Rebirth of the Excellent Daughter of the Marquis Household (REDMH) - Chapter 112

The ginseng Lou Xiao brought proved to be more effective than the one Gu Yu Qi bought at a high price in Kuizhou. This left Gu Yu Qi both delighted and worried. Zhao Wu had already left Kuizhou to purchase ginseng in Jiangxia City, but there had been no news from him yet. Gu Yu Qi suspected that finding good ginseng in Jiangxia would not be easy.

Although using the ginseng brought by Lou Xiao seemed to have strengthened Liang Huai Yu’s vitality a bit more than before, this ginseng was too small and was only enough for two or three days of use. That was why Gu Yu Qi felt both delighted and worried because once this ginseng was used up, she did not know where to find something better to replace it.

The physicians had warned that using high-quality ginseng would render the lower-quality ones ineffective.

Gu Yu Qi felt like her hair was turning white. She had already sent out messages offering a hefty reward to anyone in Kuizhou who could find millennium ginseng.

Under the promise of a heavy reward, many people came to sell ginseng these days. However, Gu Yu Qi asked the old physician to come and verify them. All of them turned out to be fake. To make matters worse, someone even tried to pass off a radish as ginseng, which made Gu Yu Qi anxious and infuriated.

While the Liang residence is full of sorrow, Gu Huai Zhong lived an extremely happy life while in the Garrison Commander’s residence.

In fact, his leg injuries were only minor and superficial, but he had exaggerated his condition in his reports to the imperial court, hoping to delay his return to the capital for a few more days.

With Liang Huai Yu in her ghostly state, Gu Yu Qi would never go with him. He just needed to wait until Liang Huai Yu died. Then, under the pretext of arranging Liang Huai Yu’s funeral, he could take Gu Yu Qi back to the capital.

In any case, she was just a little girl. What did it matter if she was fierce? If she was smart? Without Liang Huai Yu’s support, Gu Huai Zhong did not believe Gu Yu Qi could escape him! He was just waiting for Liang Huai Yu to pass away, and then Gu Yu Qi would have no choice but to follow him!

With Liang Huai Yu still around, Gu Huai Zhong was still somewhat afraid of the Liang family in Jiangnan. But once Liang Huai Yu was gone, even the Liang family in Jiangnan would not be able to help Gu Yu Qi.

The Garrison Commander spared no effort in pleasing Gu Huai Zhong, going out of his way to cater to his every need almost every day.

This was Kuizhou, a territory on the border. Let alone a marquis, it was impossible even for a second-rank official to come. Besides, this marquis had saved the emperor’s life twice!

Every day was becoming monotonous, and Gu Huai Zhong was getting tired of eating Kuizhou food. He lay bored in the Garrison Commander’s residence everyday. Seeing this, the Garrison Commander also felt anxious. So, he called a meeting with his assistant to discuss how to please the marquis.

One of the less tactful of them came up with a bad idea. Since the Ding Yuan Marquis’ wife had an accident, the Ding Yuan Marquis must have been lonely for a long time. Why not bring in a couple of beautiful women?

This… The Garrison Commander was a bit annoyed. The Ding Yuan Marquis was clearly a devoted husband. This plan would not work.

However, the assistant argued that if he was truly devoted, why did he move out of Liang residence after his wife’s accident?

Everyone thought about it and realised it made sense! Why had they not thought of this before?

So, everyone began to enthusiastically discuss whether the Ding Yuan Marquis was a devoted husband.

Finally, they unanimously concluded that the Ding Yuan Marquis was probably just pretending. They were all men so they knew it well. Were the joys of life not career advancement, getting rich, and a deceased wife? If he really loved Liang-shi so much, why would he move to the Garrison Commander’s residence at this time?

Everyone’s arguments swayed the Garrison Commander.

The young Garrison Commander scratched his head. Should he listen to this bad idea or not? If he did not listen, the Ding Yuan Marquis might get bored. But if he did listen, and the Ding Yuan Marquis truly loved his wife deeply, would he not be asking for trouble by sending beautiful women?

