Chapter 362 Discovering the Truth (Second Update)

A person can conceal their skill level, but they cannot conceal their illness. After taking the pulse of Consort Jing, Gu Jiao found that apart from being a little weak, she was otherwise fine.

In other words, her condition was far from requiring her to seek medicine from a pharmacist in the Yan state.

It can't be that she went there to chat with someone.

Gu Changqing once said that the pharmacist was aloof and kept to himself, never interacting with anyone except when selling medicine.

Therefore, Consort Jing must have gone to buy medicine today.

Granny Cai brought in a plate of freshly cut fruits and vegetables. Gu Jiao glanced at her and said, "Granny Cai, you don't look well lately. Are you feeling unwell? Let me take a look at you."

Granny Cai was stunned: "Ah, this...this..."

"Take a look," the emperor said to Granny Cai.

"Eh." Granny Cai looked at Consort Jing, who seemed unfazed. Granny Cai had no choice but to go over and have Gu Jiao take her pulse.

To be honest, Granny Cai hadn't been feeling well lately, and when Gu Jiao noticed her ailment and offered to take her pulse, she was happy to oblige.

She hesitated because Gu Jiao was the Empress Dowager's person, but now the Emperor has given the order.

"Granny Cai is overworked, and her liver fire has been excessive recently."

"I do have a bit of internal heat; I even have sores in my mouth and on my tongue!"

"I'll get you some medicine, and you'll be fine." Gu Jiao turned around and opened the small medicine box, intending to take some Niuhuang Jiedu Pills, but it didn't have any.

You're still picky about patients?

You're getting angry!

A cold wind blew by, and the small medicine box remained as quiet as a chicken.

Gu Jiao snapped the box shut, coughed lightly, and said, "That medicine is finished. It's alright. I'll write a prescription, and Granny Cai can just go and get the medicine according to the prescription."

Gu Jiao wrote out a prescription to clear heat and handed it to Granny Cai.

When Granny Cai saw the messy calligraphy, her eyebrows almost jumped off her face in fright!

Gu Jiao, one of the few confidantes of Consort Jing, had met with her. Gu Jiao dared not say that Consort Jing had not requested the medicine for someone else.

Perhaps it was for the Dragon Shadow Guards? Or perhaps it was for someone else.

However, there is another possibility behind the request for medicine: the medicine that Consort Jing obtained may not necessarily be used to cure people, but could also be used to harm them.

Gu Jiao stayed at the nunnery and had a vegetarian meal.

Considering the unknown medicine, Gu Jiao was extra careful while eating, and she was certain that there was no poison in the food.

After the meal, Gu Jiao showed no intention of leaving on her own. The emperor, not wanting to leave Gu Jiao behind to have a private conversation with Consort Jing, exchanged a few words with her and then left the nunnery with Gu Jiao.

The emperor was very pleased.

The young doctor still cares about him; she even came to take her mother's pulse for his sake.

He looked at Gu Jiao, unable to hide his smile, and said, "A new box of tribute has arrived from my residence..."

Before he could finish speaking, Gu Jiao walked away with a cold expression.

emperor:"……"

Eunuch Wei said awkwardly, "This servant will see Miss Gu off."

Gu Jiao glanced at him just now, and he felt that Gu Jiao had something to say to him.

The emperor didn't object, and Eunuch Wei quickly followed Gu Jiao: "Miss Gu!"

Gu Jiao looked around warily to make sure no one was watching, and said to him, "You need to be extra careful about the food at Huaqing Palace lately. Don't eat anything sent by anyone outside of Huaqing Palace, not even the Empress Dowager."

"Why is that?" Eunuch Wei asked, puzzled.

"It's nothing," Gu Jiao said casually. "It's just in case an assassin tries to poison His Majesty."

Eunuch Wei chuckled dryly and said, "Should we also be wary of the Empress Dowager?"

Gu Jiao said seriously, "We especially need to be wary of her!"

Eunuch Wei was taken aback.

Gu Jiao said calmly, "She is His Majesty's most trusted person. If someone tampers with the food she sends, do you think it would be impossible to guard against?"

When Eunuch Wei thought of the jujube paste pastry that the little nun from Consort Jing's side had brought this morning, and how His Majesty had eaten it without saying a word, he broke out in a cold sweat.

Thankfully, the jujube paste pastry is non-toxic; otherwise, His Majesty would be...

