Chapter Eighteen
Gu Leyao went to Li Heng's courtyard and inadvertently saw Li Heng lying on the bed with a pale face, a trembling voice, and in great pain.
Her eyes were red as she looked at him, and she pressed Li Shi for an answer: What's wrong with Li Heng?
Li Shi was an honest man, but he couldn't resist being pressed and was cornered by her. In the end, it was Li Jiu who answered the question.
It turns out that Li Heng's legs were not completely numb. Whenever it was cloudy or rainy, his legs would ache as if they were being torn apart. The doctor in the palace was a famous expert in treating leg injuries, but he could only relieve the pain in Li Heng's injured legs.
The emperor summoned many famous doctors for Li Heng, but after examining Li Heng's injured leg, they all shook their heads and said they could not treat it and could only provide some relief.
Gradually, Li Heng lost confidence in the recovery of his legs. Whenever the leg pain flared up, he would stay in the house. When the pain became too severe, he would ask the doctor in the mansion to help relieve the pain.
Since Gu Leyao married into the Prince's Mansion, this was the first time Li Heng's leg pain had flared up.
Gu Leyao had always thought that marrying into the Dingbei Prince's Mansion was a happy thing. She had escaped the storyline of Gu Baozhu and Huo Pingyuan, and she always thought that things would go smoothly for her in the future and that she would be happy every day.
But after spending so much time together, she realized that Li Heng was a really, really good person.
He usually appears quiet and reserved, and his expression is cold towards strangers, but he is always very gentle towards her.
Gu Leyao knew she wasn't exactly a perfect person, but Li Heng treated her exceptionally well. Although they hadn't consummated their marriage, Li Heng had shown Gu Leyao the respect due to a wife.
Gu Leyao recalled the memories of practicing medicine left to her by the original owner. She thought to herself, now that she was a first-rank princess, she couldn't be a catering tycoon anymore, so why didn't she start learning medicine?
She couldn't just eat and laugh all day, wasting her life. Gu Leyao felt that since she had come to this era, she had to do something.
In this life, one must have some pursuits to give life something to look forward to.
Thinking this way, Gu Leyao felt all her previous worries disappear. Li Heng didn't eat, but she had to.
As the old saying goes, "Man is made of iron, and food is made of steel," and besides, she still has many tasks to do.
Gu Leyao invited Chuntao to have dinner with her. Seeing that the prince wasn't coming, Chuntao didn't stand on ceremony and sat down opposite Gu Leyao to eat.
Two girls, not quite teenagers, sat down and ate heartily, like wolves and tigers, with an astonishing appetite.
Chun Tao even finished the mushroom soup. She patted her stomach and said to Gu Leyao, "Girl, this mushroom and old hen soup is really delicious."
Gu Leyao touched Chun Tao's bulging belly and said to her in a serious tone, "Chun Tao, even though you're young, you still need to exercise more after eating so much!"
Gu Leyao still remembers her experience as a food blogger in her previous life.
At that time, she had just become a food blogger after leaving the orphanage and made a small fortune. She couldn't resist eating and ended up gaining more than 20 pounds in less than six months.
Gaining weight is easy, but losing weight is hard. Later, Gu Leyao managed to turn fat into muscle by eating less at each meal and going to the gym. She accidentally developed abs and a six-pack.
After finishing the spicy hot pot, Gu Leyao felt warm all over and had regained her strength. She then asked a maid to tell the steward that she wanted some medical books.
She has made up her mind; she will study medicine on her own.
"Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous Diseases", "Compendium of Materia Medica", "Huangdi Neijing"... In fact, the original owner had also read these books in her memories. The original owner was not very literate at first, but later in the northern frontier, Huo Pingyuan did not fight, so he taught her to read.
As the original owner learned more and more characters, she gradually devoured those thick, obscure medical books. She also treated patients in her spare time. Over the course of more than ten years, the original owner built up a reputation and became a well-known female doctor in the Northern Frontier.
Gu Leyao still had the original owner's more than ten years of medical experience in her mind. She set herself a small goal: even if she couldn't cure Li Heng's injured leg, she could at least alleviate his pain.
Gu Leyao recalled seeing Li Heng during the day, his face pale, his white undergarment soaked with sweat, half-lying on the bed.
He must have been in excruciating pain to clench his teeth and remain silent; he truly looked like someone who couldn't live and couldn't die.
It was pale to the extreme, and fragile and beautiful to the extreme.
Whenever Gu Leyao recalled Li Heng's painful appearance, she made up her mind that she must study medicine well. She was not a strong learner, but what if what she learned could be useful for Li Heng's injuries?
As long as it can alleviate Li Heng's pain even a little bit, then her studies will be worthwhile.
It was already dark outside, with a continuous drizzle, and the house was pitch black.
Chun Tao lit the lamp, and the light flickered. Gu Leyao sat steadily at the table and began to read.
*
Inside the room.
Li Heng was dressed in white, his snow-white shirt soaked with sweat, making him look as if he had been pulled out of the water.
His voice was weak, as if he had lost all his strength, as he softly asked Li Qi, "Did the Princess come today?"
