Chapter 91: Over time, companionship seems to have sprouted new buds in the barren wilderness...
From that day on, Xiao Heng moved into Gu Xi's courtyard and refused to leave no matter how she tried to get rid of him.
Left with no other choice, Gu Xi arranged for him to stay in the next room, but he insisted on sharing a room with her.
Gu Xi wouldn't let him get on the bed, so he set up a couch next to the bed, his tall and slender body nestled on it, looking rather pitiful.
Gu Xixin softened and agreed to let him get into bed, but he insisted on sleeping on the couch, saying he was afraid of pressing down on her. She tried to persuade him several times, but he still insisted, so she let him be.
Xiao Heng now stares at her for a while every night before he can go to sleep. Sometimes he wakes up early in the morning and finds her still staring at him before he goes to court.
Every day after court, he would take the Gu family's carriage straight to the Gu family home.
If ministers wanted to discuss matters with the emperor, they knew they couldn't find him in the Qianqing Palace; they had to go to the Gu family.
Everyone was curious, but dared not ask too many questions, and rumors spread like wildfire both inside and outside the palace.
Some say that the Emperor has taken a fancy to a woman from the Gu family, who is also a daughter of the Gu family and bears a striking resemblance to the deceased Empress.
As everyone knows, Madam Gu only had one son and one daughter, and Lord Gu loved his wife dearly, so it was impossible for him to have any more children with someone else.
Then some people said that the woman was none other than the deceased Empress. If that were true, how could she have been brought back to life?
Could he be a reincarnation of a demon?
Xiao Heng paid no attention to these rumors; he was now focused solely on curing Gu Xi's illness.
Ever since he learned about her health condition, he has been walking on eggshells, fearing that one day she might suddenly...
He had been searching for renowned doctors for the past few months without success, and now he could only pin his hopes on Gu Xi's master emerging from seclusion.
Since that day, Hua Yue has also stayed at the Gu family home. She insisted on staying to take care of Gu Xi and refused to return to the palace no matter what.
Gu Xi then asked Zhu Yin to arrange a room for her, and they stayed together in her courtyard.
She often heard her talk about what Xiao Heng did in the palace during the months she was away.
She told me about how he dined alone in Weiyang Palace, called her name to the void, and murmured to old objects.
In a daze, she seemed to see him lonely at that time, and her heart ached as well.
In fact, she had already forgiven him, and the people around her were gradually accepting him.
Of course, except for my brother.
As for herself, with the passage of time, her withered heart seemed to sprout new buds in the barren wilderness without her realizing it.
*
Four months have passed in the blink of an eye.
The sweltering heat of summer has quietly faded away, and a cool autumn breeze carries the fragrance of osmanthus blossoms, filling the air and refreshing the soul.
That day, Gu Xi was waiting in her courtyard for Xiao Heng to return from court so they could have a meal together.
As her due date approached, everyone in the family was on edge, forbidding her from moving around and only allowing her to rest quietly in the yard.
Master and senior brother had already moved into the Gu family's residence. Xiao Heng had also arranged for several experienced old nannies from the palace to come in. Everyone was on edge, afraid that something might happen.
She stood under the eaves, looking at the entrance to the courtyard, wondering why he was so late today, and worrying that he might have encountered some trouble.
She gently stroked her swollen belly with her fingertips, and suddenly felt a vibration in her palm. She looked down and a smile spread across her face.
She recalled the day she took Xiao Heng's hand and felt the baby kicking in her womb. His blank, then tense and panicked expression was quite amusing to think about now.
She always hoped that the arrival of this child would make up for some of the deficiencies in his life.
Just as Gu Xi was lost in thought, Zhu Yin suddenly exclaimed.
"Miss! Your water has broken!"
She paused for a moment, then realized that her skirt was soaked. She looked up blankly, and all around her was chaos.
How did it suddenly break? Wasn't it supposed to be in a few more days?