Eunuch Wei was quite frightened and hurriedly assured him, "This servant understands, this servant will be on guard and will absolutely not allow His Majesty to eat anything outside of Huaqing Palace!"

Gu Jiao didn't remind her aunt that Consort Jing's influence couldn't currently reach Renshou Palace.

Gu Jiao added, "Just keep this to yourself and don't tell His Majesty, lest it cause a rift."

"This servant understands," said Eunuch Wei. "This servant will arrange a carriage to take Miss Gu back."

"good."

Gu Jiao boarded the carriage heading back to Bishui Hutong, while Eunuch Wei turned and returned to Huaqing Palace.

He ran into Granny Cai as soon as he arrived at the entrance of Huaqing Palace.

Granny Cai had just arrived and greeted him with a smile: "Eunuch Wei!"

Eunuch Wei smiled politely: "Granny Cai, did the Imperial Concubine send you? Does the Imperial Concubine have any instructions?"

Granny Cai handed the food box forward: "His Majesty didn't eat much at dinner just now. The Dowager Consort was worried that the food didn't suit His Majesty's taste, so she asked me to bring His Majesty the white fungus soup she made herself."

Eunuch Wei took the food box and said, "Your Highness, you've worked hard. You're still recovering from your injuries, so please don't cook all the time. His Majesty will worry about you if he finds out."

Granny Cai sighed, "I said the same thing, but Her Majesty wouldn't listen. Eunuch Wei also knows that Her Majesty only has His Majesty and Princess Ning'an as her children. Princess Ning'an has married far away to the border, so Her Majesty only has His Majesty by her side. How could she not care about His Majesty? Before, Her Majesty lived outside the palace and had no choice in what she did. Now that she has returned, she should make up for all the years she has missed His Majesty."

Eunuch Wei also sighed, "Even so, you should still try to persuade the Empress Dowager."

Granny Cai replied, "I know, I will. Eunuch Wei, please take the white fungus soup to His Majesty quickly. I won't bother you any longer. The Empress Dowager is waiting for me to serve her."

Eunuch Wei nodded: "Take care, Granny Cai."

"Ah, I almost forgot." Granny Cai had only taken a few steps when she turned back, took out a bag of silver from her wide sleeve, and handed it to Eunuch Wei.

Eunuch Wei quickly raised his hand to stop him: "What are you doing!"

Granny Cai said, "Please accept this small token of the Empress Dowager's appreciation, Eunuch Wei."

Eunuch Wei repeatedly refused: "How could I possibly accept the Empress Dowager's money?"

Granny Cai shoved it into her bosom: "Take it. If you don't, I won't be able to report back to the Empress Dowager!"

After Granny Cai left, Eunuch Wei carried the food box to His Majesty's bedroom.

In the past, he would have definitely taken the white fungus soup to His Majesty, but today...

The little miracle doctor's instructions flashed through his mind, and he suddenly hesitated.

"How about I try it first? To test for poison?"

Eunuch Wei scooped up a spoonful of white fungus soup and took a bite with a look of grim determination.

After a long while, he touched his chest.

He's still alive, no problem.

This white fungus soup should be suitable for His Majesty, right?

He took a few steps, sighed, and went to the small kitchen to exchange a bowl of white fungus soup cooked at Huaqing Palace for a bowl to send to the emperor.

Gu Jiao took the pulse of Consort Jing and did not accept any payment. In gratitude, the Emperor instructed Eunuch Wei to send Gu Jiao a piece of his own calligraphy the next day.

The young doctor's handwriting was not very beautiful, so the emperor wrote a calligraphy model overnight and asked the young doctor to copy it, and then stamped it with the emperor's jade seal.

This is far more precious than the imperial brush from before, and the emperor thought the young physician would definitely like it.

When the young doctor saw the calligraphy copybook, his face immediately darkened.

What grudge did the emperor hold against her?

She only gave him a cold shoulder, was it necessary to retaliate like this?

Gu Jiao scratched her head in frustration and slammed her fist on the calligraphy copybook.

Eunuch Wei was startled!

"Sis! We're back!"

It was Gu Xiaoshun's voice.

Gu Jiao immediately suppressed her temper, stood up, and walked towards the door.

Gu Xiaoshun jumped off the carriage carrying large and small bags, and Gu Yan also jumped down.

That's right, he can jump now.

This is the new carriage that my great-uncle bought, and the driver is Gu Yan's bodyguard, Jia.

