Chapter 443: Offering Ideas

According to Granny Lin, the long-term residents of the Dependents Village are all women and children.

It is unavoidable to have some common minor ailments and misfortunes.

For example, children's convulsions with fever, rashes, and some gynecological ailments unique to women, etc.

Although the military doctors of the Northwest Army have recently had some spare time, they occasionally come to the village to see patients.

However, the military doctors are more skilled at treating epidemic diseases, blade and arrow wounds, suturing, etc.

They are still somewhat lacking in pediatrics and gynecology.

On the contrary, the prepared medicines formulated by Old Doctor Lao.

Even without face-to-face treatment, when everyone encounters some common minor ailments and takes medicine according to symptoms, it actually works remarkably well.

Old Doctor Lao's medical skill can be seen from this.

Granny Lin earnestly said, "We just want to know if this would work."

"When Boss Gu comes next time, could you please ask your master to come for a consultation?"

"Boss Gu is not an outsider, and we are not hiding our situation from you."

"Nowadays, each household in the village has much more ample finances than before; we can afford the consultation fee and also the medicine costs."

"From now on, Boss Gu won't need to support us anymore."

Everyone looked at Gu Xixi with smiles and nodded in agreement.

Gu Xixi looked around, feeling moved, and readily agreed.

"Fine, from now on I will prepare medicine for you; I will make a list and settle accounts when delivering the medicine."

"Now you can think about what else you need, and I will note it all down."

Since it's been decided that they will buy medicine from now on, the women are no longer shy about it.

Regulating gynecological discharge, Gui-water abdominal pain, nighttime insomnia, children's digestion, children's calming and settling fright...

Gu Xixi listened attentively to the many requests, her heart growing increasingly moved.

In ancient times, seeing a doctor was difficult, and these military dependents living on the frontier found it even harder.

I can't even imagine how they managed to get through the past.

After Gu Xixi finished making the record, she said, "As for my master, I will mention the matter of his visiting when I go back."

"If nothing unexpected happens, I will come again in a month, and hopefully I can bring my master with me then."

Even though Old Doctor Lao is a benevolent physician, he has already gained considerable fame locally.

The number of people coming to see him for treatment is increasing.

Gu Xixi worried that her master might have other arrangements, so she dared not speak too confidently, fearing everyone would be disappointed.

The military dependents all expressed understanding.

As the sun began to set westward, Gu Xixi and Lv Jing finally returned home.

Lv Jing saw Mu Nan Zhao, gave a hurried greeting, and then hurried back to her own room.

She certainly didn't want to be a big illuminating candle stuck between a newlywed couple!

Mu Nan Zhao smelled the faint alcohol on Gu Xixi's person and couldn't help frowning, "Have you been drinking?"

Gu Xixi looked at Mu Nan Zhao with somewhat hazy eyes, hehe laughed twice, "En!"

"Look, you're scared for nothing—I only drank a small bowl of chilled sweet wine; it's not strong, I won't get drunk."

Her soft body leaned over, and Mu Nan Zhao indeed smelled a faint sweet aroma of rice wine.

He half-embraced her as they walked indoors, his heart soft with helplessness, and his tone unconsciously gentle:

"You, you still don't know your own alcohol tolerance."

"I originally had something to ask you, but you'd better go to sleep early."

Mu Nan Zhao helped her sit on the bedside, about to turn and get her a cup of clear tea to sober up.

Gu Xixi, however, grabbed his robe with both hands and clung tightly.

"You said you had something to ask me, I already said I'm not drunk—ask me, otherwise I can't sleep."

What could Mu Nan Zhao do about her? He could only turn back again.

He pulled over a nearby stool, sat facing Gu Xixi, and said, "You understand medicine."

"I want to ask, if a man is compelled to marry a woman,"

"but he cannot and does not want to let that woman bear children—what should be done?"

Gu Xixi, still with a slightly flushed face from drink, looked at Mu Nan Zhao, smiling like blooming peach blossoms.

Upon hearing this, she instantly became serious, even her gaze turning clear.

Recalling yesterday's discussion about the marriage alliance.

Gu Xixi fixed her eyes on Mu Nan Zhao, lowered her voice, "The man you're talking about is... the emperor?"

Mu Nan Zhao smiled, without any reservation, "Clever."

"But... I thought you would first suspect it was me."

Gu Xixi gave him a white-eye, "Prince, do you have a masochistic tendency?"

"Hoping I would interrogate and blame you day after day?"

She paused, then spoke solemnly, "Of course I trust you."

"Besides you, who in the world is related to the marriage alliance, and who pays the most attention to lineage?"

"And only that person could let you plan for it in advance, right?"

Mu Nan Zhao agreed, "Exactly, others who marry the Beili princess can do as they please."

"Let them have three years of holding a child each, it's none of my business."

It is still too early for the emperor to decide whether to accept the marriage alliance between the two states.

Mu Nan Zhao, however, had to make preparations in advance.

Among them, there are both public motives and private motives.

The public motive is that the treasury of the great undertaking is currently empty and also needs rest and recuperation.

If they could achieve further peace talks now, secure the third princess as a hostage, and also make a profit, it would indeed be advantageous and harmless.

As for how to redraw the valley's central line, it can be reconsidered.

As for the private motive, if the emperor does not trust other clans and is unwilling to marry the Northern Li princess to a royal relative.

Mu Nan Zhao would then have to resolve in advance all difficulties for the emperor regarding taking the princess into the harem.

So that the emperor, unable to find a suitable match momentarily, would not truly turn his gaze toward the Regent Prince's mansion.

And how to prevent the princess from bearing children is merely one of those difficulties.

Gu Xixi's eyes grew somewhat dim, "This princess is also quite pitiful."

"She cannot decide her own marriage, and her future bedmate will still scheme against her."

Mu Nan Zhao took Gu Xixi's hand, giving her comforting strength.

"She is a princess, raised by the whole nation; from childhood, the education she received has destined her not to have ordinary happiness."

"You need not feel sorry for her."

"From the moment she agreed to go on a mission to the Northwest Army camp, she knew what she was doing."

"As for scheming, her very existence is Northern Li's scheme against the Great Enterprise."

2 The male lead asks the female lead, if they are to marry through an alliance, and the man does not want that woman to bear children, what should be done?

Gu Xixi said it's simple, just a dose of medicine, though it will harm the body.

The male lead says, it's best not to be detected by that woman and those around her.

Gu Xixi thought of incense.

3 The female lead also honestly tells the male lead about the Northern Li woman's matter.

Also, the Dependents Village, the medicine the female lead brings, and bringing Lv Jing.

The twins of the jujube flower.

Gu Tiezhu recognized Chen Fang, arrogant,

1 Upon investigating the wheat harvest, this year there is a great abundance; everyone is excited, each household eats white flour pancakes and rolled soup pancakes. 2 Shopkeeper Liao looks for Gu Xixi to collect grain, earning money.

2 Going to the border, the Dependents Village rescued a mysterious woman giving birth; the woman, grateful for her life saved, believed the female lead, and at the same time the male lead was taken a liking to by a Northern Li princess, who wants to marry him.

5 After the wheat harvest, the Gu clan holds a meeting. They invite the female lead to go, but in fact someone has designs, wanting to interfere with the tea garden.

6 Spanning the springtime, the tea garden has already grown tall, and the Pinpo Guoyuan blooms again.

6 Someone wants to seize the tea garden and collude with an official; the female lead makes excellent use of her gold medal. The Northwest Army backs her.