Chapter 237

Princess Yalan saw that there was actually someone sitting in the cabin, and she couldn't help but freeze there.

It was actually Zuo Feichen, the doctor who had previously treated her facial poison ulcer?

At this moment, Zuo Feichen sat on the low couch in the middle of the cabin, with a boxwood table placed before him, on which a teacup was set.

On one side, a red-clay stove held a silver kettle, the clear tea broth bubbling and gurgling, sending out waves of fragrance.

Princess Yalan had thought it was one of Gu Jiu Ling's hidden guards sending her out of the city, but it turned out to be this aloof and proud gentleman.

She had met Zuo Feichen a few times before, but they hardly exchanged words; he was always taciturn, and she, having suffered national and familial upheaval, also did not like to speak much.

The two of them now seemed to share a certain heaviness.

Still, Zuo Feichen spoke first, gesturing to the opposite seat and saying to Princess Yalan, "Please sit, Your Highness."

"Now is the coldest time; drink a cup of hot tea to warm your body."

Zuo Feichen poured the steaming tea into the cup and brought it to Princess Yalan's front; she hastily took it with both hands, and a warmth rose in her heart.

She hadn't expected Zuo Feichen to come escort her, which meant that Zuo Feichen was also a trusted aide of Gu Jiu Ling.

She felt deep gratitude toward Gu Jiu Ling, and naturally she also felt goodwill toward those around Gu Jiu Ling.

She also noticed that the people serving the Princess Consort were all kind, at least well-meaning and harmless.

The man before her wore a gray cotton robe, which only enhanced his handsome, refined appearance and extraordinary bearing.

Even an ordinary cotton robe, when worn by him, carried a distinctive grace.

Sometimes Princess Yalan wondered, Doctor Zuo seemed less like a medical officer and more like a scion of a wealthy family.

She quickly smiled at Zuo Feichen and said, "Thank you, sir."

Zuo Feichen waved his hand; Princess Yalan's sincere thanks made him feel a bit embarrassed.

After all, earlier on this black‑awning boat, in order to shake off the Embroidered Uniform Guard's entanglement, he had almost drawn his sword to kill her.

In his eyes, this woman was merely a tool for killing, already a dead thing, not meant to be saved by the Princess Consort.

"No need for ceremony, please sit," Zuo Feichen said, his distinctively jointed, long fingers slowly curling into a half‑fist as he brought them to his thin lips and coughed once.

"First sit, drink some hot tea, have some snacks; we are going to the island in the East Sea Area, which the Princess Consort bought with silver, and we will first settle there."

"When the time is ripe, you may return to the Central Plains."

"Us?" Princess Yalan stared at Zuo Feichen in disbelief; if her hearing was fine, his meaning was that they would go together to the small island in the East Sea Area.

She hadn't expected Gu Jiu Ling to look after her so carefully, fearing her wounds might cause trouble, and actually having requested a doctor to accompany her the whole way.

At that moment her heart filled with myriad admiration; these past years of supporting the wind and destroying the state, she had lived constantly in fear and despair, doing everything alone.

In these few short days, she had felt an unprecedented warmth, and slowly rose to bow to Zuo Feichen.

"Young Master Zuo, your great kindness and virtue are beyond my ability to repay; you have endured hardship to escort me ten thousand li, and I now kowtow to you, sir."

"You… you… don't! Don't! Your Highness, you needn't do this!" Zuo Feichen hurriedly steadied her arm.

Looking at the girl before him with reddened eye sockets, he for a moment didn't know what to say.

In fact, he accompanied Princess Yalan to the East Sea Area in order to avoid Prince Rui.

These days, because he had unwillingly become the Princess Consort Gu Jiu Ling's alleged lover, Xiao Yin clearly knew everyone was merely acting to survive, yet he still had no intention of letting him go easily.

Every day they would seek him out to test martial skills, claiming he was Gu Jiu Ling's confidant, equivalent to her hidden guard.

