Chapter 89: Seeking Medical Help
Concubine Song suffered from mysterious abdominal pains, and the household had invited two renowned physicians from Yanjing to examine her, yet neither could diagnose her condition.
Concubine Song cried and made a scene all day, fearing something might happen to her child. She complained that these physicians were utterly incompetent, unable to even identify her illness.
When Jinchao heard the maid relay these words, she grew thoroughly annoyed. She was in the middle of sewing a soft jade pillowcase, having only finished one side. She instructed the maid to put away the sewing basket and, after some thought, went to the study. There, she picked up a brush and wrote a letter to Ye Xian, asking whether Mr. Xiao was still in Yanjing and if he could do her a small favor.
When Ye Xian received the letter, he was fishing by the lake with Xiao Qishan. After skimming the few lines, he casually handed it to the page boy beside him. Just then, a large variegated carp took the bait. Xiao Qishan watched with a smile as his beloved disciple reeled in the fish and pointed at the lake, saying, "The fish in this lake are the hardest to catch. Do you know why?"
Ye Xian glanced at Xiao Qishan but remained silent. He didn’t need to ask—Xiao Qishan was never one to keep his thoughts to himself.
Unfazed, Xiao Qishan continued, "The water is too deep, and the fish are too clever. Those without patience usually can’t catch anything."
They had been fishing there all day, and the only catch was the variegated carp in Ye Xian’s bucket. Ye Xian lifted the bucket and saw the sun dipping behind the mountain ridges.
Xiao Qishan leaned over to inspect the fish and said, "There’s a Ling Mountain Temple over there. Let’s go clean the fish and make soup."
Ye Xian replied, "A sacred Buddhist site—and you want to kill life there?"
Ye Xian’s mother, Gao Shi, was a devout Buddhist. Though Ye Xian himself did not follow the faith, he had absorbed enough of its teachings to know to respect such places.
Xiao Qishan chuckled dismissively. "We’ll kill it before we go! 'Wine and meat pass through the gut, but the Buddha remains in the heart!'" He then instructed Zhi Shu, who was accompanying them, to go down the mountain and buy a pot of warmed yellow wine and a pound of sliced beef. The wine would help ward off the chill.
Ye Xian smiled at Xiao Qishan and said, "I’m not worried about you offending the Buddha—it’s the temple’s martial monks I’m concerned about. You didn’t allow any attendants to come with us. If they throw you out, it won’t be a good look!"
Xiao Qishan had no choice but to abandon the idea and descend the mountain with him. At the foot, there was an inn where they could stay.
It was early July, and beside the inn stood a persimmon tree as thick as a bowl, its branches heavy with ripe red fruit. The attendants of the Marquis of Changxing’s household were already waiting there, having laid out a table with wine and dishes beneath the tree. A guard brought over a plate of persimmons.
Ye Xian handed the fish to a servant, instructing them to prepare it steamed.
Xiao Qishan picked up a persimmon, examining it left and right, and sighed. "When you were little, your grandfather brought you to Guizhou to visit me. The trees were laden with persimmons just like this. You plucked one and took a bite—your mouth puckered from the bitterness, but you stubbornly ate the whole thing anyway."
Freshly picked persimmons are inedible; they must be left in wood ash to soften first.
Ye Xian had no memory of this incident.
It was strange—though his memory was excellent, able to recall the gist of a poem after a single reading, many childhood events had slipped his mind.
After finishing his story, Xiao Qishan grew curious about the letter Ye Xian had received and asked, "Earlier, I saw you get a letter. Who was it from? I know you—your social circle is so poor, you probably don’t have any friends in Yanjing!"
Ye Xian had the page boy hand him the letter and said, "I was just about to mention it. I’d like you to help with a small favor."Xiao Qishan laughed as soon as he saw the handwriting: "Is this from that Eldest Miss Gu of the Gu family you asked me to come to Yanjing for? How strange. Didn't you say her mother passed away not long ago? Why is she asking me to examine her concubine's pregnancy now?"
Ye Xian replied, "How should I know? Go or not, it's up to you!"
Xiao Qishan laughed heartily and patted his beloved disciple's shoulder: "How could I refuse? You're the one who guaranteed my trip to Yanjing. Besides, I'm curious to see what kind of person this Eldest Miss Gu is, to make our Changshun send her a cactus!"
Ye Xian smiled at him: "If you call me Changshun again, I'll release those Bamboo Pit Vipers into your wormwood bed to keep you company at night."
Xiao Qishan rubbed his nose and fell silent. He'd forgotten how much Ye Xian hated this childhood name. The nickname had actually been given by Grand Academician Gao. When his grandson was born, the old man had agonized over it for days in his study before emerging triumphantly to announce that Ye Xian's childhood name would be Changshun—smooth and auspicious. Even Marquis Changxing, who'd been at odds with his in-laws for half his life, approved, and soon everyone was using it.
How adorable Ye Xian had been as a child—much chubbier than now, fair and tender, always staring wide-eyed at people without making a sound or fuss, never crying no matter who held him.
Now grown up, he'd learned to throw tantrums too!
Xiao Qishan sighed inwardly at the loss.
Several days later, bearing Ye Xian's letter and his own name card, he visited the Gu residence. Gu Dezhao received him in the main hall and, upon learning he was a retainer of Marquis Changxing's household and tutor to the heir, treated him with great respect, having servants bring freshly harvested Ten Thousand Springs Silver Leaf tea.
Xiao Qishan explained his purpose: "...Your Eldest Miss is acquainted with the heir, who mentioned your concubine suffers from a strange illness—severe abdominal pain without diagnosable cause. The young mistress requested I examine her."
