Chapter 79

Cheng Ming planted his feet, slowly turned, and coldly stared at Gu Jiu Ling, the corner of his mouth curling in disdain.

"What do you want by calling me young master?"

Gu Jiu Ling stared fixedly at him: "You attended the palace banquet two months ago, didn't you?"

Cheng Ming startled, not expecting her to ask that, and snorted: "What the hell does it have to do with you!"

"Listen!" Gu Jiu Ling's expression turned a few degrees colder, which made Cheng Ming's heart skip a beat.

Gu Jiu Ling looked at him and said: "I'm not joking about this; have you heard what happened at the Third Prince's Mansion?"

"I could kill two tigers, let alone a nobody like you!"

"Answer my question truthfully, or else when I operate on you in a few days to cure your illness, I can't guarantee my hand won't shake or tremble. What do you say?"

Cheng Ming pressed his thin lips together, his starry eyes narrowing slightly.

Gu Jiu Ling stared at him steadily: "At the palace banquet two months ago, did you leave midway?"

Cheng Ming had previously looked down on this woman, but she had first saved Tuo Ba Yu, and just now made a splash at the Third Prince's Mansion, so she was not to be trifled with.

He also saw that Gu Jiu Ling was not to be provoked, and coldly replied: "Yes! So what?"

Gu Jiu Ling's eyes flickered: "Have you been to the empty room east of Jade Flower Hall, near the fake mountain?"

Cheng Ming furrowed his brows: "No! I just slept for a while in the place where the attendants on duty were stationed in front of the Hall of Mental Cultivation. You think everyone's like you, causing such a big joke in the palace, and now you're pressing me for answers..."

Suddenly Cheng Ming fell silent, lifted his eyes and stared fixedly at Gu Jiu Ling, an expression of disbelief flashing across his face, looking quite strange.

He suddenly laughed: "The child in your belly isn't my uncle's?"

"Hahahaha..."

"Damn you!" Gu Jiu Ling bit her lip hard.

Cheng Ming finally found a point to attack Gu Jiu Ling, inexplicably feeling a bit excited: "You can't find the father of the child in your belly?"

"How interesting! I'm not interested in a fool. Back when I was resting, there were many attendants on duty, plus the worthless eldest son of the Cheng'an Earl's Mansion, who had a few words with this prince; you can go ask around."

After Cheng Ming finished speaking, he laughed a few times: "My uncle, Prince Rui, is also considered a hero who rose to fame young; how could he think of playing the role of someone else's child's father? Pathetic!"

"You..." Gu Jiu Ling's feelings were a tangled mix at this moment; what this brat said seemed credible, and since he mentioned so many people as witnesses, she would naturally verify whether his words were true.

But this little bastard's words were truly irritating; she snorted: "Kid, as your elder, Auntie warns you: a disabled but resolute spirit is virtue; a disabled and arrogant spirit is stupidity."

"You'd better not spread what I'm asking you about; keep your mouth shut, or else..."

Gu Jiu Ling looked at her hand and gave a light laugh: "When the time comes, a small knife pulling your butt will open your eyes?"

Cheng Ming's face changed drastically; he was about to say something but held back his breath.

After all, he currently needed her help; he'd settle the score with her later.

After asking those questions, Gu Jiu Ling's mind settled considerably; she had ruled out one suspect who had offended her during the banquet's intermission.

The rest she would slowly track down; she would surely find that beast, and if she didn't tear him apart limb from limb, she would take his surname!

As afternoon approached, Linghe Grand Princess had already been waiting in the side hall of Ke Yuan; Gu Jiu Ling had specially reserved a room in Ke Yuan as an operating theater, allowing no one else besides herself and Jiu Yue to enter.

Linghe Grand Princess, to be safe, had all her personal guards transferred to guard the place; people filled the inside and outside of the courtyard, yet Chen Cuihua's own parents couldn't set foot inside.

She waited anxiously in the side hall, unable to sit still, pacing back and forth.

Cheng Ming also arrived, sat down with a solemn face, saying nothing.

After two hours, footsteps suddenly sounded outside the side hall; Cheng Ming's attendant came to report: "Master! The surgery is finished; Princess Consort of Rui is resting in the side hall."

"Come on, let's take a look!" Linghe Grand Princess, surprised and doubtful, and Cheng Ming also rose to his feet.

The mother and son simply couldn't believe that cutting open a person's belly and leaving it open could keep them alive; if that were true, Gu Jiu Ling would be even more formidable than a Great Luo Immortal.

The mother and son hurried quickly into the side hall where Gu Jiu Ling was resting.

Gu Jiu Ling had previously been ill and hadn't fully recovered; this time, after undergoing such a major operation, only Jiu Yue, a half-trained helper, assisted her—and even that was of little help.

