Chapter 374.1: Treated Harshly
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S T E L L A R C L O U D
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O R A N G E S T A R
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G O L D S T A R
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R A I N B O W S T A R
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T H E S U N
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Gu Jiao played chess with the old beggar for a while before leaving. Of course, she didn't forget to take the gold ingots and her "wages" that she had earned.
However, she did have a bit of a conscience, so she left the copper coins and bits of silver for the old beggar.
It was still early, so Gu Jiao made her way to Hanlin Academy. She had originally planned to wait for Xiao Liulang to finish his duties, but when she asked the Hanlin Clerk at Hanlin Academy about him, she found out that Xiao Liulang had gone to the countryside again.
However, this time it wasn't faraway, just within the vicinity of the capital city. He would be back by night.
"Thank you." Gu Jiao politely said her thanks and turned to leave Hanlin Academy.
Today, Little Jing Kong was going to play at Xu Zhouzhou's house. They had already greeted each other in the morning, so Gu Jiao didn't have to go to the Imperial Academy to pick him up. The Xu Family would send him back to the medical hall in the evening.
Gu Jiao decided to go directly to the medical hall.
Little did she expect that on the way back to the medical hall, she would encounter a group of hooligans.
Gu Jiao let out a confused ‘oh’. The Spring Festival was still a long way off. How come these guys were out for business so early?
There were a total of six hooligans and their attire suggested they might be bandits or vagabonds. However, several of them had strong and muscular physiques, and they carry knives and swords with some skill, indicating that they indeed possess some martial arts background.
Their faces were covered with cloth and they stared at her with hostile eyes.
After thinking for a moment, Gu Jiao asked, "Robbery?"
With her current appearance, it couldn't be that they were after her body, right? But, it was hard to say for sure. Some men didn’t care that much if they didn’t get laid for a long time.
Sigh.
Gu Jiao wasn't interested.
She turned around and started to walk away, not even bothering to fight.
"Stop!"
The leader of the hooligans shouted sharply.
Gu Jiao stopped, but as a result, the hooligans ended up beaten black and blue until they were crying for their parents.
Gu Jiao didn't bother to report to the authorities. Given the sorry state of the hooligans, it wouldn't be long before nearby officials were alerted. She didn't need to take matters into her own hands.
Gu Jiao brushed off her wide sleeves and walked back to the medical hall.
The reason she chose to walk wasn't that she had a lot of free time or that she was stingy about hiring a carriage. It was purely to observe the shops along the street.
Fortunately, she didn't encounter any more troubles on the way back to the medical hall.
"Little Gu! You're back!"
It was Second Owner.
The medical hall's business had improved significantly, and the pharmaceutical factory had also seen an increase in orders. In addition to producing their own brand of jinchuang medicine, they also made some qi-enhancing and blood-nourishing pills.
Second Owner was busy to the point of going bald; it was rare for him to run into Gu Jiao like right now.
"Uncle Hu." Gu Jiao greeted him, "What's the good news today?"
Second Owner smiled mysteriously, "Let me show you something!"
"What is it?" Gu Jiao asked.
"This!" Second Owner pulled out a shiny golden invitation from his pocket. "This is something I fought hard to get. Initially, our Miraculous Hands Hall, being newly established, didn't have the qualifications to attend such gatherings. But who told me to be so capable!"
Gu Jiao still didn't quite understand.
Second Owner explained everything to her, and Gu Jiao finally understood. It was actually an exchange meeting organized by the capital's Chamber of Commerce. Although Miraculous Hands Hall was a medical hall and not a welfare institution of the imperial court, they still had the eligibility to join the Chamber of Commerce.
Within the Chamber of Commerce, they could seek more development opportunities and potential partners. There were formal members and non-formal members.
It did take a lot of effort for Second Owner to get an invitation from the Chamber of Commerce, which was scheduled for next month.
He didn't expect to become a formal member of the Chamber of Commerce all at once. After all, it took several years for Rejuvenation Hall to join the ranks of the Chamber of Commerce.
"Practice makes perfect. This time, our main goal is to broaden our horizons. What do you think?" Second Owner asked.
"Okay." Gu Jiao had no objections. When it came to business matters, she wholeheartedly trusted Second Owner.
It must be said that the feeling of being trusted by someone was really great.
Second Owner smilingly said, "Then I'll make the arrangements. Remember to keep these few days free!"
"En." Gu Jiao nodded in response.
"Okay, you go and take care of things, ah!" The Second Owner suddenly exclaimed, looking at the cuff of Gu Jiao's sleeve. "You're injured!"
His loud exclamation echoed through the entire lobby; even Eunuch Wei, who had just gotten off the carriage, heard it.
