Chapter 76 [VIP]
Gu Zhizhuo had been squatting for quite a while, and his feet were going numb.
She took Xie Yingchen's outstretched hand and smiled brightly.
"You're still laughing." Xie Jing gritted his teeth and said, trying to suppress his laughter, "Do you even know how much trouble you've gotten yourself into! He..."
Xie Jing pointed at Xie Yingchen.
Gu Zhizhuo, being a woman, is no match for Ke'er. It's one thing if she doesn't understand court affairs, but Xie Yingchen certainly knows perfectly well what would happen if Gu Zhizhuo couldn't save the Grand Secretary. Yet, he still dragged her into it! From beginning to end, he was just using her.
If the illness is cured, Xie Yingchen will receive the greatest credit, and Chief Minister Song will surely be grateful and may even side with him from then on. However, if the illness is not cured, the blame will lie with Gu Zhizhuo, who will be reckless and insist on showing off and making a name for himself.
Regardless of the outcome, Xie Yingchen will not lose out; this is truly a clever calculation.
Xie Jing said decisively, "Xiao Yunzi, go and lock them all up!"
I was so stupid. If I had sent the onlookers away earlier, things wouldn't have been so complicated, and at least I could have kept things under control.
Gu Zhizhuo: ?
Are you kidding me?!
"Young Master, Chief Minister Song is alive." She looked up at Xie Yingchen, her eyes curving into crescents.
"What did you say? He clearly..."
Xie Jing was shouting angrily, but before he could finish speaking, the chief minister inside suddenly coughed.
He clutched his lower abdomen, waited a while, and then, lo and behold, it didn't hurt anymore!
It doesn't hurt at all anymore.
Even the hidden pain that had been bothering him for the past few years has completely disappeared, and he feels incredibly comfortable.
Is he dead?
"Is this the Hall of Yama, the King of Hell?"
He sat up straight, muttering to himself, and looked around expressionlessly before touching himself.
"Don't move."
Gu Zhizhuo scolded, "You haven't had the needles removed yet."
The Prime Minister Song was jolted awake. He opened his mouth wide and blurted out in astonishment, "I'm not dead?"
"Not yet." Gu Zhizhuo said those three words, then impatiently added, "Young Master, come and see..."
She tugged at his sleeve, oblivious to everyone else, and walked to a pool of black blood. Through the handkerchief, she picked up a small fragment from it.
The fragment was stained with black blood. After wiping it clean with a handkerchief, it turned out to be a small, sharp piece of metal.
Xie Yingchen immediately understood: "This must be from a sword."
“Yes.” Gu Zhizhuo handed it to the Prime Minister. “You said you were injured in the abdomen. When the sword stabbed you, it probably hit your ribs and broke off a small piece. This small piece was left in your abdominal cavity and was not removed. Over time, it stuck to your intestines.”
The chief minister, Song, stared blankly as he picked up the handkerchief, as if he had returned to that day.
The bandits stabbed him in the abdomen with a knife, and later, when he was on the run, he stuffed the account book into the wound.
Upon arriving in the capital and retrieving the account books, the imperial physician said that his intestines had been compressed beyond recognition. It was a great effort to stitch them back up, and he spent three months recovering before he could get out of bed and walk around. No one noticed that there was still such a small piece left inside.
"Any food that irritates the stomach and intestines will stir up the intestines. For ordinary people, it might just cause some discomfort. But for you, the stirring of the intestines could accidentally cut something, causing mild pain or even severe rectal bleeding or vomiting blood."
"You're incredibly lucky to be alive."
Gu Zhizhuo spoke sincerely.
He's incredibly lucky; even with his intestines so badly stuck together, he's still alive and kicking. If that piece of debris had caused a larger wound, he could have died at any moment.
No wonder Prime Minister Song died so suddenly in his previous life, almost like a violent death.
What's the difference between this and carrying a sharpened dagger in your pocket and constantly pressing the tip against your chest? If you accidentally fall, the dagger could pierce your heart and kill you instantly.
