Chapter 313 Assassination Attack (Second Update)
Due to the hot weather, many girls' daughters have suffered from heatstroke for several days in a row. Gu Jiao has been so busy that she hasn't been able to visit her aunt in the palace for a few days and is unaware that her aunt has fallen ill.
"...Yes, no need for medicine, just drink some water infused with houttuynia cordata, that is, tsao-gen. Do you have any at home? If not, go ask the medicine boy for some." Gu Jiao finished treating a young lady from a prestigious school and made a note of her diagnosis. "Next."
The door was pushed open, and it was Princess Rui, whom they hadn't seen for many days, who came in.
Princess Rui did not cut in line this time, but waited patiently for almost half an hour, which was quite admirable considering she was five months pregnant.
"Why did you come here?" Gu Jiao asked, gesturing for her to sit down.
Princess Rui's complexion was as rosy as ever, and her pregnancy looked quite good, although her eyes were slightly red and swollen, as if she had just been crying.
"Are you feeling unwell? Let me see." Gu Jiao gestured for her to extend her hand.
Princess Rui shook her head: "It wasn't me, it was Consort Jing. I went to see her yesterday, and she's not well again..."
As Princess Rui spoke, tears streamed down her face.
Princess Rui wasn't usually this prone to crying. It was only after she became pregnant that her tear ducts became exceptionally active, and she would cry uncontrollably over the smallest things. She herself didn't know why this was happening.
During pregnancy, hormones surged, and Gu Jiao handed her a handkerchief.
Princess Rui wiped away her tears, her eyes red as she looked at Gu Jiao: "When will you be finished with your work today? After you're done, could you come with me to see Consort Jing?"
Gu Jiao summoned Doctor Song: "Are there any doctors on duty today?"
Doctor Song said, "No, everyone is at the clinic today."
Gu Jiao nodded: "Okay, I'll go out for a bit. Could you keep an eye on things for me?"
Doctor Song replied, "Yes."
Gu Jiao added, "There are also medicinal herbs. Remember to have Xiao Jiangli collect them later."
Doctor Song said, "I will."
After explaining the situation at the clinic, Gu Jiao went with Princess Rui to a nunnery near Puji Temple.
On the carriage, Gu Jiao learned that Consort Jing had fallen ill because she had heard the news of the emperor's assassination attempt.
The Emperor was the son she raised herself. Consort Jing only had one daughter, Princess Ning'an, in her entire life. Her Majesty was like her own son. When something happened to him, Consort Jing was more worried than anyone else.
Princess Rui said, "The Dowager Consort wasn't this weak in her younger days. One winter, there was a blizzard, and the nunnery was so cold that the Dowager Consort's health deteriorated, leaving her with chronic illness ever since. Over the years, Father has tried many methods to improve the Dowager Consort's health, but none of them have been very effective. Miss Gu, do you have any way to improve the Dowager Consort's health?"
Gu Jiao truthfully replied, "The Dowager Consort is getting on in years, so her focus is on health preservation and treatment as a secondary measure. There are no quick and effective methods."
Princess Rui was disappointed.
The two entered the nunnery.
Consort Jing lay on the sickbed in the meditation room, having just fallen asleep. The room was filled with the scent of calming incense.
The personal maid, dressed as a nun, greeted the two of them with a bow: "Princess Rui, Miss Gu."
While extinguishing the calming incense in the stove, Granny Cai opened the window to ventilate the room, preventing the incense from affecting the pregnant Princess Rui.
Princess Rui looked at Consort Jing's pale face and said, "Granny Cai, why does Her Highness seem even weaker than yesterday?"
Granny Cai sighed, "The Empress Dowager is so worried about His Majesty that she can't sit or lie down and can't sleep at night. She hasn't eaten a single grain of rice since yesterday... I saw that this was going to get worse, so I secretly lit some calming incense."
Princess Rui was heartbroken.
Princess Rui was from the Ning Prince's faction, and the Ning Prince was in the same camp as Empress Dowager Zhuang. The Emperor was desperately trying to remove Empress Dowager Zhuang from power and put Consort Jing on the throne as Empress Dowager, but this seemed to be just a game between the Emperor and Empress Dowager Zhuang, and did not affect anyone else.
The Prince Rui and his wife had a pretty good relationship with Consort Jing.
Granny Cai brought over stools for the two of them to sit down.
Gu Jiao sat down by the bed and took the pulse of Consort Jing.
Consort Jing was not sleeping soundly; she opened her eyes as soon as Gu Jiao took her pulse.
When she saw that it was Gu Jiao, a smile appeared on her pale face: "Miss Gu has arrived." Then she looked at the Princess Consort Rui, whose eyes were red, and said helplessly, "I told you I'm fine, why did you come all this way again? And you even troubled Miss Gu? Can't you just stay at home and rest during your pregnancy? I'll have to send a letter to Prince Rui later and tell him to keep an eye on you."
Princess Rui choked up and said, "Your Highness would never forbid me from coming. Your Highness is more worried about your health than I am."
"Sigh, you all..." Consort Jing shook her head, seemingly unsure of what to say.
Gu Jiao finished taking the pulse of Consort Jing.