However, the Garrison Commander was still the Garrison Commander after all. A sudden idea struck him. Since this suggestion came from one of his subordinates, he could send the women in the name of his subordinate. If the Ding Yuan Marquis wanted to blame anyone, he could easily deflect the blame onto his subordinate. If the Ding Yuan Marquis did not blame anyone, he would remember his good favour.

So, he decided to go with it. He instructed the assistant to select two beautiful women and send them to the Ding Yuan Marquis.

The assistant reluctantly agreed on the surface, but deep down inside, it felt like a stampede of ten thousand horses. Damn, this Garrison Commander was really cheating too much. Unfortunately, he was just eating someone else’s food, living off someone else’s dime, so he could only grit his teeth and do as told.

The assistant took it really seriously and specifically sought out two Rouran beauties to bring over.

His flawed reasoning was that since the Ding Yuan Marquis had been fighting with the Rouran people for so long, he might be easily aroused by them. If he accepted these two Rouran women, even if nothing came of it, maybe they could provoke him through other means.

So, he cautiously brought the two Rouran beauties to Gu Huai Zhong.

Gu Huai Zhong was not particularly interested in women. Over the years, he only had two women, Liang Huai Yu and Liu Yue. Firstly, Liang Huai Yu came from a noble family, so even if he wanted to fool around, he had to think twice. Secondly, Liu Yue had followed him at the border for many years, and there was some affection there. Besides, after returning to the capital, she was gentle and accommodating, satisfying all his needs as a man. He also wanted to maintain a clean image in court, so he did not even think about crooked things like this.

However, lying in bed every day was just too boring. Now, suddenly, two Rouran beauties emerged to chat with him about life. How could he refuse? Liang Huai Yu was halfway into the coffin and he did not have any mental burdens now. Moreover, before leaving the capital, Liu Yue had thrown a fit at him, making him feel that Liu Yue had changed too.

These two Rouran beauties were different. They were hot, open-minded, and flattered him carefully, making him feel like the boss, and his second mind felt so too.

He had fought with the Rouran people for half his life. He had killed countless Rouran men, but he had never touched Rouran women before. When he saw these two tall and voluptuous Rouran women, he remembered his heroic deeds on the battlefield. In an instant, he saw their bodies as battlefields to conquer.

With his grand and mighty life, he naturally had remarkable courage in such matters. These two Rouran women were extremely open-minded, without a shred of the so-called “shame” that women from the Qi dynasty often had. This made Gu Huai Zhong feel like a fish in water. After being in the drought for so long, once he got involved in intimate matters, he was simply out of control.

At first, he restrained himself, only indulging in the two beauties at night. Later, he did not even bother to hide it during the day. After all, he was the boss in Kuizhou City. Sometimes, when he was aroused, he would do them right on the table.

The Garrison Commander’s flattery hit the mark. On the surface he was all smiles, but secretly, he held much disdain for Gu Huai Zhong.

So, it turned out everything before was just a facade! But he had done a good job. Now the people and officials of Kuizhou all thought that the Ding Yuan Marquis was a lovesick fool. This made the Garrison Commander feel embarrassed every day.after he understood the truth of the matter.

With the ginseng provided by Lou Xiao used up, Gu Yu Qi had no choice but to switch to the ginseng she could find herself.

However, the effect was indeed as unsatisfactory as the old physician had said. Liang Huai Yu started to weaken again, leaving Gu Yu Qi at a loss.

That night, Gu Yu Qi wiped Liang Huai Yu’s body, changed her clothes quickly, replaced her ginseng, and had Yan Zhi keep an eye on her before leaving Liang Huai Yu’s room and walking back to her own room.

Autumn was approaching, suddenly warm and then cool. The night was serene, with the sound of frogs croaking in the artificial lake of the residence.

If Liang Huai Yu had not fallen ill, it would have been such a beautiful and tranquil autumn night.

Gu Yu Qi stopped by the rockery near the artificial lake. She lifted her gaze to the bright moon in the sky. Without her realising, it was already the middle of the month. Even though she was in no mood to appreciate the scenery, the full moon hung high in the blue-black sky, casting its silver light over the earth, reflecting over the lake.