Behind their carriage was another carriage that looked somewhat unfamiliar.

A middle-aged man dressed in a gray-white robe got off the carriage. He then lifted the curtain and helped a woman dressed in a white, belted silk dress down from the carriage.

The woman had a graceful figure and a light, lithe body; her hands were as beautiful as jade carvings.

Her clothes were not fancy, and her hair was simply tied up in a bun, with the only hair ornament being a wooden hairpin.

She wore a veil, revealing only her smooth, full forehead and a pair of calm, wise eyes.

“It’s Master and Mistress,” Gu Yan said to Gu Jiao.

This was the first time Gu Jiao had met her two younger brothers' master and mistress. She knew that one of them was Master Lu and the other was Nan Xiang.

Master Lu looked rather ordinary, but Nan Xiang was quite stunning. Every gesture she made exuded the elegance of a noble lady, yet she also possessed the heroic spirit of a woman from the martial arts world.

The two approached Gu Jiao.

Nanxiang smiled and said, "You must be Xiaoshun and Ayan's older sister, right? My name is Nanxiang." She took Master Lu's hand and said, "This is my husband. His surname is Lu. If you don't mind, you can call him Lu Dazhuang."

Gu Jiao: "..."

The group entered the house.

Gu Jiao introduced Master Lu, Nan Xiang, and Eunuch Wei.

"Greetings, Eunuch Wei." Nan Xiang greeted him with a smile.

Looking at Nan Xiang, Eunuch Wei felt for some reason that her eyes looked familiar, as if he had seen them somewhere before.

Madam Yao and Granny Fang went for a walk in the orchard and were not at home. Little Jingkong also went out to play. Xiao Liulang and the old Grand Master of Ceremonies were working overtime at the Hanlin Academy and the Imperial Academy.

Gu Jiao invited the person to the main room.

The large and small bags in Gu Xiaoshun's hands were gifts from Master Lu and Nan Xiang. Gu Jiao had lived two lives and had only ever seen students give gifts to teachers; this was the first time she had ever seen a teacher give gifts to a student.

Gu Xiaoshun sat next to Nan Xiang.

Nan Xiang smiled at Gu Jiao and said, "To be honest, I came here today to discuss something with Miss Gu."

"What is it?" Gu Jiao asked.

Nan Xiang patted Gu Xiaoshun's head: "I like Xiaoshun so much that I want to adopt him as my godson. I wonder if Miss Gu would agree? Miss Gu, please don't misunderstand. It's not that I don't like Ayan, but Ayan has his parents by his side, and it's inconvenient for me to take away someone else's son. I have already learned about Xiaoshun's situation. His parents are not in the capital."

She phrased it euphemistically, but what did she mean by "his parents aren't in the capital"? Gu Xiaoshun's parents didn't want him at all. Back then, Gu Jiao took this useless burden away and bought him off from the Gu family for twenty taels of silver. Gu Xiaoshun's parents were overjoyed.

Nanxiang learned all of this from Gu Yan.

She felt even more sorry for Gu Xiaoshun.

Gu Jiao looked at Gu Xiaoshun. To be honest, she was very surprised. She hadn't expected Nan Xiang to like Gu Xiaoshun so much.

To put it simply, if the four of them stayed in the orphanage together, Gu Xiaoshun would definitely be the last one to be adopted.

"Xiao Shun, what's your opinion?" Gu Jiao decided to hear his opinion.

"I'll do whatever you say, sister," Gu Xiaoshun said.

This guy is so clueless. Gu Jiao changed her question: "So, do you like Nanxiang's wife and Master Lu?"

"I like it," Gu Xiaoshun replied without hesitation.

Gu Jiao continued, "If they become old and unable to support themselves in the future, would you be willing to take care of them?"

Gu Xiaoshun puffed out his chest: "A teacher for a day is a father for life. My master and mistress are like my own parents, so of course I have to take care of them!"

Having been his sister for so long, this was the most eloquent thing Gu Jiao had ever heard him say.

Gu Jiao roughly understood what he was thinking.

Actually, it's not a bad thing to have two more people doting on Gu Xiaoshun.

Gu Jiao was delighted and nodded, "Okay, I'll do as I say. Then hurry up and pour tea for your godfather and godmother!"

Gu Xiaoshun was taken aback: "Huh?"

"Hey!" Gu Yan nudged his shoulder with her little shoulder. "My sister agreed!"

