Chapter 554 Affectionate (First Update)

In the clinic, Xiao Heng was chatting with the second master in the study. Recently, Gu Jiao had been staying at the clinic, and Xiao Heng had been coming here more often.

"Brother Xiao, Brother Xiao."

Outside the door, Xiao Jiangli waved quietly to Xiao Heng.

Xiao Heng glanced outside the door and said to the second master who was making tea, "...Excuse me, I'm going to see if Jiaojiao has returned yet."

The second landlord hurriedly said, "Go!"

The young couple is so loving. Back in the day, he and his wife were just as inseparable. But as time went by, he couldn't afford to pay his taxes anymore, so he didn't dare to go near his wife as often.

Xiao Heng left the study and went downstairs to a storeroom with Xiao Jiangli.

Xiao Jiangli looked around outside to make sure no one was coming before closing the door and whispering to Xiao Heng, "Brother Xiao, someone came into Sister Mo's room."

Xiao Jiangli is a pharmacy apprentice at the clinic. On the surface, she goes there to cheer up Mo Qianxue, but in reality, she is a little spy sent by Xiao Heng.

Xiao Heng was not the person Mo Qianxue truly knew, so he was somewhat wary of her.

"Who is it?" he asked.

Xiao Jiangli shook her head: "I didn't see her face clearly. Judging from her voice, she's a woman about the same age as Sister Mo, maybe a little older. Her voice isn't as youthful and pleasant as Sister Mo's."

After reviewing the case files of Xianleju, Xiao Heng knew that Mo Qianxue was seventeen years old. Among women slightly older than her, the first person Xiao Heng thought of was Hua Xiyao.

Hua Xiyao, nineteen years old, is from Fucheng.

Of course, one's place of origin can be faked, and so can one's age, but since Minister Xing had met Hua Xiyao, he determined that Hua Xiyao was under twenty years old.

Xiao Jiangli said, "She drugged me as soon as she arrived."

Xiao Heng frowned: "You were drugged? Are you alright?"

Xiao Jiangli shook her head again. It felt so good to be cared for. Xiao Jiangli patted her little chest happily and said, "Those medicines don't work for me."

"What do you mean by 'useless'?" Xiao Heng asked, puzzled.

Xiao Jiangli scratched her braid: "It's just... it's just that I'm very healthy and can tolerate drugs very well! That's what my brother says! I can also drink a lot!"

Xiao Heng: ...You're only nine years old and you can already drink alcohol?

Xiao Heng said, "You're still young, don't drink alcohol in the future."

"Hmm...okay." Xiao Jiangli felt that this suggestion was acceptable, since she didn't like drinking anyway.

Xiao Heng then asked, "Tell me what happened after you were drugged."

Xiao Jiangli recalled, "After being drugged, I was a little sleepy, so I pretended to fall asleep. She gave me a sleeping potion, that's what she said."

That's a strange statement.

The proper way to put it would be that I heard her say that she had given me a sleeping potion.

But Xiao Jiangli's words clearly indicated that she knew it was a sleeping potion, and this was later confirmed by the other party.

Xiao Heng asked, "You still recognize sleeping potion?"

Xiao Jiangli proudly said, "I've been a medicine boy for so long, of course I know them. I even know arsenic and poison!"

Xiao Heng was both amused and exasperated: "Alright, continue."

Xiao Jiangli said, "I heard that person say that the three-day deadline is up. When are you going to make your move against him, sister? Could it be that you're too soft-hearted to do it? Brother Xiao, who is this 'he' she's talking about? Is it you?"

It's Gu Jiao.

Xiao Heng's gaze turned cold: "If it wasn't me, is there anyone else?"

Xiao Jiangli said, "She said, 'The young master told me to tell you that the plan has changed. Within three days, we must lure him out of the capital!'"

How can they be lured out of the capital within three days?

The simpler something is, the more information it contains.

Why did the young master of Xianleju suddenly give up on killing Gu Jiao? Did the young master of Xianleju think that Mo Qianxue was unsuccessful, or did the other party think that Gu Jiao still had value to be used?

Killing Gu Jiao and luring her out of the capital city are different in terms of difficulty, but if we consider them in the context of the whole incident, we will find that they are essentially the same: both require gaining Gu Jiao's absolute trust.

If Mo Qianxue had accomplished this, she could have either killed Gu Jiao or lured Gu Jiao out of the city.

Therefore, it can be inferred that it is the latter—Gu Jiao's value in being used.

What do they want to do with Gu Jiao?

Xiao Heng closed his eyes and connected all the events related to Xianleju in his mind. Suddenly, a bold conjecture popped into his head—they wanted to capture Gu Jiao outside the city and use her to lure him out.

It's that group!

He was almost certain that once he fell into the hands of that group, the young master of Xianleju would immediately order Gu Jiao to be killed.

...

After leaving the Imperial Study, Gu Jiao went to Renshou Palace.

Xiao Jingkong was swinging on a swing in the front yard, while Xiao Jiu was dismantling a birdcage made for him by a palace servant on the nearby snow.