“Oh heavens, please, please let my mother get better,” Gu Yu Qi whispered, clasping her hands together and praying towards the moon with eyes closed, “If you could make her better, even if it costs me my life, I’d willingly give it up.”

“I won’t allow it.” Suddenly, a man’s voice with a hint of anger sounded in her ears. The sound was cold and piercing, like gold and stone hitting each other.

Gu Yu Qi was startled. She quickly opened her eyes, only to find herself shrouded in darkness.

“You!” She barely managed to say the word “you” before a slightly cold finger pressed against her lips.

“Hush.”

How could it be him?!

Gu Yu Qi felt like she was dreaming.

The dark shadow that enveloped her gradually became clear before her eyes. Dressed in black, with flowing ink-black hair that moved with the night breeze, a pair of slightly reddened eyes were embedded in his handsome face that resembled a sculpture of ice. His gaze was fixed intently on her. She could clearly see her own panic, surprise, and helpless expression reflected in his eyes.

She had lost weight and was noticeably thinner than when she was in Jiangxia City.

Her slender waist appeared even more slimmer beneath the oversized white gauze dress, as though she was fragile. Her beautiful face showed visible signs of fatigue and exhaustion, and her brows were furrowed, exuding a heartbreaking fragility. Although it was not obvious, he really did notice it. In his impression, he had never seen her so helpless and flustered. In the previous life, she had always been as bold and audacious as a rose in the dark night, her personality so flamboyant and arrogant that it made people itch. Yet, in this life, she had been strong and resilient in front of him. Right now, the hint of helplessness and vulnerability in her eyes, pierced straight into his heart like a needle.

So it turned out this woman also had moments of vulnerability… She was so weak that he wanted to immediately hold her in his arms and tell her that in this life, he could truly be the one to shelter her from wind and rain.

Her dress fluttered in the night breeze, giving him a sudden illusion that she could vanish with the wind at any moment.

What was even more infuriating was that he had only just found her but he heard her say such things under the moonlight. Yun Ke was unable to bear it any longer and he appeared before her immediately, saying, “I won’t allow it!”

In the previous life, when he stood in front of the water pavilion, watching her red robes flutter and disappear into the flames, the echo of these words had already resounded in his heart.

“With the light of the fire to illuminate the road, with gods in heaven and earth below standing witness, I will never meet you again in any life!” When she shouted these words, he had already said in his heart, “I won’t allow it!”

At that time, he had not truly understood his own heart.

In this life, he had rushed over from the capital. His greatest fear was that once Liang Huai Yu was gone, who knew what impulsive or reckless things she would do.

He rode nonstop day and night, almost reaching the limit of his physical endurance just to come to her side. Yet, when he heard such words, how could he remain calm? The words “I won’t allow it” naturally spilled out of his mouth. It was as he should have said them to her early on in the previous life.

“Don’t talk about life and death so lightly, don’t be like this.” He tried to suppress the sourness and anger rising in his heart, slowing down his voice. Yun Ke looked deeply into Gu Yu Qi’s eyes, as if trying to absorb her entirely into his gaze.

She had no idea how worried he had been on the way here, afraid that something might happen to Liang Huaiyu, and worried that this woman, with her impulsive nature from the previous life, might do something reckless with her own life.

“I’ve come, and I’ve brought what you need.” He took off a large bundle from his back and handed it to Gu Yu Qi who was still dazed from shock. He was like a child presenting a treasure to Gu Yu Qi. Although his expression remained cold as usual, his eyes were now tinged with a hint of anxiety.

Why did she seem to be shocked into silence from him, without any reaction at all?

“Ah Nan?” Yun Ke’s heart sank slightly. He dropped the bundle and grasped Gu Yu Qi’s shoulders with both hands, “What’s wrong with you? Ah Nan? It’s me!” he called out urgently.

Gu Yu Qi’s gaze remained vacant, showing no response.

