Chapter 48

The Princess Yonghe was taken aback; Gu Jiu Ling stared at her and said, "Princess Elder Sister, I know this matter is hard for you to understand, and I cannot persuade you to accept it for the time being."

This way, Princess Elder Sister can order people to secretly investigate among the populace of Southern Qi for someone whose symptoms exactly match Ming'er's illness, and once found, bring that person back to Shang Jing.

I will treat that person; you just watch, then decide whether to treat.

The Princess Yonghe's eyes lit up slightly; she instantly understood Gu Jiu Ling's meaning—a steady plan. Her mind settled a bit, unable to wait even a moment, she hastily summoned the steward, wanting to find a few capable people to handle this matter. Gu Jiu Ling turned her face to look at Cheng Ming standing off to the side by the door, and gave a cold laugh: "Cheng Ming, how about a bet?"

At that moment, Cheng Ming's heart was also in turmoil from Gu Jiu Ling's words—great joy and great suspicion striking his chest, even making him feel dizzy. He stared fixedly at Gu Jiu Ling; if she could cure him, he would truly be saved, but if she deceived him…… a flash of killing intent crossed Cheng Ming's eyes. Gu Jiu Ling gave a cold laugh: "Cheng Ming, if I cure your illness this time, I won't take a single tael of silver as payment; all you need to do is hold a banner inscribed with the words 'Divine Physician Gu, Miraculous Healer,' shout while walking, and make a circuit of Zhu Que Jie to deliver it to my clinic."

"Hah! Quite shameless! Blowing your own trumpet!"

Cheng Ming gave a light snort. "Bet or not, Young Prince?"

Gu Jiu Ling laughed, "Could it be that you have so little confidence in curing your own illness?"

"Bet! Young Master, I'll accompany you for a round!"

"However……" Cheng Ming's brows and eyes bristled with killing intent, "If you can't cure it, I'll have you killed!"

"Is this fellow perhaps hiding some other serious illness?" Gu Jiu Ling gave a cold laugh, taking Jiu Yue with her as they went out. In the Zheng Ting, Princess Yonghe was ordering the steward to send people to find patients with the same condition. Gu Jiu Ling, passing by, also gave a few pointers about the characteristics of such patients; although this disease is rare, searching through a nation's population will surely turn up a similar case. Princess Yonghe finally saw a glimmer of hope, personally seeing Gu Jiu Ling out of her residence and presenting her with a pair of superb water-clarity mutton-fat jade bracelets. Gu Jiu Ling boarded a carriage heading for the Rui Wangfu, but just as she turned onto a secluded lane, several silhouettes flashed past her carriage. Before she could lift the curtain to look, a poisoned cold light pierced the carriage wall, thrusting toward her face. She instantly felt a bead of cold sweat on her forehead, her eyes narrowed slightly, yet she heard mournful cries from outside, a strong stench of blood assailing her nostrils. Gu Jiu Ling's heart jolted—who dared to be so bold as to seek her life in broad daylight, under the clear sky? "Master, they're all dead!"

Jiu Yue lifted the curtain and glanced out, her face turning deathly pale. Gu Jiu Ling alighted from the carriage, the coachman trembling with fear like a sieve. She lightly patted his shoulder, then looked at the dark guard kneeling halfway before her—Meng, the gift Xiao Yin had given her. At this moment, the spikes on his waist had not yet been retracted; strands of blood trailed down the blade and fell to the ground. Several black-clad men with their faces covered lay on the ground, utterly dead. Gu Jiu Ling furrowed her brow and sighed: "I said he struck… Meng, ah! Next time we kill someone, could we leave a survivor?"

The Prince said, "Anyone who harms the Princess Consort shall be killed without mercy!"

Gu Jiu Ling was choked up a bit, moved her lips, and still gave him a thumbs-up. "Have you checked? What is their identity?"

"Their identity is unknown; I, your subordinate, cannot find out!"

"Oh," Gu Jiu Ling really… "Then these corpses…" "Just dump them here, no need to worry about them!"

Gu Jiu Ling stared fixedly at the kneeling youth before her, dressed in dark, tight-fitting clothes, his face half-covered, revealing a pair of bright, lovely eyes—how stubborn he is! "Let's go!"