She was truly exhausted alone; after the surgery, she ordered those instruments and such to be sent straight back to Rui Wang Fu, since she couldn't even explain the spatial aspects to herself, let alone to people of this technologically backward era.

Her thoughts stirred; she would need to train a few doctors to work with her, and Li Qiaoer's side was helping to find a renowned physician—she didn't know if they could succeed.

Gu Jiu Ling was resting when Linghe Grand Princess brought Cheng Ming inside.

"Sister-in-law!"

"Imperial sister!" Gu Jiu Ling braced herself on the armrest, preparing to rise, but Elder Princess Linghe pressed her arm and laughed, saying: "If you're tired, just rest; I'm just asking how things are here, how is Madame Chen?"

Gu Jiu Ling also did not rise to salute; she was simply too exhausted—this was a major surgery.

She smiled and said: "Everything is stable; tonight is a critical point. I plan to stay and watch, and remove the stitches after seven days."

Elder Princess Linghe's eyes instantly lit up; Gu Jiu Ling pointed to a table nearby and said: "That thing has been taken out."

Elder Princess Linghe nodded, then walked carefully to the side table where a plate was placed, covered with gauze stained with blood.

Her heart fluttered with panic; she drew a breath, lifted her hand, and lifted the gauze.

It turned out to be a mass of tumor, though it looked like a malformed fetus that had not developed properly, its shape no longer discernible.

She gasped and stepped back; Cheng Ming also saw the mass, and thinking that he too had such a thing growing in his belly, his face turned pale involuntarily.

Gu Jiu Ling helplessly gestured to Jiu Yue, who quickly covered the thing again and placed it back in the box.

Gu Jiu Ling said: "Take it out to show Chen's elderly couple; let them decide how to handle it—if they don't want it, just find a place to bury it."

"Yes!" Jiu Yue hurriedly carried the thing out.

Gu Jiu Ling rose, helped Elder Princess Linghe sit in a chair, and said: "In seven days, if Chen Cuihua is doing well, you will have to make a decision."

"Whether to do it or not, whether it turns out well or not—I've made everything clear to you; you decide for yourselves."

Elder Princess Linghe was about to say something when Cheng Ming stepped forward, looked at Gu Jiu Ling, and said: "Do it!"

"Either way it's death; I've had enough, young master."

Gu Jiu Ling raised her eyebrows and laughed.

Over the next seven days, Gu Jiu Ling stayed at the princess's residence; the princess's mansion treated her as an honored guest with great care, and the pastries there were also delicious.

On the seventh day, the day to remove the stitches arrived.

Chen Cuihua regained consciousness after three days; now that the stitches were removed, she felt as if she had been reborn, and hurried to kneel and kowtow to Gu Jiu Ling, but Gu Jiu Ling helped her up.

"Get up, no need to thank me; this is also your fortunate coincidence, destiny meant for you to have this blessing."

"Jiu Yue!"

Jiu Yue brought over a package, and Gu Jiu Ling handed it to Chen Cuihua, smiling: "I bought you new clothes and some silver for you to take; returning to the countryside to marry and have children is no problem, but you should wait two years before giving birth."

"Hmm..." Gu Jiu Ling pondered a moment, looking at her, and said, "As a daughter, you shouldn't simply assume your parents are always right; they play favorites, so you must also keep your own wits about you—it's best not to let your parents' side know about this silver."

Chen Cuihua blinked, her eyes filling with gratitude, and she couldn't help but redden.

In the Qian Ting, Ling and the Eldest Princess gazed at the slender Chen Cuihua standing before them, and felt a bit dazed; if her son underwent surgery, he would surely recover to normal.

She couldn't help but her eyes welled up, and she found Chen Cuihua before her much more pleasing, ordering a tray of silver ingots to be sent directly to Chen Cuihua.

Chen Cuihua was frightened silly; before she could speak, Chen Pozi, standing beside her, hurried over and kowtowed with a thud-thud-thud.

Gu Jiu Ling saw the greed in Chen Pozi's eyes, moved her lips, but ultimately said nothing.

She couldn't control others' fates and lives, so let them be.

After the Chen family left, Gu Jiu Ling again discussed Cheng Ming's surgery plan with Ling and the Eldest Princess, then returned to the manor.

After bathing, she sat in a daze beneath the window of the Peach Blossom Pavilion; Xiao Yin had been gone for several days, yet she still felt a hint of longing.

Suddenly a plump white pigeon flew straight at Gu Jiu Ling, moving so fast it struck her in the face.

She clutched her head and seized the frantically fluttering pigeon—a carrier pigeon raised by Xiao Yin—how had it suddenly flown back?