"W-w-w-w-w-...you just agreed?" Gu Xiaoshun was so surprised that he stammered.

He only found out today; he hasn't even processed the news yet, and now he's... someone else's son?

The happiest person was none other than Nan Xiang.

She'd been eyeing Xiao Shun for so long, and now she could finally legitimately take him back as her son!

Eunuch Wei hadn't expected to encounter such a joyous occasion while delivering something to Bishui Hutong. He had never known that Gu Xiaoshun's background was so pitiful.

He suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for Gu Xiaoshun.

"Come here, Xiao Shun, come here!" He beckoned to Gu Xiao Shun.

"What?" Gu Xiaoshun walked over.

Eunuch Wei untied the purse from his waist, took out a money pouch from it, and then took out a gold leaf from the money pouch: "Here you go."

"Why are you giving me this?" Gu Xiaoshun refused to accept it.

Eunuch Wei wanted to say, "Congratulations on becoming someone's son," but something about that sounded off. He cleared his throat and said, "A prize, do you understand what a prize is? Just accept it!"

He didn't know what to say.

"I don't want to."

Gu Xiaoshun resolutely refused to accept it.

Eunuch Wei clicked his tongue: "Oh dear, you child, you look down on me, don't you?"

Gu Xiaoshun stubbornly said, "It's not that I look down on it, it's just that I can't accept it! My sister said I can't just take things from other people!"

Eunuch Wei tried to stuff it into his hand, but Gu Xiaoshun pushed it away.

Nan Xiang walked over: "What's wrong?"

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Eunuch Wei stuffed the gold leaf into Gu Xiaoshun's arms.

Gu Xiaoshun took out the gold leaf and said, "Eunuch Wei wants to give me this, but I don't want it."

Nan Xiang smiled, took the gold leaf, and was about to return it to Eunuch Wei when she suddenly smelled an unusual fragrance.

She frowned and brought the gold leaf to her nose to smell it.

"What's wrong?" Eunuch Wei asked.

Nan Xiang's eyes flickered, and she smiled, "This gold leaf is so unique, it looks just like the real thing. Do you have any more, Father-in-law? May I take a look?"

"Yes, yes! They're all here!" Eunuch Wei handed Nanxiang a bag of gold leaves that Granny Cai had given him.

Nan Xiang calmly rummaged through the gold leaves in the purse, then flicked her finger: "Oh dear, sorry, my nails are too long, I snagged Eunuch Wei's purse."

Eunuch Wei laughed and said, "It's nothing! It's just a money pouch!"

Nanxiang asked, "Is this purse your own, Father-in-law? The design is so beautiful."

Eunuch Wei said, "It was a gift from the master in the palace. If Madam Lu likes it, I'll ask her later if there are any extras."

Nan Xiang smiled and said, "No need for that. I broke this one, so I'll replace it with a new one for you."

Eunuch Wei: "No need, no need!"

Despite Nan Xiang's repeated insistence, Eunuch Wei still refused to accept it, considering it just a tattered money bag, worthless in his eyes.

Gu Jiao sensed something was wrong and looked over at Nan Xiang.

Nan Xiang smiled and said, "Miss Gu, do you have a needle and thread? I tore Eunuch Wei's money pouch, I'll mend it for him."

"No need, really no need!" said Eunuch Wei.

Gu Jiao glanced at Nan Xiang: "Yes, please come with me."

The two entered the east room.

Gu Jiao closed the door: "Did something happen?"

Nan Xiang took out the money pouch, tore it open with both hands, and a pile of dried flower fragments fell out from the pouch's inner lining.

Gu Jiao picked up a dried flower and smelled it: "It smells so good, what kind of flower is this?"

Nan Xiang said, "This is not a flower, but a herb, a kind of medicinal herb that grows in the Yan Kingdom. It is colorless and tasteless, but after being soaked in medicinal juice, it will emit a fragrance similar to flowers."

Gu Jiao asked, "Is there something wrong with this grass?"

Nan Xiang gazed intently: "There's nothing wrong with it in itself, but after being soaked, it becomes a medicinal ingredient."

"A medicinal ingredient?" Gu Jiao frowned.

Nan Xiang stared intently at Gu Jiao and said, "A medicinal ingredient that can inspire both goodwill and disgust. Has this eunuch suddenly shown unusual closeness to anyone, or unusual dislike towards anyone?"

Eunuch Wei doesn't have one... His Majesty does!

(End of this chapter)