Since being the Princess Consort's hidden guard required superb martial arts, Xiao Yin, under the pretense of training the Princess Consort's hidden guards, cornered Zuo Feichen in an alley and gave him a sound beating.

Although Zuo Feichen's martial arts were not weak, facing Xiao Yin, that great pervert, left him with no way to justify himself.

He was truly afraid, and proactively suggested to Gu Jiu Ling that he personally escort Princess Yalan to the island in the East Sea Area.

Gu Jiu Ling originally did not want to let him go, after all Zuo Feichen was a very capable assistant.

But Zuo Feichen said, "See the Buddha to the West"; since Princess Yalan had been saved by the Princess Consort, they could not let anything happen midway, or all their prior efforts would be wasted.

Gu Jiu Ling found Zuo Feichen's reasoning sound, so she agreed to his escorting Princess Yalan to the East Sea Area island, and for this she specially reimbursed his travel expenses and granted him a six‑month leave.

Have him return promptly to Shang Jing after half a year, so that the Shang Jing medical clinic can continue operating.

She never imagined that Zuo Feichen's departure from Shang Jing was forced by Xiao Yin, who simply could not withstand Xiao Yin's beating.

Each beating left him with internal injuries; that scoundrel was truly no good.

Seeing Princess Yalan grateful to the point of tears, almost about to kneel and kowtow, actually made Zuo Feichen feel a bit embarrassed and guilty.

Before, he had genuinely wanted to kill her to protect himself.

He coughed again, and Princess Yalan hurriedly asked, "Are you feeling unwell, sir? Do you need anything?"

"It's fine, it's fine; I've just caught a chill, thank you for your concern, Princess."

Zuo Feichen looked at the delicate, fallen little princess before him, deliberately trying to please him, and felt a pang of melancholy, thinking it would be better to stay in Shang Jing and let Xiao Yin that bastard beat him to death.

Gu Jiu Ling, pregnant and with the fetus grown large, was somewhat prone to drowsiness, and soon woke up after a short while.

"Jiu Yue?"

Jiu Yue hurriedly stepped in, and Gu Jiu Ling supported Jiu Yue's hand as she sat up.

Outside, the sky had grown bright, sunlight streamed in, stinging her eyes a little.

"Has the person been sent off?"

"Replying to my lord, they have been sent off," Jiu Yue said, bringing a cup of honey water and placing it before Gu Jiu Ling.

Gu Jiu Ling tilted her head back and drank it, immediately feeling her mood ease considerably.

After seeing Princess Yalan off, she considered that matter settled; she was about to speak when Yun Duo hurriedly entered, her face flushed with panic.

"My lord! Someone has come from the palace!"

"The Prince has been summoned to the palace this time, and word has arrived that the Emperor has bestowed a marriage upon our family's Miss Jinzhi."

"The An family has also sent word over."

"What? A bestowed marriage?" Gu Jiu Ling spat out a mouthful of water, not bothering to wipe the droplets at her lips, and hurriedly got up.

"When did that old bastard Emperor Longqing become so fond of playing matchmaker?"

The crucial point is, what good marriage can that old bastard grant? This is just harming people, isn't it?

"Quick! Go to Qian Ting and set up the incense altar!" Gu Jiu Ling rose and changed clothes; the imperial edict had arrived, and if she were dilatory, Emperor Longqing would seize upon it to make a big fuss.

She had just ordered people to set up the incense altar in preparation to receive the edict, when she saw Xiao Yin walk in with a grim face.

The eunuch of the Directorate of Rites who was to read the edict stood waiting on the elevated platform, and Xiao Yin led Gu Jiu Ling and the others in kneeling down.

Xiao Yin also personally placed a cushion under Gu Jiu Ling's knees.

"Your Highness, who has Jinzhi been granted marriage to?"

Xiao Yin gritted his teeth and said, word by word, "Zhao Lang!"

Gu Jiu Ling was momentarily speechless; "What the hell is this? What is this?"