"What happened? Who's injured? Is Young Miss Gu injured?" Eunuch Wei anxiously rushed inside until he reached Gu Jiao’s side.
Gu Jiao lifted the cuff that caught the Second Owner's attention, and indeed, there were a few drops of blood on it. However, she wasn't the one injured. It was probably from when she was dealing with those little hooligans and accidentally got their blood on her clothes.
"It's not mine." Gu Jiao said.
"Then how did this blood come about?" Eunuch Wei pointed at her cuff, asking worriedly.
Gu Jiao sighed, "I encountered a few troublemakers earlier and taught them a lesson."
Not reassured, Eunuch Wei grabbed Gu Jiao's wrist, rolled up her sleeve, and carefully examined it, all the while blocking the view of the others.
After confirming that there were no wounds or bruises, Eunuch Wei let out a long sigh of relief.
He fixed Gu Jiao's sleeve. As a eunuch, he didn't have much concern for matters between men and women, but in such a public place, he didn't want others to see Gu Jiao's arm.
"Eunuch Wei, why did you come?" Gu Jiao asked.
Eunuch Wei replied, "It was His Majesty who sent this servant. Earlier in the palace, His Majesty wasn’t in a good mood and didn't pay attention to Young Miss Gu. Later, he regained his composure and felt guilty, so he ordered the imperial kitchen to prepare some snacks that Young Miss Gu likes."
He was referring to the incident in the morning.
The Emperor misunderstood and thought that Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing had pushed Eunuch Wei. He felt annoyed and his emotions were complex. With a turn, he simply entered the imperial study.
After being drugged by the black medicine, only negative memories about that person would gradually remain, while memories about others wouldn't change. Gu Jiao was still the Emperor's highly regarded little miracle physician.
Gu Jiao accepted the snacks, and Eunuch Wei returned to the palace to report, incidentally mentioning the incident where Gu Jiao was attacked, "...It was a few troublemakers, and Young Miss Gu wasn't injured."
These small-time troublemakers were most likely local ruffians in the capital. It was highly unlikely that they were sent by some big shot to assassinate Gu Jiao.
After all, they were too inexperienced and couldn't cause any harm to Gu Jiao.
However, the Emperor didn't know what was happening to him. Suddenly, an image lingered in his mind, refusing to leave.
A terrifying thought surged in his heart, causing him to break out in a cold sweat.
His rationality told him it was impossible, but the more he thought about it, the more the thought magnified in his heart.
In the end, he became almost obsessed with this speculation, firmly believing in it.
He forcefully slapped the documents on the table and headed to the nunnery with a cold expression.
It was now evening, and the various palaces were starting their meals. The nunnery was also preparing for dinner. Smoke wafted from the chimneys of the small kitchen, adding a touch of festive atmosphere to the pavilions and towers.
The setting sun should have been a warm scene, but the Emperor's heart was filled with coldness.
"Your Majesty?" Hui’an, the young nun who was sweeping the courtyard, saw the Emperor and her eyes brightened. She put down the broom and stepped forward to bow.
However, the Emperor didn't even glance at her and coldly walked towards Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing's Buddhist Hall.
Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing wasn’t in the Buddhist Hall; she was in the adjacent meditation room.
She knelt on the polished wooden floor, with a small table in front of her holding various jars and fresh ingredients.
She was holding a pestle and grinding something in a small jar nestled in her arms. Her left thumb was wrapped in a white bandage, and tiny beads of sweat formed on her forehead, indicating her diligent efforts in whatever she was doing.
Grannie Cai stood by her side, assisting her.
Suddenly, a heavy footstep could be heard. Grannie Cai's action of peeling a taro paused, and she glanced at Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing.
Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing kept her head down, grinding the taro paste as if she hadn't heard any noise from outside.
Grannie Cai gently placed the knife and taro on the table, intending to go and see what was happening. However, just as she stood up, the Emperor had already entered the room.
He left his shoes outside the door.
Grannie Cai bowed and greeted, "Your Majesty."
Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing, seemingly aware of the Emperor's arrival, finally looked up calmly, her eyes gentle but tinged with a hint of melancholy.
She merely glanced at the Emperor without saying a word and lowered her head again to grind the taro paste.
"Withdraw." The Emperor said coldly to Grannie Cai.
Grannie Cai turned her head, glanced at Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing, who remained silent, and lowered her head, "Yes, this servant shall take her leave."
Grannie Cai stood up and left the room.
The Emperor knew she hadn't gone far, perhaps listening outside the door, but he didn't care anymore.
He knelt down in front of Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing and looked at the face he had yearned for day and night, his heart filled with pain as he asked, "Imperial concubine mother, why did you do it?"
Raz P.'s Thoughts
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