What kind of wine did you drink today?
Although Gu Zhizhuo was a young woman who had not yet reached marriageable age, Song, the chief minister, still felt somewhat guilty and said with shame in the face of her sharp, knife-like gaze, "Phoenix... Phoenix Wine."
It's a famous strong liquor, with an intensity comparable to baijiu.
But the aroma is richer and the taste is mellow. It doesn't feel like drinking strong liquor at all. Even people who don't drink much can easily finish a glass without realizing it.
Gu Zhizhuo sighed, "It's really not easy to survive."
Chief Minister Song agreed wholeheartedly.
He really thought he had just stepped into the underworld.
"Brother!"
Without Xie Yingchen's obstruction, Duke Wei and Xie Jing finally entered the private room, with Gong Hai lagging far behind.
Duke Wei heard Gu Zhizhuo's words and said with lingering fear, "I dare not persuade you to drink again."
It was so close, so very close! It scared him to death!!
Chief Minister Song couldn't help but look at Gu Zhizhuo, wanting to ask if he could still drink alcohol now that he was better, even just a small sip. Before he could ask, he was met with a glare.
He quickly waved his hand and said, "No, no, I will never drink a drop of alcohol in my life."
The Prime Minister's face, hair, and beard were stained with dark red and black blood. His complexion was ashen, and three silver needles were inserted into his temples, chest, and lower abdomen. Yet, apart from this, he was in remarkably good spirits and his mind was clear, just as he had been when he was drinking with them.
Duke Wei fiddled with the jade thumb ring, his heart pounding wildly.
Miss Gu's ability to bring the dead back to life is truly astonishing.
Previously, when Prince Chen was seriously ill, he was summoned to Xiyunwu by the emperor and saw Prince Chen on the verge of death. At that time, all the imperial physicians said that Prince Chen had no pulse and would not live for more than three to five days. However, after the emperor released him from the palace, he survived.
Duke Wei had also heard some private speculations in the court, saying that the emperor had poisoned Prince Chen, which was why Prince Chen recovered his health after leaving the palace. He originally thought so to some extent as well, after all, the emperor had his own son, how could he willingly hand over the throne to the son of the deposed crown prince?
The Emperor now sends the imperial physician to check on his health almost every three days. He has reviewed the medical records and concluded that Prince Chen is weak and frail, and could fall seriously ill at any moment. But Miss Gu even saved the Grand Secretary's life; how could she possibly fail to save him?
Now, he understands.
It's all a setup.
It was Miss Gu who escorted him back to the capital. Perhaps from that moment on, the Gu family had already taken sides, and even that arranged marriage was something he had schemed for.
What a clever deception! Young Master Chen is indeed cunning.
In just a few breaths, the Duke of Wei thought of many things, until a startled cry of "The constables are here!" made him clench his jade finger and his right eyelid twitch.
The audience gathered on the second floor scattered in a flash, only to be stopped by the constables.
They were from the Five Cities Garrison, patrolling nearby. They had come after hearing shouts that someone had killed an official at the Xiangxi Tower. Before they even stepped into the private room, they saw Gong Hai.
Gong Hai was the Left Admiral of the Five Military Commands, in charge of the Five City Garrison Commands.
Even if they didn't recognize Prince Chen and the Duke of Wei, they would recognize Gong Hai.
"It's nothing," Gong Hai said in a low voice, "I just drank too much. You can go now."
Have you had too much to drink?
The yamen runners weren't blind to the pools of blood outside.
However, even Admiral Gong was only standing at the door of the private room, so the people inside must be extremely wealthy.
The constable, assuming he was blind, hurriedly took his leave.
The attendant who had entered with the constable rushed into the private room, shouting, "Master!"
"Sir, are you alright?"
As usual, he waited in the carriage. He went to relieve himself, and when he came back, he found that the Xiangxi Tower was packed with people inside and out. He couldn't even squeeze in. He only heard them say that an official had died.