Before Gu Xi could react, she was already lying on the bed. The figures in front of her were moving back and forth, and she could hear all kinds of shouts and the clinking of utensils. She, who was originally calm, suddenly became nervous.
On the other side, Xiao Heng had just gotten off the carriage when he saw Wei Ran pacing anxiously in front of the Gu residence, and his heart tightened immediately.
"Your Majesty! Her Majesty the Empress is about to give birth!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Heng's figure disappeared from sight.
Gu Chengzhong and Gu Xiao's hearts skipped a beat, and they quickly followed them inside.
As soon as Xiao Heng stepped into the courtyard, he heard faint moans and suppressed groans coming from inside the room. He felt a chill run down his spine and even stopped breathing.
The sound grew louder, and Xiao Heng was jolted awake. He almost rushed in, but was stopped by the servants who were blocking the door just as his hand was about to touch it.
"Your Majesty, you can't go in!" an old nanny urged.
"Get out of the way!" Xiao Heng's voice rang out like thunder, his eyes seeming to want to tear people to pieces. At this moment, his heart was filled with anxiety and fear.
The servants trembled with fear but dared not back down. Xiao Heng pushed them away fiercely, but his hands were suddenly grabbed by Lu Xiao and Wei Lin, while Gu Xiao stood in front of him.
"Get out of my way!" Xiao Heng said, his eyes bloodshot, each word clenched between his teeth.
"Don't go in and cause trouble!" Gu Xiao said in a cold, hard voice.
They were all worried about Gu Xi, but he couldn't help at all by going in like this; he would only cause them trouble.
“Your mother is inside with her now; you must trust her.”
Another painful scream came from inside the room, the sound muffled and painful, pounding into Xiao Heng's heart.
His jaw remained clenched, his fists were tightly clenched, and his eyes were bloodshot, yet he dared not take another step forward.
At this moment, he only prayed for God's mercy, that she would live, just let her live.
Inside the room just a door away, Gu Xi had a ginseng slice in her mouth, trembling all over in pain. Her hair was soaked with cold sweat and stuck to her cheeks. The midwife was encouraging her and teaching her how to breathe. Her master and senior brother were also waiting by her side.
She felt a little tired. Her mother was holding her hand tightly. Her voice came from outside the door. She wanted to see him and have breakfast with him.
She heard the voices of her brother, father, Yao Yao, and Che Gege one after another; they were all waiting for her to come out.
And their children will soon see their parents.
She must get through this.
After an unknown amount of time, accompanied by the baby's cries, the woman's painful screams abruptly stopped, and Xiao Heng felt a chill creep up from the soles of his feet.
The door was suddenly opened.
Two elderly nannies, one in front of the other carrying a swaddled baby, came out with beaming faces: "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations..."
Xiao Heng couldn't hear or see anything at that moment. He suddenly rushed in like a madman, knelt down beside Gu Xi's bed, and stared intently at her.
She was lying quietly on the bed, her eyes closed, her pale face streaked with tears, looking as if she had been submerged in water, her hair clinging wetly to her face.
"Gu Xi..." Xiao Heng called out tentatively, his voice trembling uncontrollably.
She did not respond to him.
"Gu Xi, don't scare me... Gu Xi..." Xiao Heng's expression gradually broke down.
Shen Qingchen, who was explaining things to Su Jinhe, couldn't help but remind her, "She's just tired and has fallen asleep. Don't disturb her."
Xiao Heng suddenly turned his head to look at him, then turned to look at Gu Xi, only to see her delicate eyebrows slightly furrowed, her lips moving as she mumbled something.
His taut nerves suddenly relaxed, and his body swayed involuntarily before recovering after a while.
He stared at her intently, a throbbing pain rising in his chest that spread to his eyes.
*
A month later, Gu Xi was sent to Medicine King Valley, where she stayed for two months.
Xiao Heng wanted to go with them, but Gu Xi's master had set up a trap at the valley entrance and poisoned it, forbidding anyone except Shen Qingchen and Gu Xi from entering the valley.