As soon as he touched her shoulders, Yun Ke felt another pang of pain in his heart. She was so thin. Even through the gauze dress that was not too thick, he could feel her bones with his hands. A surge of anger rose within Yun Ke. What was wrong with this woman? Was Liang Huai Yu everything to her? Fine, even if it was for Liang Huai Yu, she could not let herself become like this!

“Yun Ke?” With large hands tightly gripping her shoulders, Gu Yu Qi suddenly woke up from her daze. She was not dreaming… She felt the strength coming from him, shaking her body.

“This civilian girl pays respects to Your Highness Prince An.” In an instant, Gu Yu Qi regained her composure. She pulled away from Yun Ke’s hands, took three steps back, and knelt before him.

With his hands suddenly empty, Yun Ke’s heart also seemed to feel empty. She still refused to be close to him. Yun Ke stared at his hands for a moment, feeling lost.

“Please rise.” He wanted to go over and help her up personally, but he held back. His sudden appearance had already frightened her.

Knowing that she was safe now, he felt a weight lift off his chest.

He could not help but let out a sigh.

“Thank you, Your Highness Prince An.” She stood up, still frowning slightly at Yun Ke from three steps away.

Why had he come? What was he here for? What did he mean by this? There were so many questions in her eyes.

He would not have come to mock her, had he? To see someone she had struggled to save now on the verge of death, while she felt helpless?

No, Yun Ke might be cold-hearted, but he would not do something so menial.

“This prince has brought something,” Yun Ke cleared his throat lightly, reverting to the self-address he had used in front of her in the previous life. He thought that perhaps she was more accustomed to that version of himself.

He was here to help her, not to scare her. If he changed too much and scared her away, it would not be good.

Yun Ke sighed softly again in his heart, suddenly feeling a sense of powerlessness due to his own fault.

If he could have misunderstood her less in the previous life, she would not be rejecting him from thousands of miles away like now.

Gu Yu Qi did not know what Yun Ke had brought with him, so she could only nod slightly.

Seeing Gu Yu Qi’s indifferent demeanour, Yun Ke furrowed his brow slightly.

He had put so much effort into getting something for her, and she could not even be bothered to look at it?

“Aren’t you going to take a look?” Yun Ke asked with a frown.

“The things brought by Your Highness must naturally be good,” Gu Yu Qi replied in a very formal manner, which made Yun Ke feel even more unspeakably frustrated.

“Open it and take a look,” Yun Ke suppressed his inner dissatisfaction and said with a hint of expectation.

He did not know what he was expecting. Was it to see her jump for joy? Or was he hoping that when she saw these things, she would throw herself into his arms and burst into tears, overflowing with gratitude towards him?

However, judging by Gu Yu Qi’s current demeanour, it was unlikely she would be as proactive in embracing him as she had been in the previous life.

Yun Ke truly wished that Gu Yu Qi did not remember anything at all… But at the same time, he hoped she remembered everything. That way, he could slowly unravel the misunderstandings of the past and make her accept him again.

“Yes,” Gu Yu Qi picked up the package Yun Ke had dropped and opened it. As soon as she saw what was inside, her eyes were glued to it, unable to move away.

Seeing her shocked expression, Yun Ke felt a slight happiness in his heart.

Although he did not show it on his face, there was already a slight smile in his eyes as he stood in front of Gu Yu Qi.

Inside the package were five wooden boxes, each containing a ginseng with long stems, sturdy bodies, perfect roots, and shaped like a person.

Finally, there was a square brocade box. Gu Yu Qi opened it and exclaimed, “Tian Hua Pill!”

“It’s good that you recognise it,” Yun Ke said calmly.

Gu Yu Qi’s hands began to tremble. She looked at the pill lying in the brocade box and then at Yun Ke, who stood tall and imposing in front of her.

“Your Highness…” She felt a bit breathless, looking at Yun Ke in confusion as she said, “Is this really the Tian Hua Pill?”

“It is,” Yun Ke nodded, “Go and use it on your mother.”

“But…”

“There’s no ‘but.’ Saving a life is the priority,” Yun Ke waved his hand and said lightly, “Go on, this prince will wait for you here.”