Chapter 75
After the New Year, the emperor's health was still the same, and his headache was sometimes better and sometimes worse. He is old, and has been struggling for the past two years, drinking more medicine than tea. Recently, he has been forcing himself to sit in the court and handle government affairs. He looks obviously older, with a lot of white hair on his temples. Even when his headache is not acting up, he looks exhausted and decadent.
The emperor's health concerns the country and the people, so it cannot be taken lightly. In addition to Lin Qingyu, Chu Zhengde and Lin Rushan would also check the emperor's pulse regularly. In the previous dynasty, there was a precedent of concubines bribing imperial physicians in an attempt to assassinate the emperor. Therefore, the emperor would never trust any particular imperial physician. Lin Qingyu would first show the prescriptions he wrote for him to the Imperial Hospital for review, and would only use them after confirming that they were safe.
So is the emperor, and so is the prince. Unfortunately, their own bodies were not doing well and despite taking such careful care of themselves, there was still no significant improvement.
On the fifth day of the New Year, Xi Rong came to the general's residence with gifts to pay New Year's greetings. He was the only one there this time. Xiao Jie already had the title of prince. If he were to visit the general's residence as he had done in the past, I wonder how many censors and imperial officials would pay attention to him. Xiao Jie had great respect for Gu Fuzhou and liked to see the beautiful doctor. He wanted to come, but Xi Rong would not let him.
Lin Qingyu doesn't care about Xiao Jie, as long as Xi Rong comes. This time, he invited Xi Rong to have tea with him again, and Xi Rong did not refuse again.
Lin Qingyu said, "Does Steward Xi like the gift I gave to the prince?"
"If you were not happy, why would you come to my house to express your gratitude?"
Lin Qingyu said politely: "I thought Butler Xi was just here to wish you a happy new year."
"I'm very curious about how Madam got the Marquis of Nan'an and the Queen to speak." Xi Rong picked up the teacup, took a sip, and smiled, "It's really good tea."
"As long as the gift is delivered, why should Steward Xi care where it comes from?"
"I just want to know, can I assume that the Queen and Marquis Nan'an are both on the Prince's side?"
Xi Rong had already made his point clear, but Lin Qingyu did not respond. He only said, "Butler Xi only needs to assist the prince with all his heart and help him regain his favor. The rest will be taken care of by others."
Xi Rong knew who this "other person" was. He could see that Lin Qingyu wanted to be the one in control of the overall situation, and he and Xiao Jie were undoubtedly just two chess pieces in his hands. After the matter is done, no one knows whether these two chess pieces will be abandoned or kept.
Dealing with Lin Qingyu is like trying to get the skin of a tiger. But if he wanted to achieve his goal, he had no other choice.
What's more, it is not certain who the tiger is.
Xi Rong smiled and said, "With Doctor Lin's words, the prince and I feel relieved."
The two chatted about tea ceremony for a while, and then Xi Rong stood up and said goodbye. Before leaving, Xi Rong asked, "The general and his wife gave the prince such a great gift. I am afraid that the return gift I brought today is far from enough. I wonder if the general wants soldiers or power? Please let me know, my wife, so that the prince can fulfill his promise in the future."
Lin Qingyu said: "Don't worry, Steward Xi, the general just wants to be a wealthy and idle person that no one dares to offend."
"What about you, ma'am?"
"Me?" Lin Qingyu hadn't thought about this question yet. He did so much, largely out of self-protection. If Xiao Cheng and the emperor had not coveted him and had not pressed Gu Fuzhou step by step, he probably would not have come to this point.
After the success, Gu Fuzhou will be able to realize his dream and become a salted fish who only eats and waits for death. Even if he really wants to become a eunuch, it is not impossible. What about him, what does he want.
Thinking of the "Spring Banquet" on the first day of the new year, Lin Qingyu quickly came up with the answer. "I want to concentrate on my medical studies and...stay by the general's side."