Seeing that Chief Minister Song was covered in blood, he was so anxious that he almost cried.
"I'm fine, I'm all better now."
"Don't move, I'm going to remove the needle."
The eldest son belatedly noticed the needle on his master's temple and was so frightened that he dared not move.
Gong Hai turned to look at the private room, his gaze falling on Gu Zhizhuo's back. She stood sideways, and only her profile, covered by a veil, could be seen. Her long eyebrows reached her temples, and she exuded a heroic air.
He used to only love those delicate flowers, especially their tear-streaked, pleading faces.
Looking at her now, this spirited, proud, and confident woman might have a unique charm.
He licked his lips and laughed loudly, "Miss Gu, why are you still wearing that veil? Why not take it off and let me see how you compare to Qingyi..."
A voice so cold it was almost unbelievable suddenly rang out.
"Qin Chen, throw him down."
The next instant, Qin Chen strode out and grabbed him with a palm. Gong Hai raised his hand to block, but Qin Chen was a step faster and grabbed his collar, dragging him out of the private room.
Gong Haiwu came from a military background, so his skills must be quite impressive to have reached his current position.
But he was over fifty years old after all, and Qin Chen quickly subdued him, grabbing his collar and pinning him against the second-floor railing.
Gong Hai exclaimed in surprise, "Young Master!"
"Throw it down."
He met a pair of icy eyes, like an eagle in the darkness, which sent a chill down his spine with just one glance.
Hsieh Ying-chen!
Gong Hai's expression changed drastically.
His current position is so powerful that it's no exaggeration to say he controls the defense of the capital. If Xie Yingchen wants to seize the throne, how dare he offend him?
"You dare..."
The words were still stuck in his throat when Qin Chen reached out and pushed him, throwing him off the second floor.
His eyes widened in shock as he fell, crashing onto the round table in the hall with a thud.
The round table shattered into pieces, causing Gong Hai to fall heavily to the ground, looking disheveled and sweating profusely from the pain in his shinbone.
Duke Wei was dumbfounded.
Gong Hai has indeed acted recklessly over the years, but he still holds military power. Even several princes dare not easily offend him. Princess Zhaoyang openly competes with him for the woman in blue, but on several occasions, she has taken the initiative to back down.
Even if Gong Haixian spoke rudely, Gongzi Chen was still too impulsive.
Qin Chen patted non-existent dust off his hands and walked back, standing behind Xie Yingchen and peering inside.
Gu Zhizhuo's mind was completely focused on the silver needles. The Three Needles of Resurrection were as difficult to remove as to insert, and one wrong move could ruin the entire procedure.
She didn't care what happened at all; she didn't look or listen.
Each time a needle was removed, Gu Zhizhuo would hand it to Qingmei, who would sterilize it by burning the silver needle with fire before putting it away.
After all three needles were removed, Gu Zhizhuo rubbed his aching arm, a satisfied smile on his face, and said, "Remember to rest well when you get back. You can't drink alcohol, and you can't eat raw or cold food. Your rice and noodles should be cooked until soft. You'll need at least three to five years to recover, and it's best to drink thin porridge for seven days. As for the blood loss, there's nothing I can do. You can ask the imperial physician to prescribe a recuperation formula." The imperial physician was most skilled at recuperation.
She gave him detailed instructions, which the Grand Secretary listened to attentively and thanked her repeatedly.
"I won't see you off."
The deathly aura around Song's forehead has completely dissipated; nothing will happen to him.
Gu Zhizhuo was exhausted and didn't want to move.
The chief minister was still quite weak, and his servant carefully helped him up. He said, "Miss Gu, I will personally visit you to express my gratitude in a few days."
Duke Wei helped him up on the other side: "Hey, Brother Song, let me take you back. Third Young Master, would you like to come along?"
Duke Wei winked at Xie Jing, who was about to say something but swallowed it back. He pursed his thin lips and smiled slightly: "I'll go down and check on the carriage first."
