By the time Zhou Gu returned to the Duke Residence, it was already the fourth watch of the night. He didn’t have the habit of climbing over walls; hence, he used the main gate.
Today was the first day of the lunar month and a grand court gathering was scheduled. The duke, an old man, had to rise early to attend the gathering. He ran into Zhou Gu, who just entered the residence with a chilling cold aura and immediately enquired, "Where have you been? Why have you just returned?"
Zhou Gu glanced at the old duke, "I went to the Welcome Guest Inn."
The old duke didn’t detect the smell of alcohol on Zhou Gu and showed a suspicious expression.
As Zhou Gu was walking further into the residence, he casually explained, "I didn’t drink, just went there to sit for a while."
The old duke shrewdly asked, "With whom?"
Zhou Gu didn’t reply and headed straight into the residence.
The old Duke understood then, the intoxicating flower drink sold at Welcome Guest Inn was from Jiangning County. If he didn’t know before who started it, now he did, it was Su Rong. So, did Zhou Gu go to meet Su Rong? Only by meeting Su Rong would he not answer his question.
He wanted to catch up and ask clearly, after all, Zhou Gu returned late into the night. However, he feared delaying the time for the grand court gathering, suppressed his urge, got into his carriage, and hurried off to the grand court gathering.
When Zhou Gu returned to the Frost Forest Courtyard, Ziye greeted him, "Young Master, where have you been? How could you have left me here in the residence?"
Previously, no matter where Zhou Gu went, he would usually bring Ziye along. Recently, Ziye truly felt that he was no longer the Young Master’s favorite aide. He didn’t even know when Zhou Gu had left.
Zhou Gu gave Ziye a glance, didn’t say anything, and walked into his room.
Ziye hurriedly followed but saw him covered in a chilling cold. Carefully he asked, "Young Master, should I order the kitchen to send hot water for your bath?"
"No need."
"Should I have them send a bowl of ginger soup? It’s so cold at night and you’re freezing. Be careful not to catch a cold." Ziye was somewhat worried.
"It’s not necessary."
Ziye tried a different approach, "Then, should I get you a hand warmer to warm your hands?"
"No need," Zhou Gu interrupted him with a wave of his hand, instructing him, "Send two men to Nanchu to investigate the Ye Family and Ye Guixue. I want to know everything about the Ye Family and Ye Guixue."
Ziye responded with a confused "Ah?"
Zhou Gu stood firm and told him assuredly, "Find two reliable men, set off today."
Ziye scratched his head, wanting to ask why, but seeing Zhou Gu’s expression just nodded, "I will arrange this immediately."
Zhou Gu gave a noncommittal "Mm."
Ziye went out. The room fell silent. Zhou Gu lay down on the bed, not even taking off his outer clothes, and fell asleep dressed as he was.
The grand court gathering today was different from the routine gatherings on the first and fifteenth of every month. Today, the main topic was about the imperial examination grading process. The emperor urged the examination officials to expedite the process. He also focused on the assassination attempt on Princess Qingping during the court session. He criticized the head of Dali Temple for lax prison management, which allowed the criminal to commit suicide by poison in the Dali Temple. It was sheer absurdity. The emperor decreed that from today forward, the Ministry of Justice would intervene, working together with three other departments to reinvestigate this case.
After the grand court gathering, the emperor had someone invite the Old Duke to the Imperial Study Room for a chat.
The old duke, advanced in age, would only attend the court during the grand gatherings throughout the year. The emperor would rarely see him once a month. Usually, unless there was a major issue, the old duke would even excuse himself from the grand court gatherings.
It had been two months since the emperor last saw the aged duke at court.
When the old duke arrived at the Imperial Study Room, he greeted the emperor with a bow. The emperor quickly supported him with a gesture, "Old Duke, you are exempted from the formalities. I haven’t seen you for two months, how is your health?"
The old duke coughed and took a breath, "I appreciate your concern, Your Majesty. This old body can’t handle the onset of autumn. I suffer from old war wounds. Every night, the pain makes it hard for me to sleep. It’s not a big issue, just a bit vexing, making it hard to fall asleep."
The emperor immediately said, "I will have the Imperial Medical Bureau examine you thoroughly. If you require medication, I have a personal stash."
The old duke nodded, "The imperial doctors frequently visit the residence to check my pulse. But this chronic condition doesn’t have any remedies. They tell me to rest and recuperate. But as the years pass by, the pain seems to only get worse." He waved off the idea, "But rest assured Your Majesty, this old body of mine can still hold itself together."
The emperor admonished, "Since Old Chen, the chief imperial doctor, retired and left the capital, the remaining imperial doctors are indeed a bunch of incompetents. In my opinion, we should issue an imperial notice to recruit more staff for the Imperial Medical Bureau. We must seek skilled physicians. The Imperial Concubine was also complaining to me a few days ago, about how ineffective the current imperial doctors are. She caught a minor cold and it took her half a month to recover."
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