Chapter 89

Gradually the sky grew dark, and it was already lamp-lighting time; the safety of the Crown Prince was naturally urgent, and soon Emperor Longqing hastily gathered troops from Shang Jing.

The chief and deputy commanders of the new army personally came with their personal guard to Rui Wangfu to fetch Xiao Yin out of the city, but unexpectedly, as soon as they reached the gate of Rui Wangfu they saw an astonishing sight before them.

The servants of Rui Wangfu stood one by one at the gate, all staring in unison at the carriage parked there, while the guards of the manor surrounded the carriage on all sides.

Moreover, the steward directed a few lackeys to light charcoal braziers around the carriage, as if trying to warm it up.

Who could muster such a grand display, enough to send everyone in Rui Wangfu scrambling as if facing a great enemy?

Commander Zhou was momentarily surprised, yet at a glance he saw Ling Feng, the attendant who usually followed Xiao Yin.

"Ling Feng! Where is your lord?"

Commander Zhou had a loud voice, his speech sounding like he was arguing; when he bellowed, Ling Feng had no time to stop him, and Xiao Yin, who had been asleep in the carriage, was jolted awake.

Xiao Yin opened his eyes, immediately sensing something amiss, feeling as if someone's arms were tightly gripping his head.

He met Gu Jiu Ling's face, asleep leaning against the carriage wall, and couldn't help but stare blankly; only then did he realize he had been so exhausted that he had actually fallen asleep with his head on her lap.

He remained still for a moment, first taking in the scene, then his gaze toward Gu Jiu Ling softened, and he felt a twinge of guilt.

After all, Gu Jiu Ling is pregnant, and he had actually been using her leg as a pillow for that long?

"Awake, my lord?"

"If you're awake, get up—my legs aren't legs anymore! They're numb!"

Gu Jiu Ling also woke up, smiling faintly.

Xiao Yin hastily sat up, stretched his arms around her waist, then with a reverse grip seized her wrist and pulled her entirely onto his lap to sit.

Gu Jiu Ling widened her eyes in disbelief and looked at him: "My lord?"

"Really numb!"

Xiao Yin gently rubbed her leg to ease the soreness and numbness, and said softly, "Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"It's fine, it's fine—just pay me, and with money I'm your lord's adorable little pillow!"

Xiao Yin's hand rubbing her leg paused slightly; he couldn't help but grit his teeth and sneer, "You love money so much? Can you possibly spend all that silver you've saved? I'm curious what you'd buy with all that wealth—how would you spend it?"

"Hehe," Gu Jiu Ling chuckled, "As a wealthy lady, naturally one's vision must be far‑reaching."

"Oh? What do you want to buy?" Xiao Yin let out a light laugh.

Incidentally, to find out what she wanted, this time, since Gu Jiu Ling had been implicated because of him, he naturally wanted to compensate her.

"Buy a grave!"

"Buy what?" Xiao Yin stared at Gu Jiu Ling in disbelief.

"Buy a burial plot! When the time comes I'll purchase a piece of land to build my own tomb, install mechanisms and secret passages, bury all my silver inside, leave a treasure map for my descendants, and when they dig up the grave centuries later I can still play with them—how romantic!"

Xiao Yin wanted to toss her out, but instead shoved her aside, gave her a disdainful glance, and said, "You really do think far ahead!"

"I ought to be going!"

Xiao Yin jumped down from the carriage, didn't even have time to enter the manor, and went straight toward Commander Zhou, who was waiting for him.

Even Commander Zhou was dumbfounded—Rui Wangfu's little act was surprisingly smooth.

He dismounted hastily to salute Xiao Yin, but Xiao Yin turned back to the carriage, his tall frame half‑leaning inside.

Gu Jiu Ling's earlier nonsensical chatter had merely been to ease the awkward atmosphere between her and Xiao Yin; now that he had left, she had just relaxed when half of her body suddenly slipped in through the carriage window from outside.

She jumped in fright, her scream not yet escaping her throat, when Xiao Yin's long arm reached out, hooked her neck, and kissed her.