Gu Jiu Ling got onto the carriage, guessing someone would clean up. Jiu Yue cautiously said, "Master, who wants to kill you?"

A flicker of coldness crossed Gu Jiu Ling's brows and eyes; she lightly said, "Naturally, it's those who hate me!"

In the evening, Gu Cheng arrived at the Rui Wangfu once more bearing a gift box, his face ashen and deeply troubled. Since the last time his sister went with their mother to offer incense on Wolong Mountain, she had gone missing there. Because it concerned his sister's reputation, the Gu family dared not make a fuss; Gu Cheng's father, the Shangshu, had people practically dig up three feet of soil on Wolong Mountain, yet still found no trace of their second daughter. Lady Lin had already wept until she fainted on the sickbed, and Gu Cheng was even more vexed to the extreme. His sister, Gu Nanxiang, was of exceptional beauty, skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting; the Crown Prince showed her some favor, and even several other princes took an interest in her. Such a sister was absolute support for his rise to power and ennoblement as a prince and appointment as a marquis, yet now he could not find her. Moreover, a day and night had passed, and Gu Cheng was anxious as if on fire. He came, under the pretense of checking on his younger sister, and took a seat in the Zheng Ting of the Rui Wangfu. At that moment, the Peach Blossom Pavilion presented another scene: Gu Jiu Ling saw Xiao Yin leaning crookedly against the desk, his long, slender fingers pinching a sheet of snow-white paper on which was Gu Jiu Ling's chicken-scratch writing. Xiao Yin's brows furrowed into grooves, Gu Jiu Ling pinched a handkerchief with her small hand, the handkerchief all crumpled, and she timidly accompanied her words with a smile: "Prince, you'd better not torment yourself like this; I, your concubine, will practice slowly, and this way you'll easily shorten your lifespan."

"Hah!"

Xiao Yin grabbed the paper and flung it onto the table, "What did you write? I can't even recognize it!"

"With your handwriting like this, you still run a clinic and prescribe medicine; if patients could actually understand your script, they'd have seen a ghost!"

Gu Jiu Ling, scolded to the point of feeling awkward, drew a breath and said, "Actually… they've also gotten used to it."

"What did you say?"

Xiao Yin was infuriated by this little woman to the point of exasperation; he is a meticulous, serious person who likes to do everything to the utmost, yet how did he marry such a clueless, slippery fellow? He didn't know which wire was crossed, but teaching her to write was truly his sincere wish to teach her well. He lifted his gaze to look at Gu Jiu Ling, standing before him aggrieved, wearing a moon-white robe, over which she had a peach-red gauze outer garment, her brows and eyes like a painting, her skin white as jade, her large eyes fixed on her, brimming with tears. He sighed, feeling that being ten years her senior, she was still like a child, and there was no need to quarrel with a child over trifles. "Come over!"

Xiao Yin beckoned to Gu Jiu Ling. "Oh," Gu Jiu Ling cautiously walked over, but Xiao Yin pulled her onto his lap, taking her small hand in his and lowering his voice: "I, the Prince, will teach you again; if you can't write this stroke, you'll lose a month's worth of drumsticks."

"Prince…" Gu Jiu Ling felt as if her vital point had been pinched, like a cat whose neck was squeezed, instantly becoming utterly obedient. She really was busy—her maternal grandfather's shop had been taken back, she still had to prepare to open a clinic, and now she also had to devise a surgical plan for that scoundrel Cheng Ming; where would she find the mind to practice calligraphy? "Master! The eldest son of the Gu family has arrived, saying he's come to see you, Master!"

The grandmother outside bowed in salute. Gu Jiu Ling's eyes flickered, and she thought to herself, indeed she could wait no longer. She suddenly turned her face to look at Xiao Yin: "Prince?"

Xiao Yin gazed at her almond eyes full of cunning and gave a cold laugh: "What is it?"

"Prince, are you short on money?"

Xiao Yin blinked, then nodded reluctantly: "Hmm!"

Gu Jiu Ling leaned close to his ear and whispered softly: "Prince, an opportunity to make money has arrived!"