Xie Jing went out first, and Gu Zhizhuo and Xie Yingchen escorted them to the corridor. The two slowly went down the stairs, and seeing the large pools of blood on the stairs, Chief Minister Song felt a chill run down his spine.
Did he vomit all of this himself?
"Brother, you've really been saved," the Duke of Wei couldn't help but say. "You wouldn't do this for the sake of saving your life..."
Once he understood everything Xie Yingchen had done, he began to doubt whether he had chosen sides too quickly.
Even with the emperor's support, can the Third Prince really compete with Prince Chen?
In his haste, he forgot about testing the waters and spoke very bluntly.
Chief Minister Song remained noncommittal, instead looking at Gong Hai.
Gong Hai lay motionless, it was unclear whether he had fainted.
His servants circled around him, anxiously urging the waiter to go find a doctor.
Duke Wei realized he had misspoke and thought he must have been drunk. He slapped himself hard on the mouth and carefully helped him out of the theater.
As soon as I stepped out the door, I heard a series of muffled thunderclaps.
Is it going to rain?
Duke Wei looked up.
The sky above remained clear and the sun shone brightly, without a single dark cloud obscuring its rays.
Suddenly, a thunderbolt struck without warning.
Rumble.
It exploded in my ears.
The crowd on the street had not completely dispersed; they stared at the sky with expressions of shock and unease.
A thunderclap in broad daylight is definitely not a good omen.
"Look!"
On the street, someone screamed in terror as a bolt of lightning struck the curved eaves of the Xiangxi Tower. One corner of the eaves snapped off and fell to the ground with a crack.
As the thunder roared, it felt as if an invisible giant hand was gripping Gu Zhizhuo's chest. The excruciating pain made her gasp for breath, and her forehead was covered in sweat. She fell backward.
"girl!"
Qingmei cried out in surprise. Xie Yingchen rushed over, but he was still a step too late. He gently placed a whisk on her back.
Wuweizi held a whisk in his hand. He was standing in the shadow of a pillar. Amidst the comings and goings of people and the noise, no one noticed when he had arrived.
Gu Zhizhuo stumbled for a moment, then steadied herself. She turned around, her expression momentarily stunned, her pupils dilating instantly, as if a gentle breeze had swept through her heart; her beautiful phoenix eyes shone brightly like stars.
Master?!
Why is Master here?
Did he come specifically to find me?!
Is it just as the young master said, that Master had already foreseen that she would become his disciple?
Various thoughts kept flooding her mind, while the churning pain in her chest kept interrupting her thoughts.
Wuweizi flipped his hand and poured out a brown pill from a small porcelain bottle.
Gu Zhizhuo pulled down her veil and ate it without hesitation.
The pill had a slightly cool taste as it went down his throat, and it felt like a cool breeze had blown into his suffocating chest. He felt as if he had been suddenly thrown into a snowy wonderland. Gu Zhizhuo shivered, and the breath he had been holding back instantly came back up.
Xie Yingchen guessed the old Taoist's identity and cupped his hands, saying, "Master, may I come in and talk?"
Wuweizi:?
Huh, how come there's another male disciple?
Has Heaven overslept, giving itself so many disciples?
Gu Zhizhuo looked at him with admiration and nodded repeatedly.
Wuweizi rested his whisk on his arm and followed them into the private room. The partition window behind them was tightly closed.
Qin Chen and Qingmei stood guard outside.
"Master."
Gu Zhizhuo clutched the sleeve of his Taoist robe, tears streaming down her face, threatening to fall, her dark eyes glistening with a thin mist.
Wuweizi stared at her intently.
He had never seen her before, and her appearance was not familiar to him at all. However, the way she looked at him was full of intimacy and admiration.
A mysterious feeling stirred within him, and Wuweizi gently touched the top of her head.
"Foolish child."
These two words were so familiar to Gu Zhizhuo, so familiar, as if they were from a dream.
"How come you got struck by lightning?"
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