Chapter 50
Lin Qingyu was slightly startled — Just now, that wasn’t what Gu Fuzhou had said. Chu Zhengde was also at a loss as to why the general’s attitude changed so quickly. Father Lin was already used to General Gu’s inconsistencies during his time in Yongliang; he had long since stopped seeing it as strange. “Qingyu, serve the general his medicine.”
Lin Qingyu stepped forward. Holding up the medicine bowl, he handed it to Gu Fuzhou: “General, please take this medicine.”
The two were a little too close. Gu Fuzhou glanced at him quickly and then immediately turned his head away, his breathing becoming unsteady.
It seemed to Lin Qingyu that Gu Fuzhou was a little nervous. He didn’t know what was there to be nervous about drinking his antidote, so he asked, “Is there anything the general finds improper?”
Gu Fuzhou muttered, “...You’re too close.”
Lin Qingyu heard him. He put the medicine bowl on the table and retreated.
“Ai, that’s not what I meant... Forget it.” Gu Fuzhou seemed ashamed of his behavior but there was nothing he could do about it. So he picked up the medicine bowl and drank it clean.
Chu Zhengde said, “The antidote must be taken once a day and any residual poison will be eliminated in one month. Every day starting from tomorrow, the Imperial Medical Office will deliver the antidote to the general’s mansion. I ask that the general take it on time.”
In other words, Gu Fuzhou could only stay in the capital for one month. After his detoxification was finished, he would need to return to the Northwest frontier.
“Then the question is, who will come to deliver the medicine to me every day?” Gu Fuzhou looked around and set his eyes on Lin Qingyu, “Imperial Physician Lin, can you be the one to do it?”
Without waiting for Lin Qingyu’s answer, Chu Zhengde said, “Imperial Physician Lin was late in delivering the medicine today. Were it to happen another time, would this not cause harm to the general’s health?”
Father Lin knew that his eldest son was not such a careless person; there must be a reason for the incident. He asked Lin Qingyu, “News of the general’s arrival in the capital today was sent to the Imperial Medical Office early this morning. Why were you late?”
Lin Qingyu said, “I was told that the general would arrive tomorrow.”
Chu Zhengde furrowed his brows tightly, “By who?”
“Hong Changfeng.”
Gu Fuzhou quickly cast down his decision. “Then it’s that Hong Changfeng’s fault. What wrong has Imperial Physician Lin done? And even if he has, he is this general’s adopted brother. I am more than willing to wait for him.”
Father Lin was helpless. “Since the general has said so, Qingyu, from today on, it will be up to you to come to the general’s mansion every day to deliver his medicine.”
Lin Qingyu nodded in agreement. He didn’t have the patience to run errands, but Gu Fuzhou had been kind to him and he ought to return that kindness.
It was getting late. It was time for most ordinary people to be going to bed. Father Lin said, “General, this official wishes to visit the Lin Residence.”
Gu Fuzhou smiled and said, “As it should be. I have made my adopted father work hard during this journey. Head home and reunite with your family.”
Lin Qingyu withdrew together with his father. When he reached the door, Gu Fuzhou suddenly called him, “Qing-... Imperial Physician Lin.”Cheêck out latest novels on novel/bin(.)com
Lin Qingyu turned around. “Does the general have any other instructions?”
Gu Fuzhou hesitated to speak. Finally, he glanced at the Tianji Camp guards beside him, and said slowly, “It is nothing. I would just like to thank you for your hard work.”
Lin Qingyu said politely, “It was this official’s honor to be able to serve the general.”
Gu Fuzhou said with a smile, “It was this general who was honored.”
Lin Qingyu followed his father back home. Mother Lin had not received any news of her husband’s return. Upon seeing her husband, she burst into tears. Father Lin and Mother Lin have been together for many years, they were a couple very much in love. At this moment, their silence surpassed even a thousand words.
“Father!” Lin Qinghe ran towards Father Lin and threw himself into his father’s arms. Father Lin leaned down to catch his youngest son. He then lifted him up high. “Qinghe has gained weight.”
After a very long time, their family of four finally gathered together to eat. During the six months that Father Lin was away from the capital, too many things have happened. Lu Wancheng died of illness and Lin Qingyu separated from the Nan’an Hou’s Mansion; he then became a medical officer of the Imperial Hospital. In the future, father and son would be working in the Imperial Hospital together; they could be regarded as colleagues.
Speaking of Lu Wancheng, Father Lin couldn’t help sighing. “In the end, Young Master Hou was unable to survive past weak crown. It is a pity.”
Lin Qingyu didn’t feel that it was a pity. Being able to be rid of that weak and sickly body was a good thing for that person.
When Mother Lin took the sleepy Lin Qinghe to bed, Lin Qingyu asked, “Father, do you know of that phrase — ‘If odd, change; if even remain the same’?”