Consort Jing looked at Gu Jiao and said, "I'm fine, it's just that the weather is too hot. It's like this every summer, so Miss Gu doesn't need to worry."
Judging from her pulse, Consort Jing's illness was not serious; it was simply a matter of stagnant Qi, blood deficiency, and general weakness.
"You can't go without eating," Gu Jiao said.
Granny Cai hurriedly said, "Listen to this, listen to this! Even Miss Gu is saying this, aren't you going to eat?"
Consort Jing smiled and said, "It's hot, I can't eat."
Princess Rui said, "Your Highness, His Majesty has returned to the palace."
Consort Jing was immediately taken aback: "Really?"
Princess Rui said, "If you don't believe me, ask Miss Gu. Miss Gu would never lie."
Consort Jing's expectant gaze fell on Gu Jiao's face.
Gu Jiao nodded: "His Majesty has returned to the palace."
Consort Jing asked anxiously, "Is he alright? I heard he was assassinated and injured, but I don't know how serious it is..."
Gu Jiao replied truthfully, "Your Majesty is fully recovered and in good health."
Consort Jing breathed a sigh of relief: "Amitabha, well done, well done."
"Now you finally have an appetite, right? This servant will have some vegetarian dishes prepared right away." Granny Cai smiled broadly and turned to Gu Jiao and Princess Rui, saying, "If Princess Rui and Miss Gu don't mind, why don't you stay and have a meal with the Dowager Consort before you leave? I'm afraid if you leave like this, the Dowager Consort will refuse to eat again."
Princess Jing gave Granny Cai a reproachful look: "How could the children get used to the food in the nunnery?"
“I can eat it, I can eat it! Miss Gu?” Princess Rui winked at Gu Jiao.
Gu Jiao had no objection.
She had never tried vegetarian food from ancient times before, and she was quite curious.
As it turned out, Gu Jiao overestimated the culinary skills of the nunnery. Xiao Jingkong also ate mostly vegetarian food at home, but whether it was Gu Jiao or the old priest, the vegetarian dishes they made were not only varied, colorful, fragrant and delicious, but also full of childlike fun.
Gu Jiao stared at the bowl of boiled tofu, boiled bean sprouts, and cucumber salad in front of her... Even she, who wasn't a picky eater, felt this meal was far too bland...
Perhaps she was truly relieved, because Consort Jing had a good appetite, eating half a bowl of rice and some vegetarian dishes, and also drinking a bowl of tofu soup.
Princess Rui really couldn't get used to it. Having grown up in luxury, eating this kind of food was like eating dirt to her. She could only manage a few bites before she couldn't eat anymore.
Consort Jing laughed at her, saying, "I told you you weren't used to the food."
Princess Rui cleared her throat: "I... I'm pregnant and have a poor appetite, it's not that I can't get used to the food."
Consort Jing smiled.
After dinner, Princess Rui chatted with Consort Jing for a while. Consort Jing, worried that it was getting late, urged her and Gu Jiao to get into the carriage to return to the capital.
Inside the carriage, Princess Rui said with heartache, "The Dowager Consort has suffered so much; all these years she's been eating such terrible food..."
"It's not too bad," Gu Jiao said.
Princess Rui said sadly, "Isn't that terrible? So bland... the taste was so tasteless... She was so pitiful... She was the most pitiful woman of the late Emperor..."
Gu Jiao paused, then said, "Isn't the Empress Dowager the most pitiful one?"
Princess Rui asked strangely, "What's so pitiful about the Empress Dowager? She is the head of the six palaces and the ruler of the court. She has immense power and influence, and is even more powerful than the Emperor. She has nothing to do with being pitiful."
Although Princess Rui was from the Ning Prince's lineage, from the perspective of a granddaughter-in-law, she preferred the gentle and kind Consort Jing. Empress Dowager Zhuang was too domineering, ruthless, and cold-hearted; Princess Rui simply dared not associate with her.
Gu Jiao did not argue with Princess Rui. Everyone has their own ideas, and there is no need to impose one's will on others.
All she needs to do is be even more loving towards her aunt.
They gave their love to their great-aunt along with everyone else's share.
The carriage moved slowly, and Princess Rui gradually became sleepy. She leaned her head on Gu Jiao's shoulder and fell asleep.
Gu Jiao was also a little sleepy.
She closed her eyes slightly, intending to take a short nap, when suddenly her ears twitched and she heard an extremely subtle yet rapid sound of something breaking through the air.
She suddenly opened her eyes, swiftly raised her hand, reached towards Princess Rui, and caught a stray arrow that had been shot in!
Princess Rui was jolted awake by the arrow's force, her body trembling: "What happened?"
She opened her eyes and saw a metallic arrow that gleamed with a cold light!
She looked again at Gu Jiao's hand that had caught the arrow, and cold sweat suddenly broke out.
If Gu Jiao hadn't reacted quickly, she would already be...
Her face turned pale instantly: "Miss Gu..."
Gu Jiao's eyes turned cold. She grabbed the back of Princess Rui's head with one hand, pulled her into her arms, and turned her to the side!
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
Three arrows flew past her long hair and landed on the carriage wall where the two of them had just been leaning!
Gu Jiao glanced coldly at the car window that had several holes in it, then twirled the arrow in her hand and shot it out!
(End of this chapter)
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