Chapter 52

In recent years, the emperor has grown close to the civil servants and guarded towards the military generals. These upright and honest men have long felt oppressed in their hearts. Most of them have candid, straightforward personalities. If it was one, they would never say two. The reason why they have endured until now was because General Gu, whom they admired, warned them to put the country and the people first, that they should put aside matters of their own honor and disgrace.

Now, the crown prince had gone far and beyond; unexpectedly keeping a surveillance over the commander general, restraining him. How could this possibly be tolerated? The military officers present took advantage of the wine to discuss the matter of forming a group to offer advice tomorrow. Lin Qingyu’s furrowed upon hearing it.

The brains of these military officers seemed to be focused solely on marching and fighting. They weren’t perceptive enough of court matters. They also didn’t understand the prudence of carefully weighing their words and watching their expressions. Rashly offering advise, he was afraid they might not even out-talk those civil officials close to the crown prince.

At this time, Xiao Jie interrupted them, laying bare the truth with a single remark, “But you’ve never won an argument against a civil official.”

The generals: “…”

Xiao Jie added, “Every time you would all get so angry that your face all the way to your neck would flush. None of you know how to hold back your words for very long.”

Lin Qingyu looked at Gu Fuzhou. The man still hadn’t said a word, his face was calm and serene. But Lin Qingyu kept feeling like the other actually wanted to say so much, he was almost bursting with it.

After some discussion, they finally decided to play it by ear. In short, they must save the commander general from utmost misery and return to him the respect and honor he deserved.

Early the next morning, General Wu dismounted at the gate of the palace, ready to attend court. He heard someone calling him, “General Wu.”

General Wu looked back and saw that it was the beautiful imperial physician he had seen at the Fourth Prince’s Mansion yesterday. The beautiful imperial physician was wearing the indigo-colored uniform of a civil official. He stood quietly by the side. That he was here on his own, relying on his own strength, raised his favorable opinion of this civil official.

General Wu drew back the corner of his lips in a smile and said simply, “Is Imperial Physician Lin looking for me?”

Lin Qingyu nodded. “Will the general still be offering advice regarding General Gu’s matter later in court?”

“I must.” General Wu said without the least hesitation, “I have made a promise with my brothers.”

“Then I ask that the general remember this. No matter what the civil officials say, you just have to use ‘And then; And so; Really? I don’t believe it. What you said is reasonable but I won’t listen.’… These are enough.” Lin Qingyu said , “Do not try to reason with them and pay no attention to what they say.”

“And then, And so, Is this true?…” General Wu slowly savored the taste and a smile blossomed on his suntanned face. “Wonderful! This is simply wonderful! This is sure to infuriate those old fogeys!”

Lin Qingyu smiled lightly, “This is what I learned from my deceased husband. I hope it may prove helpful to the general.”

Apart from Gu Fuzhou, the military official with the most prestige was Wu Guogong, who was nearly eighty years old. Wu Guogong once saved the life of the late emperor on the battlefield and was awarded the title of duke of the first rank. Wu Guogong had been enjoying retired life for many years. Hearing about Gu Fuzhou’s situation in the capital, he put on the precious sword bestowed to him by the late emperor and came out once again.

Under Wu Guogong and General Wu’s lead, today’s morning court was livelier than the market. The civil officials had learned from Tianji Camp last night that the military officials were planning something and they had come prepared. As soon as General Wu raised this matter, they began to enumerate all the things that were suspicious about Gu Fuzhou.

The battle in the northwest was at a stalemate and General Gu had been fighting well in battle when he suddenly sent dozens of letters in succession, asking to “return to home and retire of old age.” His reason was simply too frivolous. Could he simply let go of the three hundred man strong Zhengxi Army just because he no longer wanted to? Then, he brought out this secret Xixia code which put the general under suspicion of spreading military secrets. Of course, the crown prince believed in General Gu’s innocence but in order to stop all the objecting voices — besides, what had to be investigated needed to be investigated — His Highness had the Tianji Camp’s guards follow the general closely. At the same time, they would be able to ensure the general’s safety.

Military generals had none of the civil ministers’ eloquence but what they lacked in eloquence they made up for in the loudness of their voices. No matter what the civil officials said, they would use just a few short words to sally back and forth. The crown prince’s closest confidants among the civil ministers’ words were like flowers cascading from the sky, their mouths had gone dry from their many speeches. But in the end, all they would get back from the other party was a light: “Really? I don’t believe it.”