Lately, for some reason, it's been taking a bit of a destructive spree around the house.

"Jiaojiao!"

Xiao Jingkong spotted Gu Jiao at a glance, stopped swinging, jumped off the seat, and pounced towards Gu Jiao.

He played in the snow until he was covered in sweat.

Gu Jiao took a handkerchief and wiped his sweat, then touched his neck, which was also covered in damp sweat.

"Go inside and change your clothes," Gu Jiao said.

“Okay, Jiaojiao!” Xiao Jingkong obediently replied, taking Gu Jiao’s hand and skipping into the inner hall.

Empress Dowager Zhuang was secretly eating candied fruit in her bedchamber when she heard Xiao Jingkong's little chattering and quickly hid the candied fruit.

"Grandma," Gu Jiao greeted Empress Dowager Zhuang as she entered the room.

"Hmm." Empress Dowager Zhuang solemnly opened the folded document on her desk and pretended to read it.

Although she no longer ruled from behind the curtain, some memorials were still sent to her, but recently fewer had been sent, presumably because Grand Tutor Zhuang had gradually become estranged from her.

The young Jingkong once stayed at Renshou Palace, and his clothes are still kept here.

Gu Jiao found him a set of clothes to change into.

While changing clothes, Xiao Jingkong said to Gu Jiao, "Jiaojiao, your older brother has agreed. When are you going to meet him?"

Gu Jiao said, "Anytime is fine. Is he in Bixia Palace right now?"

"Yes, yes!" Xiao Jingkong said, then suddenly paused, "Huh? How did Jiaojiao know it was the little brother from Bixia Palace?"

Gu Jiao curved her lips into a smile, tapping his shiny forehead with her fingertip, and said, "Because I have magic that allows me to see through the thoughts in your head."

Little Jingkong quickly covered his head and cried out, "I didn't want to skip school! No, no, no!"

Gu Jiao couldn't help but burst into laughter!

Gu Jiao rarely smiled, and even less often did she laugh out loud.

Her sense of humor is always very strange.

Empress Dowager Zhuang didn't laugh when she heard Xiao Jingkong's words, but she couldn't help but chuckle when she saw Gu Jiao laughing heartily.

Gu Jiao finished laughing, and Xiao Jingkong's face turned completely red.

"I really didn't mean to skip school," he said guiltily.

Upon learning that Gu Jiao wanted to treat Huangfu Xian's leg, Empress Dowager Zhuang did not object. She sent Eunuch Qin to Bixia Palace.

Before long, Eunuch Qin returned, looking embarrassed, and reported, "Young Master Xian'er isn't coming. He said... he won't treat him."

Empress Dowager Zhuang asked, "Did he say that himself?"

Could it be that Princess Ning'an asked this question on his behalf?

Eunuch Qin replied, "Yes, he said it himself, and his attitude was very firm."

Empress Dowager Zhuang sighed: "Then let it be."

He wasn't willing, so we couldn't just tie him up and bring him here. It's not a minor illness; we could just pinch his mouth and force-feed him some medicine.

If he doesn't cooperate, the doctor can't treat him.

Don't even mention using the Empress Dowager's decree to pressure him; that kid is obviously the kind of person who would defy an imperial edict.

"Serve the meal," Empress Dowager Zhuang said to Eunuch Qin.

The small clear space was disappointing.

On the carriage ride back, Xiao Jingkong remained silent.

He was feeling quite down.

Gu Jiao didn't know how to comfort him, so she patted his little mushroom head and whispered, "Do you want a hug?"

Xiao Jingkong turned around and rushed into Gu Jiao's arms.

Gu Jiao held his soft little body and stroked his little back gently.

"Why doesn't the young man want to get his leg treated?"

"possible……"

Is it because you're desperate about life?

They couldn't find the motivation to live, and they didn't care whether they had legs, were standing or sitting, or even crawling on their knees.

Xiao Jingkong, feeling so sad, fell asleep in Gu Jiao's arms.

Gu Jiao took him back to Bishui Hutong.

As she was about to carry Xiao Jingkong down from the carriage, Xiao Heng came out of the courtyard first and stretched out his hand: "I'll do it."

"Okay." Gu Jiao handed the sleeping Xiao Jingkong to Xiao Heng.

When leaving Gu Jiao, Xiao Jingkong struggled for a moment, but after falling into Xiao Heng's arms, he rested his head on his arm and continued to sleep soundly.

Xiao Heng put the little guy back in the west room, took off his coat and shoes, and pulled the quilt over him.

Gu Jiao was about to go to the clinic when Xiao Heng came out and called out to her, "Jiao Jiao, I have something to tell you."

The two went to the east room.

Gu Jiao lit an oil lamp.

Xiao Heng adjusted the lamp wick to its brightest setting and then lit another oil lamp.

Gu Jiao actually prefers a brighter room, but she hasn't told anyone.

Gu Jiao sat in the chair, resting her chin on her hand as she watched Xiao Heng carefully adjusting the light bulb wick, and a warmth suddenly welled up in her heart.

(End of this chapter)