Li Qi leaned down and whispered in Li Heng's ear, "Her Highness the Princess made something called hot pot today. The pot's design was quite unique, featuring a Tai Chi symbol, with one side being a spicy broth and the other a mushroom and chicken soup broth. Her Highness originally intended to invite you to eat with her, but upon hearing you weren't coming, she came to find you herself. As soon as Her Highness entered the courtyard, she was stopped by Li Jiu and Li Shi. Li Jiu and Li Shi, following your instructions, naturally didn't want to tell Her Highness about your situation, lest she worry. But..." The Princess Consort insisted on asking and intended to force her way into the inner chamber to see your condition. Li Jiu and Li Shi dared not stop her. At that time, your leg was in excruciating pain, and I happened to bring the physician from the manor to treat you. The Princess Consort, peeking through the half-open door, saw your suffering. Seeing that the truth could no longer be concealed, Li Jiu finally told the Princess Consort that your leg ailment would flare up whenever it was cloudy, rainy, or in the harsh winter. Knowing the answer, the Princess Consort stood stunned in the courtyard for a long time before leaving.
Li Heng's face remained expressionless, and his voice was indifferent, "Tell Li Jiu and Li Shi to go down and receive their punishment."
Li Qi did not defend his two brothers. Regardless of the reason, the guards had made a mistake and should be punished.
This is a matter of course, no matter where you go.
Li Heng lay in bed for a while and felt better. He then asked Li Qi, "How did the Princess eat that meal later?"
Li Qi covered Li Heng with a blanket and replied softly, "The Princess Consort felt it was no fun eating alone, so she invited her maid Chun Tao to eat with her. I heard from the kitchen staff that the Princess Consort and Chun Tao ate a lot."
Li Heng bowed slightly. It was good that Le Yao was someone who didn't care about anything. That way, if he died one day, Le Yao could live well in this world.
He had previously wondered whether it was right or wrong for him, a useless man, to marry Le Yao but not be able to stay with her until old age, to let her escape the wolf den of the Gu family but enter the fire pit of the Prince's mansion.
Now, he no longer needs to worry. If anything were to happen to him, Le Yao could live a good life on her own.
Li Heng noticed Li Qi's hesitant expression and frowned slightly. "Just say what you have to say. Don't beat around the bush. It's not proper."
Li Qi hesitated for a moment and said, "The Princess Consort had the steward find a lot of medical books to read. Moreover, the Princess Consort's courtyard was brightly lit tonight, as if she was studying medical books diligently. I heard from the female guards in the courtyard that the Princess Consort also tied a red ribbon on her head with the words 'Keep going and work hard' written on it. I know what the word 'work hard' means, but I really don't understand what 'keep going' means."
The smile on Li Hang's lips froze, and a soft, helpless murmur escaped his lips, "Le Yao, this silly girl."
Knowing that being sad was useless, she turned to reading medical books, trying to solve the problem at its root.
Kele Yao had no idea that his leg was beyond saving; even a celestial being couldn't save it.
Li Heng's lips did not curve into a smile, but his eyes revealed an ambiguous emotion, a mixture of regret and sorrow, and joy, making it difficult to discern the true meaning.
*
After that day of continuous rain, several days of sunny weather followed.
Li Heng's leg pain came on quickly and went away quickly; he recovered after two days of rest.
Gu Leyao and Li Heng continued eating together, neither of them mentioning what happened that day, as if nothing had ever occurred.
However, their lives have changed somewhat. Gu Leyao has recently become obsessed with making legs for various animals.
Today they ate roasted lamb leg, tomorrow braised chicken feet, the day after tomorrow braised beef tendon, and the day after that stewed pig's trotters with soybeans. In just a few days, they ate all sorts of animal legs.
Even someone as taciturn as Li Hang couldn't help but subtly remind Gu Leyao, "Why do we eat legs every day? Can't we eat something else?"
Upon hearing this, Gu Leyao put down the pig's trotter she was eating. After a long pause, she finally replied, "Using the principle of 'like cures like,' this is a food therapy in traditional Chinese medicine, do you understand?"
Li Heng didn't understand, but Gu Leyao was staring at him intently, insisting that he eat pork leg meat every day. Li Heng's brow twitched, but he still lowered his head and ate the whole pig's trotter in his bowl, bite by bite.
He knew they were already husband and wife, but he refused to tell Gu Leyao about his own physical ailments.
Li Heng understood that such concealment was actually harmful to a kind girl like Gu Leyao.
Li Heng was in the wrong, and Gu Leyao was in charge of their diet, so Li Heng had no choice but to eat whatever Gu Leyao made.
Li Jiu and Li Shi, however, were secretly exchanging glances. Their buttocks were still sore from the thirty lashes they had received that day. Fortunately, the Princess Consort prepared different delicious dishes every day and shared them with them each time.
These days, they've eaten a lot of nourishing food, which is why their wounds are healing so quickly.
Seeing the prince suffer a setback, they felt a strange sense of joy; finally, someone could control the prince.
Long live the Princess Consort!
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