When asked why General Wu didn’t believe it, General Wu would add, “I can’t tell you. In any case, what you said sounds strange.”

The Chief Minister was already old. Moreover, he had a proud and unyielding character. Hearing what General Wu said, he choked, unable to come out with a breath. He almost passed out in the middle of the hall.

Xiao Cheng was seated on the armchair below the dragon throne. His face was as black as the bottom of a pot. His fingertips tapped against the armrest and his posture showed that he was anticipating trouble. After the Chief Minister was carried out of the hall, through gritted teeth, he finally said, “Enough.”

Everyone stopped and turned to look at him.

Xiao Cheng took a deep breath. “Allow Gu to consider this matter.”

These generals may be straight-forward in character, but that didn’t mean they were stupid. They all knew that when the crown prince said this, he was planning on dragging out the matter, preferably until Gu Fuzhou left the capital.

And so, they made even more of a ruckus. Even after morning court, the matter remained unsettled; one after another they went to see the crown prince. All these people possessed military merits. One or two were nothing but with dozens of them uniting, Xiao Cheng could not even reprimand them. The only thing he could do was avoid them. When the military officials saw this, they divided into two groups. One group wrote letter after letter to the crown prince, advising him regarding this matter. The other group took a page out of the civil officials’ book; they knelt at the door of Qinzheng Hall, insisting they would remain kneeling until the crown prince granted them an audience.

The palace was in chaos but General Gu’s mansion was a scene of good times and a stable world.

The wind carried in sweet fragrances; the sound of dew dripping onto bamboo could be heard clearly. There were two sun loungers by the pond, a sunshade stood behind them, providing shade. When Lin Qingyu came to deliver the medicine to Gu Fuzhou, Gu Fuzhou was holding a fishing rod, lying on the sun lounger to fish. Iced red grapes, fished out of the well water, were within easy reach.

“Imperial Physician Lin.” Gu Fuzhou took the straw hat off from the other lounger, “It must have been hot on the road. Sit down and have some fruit.”

Lin Qingyu looked at the crystal clear water droplets on the red grapes. He picked one up and said, “My short-lived husband, like the general, loved to eat iced things in summer.”

Gu Fuzhou’s chewing cheeks stopped.

Lin Qingyu pretended not to see it and continued on, “Unfortunately, he was so weak that he couldn’t even eat anything cold. Last year, in his greediness, he ate a few red grapes, fell ill and almost died.”

Gu Fuzhou laughed softly: “That… sounds miserable.”

“If there is an afterlife, I hope he has a healthy body. Maybe then he can eat all the iced red grapes in summer to satisfy his cravings.”

“That’s probably possible.” Gu Fuzhou said, “They say the more you lack, the more you want. Maybe once he reincarnates, he’ll eat the things he couldn’t eat before. He’ll eat them until he’s filled to bursting.”

In this way, Lin Qingyu seemed to understand why Gu Fuzhou had insisted that he watch him lift the stone padlock.

……Silly.

Lin Qingyu watched Gu Fuzhou eat mouthful after mouthful of red grapes, and said, “Eating fruit at night will make you fat. General Gu will need to double his training today.”

Gu Fuzhou drooped a bit when he heard this. “I’m training. Fishing is also a kind of exercise.”

“Did you move?”

Gu Fuzhou turned his wrist. “I moved.”

Lin Qingyu warned: “A 30-year-old isn’t like a teenager. If you let go even a little, you might put on weight. Given the general’s figure, if the muscles in your body become fat, are you not afraid that you won’t be able to marry a wife in the future?”

Gu Fuzhou was silent for a long time. He covered his face with his hands and said, sounding pained, “Don’t talk about it anymore, Imperial Physician Lin. I’ll lift weights later.”

As the two were talking, the fishing rod shook. Gu Fuzhou’s eyes lit up and he skillfully pulled and lifted the rod. “Before, I didn’t understand why my father liked fishing so much. But now I can understand.” Gu Fuzhou sighed, “It’s so much more fun than cuju and polo. And you won’t get tired doing it.”

Lin Qingyu asked, “The general was born an orphan. So where did this father come from?”

Gu Fuzhou gave a mysterious smile. “Where do you think?”

