Chapter 226: Identity Revealed (First Update)
The emperor had a period of unpleasant memories in his early years. His birth mother was a palace maid, and although she was raised by Consort Jing, Consort Jing was not a particularly favored concubine.
He and Consort Jing had a difficult time, but after Consort Jing gave birth to a little princess and was promoted to Imperial Concubine Jing, their situation improved somewhat.
But his good fortune didn't last long. He then became the target of the Crown Prince and the Liu family. He refused to join their camp and was subsequently subjected to a terrible attack.
However, those blows only made him lack food and clothing and suffer some humiliation; no one would actually whip him on the head!
The old marquis's whip was far more powerful than his son's. Firstly, he was stronger, and secondly, he was more experienced, so each lash went deep into the bone.
So the emperor's dazed state was not just due to surprise; his noble dragon head was indeed numb from the blow.
It wasn't until some warm liquid flowed down his cheek that the emperor finally realized he was injured!
"His Majesty!"
The old marquis was so frightened that he threw his whip away!
He never expected that his whip would strike the emperor!
The sudden appearance of Marquis Xuanping was already surprising enough. When he couldn't retract his whip, Marquis Xuanping dodged in time, and he secretly rejoiced that he had managed to avoid it.
But now—
It would have been better not to hide at all!
Marquis Xuanping, what are you hiding for!
You're behind the emperor, have you forgotten?! Aren't you walking in front to clear the way for him?! Did you drive into a latrine?!
The old Marquis was furious. He might not be human sometimes, but Marquis Xuanping, you really are a dog.
Marquis Xuanping touched his nose and said shamelessly, "Oh dear, it's the old Marquis? Are you trying to assassinate His Majesty? Your Majesty, I'm late in coming to your rescue."
Emperor: I think you just dodged way too fast!
After a brief period of numbness, the emperor felt an excruciating pain. Unable to stand up, he slid down to the ground against the wall.
"Your Majesty!" The old Marquis knelt down with a thud, bowing respectfully in fear and trembling. "Your Majesty, I am guilty! I did not intend to assassinate you! I did not know the whip would fall upon Your Majesty..."
In fact, the old marquis had already resigned from his official post and did not need to refer to himself as a subject. However, he was still serving the emperor in reality, so in his haste, he could no longer care about calling himself a commoner.
Fortunately, Marquis Xuanping was in the know, but there were more than just the three of them present.
Xiao Sanzi was completely dumbfounded. The woman escaped in the chaos, and Gu Jiao, that little octopus, also climbed down from the wall.
Marquis Xuanping narrowed his eyes. Wasn't this the quack doctor who stepped on his face and almost broke his broad back?
Gu Jiao narrowed her eyes. Heh, isn't this the same stingy guy who only gave her a copper coin after seeing her?
The air was filled with the smell of sparks flying.
In fact, the emperor had already noticed Gu Jiao, but he didn't want to be exposed in front of her. Ignoring the pain in his head, he raised his sleeve to cover his wound.
However, the old Marquis kept calling him "Your Majesty" and saying things like, "Your Majesty, you have shed a lot of blood, and I deserve to die."
Then Marquis Xuanping pulled Gu Jiao over: "Aren't you a doctor?"
Marquis Xuanping: Although he dodged too quickly and caused His Majesty to be beaten, he managed to bring over the doctor, so he can be considered to have made amends!
Thus, after the old Marquis and the Marquis of Xuanping were both unreliable and caused the emperor to get injured, they were both unreliable again and caused the emperor to lose his horse.
The emperor's blood was boiling; you two are truly dogs!
The emperor's face was covered in blood, but it was still enough to make out his features.
Gu Jiao squatted down and hummed in response, "Lord Chu?"
"What Lord Chu! This is His Majesty!" The old Marquis was unaware that Qin Chuyu had concealed his identity to study at the Imperial Academy.
Gu Jiao raised an eyebrow: "Oh, so you're the emperor. That means Chu Yu is a prince."
Emperor: It's over, my son has also been exposed.
Old Marquis: Something feels off!
Gu Jiao was going to give Consort Jing a follow-up appointment today, and she happened to have brought her small medicine box with her. She asked Xiao Sanzi to go to the carriage and get her small medicine box.
Xiao Sanzi was so frightened that he was speechless. He hurriedly got into the car, grabbed a small first-aid kit, and handed it to Gu Jiao.
How could the old Marquis have forgotten about the matter of kidnapping Gu Jiao to the officials? He said to the emperor, "The ground is cold, Your Majesty, please get in the carriage."
"The lighting is better here." Gu Jiao refused him outright. Before the old marquis could say that he was speaking to His Majesty and that a mere female physician should not interrupt, Gu Jiao said to the emperor, "Take your hand away."
A commanding tone.
The emperor obediently removed his hand from his wound, his eyes still showing a hint of grievance.
