Substituting one thing for another?

Granny Zhao had no idea that Sixth Master Gu was so resourceful.

After she listened intently to Master Gu's grand plan, a thought involuntarily surfaced in her mind—wasn't this a case of substituting one thing for another? When did it become a scheme of substitution?

But whatever the name of this plan may be, it seems that this is the only way.

With a bitter face, Granny Zhao agreed, saying, "I'm sorry to trouble you, Sixth Master. I'll do anything to help Master get better."

Having learned from his previous experience, Gu Jingjun suppressed his anger and said to Granny Zhao, "Although Xu Shi and I have had some arguments, she is the mother of my child and my wife. It is my duty to take care of these things. You have been too clever by concealing her illness, causing everyone to worry about Xu Shi. My mother is already old and has to be frightened. You have really gone too far."

Granny Zhao quickly resorted to the same excuse she used to appease Granny Rong, trying to fool Sixth Master Gu.

Unexpectedly, Gu Jingjun frowned, his gentle peach blossom eyes coldly staring at her, and said, "Do you think I'll believe what you're saying? I can see through Xu Shi's intentions at a glance. Is she so crazy that she wants her child to lose his mother at such a young age? Does she want to make the Gu family and the Xu family enemies? She hasn't figured out her place all these years. She is first and foremost a wife of the Gu family, and only then a daughter of the Xu family. I'm too lazy to talk about how you've always acted after following your master all these years, but now, on a matter of life and death, are you going to let her act recklessly?"

Granny Zhao was speechless.

Master Gu was mild-mannered and rarely got angry with his servants.

Physician Wang said, "The person has been arranged to stay in the inner courtyard. They said they would come to see the lady again when it is convenient for her."

You Shujin shook her body.

Madam Gu was not surprised, but she still took the time to ask questions.

Physician Wang said, "Eighth Prince dislikes Sixth Prince Gu because of his advanced age. He is the head of the hospital and is still trying to persuade the Marquis to invite someone even worse. The Marquis said that smallpox is still raging outside the manor, and there are few people willing to come. So, he asked me to keep an eye on things first, and then we can carefully inquire about good doctors to treat him after the manor is opened."

Qin Yuan became quite nervous when she learned that Madam Gu had obediently taken her medicine.

Doctor Wang's tears immediately fell.

Before I could even exchange greetings with Madam Gu, Physician Wang explained her condition to me and placed a pulse pillow under the table, so that I could take her pulse.

You ate your dinner properly and wrote your report carefully by lamplight; your brow was much more relaxed than during the day.

Sixth Master Gu sat on one side of the chair, seemingly unconcerned about how he looked at Eighth Madam Gu. His fingers, which were extended to take her pulse, were free of calluses, his skin was not yet sallow, and his nails were neatly trimmed.

You Shujin's eyes were not the most upright.

Physician Wang said, "When Eighth Master heard that Eldest Sister's condition had not deteriorated, he stayed in the courtyard and repeatedly instructed this old servant to take good care of the master and mistress."

As expected, Yu Shujin gave him a severe scolding, saying, "Come out and tell me everything."

Physician Wang added, "Eighth Prince urged the Marquis to invite Sixth Master Gu from inside. Originally, they wanted to invite the head of the Imperial Medical Academy, but they ended up inviting the head's disciple first."

Before Madam Gu woke up, she learned that her son's condition had not relapsed, but fortunately, Physician Li came and gave him a few acupuncture treatments, which stabilized his condition.

As time went on, You Shujin inevitably began to look down on that female master.

Madam Gu gritted her teeth.

Madam Gu smiled again and said, "What the Marquis says is true. There are few imperial physicians who dare to come to the Marquis's mansion these days. Let me take a look first. I, the Eighth Master, am indeed a bit too familiar with general affairs."

Madam Gu sighed weakly, "If you hadn't done something bad, I'm afraid that even if you had asked your brother to collect these peppers and brought them back, you would have lost tens of thousands of taels of silver. It would have really hurt."

After a short while, Sixth Master Gu arrived carrying a medicine chest. She was a petite, middle-aged woman with no beard. Perhaps because she had been to the front residence of many officials, Sixth Master Gu was very talkative and her movements were rather unrestrained.

After pondering for a while, Sixth Master Gu said, "There is a certain affinity between patients and doctors. If Eighth Madam Gu trusts you, she can try taking the medicine for a few days. If there is no improvement, she can continue taking it. To be honest, Madam's illness requires rest. She should not worry or think too much. When she can eat and sleep well, her illness will improve."

Hongye spent the whole day outside the main house engrossed in reviewing account books. Seeing you like that, she grabbed Cuiming and questioned her in detail. When she learned that it was because of Madam Gu's illness, she said, "Madam Gu brought this upon herself. Why is Eldest Sister so concerned?"

Madam Gu stopped Physician Wang and said, "Don't ask anymore, let Sixth Master Gu prescribe a medicine."

After taking the pulse for a long time, what Master Gu finally said was similar to what Doctor Li said, except that the illness was less serious than it would be later.

Cuiming poked Hongye with her finger and said, "We do feel guilty, but who knows? The mansion was sealed off, the Eighth Madam's courtyard was sealed off, and a master died. Who should be held responsible? The Xu family hates the Marquis's mansion because of Eldest Sister Zhen. Will there be a little trouble? Listen to what Eldest Sister said. She's not worried that people will use it to criticize the Marquis's mansion. Of course, was Eldest Sister's memorial so difficult to write? Look, she's revised it several times."

The Sixth Madam often speaks ill of Granny Zhao behind your back, saying that I am capable and that I am stupid and spoiled.

Madam Gu perked up slightly and asked, "Where is he?"

Madam Gu said, "Granny, please don't cry. If you don't have anything, the masters will all be counting on him for help. Eighth Master is soft-hearted. He might forget about you after marrying a new wife. However, I am close to the children. Without the old lady's care, things might get too bad."

Madam Gu said, "If we didn't invite him then, what was the point of delaying things?"

Turning back, Physician Wang said to Madam Gu, "What Sixth Master Gu said is almost the same as what Physician Li said, but the prescription is exactly the same. This old servant will immediately order someone to brew the medicine."

The Gu family will always be the Gu family.

Physician Wang then invited Sixth Master Gu to sit in the inner room to write out the prescription, and inquired about some dietary restrictions before sending him out.

You Shujin hurriedly asked, "Is the illness incurable?"

The unspeakable lightness in Physician Wang's heart was one aspect.

Physician Wang was taken aback, then quickly added fuel to the fire, saying, "What you say is absolutely right, Madam. The Xu family already resents us because of Zhen'er, and they'll definitely try to embezzle that money. The stewards outside the mansion have also invested silver, and this old servant has also contributed several hundred taels of silver. When the Xu family turns their backs on us, they'll have to rely on whoever they're dealing with, and that money will probably have to go out of Madam's dowry."

You Shujin remarked, "He'll do bad things to atone for his sins. Even if his master isn't bad, he shouldn't live alone. Even if you can forgive him, can your eighth brother?"

At the very front, Physician Wang knelt on the ground, weeping and begging for mercy: "This old servant dares not do it again, please calm down, Eighth Master."

Madam Gu smiled and said, "I dote on my children quite a bit."

Madam Gu was exhausted again and lay limply on the couch, saying, "This is bad. Now that you are so sick, it's like trying to revive a dead horse."

Physician Wang choked up and said, "At that point, why think about those things? The imperial physician already told him to think more and worry more. It's just an illness that will get worse after a few doses of medicine, why make such a fuss?"

When taking the medicine, he lost his decisive demeanor.