Lin Qingyu said lightly, “I can’t say.”

“Of course, I mean my adoptive father. Your father.”

Lin Qingyu nodded in cooperation. “My father really does like fishing.”

Lin Qingyu watched Gu Fuzhou spent a long time catching a small loach. He got up to take his leave. “Once the general has handled matters, you may come to my residence to pay your respects to my deceased husband.”

Gu Fuzhou’s eyes lit up brighter than when he’d caught that fish. “Alright.”

The military officials had been kicking up a fuss for two days but Xiao Cheng still had not relented. It could be seen that in the future, he would be an overly-conceited monarch for whom his word was law. This matter now went beyond the issue of withdrawing the guards from Gu Fuzhou; it now became a matter regarding all the military officials of the Dayu. Xiao Cheng dared to make such an obstinate ruling when he was just crown prince, not even the emperor yet. In the future, when he ascends the throne, how would the generals have any good fruit to eat?

Lin Qingyu passed by the Qinzheng Hall from a distance and saw a large group of people surrounding the door. Surprisingly, some of them looked as though they were ready to have emperor abdicate. No matter how tough Xiao Cheng was, he wouldn’t last long.

When his shift was over, Lin Qingyu went directly to the Imperial Medical Office. Since his father’s demotion and with Gu Fuzhou being investigated, many people in the Imperial Hospital openly cast him subtle looks. They used to gossiped in private, but now they talk loudly in his presence. Fortunately, they didn’t have the actual guts to do anything and Lin Qingyu simply regarded them as though they didn’t exist.

Under the guidance of the genius doctor from the southern border, Lin Qingyu had already started to practice some simple Gu techniques. He was staying in the Thousand Herb Hall late into the night when he suddenly heard the sound of a medicine cabinet being opened. He had a vague guess as to who it was. He took the candle holder and went to have a look. Sure enough, it was as he had expected.

“Imperial Guard Shen.”

Seeing him, Shen Huaishi automatically put his hands behind his back, his eyes wandering, “Imperial Physician Lin.”

Lin Qingyu looked him up and down. “Are you injured again?”

Shen Huaishi’s expression was strange. “No.”

“Then what are you doing in the Thousand Herb Hall?”

For the shadow guards of the Tianji Camp, injuries were commonplace. Most of Shen Huaishi’s tasks need to be carried out in secret. Sometimes, it was inconvenient to seek the aid of an imperial physician. And so, they would come to the Imperial Medical Office to get some medicine for their wounds. Having said that, Lin Qingyu knew of no other shadow guard who could freely enter and exit the Imperial Medical Office except for Shen Huaishi. It was said that this was a privilege given to him by the crown prince.

Shen Huaishi faltered and could not come up with an answer. Lin Qingyu spread out his hand in front of him. “Take it out.”

Shen Huaishi: “…”

Come to speak of it, it was strange. Lin Qingyu was obviously just an imperial physician. He had no martial arts skills, he would not be able to stand even a single blow from him. But standing in front of him, stared at by those cold-blade-like eyes, he silently took out the item he’d hidden behind his back.

It was a small jar of ointment. With just a single whiff, Lin Qingyu already knew what the ointment was used for.

Lin Qingyu stepped forward and pulled Shen Huaishi’s collar aside. He saw that his collarbones were covered with red marks. He said coldly, “Is he so rude to you in bed?”

Shen Huaishi took two steps back, covered his neck and blushed. “Imperial Physician Lin…!”

“Come here.” Lin Qingyu returned to his position and took out a silver needle from the medical box. “Give me your hand.”

Shen Huaishi stretched out his hand without clearly knowing why. Lin Qingyu pierced Shen Huaishi’s fingertip with the silver needle, and bright red blood flowed into the Gu tray. Lin Qingyu observed for a moment, then said in surprise, “You’re not infected with a Gu.”

Shen Huaishi asked, “Why does Imperial Physician Lin think I’ve been infected?”

“You’re still so wholeheartedly devoted to and deeply in love with the Crown Prince even though he treats you like this. I can’t think of any other reason other than the Infatuation Gu in your body.”

Shen Huaishi smiled wryly. “Imperial Physician Lin, why do you always… look down on me?”

Lin Qingyu looked at him. “I’m not the one looking down on you. You’re the one looking down on yourself.”