The old marquis suspected he had gone blind.
"You two are blocking the light," Gu Jiao said to the old Marquis and the Marquis of Xuanping.
Marquis Xuanping, who had no pride, was not angry at being ordered around by a mere female physician, and gracefully stepped aside.
The old Marquis was somewhat displeased with Gu Jiao's tone, feeling that this young female doctor had first abused her power and then acted arrogantly.
The emperor looked coldly at the old marquis.
"……yes."
The old marquis also stepped back several feet.
Gu Jiao dipped a cotton ball in saline solution and began to clean the bloodstains from the emperor's face and head. Actually, the emperor was quite good-looking, but he was still less handsome than the Marquis of Xuanping.
Marquis Xuanping is so stingy!
Gu Jiao made a decisive decision: no matter how handsome he was, she wouldn't ship him with him.
"Hiss—"
That whip lashed hard; the skin and flesh were torn open.
The emperor was in excruciating pain, his body convulsing.
Knowing he was in the wrong, the old marquis remained kneeling not far away, too afraid to get up.
Marquis Xuanping was also somewhat in the wrong. Well, since the emperor was sitting, he couldn't very well stand and make the emperor look up at him. So he went to the old marquis's side.
The old Marquis thought he was going to kneel down and beg for forgiveness, so he kindly moved aside to make room for him. But then he saw Marquis Xuanping squat down and start drawing circles on the ground out of boredom.
The old Marquis: "..."
Gu Jiao looked at the wound on his head and said, "You need stitches. I'll shave your head first, and then give you some anesthetic."
Do I need to shave my head? Do I need stitches?
The emperor was completely distraught!
From the moment Gu Jiao took out the razor blade, the emperor's body began to visibly become uneasy. When she took out an anesthetic needle, the emperor almost fainted.
She inserted the needle.
The emperor bit his sleeve: "Ooh~"
Gu Jiao: That familiar voice and those little gestures…
The emperor has been completely exposed...
Gu Jiao finished stitching up the emperor without making a sound, and then wrapped bandages and gauze around the emperor's head: "Make sure the wound is dry and clean, and come to the clinic tomorrow to change the dressing."
After saying this, Gu Jiao packed up her small medicine box and medical supplies, and stretched out her hand to the emperor.
"Consultation fee".
She said.
Why would the emperor carry money with him when he goes out? In the past, it was Eunuch Wei who paid for it, but unfortunately, Eunuch Wei wasn't brought along today.
The emperor then turned his gaze to the Marquis of Xuanping, who was squatting on the ground drawing circles, and said coldly, "Marquis of Xuanping!"
"Your Majesty, you call me 'Your Majesty'?" Marquis Xuanping was not embarrassed at all even after being caught drawing circles. He was rarely embarrassed. In this respect, Gu Jiao was similar to him.
Marquis Xuanping stood up and slowly walked to the emperor's side... and knelt down on one knee.
With a simple squatting motion, he exuded composure, elegance, and poise. This man, no matter what he did, was a pleasure to behold.
Unfortunately, the emperor wasn't a sucker for good looks: "Give me the money."
Marquis Xuanping glanced at Gu Jiao, then helplessly took out his purse and poured out a few gold ingots and silver coins into his palm.
Unsurprisingly, he picked out the smallest one and placed it in Gu Jiao's palm.
The emperor's eyes were icy cold: "Is my imperial body only worth this little bit of silver?"
Marquis Xuanping reluctantly picked out the second smallest silver nugget and placed it in Gu Jiao's hand, thinking he was giving her two. Unexpectedly, he took back the smallest one from before.
emperor:"……"
Gu Jiao: "..."
The emperor was furious and immediately seized all of Gu Jiao's silver.
After receiving the consultation fee, Gu Jiao got into the carriage and left.
Only after the carriage had gone far away did the emperor come to his senses, frowning as he looked at the old marquis: "Who were you trying to hit with that whip just now?"
The old Marquis recounted the matter of Gu Jiao and the suspicious woman: "...I originally intended to send them both to the government office for judgment."
The emperor's face darkened instantly, more terrifying than if he had been whipped by the old marquis: "How could you show favoritism to others?"
Others? That girl isn't one of us either.
The old Marquis was very stubborn and sometimes didn't know how to be flexible, or perhaps he was unwilling to be flexible. He said seriously, "I am not favoring anyone, but this kind of thing should be reported to the authorities no matter what. How can we let that girl do whatever she wants?"
Looking at the old marquis's expression, the emperor suddenly realized something.
You don't know she's your granddaughter, do you?
Not only did the old Marquis not recognize that she was his own granddaughter, but the Marquis of Xuanping also did not recognize that Gu Jiao was his own daughter-in-law.
He was still thinking to himself that he must be more generous when he sees his daughter-in-law in the future, so as not to embarrass his son.
Happy Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day!
(End of this chapter)
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