Treason is a capital crime punishable by the execution of nine generations of the family. Gu Fuzhou and Lin Qingyu took such a big risk and put so much thought into it. Xi Rong originally thought that they wanted to take half of the Xiao family. Under normal circumstances, he would have thought that Lin Qingyu was just being polite to him. But when he saw the tenderness that inadvertently shone in Lin Qingyu's cold eyes, he actually believed it a little.
Xi Rong asked doubtfully, "Is it that simple?"
Lin Qingyu smiled lightly: "It's that simple."
After seeing Xi Rong off, Lin Qingyu called out "Huan Tong", but it was Hua Lu who came to serve him. Lin Qingyu asked her to go to the kitchen and tell them to kill the sheep and slice the mutton, as the general wanted to eat mutton hotpot in the evening. Gu Fuzhou mentioned it before going to bed last night, and he took note of it. Mutton is a very tonic food that has the effect of replenishing the body and strengthening the qi, and is suitable for consumption in winter.
Hua Lu replied "yes", and Lin Qingyu asked casually: "Where is Huan Tong?"
Hualu said, "Huantong's cold has worsened, and she has been resting in the house all day."
Lin Qingyu frowned slightly: "Since it's a cold, why don't you come to me for a checkup."
"Who knows." Hua Lu shrugged, "Maybe he doesn't want to trouble the young master."
Lin Qingyu found Huantong in the side room. Servants like him who serve closely all live very close to the main house. Lin Qingyu didn't treat Huantong like other servants. There were many rooms but few masters in the general's mansion, so Huantong didn't have to live with other servants.
Lin Qingyu knocked on the door, heard a "come in", and pushed the door open. Huan Tong was lying on the bed. When she saw that it was her young master, she hurriedly tried to get up, but she didn't know where her wound was pulled. Her face twisted and she wailed, "Young, Young Master."
"Don't move." Lin Qingyu walked to the bedside and put the back of his hand on Huantong's forehead to check the temperature. "This is not a cold. What's wrong with you?"
Huantong's face flushed red, and she stammered, "I fell accidentally."
"Then why did you say it was a cold?" Lin Qingyu said indifferently, "Have you learned to lie to me?"
"I didn't!" Huan Tong knew she couldn't hide it from the young master, so she endured the pain and said, "It was just that I was kicked by a sheep in the kitchen yesterday..."
"Where did you kick it?"
Huan Tong looked down at her lower body sadly. Lin Qingyu understood and couldn't help laughing: "Does it hurt?"
Huan Tong nodded: "It hurt so much, I thought I was going to die."
This is indeed a pain that ordinary men cannot bear. "Take off your pants so I can see them."
Huantong has followed Lin Qingyu since she was a child, so logically speaking, there is nothing to be shy about in front of him. But in Huantong's eyes, the young master was like an immortal. He didn't want the young master to see anything dirty, so he hesitated and refused to move. In the end, it was only when Lin Qingyu looked cold that he took off his pants.
Lin Qingyu used a clean wooden stick to push it away and touched it lightly. Huantong sucked in a breath of cold air and her legs kept shaking. He was really in pain.
Huantong was kicked badly by the sheep's hoof. The wound was red and swollen and she had to take medicine.
Lin Qingyu looked calm. Sure enough, other people's bodies are just a piece of meat to him. Only Gu Fuzhou's body would cause his hands to rot.
"I'll have someone send you some medicine later. Apply it on your face for a few days and the swelling will go away, and you'll be fine." Lin Qingyu looked out the window. "What time is it?"
Huantong said, "It should be almost Shen time."
It’s still early for Gu Fuzhou to return home. Lin Qingyu thought about it and ordered Yuan Yin to prepare the car. Yuan Yin asked, "Madam, are you going to the Imperial Medical Bureau?"
"No, I'm going to the barracks."
