Chapter Forty-Five
"Madam, you may not know this, but I have already asked the Emperor to distribute this great achievement among the physicians of the Imperial Medical Bureau. This tremendous credit will not be given to your son!"
Gu Leyao recalled the injuries the original owner had suffered in her previous life. She originally wanted to help the original owner live out this life according to her wishes, but why did these people who had hurt the original owner still come to her?
Why do good people not get good rewards, while bad people still try to take advantage of them?
Gu Leyao grabbed the aunt's collar and threatened fiercely, "Now I am the superior and you are the inferior. You better listen carefully. If you still want to take advantage of me, for every point you take, I will take ten points from you. I mean what I say! If you don't believe me, just try!"
After speaking, Gu Leyao released Madam Bo's collar, elegantly patted non-existent dust off her hands, and finally waved for someone to escort Gu Ronghua and Madam Bo away.
When the two men were dragged away, their faces were ashen, as if they had eaten rotten raw eggs.
Gu Leyao was in a good mood. After venting her anger, she felt inexplicably relieved.
Remembering that Li Heng was still waiting for her to have dinner, she gracefully tidied her hair and makeup and walked towards the dining room.
*
Gu Leyao and Li Heng had a meal together. After the meal, Gu Leyao gave Li Heng a massage.
Both of them were slightly sweaty. Li Heng's long hair was slightly damp, and Gu Leyao used some effort to lean against the bed to catch her breath.
"Aheng, how are your legs feeling now?"
Li Heng paused for a moment, then said, "It doesn't hurt as much now."
Gu Leyao nodded. She wrapped a strand of Li Heng's long hair around her fingers. The hair was black and shiny, and it had a faint scent of soapberry.
Since she wants to treat Aheng's leg, why doesn't she bring all of Aheng's comrades who were injured back then?
Even Ah Heng injured his leg, what about the soldiers who went to the battlefield with him? They should also receive treatment.
Gu Leyao had an idea in mind, but she didn't reveal it; she planned to do it secretly.
*
The next day, Gu Leyao sent Chuntao to find the steward. When the steward heard that it was the princess who wanted to see him, he quickly put down what he was doing and followed Chuntao to Gu Leyao's courtyard with a smile.
"Your Highness, what brings you here?"
"No rush, no rush, please sit down and have some tea."
Gu Leyao asked the housekeeper to sit down and then asked Chuntao to pour him a cup of tea.
The emerald green tea soup was fragrant and sweet. The steward took a sip and said, "The Princess Consort treats me very well. The tea she gives me is a famous tea like Lu'an Melon Seed."
Chun Tao giggled, "Grandpa Butler, the young lady is so kind to you, she drinks this tea herself!"
The steward looked at Chun Tao with affection, "I know, Her Highness the Princess is kind to us servants."
He pushed the pastries on the table toward Chun Tao, saying, "Have some locust flower rice cake. You need to eat more at your age so you can grow strong!"
Chun Tao glanced at Gu Leyao, who nodded at her. Chun Tao then quietly ran outside with the tray of rice cakes to share the treats with her friend, Lv Liu.
Chun Tao left, and Gu Leyao could no longer see her. Only then did she speak, "Butler, where are Aheng's comrades from back then? I've been married into the Prince's Mansion for a year, and I've never heard Aheng mention them."
The steward was surprised that Gu Leyao would ask this question. He lowered his eyes and thought for a while, then sighed, "After the soldiers returned to the capital, because the war in the north had come to an end and the prince had fallen ill, they received their resettlement allowances and went back to their hometowns one after another."
At this point, the butler sighed. Those people were his comrades-in-arms who fought alongside him. How could he not think of them when he was in the middle of the night?
Gu Leyao seemed to be deep in thought, and the room fell silent for a moment.
After a long silence, Gu Leyao spoke again, "Butler, I have found a skilled doctor who can treat bone diseases. I was thinking of having her treat Aheng. But Aheng is a sentimental person and must care a lot about his comrades who fought alongside him back then. If I invite them to come and treat their ailments, they will feel better, and Aheng will be happy too."
The steward also longed to see his old comrades-in-arms. "Then I thank Your Highness on behalf of the Prince!"
Gu Leyao waved her hand, "What is this? They are all people who have shed blood for the country, and I admire them very much! If any of them are willing, I can arrange some work for them. Under the protection of the Prince's Mansion, it's better than outside."
"Thank you, Your Highness. I'll go and contact them one by one." The steward still remembered his old friends' contact information. It had been many years since he'd seen them, and he was eager to see them again.
*
Peach Blossom Village.
A man in his thirties or forties, missing an arm, was swinging an axe to chop firewood.
The woman inside stepped out, splashed a basin of water outside, and scolded with her hands on her hips, "You're a grown man, disabled, and you don't go out to earn money. You just eat and drink at home all day long. If I were you, I'd be so ashamed!"
The woman kept cursing, but the man remained silent. The woman got bored and turned away.
After a while, a forty-year-old man smoking came out of the house. He walked silently to the man's side and said, "Second son, you know the situation at home. Before our parents passed away, they spent too much money on medical treatment. This is the only room we have now. My eldest son is getting married, and this room is really not enough for everyone! Look, look, why don't you find another place to live?"