Gu Jiu Ling was caught off guard.

Xiao Yin gave only a brief taste, then released her, ruffling her hair firmly as he laughed softly, "Wait for me; I'll earn you a splendid future, a peaceful life!"

He turned and walked away, and from inside the carriage came Gu Jiu Ling's cursing.

Xiao Yin laughed even louder, his voice unusually refreshing.

Ling Feng stared at his lord as if he were a fool—what had come over him, startling and jerky, yet his mood seemed quite good.

After Xiao Yin left, Gu Jiu Ling was helped down from the carriage by Yun Duo and Jinzhi and taken to the Peach Blossom Pavilion to rest.

This time it was truly a narrow escape; Gu Jiu Ling now wants to do nothing but lie flat and rest.

Apart from seeing Li Qiao'er to discuss the preparations for Southern Qi's First People's Hospital, the rest of her time was spent sleeping with her head covered, almost as if it were dark as night, with no sun or moon.

Only on the fifth day did she finally regain her strength; she rose, ate, washed up, then sat by the window to begin copying the Women's Admonitions—although it was merely an offhand remark by Emperor Longqing, if later he actually demanded it and she couldn't produce it, that would be a crime of deceiving the sovereign.

She sat down and wrote two pages, but Li Qiao'er then brought someone and waited outside the door of the warm pavilion.

Li Qiao'er entered first, paid her respects to Gu Jiu Ling, and said, "My lady, you previously had me seek out famous doctors from all over, but it's been like throwing a stone into the sea—no news at all."

"Today a famous doctor came to us on his own initiative, and I've brought him here for you."

Gu Jiu Ling understood that they could only attract minor practitioners with heavy payments, while truly skilled medical masters might not value their money, given the reputations of other medical halls.

Gu Jiu Ling's previous approaches had been rather unorthodox, so those renowned doctors might not take to them.

Suddenly Li Qiao'er said she had brought a famous doctor; Gu Jiu Ling's interest sparked at once, she rose quickly and laughed, "Good, good, good—please come in quickly— which prefecture or state are you from?"

A flicker of hesitation crossed Li Qiao'er's face; not knowing how to put it, she hurriedly said, "Reporting to my lady, it's the young master of Jing Cheng's Baozhi Hall, Zuo Feichen!"

The joy on Gu Jiu Ling's face instantly turned to astonishment; the step she had taken froze mid‑air as she stared incredulously at Li Qiao'er.

"You‑you‑you… say that again—who is it that has come over to our side?"

Li Qiao'er hurriedly said, "My lady, it's the young master of Jing Cheng's Baozhi Hall, Zuo Feichen!"

Gu Jiu Ling was dumbfounded— a fellow practitioner? The key is that he's also going to be her strongest future rival.

Earlier, when Gu Jiu Ling opened a medical clinic in Jing Cheng, she had done market research; the largest medical hall in Jing Cheng at present is the Baozhi Hall opened by the Zuo family.

The Zuo family is a renowned medical lineage in Jing Cheng; their ancestors produced three directors of the Imperial Medical Institute, and ordinary imperial physicians are too many to count.

If it weren't for the early death of Zuo Feichen's father, Zuo Ming, from a serious illness years ago, the position of director of the Imperial Medical Institute might still not have rotated to Physician Dong.

Seven years ago, Zuo Ming passed away; Baozhi Hall fell into chaos, and Zuo Feichen, who had been living in the countryside, often ill and rarely seen, came to Jing Cheng.

A boy of eleven or twelve, he single‑handedly shouldered the burden of Baozhi Hall and even brought it to greater glory.

His medical skill is superb, his ethics are evident to all, and he is the youngest divine physician of Shang Jing.

Later the Imperial Court summoned him to join the Imperial Hospital, but he declined, saying his health was poor and he feared bringing illness into the palace to the masters; in truth he simply did not want to enter the palace and stir up trouble, preferring to be more at ease among the common folk.

This is actually a top‑level doctor from Shang Jing, and yet he voluntarily wants to come seek refuge with Gu Jiu Ling?

Gu Jiu Ling was completely stunned!