The military camp of the capital is located ten miles away from the city. It is an iron cavalry camp that protects the safety of the capital. Gu Fuzhou was known as a military genius, but he refused to go to the battlefield. The emperor then let him train in the Iron Cavalry Battalion, which was a way to make the best use of his talents.
It was Lin Qingyu’s first time to come to the military camp. As soon as he got off the carriage, he felt several sharp gazes cast towards him. A guard with a knife stopped him and asked, "Who are you?"
The groom said, "This is the general's wife."
"Madam?" The guard looked Lin Qingyu up and down. He had heard that the general's wife was a beauty, and the man in front of him was indeed worthy of the word beauty. The carriage he was riding in was also from the general's mansion. The guards were well-trained. Even though they knew that this person was the general's wife, they still followed the rules: "Madam, please do facial recognition first."
"Facial recognition?" Lin Qingyu asked curiously, "What is that?"
"Oh, that means people who are familiar with the face can come in, and strangers need to register first and then report to the general."
When Lin Qingyu registered, someone had already informed Gu Fuzhou. As soon as he put down his pen, he heard a familiar voice: "Qingyu."
Gu Fuzhou in the military camp was completely different from the Gu Fuzhou at home. His long hair was tied up without leaving a single strand, his features were as sharp as a sculpture, and his figure was straight. As he strode towards him, the cloak behind him shone a dark red.
Gu Fuzhou stopped in front of Lin Qingyu and looked down at him: "Why are you here so suddenly?"
Lin Qingyu knew that Gu Fuzhou had to be equipped with some equipment in the military camp in Beijing. "I'm here to take the general back home."
If he were at home, Gu Fuzhou would have smiled widely, but he didn't show much reaction at this moment. Only a smile was hidden in his eyes. "I still have half an hour before I can leave. You come with me first."
Lin Qingyu followed Gu Fuzhou in the military camp. He has a cool temperament but a bright and handsome appearance. This contrast always gives people an irresistible attraction, and he has a strong presence wherever he is. Most of the men in the military camp were big and strong, and they would never see such a beauty on a normal day. Everyone would want to take a second look at her, but they were in awe of the general, and also of the general's wife, so they kept their eyes away.
Gu Fuzhou brought Lin Qingyu into the account, and immediately revealed his true colors after sending everyone away. He took Lin Qingyu's hand and sat down, smiling and said, "What good day is today? Doctor Lin actually came to pick me up after get off work. Could it be that he came to check on me in the name of picking me up?"
Lin Qingyu said: "Huan Tong was kicked by a sheep, and I thought of you."
"Hmm? Is there any necessary connection between the two?" Gu Fuzhou asked curiously, "I haven't been kicked by a sheep before."
Lin Qingyu smiled but said nothing. He looked around the account and saw that it was in good working order. He asked, "What do you usually do here?"
"Feed the horses, lift the iron, and sleep."
Lin Qingyu understood: "In short, it's just not doing the right thing."
"You can't say that." Gu Fuzhou grabbed the fur collar of Lin Qingyu's mink coat and played with it nonchalantly, "I also made a great contribution to the Iron Cavalry Battalion."
"for example?"
"Boost morale and be a beacon of hope when the soldiers are feeling down." Gu Fuzhou stood with his hands behind his back, his expression serious, "Tell them that only by training harder can the emperor sit on the dragon throne more comfortably; only by eating less military pay can the imperial concubine's headdress be more gorgeous. The road ahead is long and arduous, and I, Dayu, am a man who is not afraid of hardship or fatigue. Give yourself a chance, and give Dayu a chance as well. A person's life is like a fleeting moment. If you don't work hard when you are young, you will regret it when you are old. Everyone wants to be lazy, but as long as you work hard, you will be able to overcome laziness one day. Nothing is difficult in the world if you are determined..."
"You let others do what you can't do." Lin Qingyu felt sorry for the many soldiers who admired Gu Fuzhou, "Despicable foreigners."