The man wiped the sweat from his forehead with his only remaining hand, his eyes fixed on his elder brother, a man who looked honest and kind.
He joined the army years ago and lost an arm on the battlefield. The imperial court gave him a large sum of money, which he took back to his hometown.
At that time, his older brother was already married and had children who were eight or nine years old. His older brother treated him very politely because he was rich.
Later, both parents fell ill, and the medical expenses were substantial. My older brother had no money, so he paid for all the medical bills.
But his parents passed away one after the other, and he lost all his money.
After that, his sister-in-law always gave him the cold shoulder and her words were always sarcastic. His nephew would also come up to him and make faces, saying things like, "You useless cripple with a missing arm, nee nee nee, you good-for-nothing! Why are you living in my house!"
His older brother always sighed and complained in front of him.
As time went by, the eldest son grew up and reached the age to get married. But when the new bride entered the house, she would need a room to live in.
But there were only two rooms in the house. His older brother and sister-in-law lived in the big room, and he lived in the small room.
He understood that his elder brother and sister-in-law wanted to get rid of him so that they could make room for his eldest son and his wife.
The man didn't hate his sister-in-law. He knew in his heart that she was just the one who fought bravely for her son and husband, while his elder brother was the one who quietly reaped the benefits.
This is his biological older brother, who has always been quiet and reserved, like a silent and honest man.
But this honest man, who has always been the sole payer for his parents' medical expenses, is now being kicked out of the house.
The man held an axe in his hand; he had been to the battlefield and was highly skilled.
The eldest brother looked at the man without speaking, and continued to coax him, "Second brother, you are not married and have no offspring. You must know that Dalang is the root of our Zhao family. Our family must carry on the family line!"
The eldest brother sighed, "Second brother, please have some understanding of your older brother! It's not easy for me either. Our eldest son is getting married soon, and all we need is this one room. Otherwise, the bride's family won't agree to let him marry into our family!"
The man looked at his elder brother, who had used this very manner to gradually make him spend all the resettlement funds he had brought back from the imperial court.
The midday sun was scorching, and the man's face was tanned a deep reddish-black, making it impossible for the eldest brother to discern his expression.
He kept rambling on, trying to force his brother to squeeze out the last drop of blood from his bones by showing weakness.
The man's head was getting hotter and hotter, and his heart was pounding. His axe was shining with a silvery luster in the sunlight.
"Zhao Lao Er, Zhao Lao Er! Here's a letter for you, it's from the capital!" The village head appeared at the Zhao family's door with a loud voice.
He held up a letter, revealing his black and yellow teeth. "Zhao Lao Er, there's a letter from the capital."
The man placed the silver-white axe on the woodpile, reached out and took the letter. His rough fingers stroked the envelope for a long time before he finally opened it.
Zhao Lao Er opened the envelope and found a silver note.
Zhao Laoda's eyes lit up almost imperceptibly for a moment, and his seemingly honest and simple face twitched slightly.
Zhao Lao Er put the silver note into his pocket and began to carefully read the contents of the letter, avoiding the sunlight.
"Brother Zhao, how are you doing? I, your humble brother..."
After reading the letter, Zhao Lao Er breathed a deep sigh of relief. He looked at his honest-looking but ruthless elder brother, and then at the village chief with his eyes full of curiosity. Suddenly, he felt that nothing else mattered.
The prince is still the same prince he always was; he still thinks about his old brothers!
As long as the prince is still alive, there is hope for the future.
Old Zhao was still gazing longingly into Old Zhao's arms.
Zhao Lao Er knew that his brother was up to no good again, but this time, he wouldn't indulge his elder brother.
"If you want my house, of course you can, but you have to pay. I've been the one who paid for everything since my parents got sick. Don't try to deny it; the doctor in the county still has records of it!"
Zhao the eldest was unwilling to accept this, "Second brother, we're family! Even though you're not married, my son is your son. Why do you say such disrespectful things! It's truly disheartening!"
Zhao Lao Er's face was cold. "If you refuse, I'll sell this house to the village head for half the price!"
The village chief never expected that his visit to the Zhao family to deliver a message would yield such a great deal. He immediately chuckled, revealing a set of large, uneven, yellow teeth. "Second brother, are you serious? My family has a lot of people and we need a place to live. Don't worry, I won't let you suffer any losses. I'll give you an extra tael of silver..."
Zhao Lao Er just wanted to get to the capital as soon as possible. Hearing that the village head was willing, he immediately agreed, "Okay, let's do it this way! But I need cash in advance. Once you have the money, I'll sign and put my fingerprint on it right away!"
At this moment, Zhao the eldest finally revealed his ugly face, "You damned second brother, why didn't you die on the battlefield! You sold a perfectly good house to outsiders instead of your own brother!"
Zhao Lao Er ignored the warnings. He took the money from the village chief, carefully examined the house sale certificate, and signed it after confirming that everything was correct.
He bought a donkey from the village head and set off for the capital.
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