Chapter 54: Three Days

 Chapter 54: Three Days

"Your Highness," the man in green said, cupping his hands as he respectfully reported to Gu Jue, "That young physician is the illegitimate daughter of the Marquis of Yongding, Chu Lingxiao. Among the daughters of the Chu family, she is second in line."

An illegitimate daughter of the Marquis of Yongding?

Gu Jue gently arched his right fingers, tapping lightly on the tea table.

As far as he knew, there was no one in the Marquis’s household who practiced medicine. This young girl was no older than twelve or thirteen, and yet she had such impressive medical skills.

With just a few needles, she had alleviated his pain.

Since his injury, he had suffered from the torment of old wounds, having seen countless physicians. She was the first to treat him so effectively.

The man in green stood quietly by, continuing, "I also found someone from the Marquis of Zhongyong’s household secretly following her. I knocked him unconscious and left him in an alley."

He added, "Your Highness, I suspect that Miss Chu might have noticed me halfway through."

"..." Gu Jue raised his sword-like eyebrows, gazing at him with great interest.

The man then recounted the entire incident, explaining, "At one point, she looked in my direction but did not attempt to shake me off. Instead, she just returned to the Marquis of Yongding’s residence."

"Afterward, I quietly entered the estate and saw the servants calling her 'Second Miss'."

Interesting. Gu Jue raised an eyebrow, recalling that earlier at Jishi Hall, she had keenly sensed someone outside as well.

Could it be that those who practice medicine are especially sharp in their senses?

She had clearly detected Feng Yan, yet she neither avoided nor tried to conceal herself. Instead, she openly revealed her identity, perhaps to prove to him that she meant him no harm?

After Feng Yan finished his report, he waited for Gu Jue’s instructions.

"Feng Yan, follow Miss Chu for now," Gu Jue instructed casually. "Make sure no one disturbs her."

His meaning was clear: if anyone, like the Marquis of Zhongyong’s household, tried to probe into her identity, he wanted Feng Yan to deal with them.

"Understood, Your Highness!"

Feng Yan cupped his hands and left.

Gu Jue’s cold gaze fell on a small purple sachet on the desk. He gently picked it up by the string, making it sway in his hand.

The sachet swayed back and forth, its fragrance filling the air.

Logically, as the daughter of the Marquis of Yongding, Miss Chu learning of his injuries should be troublesome.

But for some reason, Gu Jue wasn’t concerned that she would reveal his condition. Perhaps it was because of the tear-filled phoenix-shaped eyes he had seen the first time he met her, or maybe it was because, at Jishi Hall, she had cleverly helped him hide his illness. Or perhaps it was simply the pure, innocent look in her eyes that reminded him of the cat he once raised...

"Your Highness." At this moment, Mo Chen entered with a steaming bowl of medicine.

The soup had been brewed according to the prescription given by Chu Qianchen, and Mo Chen had personally prepared it.

The brownish-black medicine, steaming with a bitter herbal scent, was handed to Gu Jue.

He took the bowl with a white-and-blue flower design, tested its temperature, and drank it all in one go.

The warm liquid slid down his throat into his stomach, and soon his limbs felt warm as well. His handsome features relaxed, and his expression softened.

That night, Gu Jue slept soundly until dawn. It had been a long time since he had slept so peacefully.

After using the medicine for three days, Gu Jue could feel his cold body warming up, and the bone-deep pain he had lived with for years seemed to ease a little.

On this day, after taking the medicine in the morning, Gu Jue rode out alone.

Since his return to the capital, Gu Jue had mostly stayed within the walls of the Prince’s mansion, ignoring several summons from the emperor. The only times he had left the mansion were for visits to Jishi Hall, where he had arrogantly broken the arm of the Marquis of Zhongyong's third son.

Every move Gu Jue made was under the scrutiny of the entire capital.

Amid the public gaze, Gu Jue rode out of the capital and headed toward the Sanli Pavilion outside the city.

The pavilion was empty, with only a brown horse grazing nearby.

Gu Jue lifted his gaze toward a large tree beside the pavilion, where a young man in purple robes, around seventeen or eighteen years old, was lounging casually. He leaned against a thick branch, a piece of grass between his lips, one leg hanging lazily and swaying.

"Ninth Brother!"

The young man in purple was delighted to see Gu Jue and waved his hand excitedly.

Without Gu Jue needing to pull on the reins, the black horse, Jue Ying, automatically walked over to the tree.

"Ninth Brother, I've been waiting for you for half a day, why did it take you so long!" Qin Yao gracefully leapt from the tree branch, landing silently.

His raven-black hair was tied up in a high ponytail at the back of his head, which fluttered as he jumped down, looking carefree and exuberant. A mischievous smile was always on his face.

Qin Yao was the crown prince of Nanyang, and had been staying in the capital as a hostage for the past seven years. A few days ago, the King of Nanyang fell seriously ill, and the emperor had allowed Qin Yao to return home to attend to his father’s illness.

Gu Jue had come out of the city today to see Qin Yao off.

"Where’s your red steed?" was the first thing Gu Jue asked, not even bothering to greet him before asking about his horse.

Qin Yao wasn’t riding his usual red horse, Chi Ji, today.

He took the piece of grass from his mouth and fed it to Jue Ying, explaining, "Chi Ji got sick. When I saw it feeling unwell this morning, I couldn’t bear to have it travel so far, so I swapped it for this one."

Gu Jue furrowed his brows slightly, then leaped off his horse and handed the reins to Qin Yao. "You’re heading to Jingzhou, a long way off. It’s better to ride Jue Ying."

Jue Ying was a rare and exceptional horse, capable of traveling a thousand miles a day without tiring.

Qin Yao’s eyes lit up, not at all reluctant, "Ninth Brother, you’re so generous!"

He took the reins and, with a grin, fed Jue Ying a sugar cube. "Jue Ying, you’re coming with me to Jingzhou. I promise I’ll return you safe and sound to Ninth Brother!"

"Hmm, how about this? On this trip to Jingzhou, I’ll find you a wife as a reward. How about that?"

Qin Yao rambled on, and Jue Ying, who didn’t understand, proudly snorted in response.

"..." Gu Jue chuckled, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, his eyes lighting up with amusement.

Qin Yao was never one for long conversations. Once he saw the person he needed to see, he didn’t linger. He swiftly jumped onto his horse with elegant ease.

"Ninth Brother, I’ll be off now!"

Qin Yao spurred the horse, waving his right arm at Gu Jue, and galloped away.

Jue Ying sped off, leaving a trail of dust behind.

Gu Jue watched Qin Yao’s retreating figure, his gaze deepening.

The King of Nanyang was seriously ill, and Jingzhou had sent three urgent letters, each delivered with haste over the course of eight hundred miles. Only then did the emperor reluctantly agree to release Qin Yao. It was unclear just how bad the King of Nanyang’s condition was now...

(End of Chapter)