Gu Dezhao expressed gratitude: "...We're imposing on your kindness!"
He never imagined Gu Jinchao would set aside her resentment to seek Mr. Xiao's help for Concubine Song's condition! Touched and remorseful, he felt even more indebted to his sensible daughter. As a retainer of Marquis Changxing's household who'd treated the heir, this physician must be exceptionally skilled.
He instructed Li Guanshi to escort Xiao Qishan to Gu Jinchao, since she had initiated the request.
Jinchao had been awaiting Ye Xian's reply when news arrived of Mr. Xiao's visit. Changing into a pale blue patterned satin jacket, she received him in the flower hall while Qingpu served Yangxian tribute tea.
Led by Li Guanshi, the approaching figure proved to be a lean, transcendentally poised man in a straight robe. No older than forty, his smiling eyes radiated kindness. Rising to greet him, Jinchao experienced sudden déjà vu.
...She seemed to recognize him.
That genial smile felt intensely familiar, yet her memory remained frustratingly vague about when they might have met.
The thought flashed by—now wasn't the time for investigation. With a smile, Jinchao invited him to sit and bowed respectfully: "...I've long heard of your peerless medical skill, but never expected such refined bearing. This humble girl is truly in awe."Xiao Qishan also glanced at her briefly, mindful of propriety between men and women, and did not look too long. However, it had to be said that Gu Jinzhao possessed a striking beauty that left a deep impression at first sight. Mr. Xiao smiled and replied, "It's merely an undeserved reputation. I've lived in Guizhou for years and rarely ventured out, so 'exceptional medical skills' is hardly fitting." He thought to himself, So even Ye Changshun is swayed by appearances. I wonder what the character of this Eldest Miss of the Gu family is like—whether she's worthy of Ye Changshun specially requesting me to leave Guizhou for her sake.
Jinchao naturally didn't bring up Concubine Song's matter first. Instead, she had the maids serve tea and snacks.
She was still pondering—the more she looked at this Mr. Xiao, the more familiar he seemed. According to Ye Xian, he had lived in seclusion in Guizhou for years, while she had been confined to the inner quarters of the Gu family, never stepping beyond the gates. There was no way she could have met him before. That meant she must have encountered him in her past life, after marrying into the Chen family...
Yet Gu Jinzhao still couldn't recall where exactly she had seen him. But since she had met him before, it meant he must have been involved in the conflict between the Ye and Chen families. How could a recluse be drawn into a decade-long, bloody political struggle in the imperial court?
On the thirteenth day of the ninth month in the sixth year of the Longqing era, Emperor Muzong passed away. On the seventh day of the eleventh month that same year, Emperor Shenzong ascended the throne, changing the era name to Wanli, with Zhang Ju Lian consolidating power over the officials.
Jinchao didn't know what connection this had, but could it be that Mr. Xiao had gotten involved in this struggle for the sake of the Ye family?
She knew nothing about it.
However, these events were too distant for her. Even if she wanted to help the Marquis Changxing's family out of gratitude for Ye Xian saving her mother, she wouldn't know where to begin at this point. It was better to set this matter aside for now—at the very least, she needed to resolve the trouble with Concubine Song first.
She spoke to Xiao Qishan: "...My mother was gravely ill, and you traveled all the way from Guizhou—truly a hardship. It's a pity my mother lacked the fortune to endure, passing so soon..."
Mr. Xiao listened, pondered for a moment, then said slowly, "I recall the Young Master mentioning your mother's condition. Logically, it shouldn't have progressed so quickly."
Jinchao nodded and said softly, "Mother... her death was unusual." She didn't elaborate further, and Mr. Xiao understood this was a family matter. Since the death of the Gu family's madame was suspicious, there must be some disgraceful affair behind it—family scandals shouldn't be aired in public.
He observed that although Gu Jinzhao was grieving, she wasn't overwhelmed by sorrow. He could tell the Eldest Miss had a resilient character, though losing her mother at such a young age was truly pitiable.
Jinchao wiped her tears and smiled. "Forgive me for making a spectacle of myself... After Mother passed, Father intended to punish my concubine, but she was found to be with child and was thus kept in her original residence. Though I bear resentment, I've ensured she is well cared for with food and comforts."
"However, a few days ago, the concubine claimed to suffer inexplicable abdominal pain. Several physicians examined her but found nothing amiss. She insisted they were incompetent and demanded a different doctor... Then, at night, a maid peeked in while she slept and noticed bruising on her abdomen, though the concubine never mentioned how it happened... I wanted to ask you, Mr. Xiao, what illness could cause bruising on the abdomen?"
Mr. Xiao fell silent after hearing this. The Eldest Miss's words were veiled—her mother died, and then the concubine was to be punished? Didn't that imply the concubine was responsible for her mother's death, spared only because she was pregnant?As for that concubine, the bruise on her abdomen was clearly caused by external force—there's no way it could be an internal condition. The concubine herself made a fuss about seeing a doctor, yet mentioned nothing about the bruise on her stomach. There's only one possibility: she was stirring up trouble herself. Eldest Miss Gu was subtly revealing the truth to him. She understood the situation perfectly but felt it inappropriate to speak openly.
Mr. Xiao winked at her and said, "Don't worry, Eldest Miss. I know exactly what this 'illness' is."
Jinchao smiled at Mr. Xiao—he was indeed a perceptive man who understood the hidden meaning behind her words.
P.S.:
Thanks to Daxia Yi Ge and Chaolovesreading for the pink gifts, ╭(╯3╰)╮
Still double updates—another chapter coming at noon~~
OpenNovel