That day, Gu Xi had just finished administering acupuncture when she looked up and saw that her master had a few more gray hairs at his temples. She couldn't help but ask, "Master, do you miss Auntie?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he turned around and walked to the medicine shed, where he began to prepare her medicine for the day.
Gu Xi did not hear a reply.
You were thinking about it, weren't you?
Although the master never mentioned it.
In the past, when she was in Medicine King Valley, her master would sometimes stare at her unconsciously, his gaze distant, as if looking through her at someone else.
She didn't understand then, but now that she thinks about it, she realizes he must have been missing his aunt.
That day, nestled in her mother's bed, she asked about her master and aunt, "Mother, what kind of person is my aunt?"
Su Jinhe stroked her head and smiled, her eyes full of nostalgia, "Your aunt is the most intelligent and bright woman in the world."
Unfortunately, she fell in love with one man, but by a twist of fate, she was also loved by another man who possessed supreme imperial power, and for this, she lost her life.
The Su family has two daughters, but outsiders only know them as a son and a daughter, because Gu Xi's aunt, Su Jinzhao, has liked to dress up as a boy since she was a child.
She was straightforward and loved the ways of the martial arts world. She often disguised herself as a man and traveled around. By chance, she met Gu Xi's master, Chu Linyun.
Both were young masters and ladies from prominent families in the capital, and they shared similar interests, so they quickly fell in love and secretly pledged their lives to each other.
However, when the two were discussing marriage, Chu Linyun suddenly disappeared without leaving a single word.
Su Jinzhao searched everywhere, and the search lasted for two years.
She just wanted to ask him directly why.
One day, she suddenly received news that someone had seen Chu Linyun in the Miao region, so Su Jinzhao traveled a long distance to find him.
He did find him, but he also met the late emperor there, and the two became friends.
Before Su Jinzhao could even ask Chu Linyun about what happened back then, the late emperor had already fallen in love with her.
He discovered that she was disguised as a man, and his love for her grew uncontrollably. Even knowing that she already had someone else in her heart, he still forced her to be with him.
Su Jinzhao refused, so the late emperor used Chu Linyun to blackmail her. When Su Jinzhao still refused, he forcibly took her back to the capital and imprisoned her in a cage.
She wrote all of this in a letter, and after her death, the people who served her secretly took the letter out and gave it to the Su family.
By the time Chu Linyun learned everything, Su Jinzhao had already died, leaving this world with eternal regret.
"Junior sister! Junior sister!"
Gu Xi was lost in thought when Shen Qingchen suddenly woke her up.
"What's wrong, senior brother?" Gu Xi had just come to her senses and was still a little confused.
"Have you seen Master?" Shen Qingchen asked anxiously.
"Master? Isn't Master right here...?" She pointed in the direction of the medicine shed. "Eh? Where is he?" He was just here a moment ago.
Shen Qingchen handed her a letter, saying, "Take a look at this." His eyes were somewhat serious.
Master has left Medicine King Valley, leaving behind only a letter.
Don't worry about it.
The letter contained only two words, yet Gu Xi somehow sensed a touch of desolation within it.
She had a premonition that her master would never come back.
That last meeting might have been the last time she saw her master.
"Senior brother, did Master tell you about what happened back then?" Why did Master suddenly leave the capital back then?
Shen Qingchen shook her head. She knew what Gu Xi was talking about; she had heard her and Gu Xiao mention it before.
He suddenly thought for a moment and said, "Perhaps it's because... Master was poisoned back then," he tried to recall, "Master was drunk once, and I heard him mutter your aunt's name..."
"He seemed to say something like this: 'I'll go back to find you once the poison is cured; if it can't, then you should find another good man...'"
Gu Xi stood there for a long time, unable to come back to her senses.
No wonder her master never taught her and her senior brother how to make poison; it was this poison that caused him and his aunt's lifelong regret.
-----------------------
Author's note: I originally planned for the master to also torment the male lead, but then I thought better of it and decided not to.
I never expected that my master would cry while writing this part. [laughing and crying with face covered]
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