"There's nothing I can do about it. It's because hot-blooded men like to hear these things." Gu Fuzhou said a lot and felt a little thirsty. There were no tea sets in the military camp, only water bags. Gu Fuzhou opened the capsule and took a sip, then asked Lin Qingyu, "Do you want some?"
Lin Qingyu took the water bag, took out a handkerchief to wipe the mouth of the bag, and was about to drink when the water bag was taken back by Gu Fuzhou.
Lin Qingyu looked at him puzzledly. Gu Fuzhou raised his head and took another sip, then stuffed the water bag into Lin Qingyu's hand and said without question, "Drink."
Lin Qingyu stared at the mouth of the sac and curled her lips at an angle that Gu Fuzhou couldn't see: "I don't seem to be thirsty now."
"Doctor Lin, you don't even want to touch my mouth?" Gu Fuzhou sneered, "Why, are you afraid of a rotten mouth?"
Lin Qingyu nodded: "A little bit."
Gu Fuzhou laughed angrily, showing his domineering side in front of Lin Qingyu for the first time: "You must drink this water today, Lin Qingyu, don't think about leaving if you don't drink it."
Lin Qingyu raised his eyelashes: "If I want to leave, will the general stop me?"
Gu Fuzhou raised his hand, and before Lin Qingyu could react, the hairpin was taken off by this man again. There were people from the Iron Cavalry Battalion outside, so Lin Qingyu naturally couldn't go out with his hair disheveled.
The hairpin turned around Gu Fuzhou's fingers and then he held it firmly in his palm: "I'll return it to you after you drink it."
Lin Qingyu looked at Gu Fuzhou and asked, "Why do you like taking other people's hairpins so much? Is this a habit you developed in your hometown?"
"It's a habit I've developed from you." Gu Fuzhou said coldly, "If I touch other parts of your body, I'm afraid you'll call me a pervert, so I can only take advantage of your hair."
It's good that it's not a habit that you develop with other girls. Lin Qingyu took the water bag, tilted his head back and took a sip, then asked, "Are you satisfied?" He didn't even know what the meaning of indirect contact was.
Gu Fuzhou was satisfied, but not completely satisfied. He was not sure whether to laugh or not: "Doctor Lin actually despises me."
Lin Qingyu comforted him: "I don't dislike you, I was just joking with you."
"real?"
"If I dislike you, why would I let you get into my bed?"
Gu Fuzhou was convinced. He helped Lin Qingyu tie her hair back up: "Doctor Lin has also learned to joke." He deliberately asked, "Who did you learn from?"
Lin Qingyu refused to tell Gu Fuzhou the answer he wanted to hear: "Of course I learned it from Huantong. Huantong always loves to joke, the general is not one who doesn't know that."
Gu Fuzhou chuckled and said, "You are not here to pick up your husband from get off work, Doctor Lin. You are here to anger your husband to death in the barracks."
When the time came, the two of them went home together. In the carriage, Lin Qingyu and Gu Fuzhou talked about Xi Rong's visit. Gu Fuzhou concluded: "Now, we have a queen in the harem, the Marquis of Nan'an among the civil officials, a large number of military generals, Xi Rong and Xiao Jie are also on board. It can be said that everything is ready, and we only lack the east wind."
Lin Qingyu added: "I am by the emperor's side."
Gu Fuzhou understood what Lin Qingyu meant and reminded him: "You are not the only imperial physician around the emperor, and the others are not vegetarians either."
Lin Qingyu said: "If I want to harm the emperor, I will not tamper with the medicine."
Gu Fuzhou recalled what Lin Qingyu had been studying for a while: "Do you want to use Gu?"
Lin Qingyu nodded: "Chu Zhengde only knows a little about Gu. If we plant a strange Gu in the emperor's body, he may not notice it."
Gu Fuzhou thought for a moment and said, "I think the key lies in Xiao Cheng."
"What do you mean?"
"As long as Xiao Cheng is not worthy of being the crown prince, the emperor will depose him even if you don't use Gu on him."
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