because there were too many children in the orphanage and the director couldn't manage them all.

When Gu Leyao entered society, she had no parents and no one to rely on. How could she not have suffered at the beginning? But back then, no one cared when she cried.

Gu Leyao's tears were very useful to Li Heng. She realized this and was actually very happy. She never thought that someone would care about her tears and compromise for them.

Gu Leyao reached out and gently unbuttoned Li Heng's shirt. After taking off his top, she saw that his lean and powerful chest and abdomen were covered with scars.

She was stunned for a moment, and murmured, "How come there are so many injuries? Were they all sustained on the battlefield?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized she had said something foolish. Li Heng had been fighting on the battlefield, and these injuries must have been sustained there.

Li Heng didn't think she was stupid. Seeing Gu Leyao stunned, he assumed she was scared, so he tried to close his clothes and cover Gu Leyao's eyes, saying, "Don't be afraid, you won't be afraid if you can't see."

Gu Leyao didn't know why, but she always felt that if she said she was afraid, her relationship with Li Heng would never be able to take another step forward, and she didn't want that!

She suddenly grabbed Li Heng's hand and said loudly, "I'm not afraid of your injuries. These injuries were sustained to protect the people of Great Zhou. What am I afraid of? It's the enemies who should be afraid!"

Li Heng didn't say anything more. He simply lowered his hand in silence, letting Gu Leyao do as she pleased.

After removing her clothes, Gu Leyao helped Li Heng lie flat on the heated kang bed. She then imitated the techniques of professional massage therapists from her previous life, half-lying on Li Heng's body and pressing his body with her fingers with neither too light nor too heavy pressure.

When the upper part of his body was pressed, Li Heng's reaction was not strong; he only occasionally let out a very shallow groan.

But when the massage reached his injured leg, Li Heng frowned, bit his lower lip, and resolutely refused to let out the low moan that was escaping his lips.

Gu Leyao was still wavering in her mind, but when she saw Li Heng's strong upper body and his thin legs in comparison, she felt nothing but regret.

She pressed down hard on Li Heng's leg, as massaging it could promote blood circulation and was very beneficial for Li Heng's leg injury recovery.

Gu Leyao increased her strength, and Li Heng felt a tingling, numb, and itchy sensation in his legs. His breathing gradually became rapid...

*

Outside the door, Chun Tao and Li Qi stood guard.

With nothing to do, Chun Tao looked around and happened to see the shadow cast inside the house.

Her mouth dropped open. "How did Miss climb up... up there?"

Li Qi, who had been looking straight ahead, subconsciously followed Chun Tao's gaze. His eyes widened as he saw the figures of people inside the room through the moonlight and the window.

He moved rhythmically, rising and falling, until he suddenly blushed, covered Chun Tao's mouth, and walked out.

"Mmm..."

"Don't speak!"