Father Lin nodded. “This phrase was widely circulated among the Zhengxi Army. It is said that it came from a secret Xixia letter that General Gu intercepted. The general remained puzzled despite much pondering. He relayed this phrase to the Crown Prince, wishing that he would summon the masters in the capital to resolve his confusion. However, even until now that we’ve been allowed to return to the capital, still no one has figured it out.”
Lin Qingyu was lost in thought.
So, was that person really in Xixia?
Having been reunited after a long parting, they shared some wine. Father Lin told him a few more things, “General Gu is truly a wonderful person.”
Lin Qingyu asked, “Why do say this?”
Father Lin smiled and shook his head. “You’ll know after you spend a few more days with him.”
Lin Qingyu also smiled. “I was really surprised when Father recognized General Gu as his adopted son.”
“The general is an official of the highest rank serving our country. I am but a fifth-rank Yuan Pan of the Imperial Hospital. How could I possibly dare to be his adoptive father? At first, I refused in every possible way. Later, the general said, if I recognize him as my adopted son, the status of the Lin Residence in the capital will be substantially different from before. It will be very beneficial to your career. It was only then that I felt relieved.”
“Please, watch closely.” Gu Fuzhou did some light stretches, squatted down, and lifted the stone padlock with one hand.
Lin Qingyu did him the honor of praising him, “The general is mighty.”
“Look, look.” Gu Fuzhou took a deep breath and raised the stone lock above his head again, “How about now?”
“Amazing.”
Gu Fuzhou smiled and dropped the stone padlock down with a boom. “Is this general better than your deceased husband?”
“En.”
“Compared to him, do you admire this general’s figure more?”
Lin Qingyu’s tone became somewhat lighter. “The general has his good points but I prefer my deceased husband’s type.”
Gu Fuzhou’s smile froze. “No, what’s so good about a sick seedling like him?”
Lin Qingyu lowered his eyes and said, “If the general has no other instructions, then this official shall withdraw.”
Gu Fuzhou laughed again, “Hey, adopted brother, what are you doing? Why are you so angry? We won’t talk about him anymore. How about I show you how I chop these bricks barehanded as an apology?”
Lin Qingyu: “...”
In this way, for half a month, Lin Qingyu went to the general’s mansion to deliver medicine every day. He understood why his father said that Gu Fuzhou was a wonderful person. But he felt that the word “weird” would be more appropriate to describe him.
For the past few days, the Imperial Medical Office has welcomed a distinguished guest – a world-famous genius doctor from the southern border.
Doctors at the southern border were experts at the use of gu and this genius doctor could be said to be the king of gu. Most of the people in central continent regard the cultivation of gu as sorcery, but the truth of the matter was different from the stories. Drugs could be divided into medicine and poison and likewise, gu could also be divided into good gu and poisonous gu. Poisonous gu could harm people and so, good gu could save people. Father Lin knew the benefits, so he wrote to the genius doctor of the southern border many times, finally managing to invite him to the Imperial Medical Office to teach his gu technique to many of the students. Father Lin hoped that the students of the Imperial Medical Office would not only learn how to use Gu to save people but also learn how to detoxify poisonous gu.
Although Lin Qingyu has read medical books, his understanding of the gu technique was limited to the theoretical. This time, the genius doctor from the southern border was going to hold a class at the Imperial Medical Office, naturally, he would not miss it.
After this day’s class, Lin Qingyu, medical books in hand, walked out of the classroom. He suddenly heard a whistle. Looking towards the sound, he saw Gu Fuzhou leaning against the railing, waving at him with a smile, still followed by the guards of the Tianji Camp.
Lin Qingyu hurriedly stepped forward and said, “Has the general come the Imperial Medical Office because there has been a flare up of the Sky Spider Poison?”
“No, I went to the palace to report to the Crown Prince and have happened to pass by the Imperial Medical Office. I just thought...” Gu Fuzhou gave an embarrassed smiled. He raised his hand and scratched the corner of his eye, “Well, I’ll should drop by and pick you up after your class.”
Lin Qingyu was startled – pick him up from class? He wasn’t a child on his first day at school. Does he need for someone to come pick him up? And from the general’s mansion to the Imperial Palace, how could he have possibly just passed by the Imperial Medical Office?
Before Lin Qingyu could answer, he found his hands suddenly empty. Gu Fuzhou had taken the medical books he was holding. His movements are so natural, as though it was books and not the Qingyun Jiuzhou Spear that he usually held.
Lin Qingyu said: “General, there is no need for you to bother.”
“It’s alright. I’m stronger than you. The strong should work harder.” Gu Fuzhou casually flipped through his book, “So, what did Imperial Physician Lin learn in school today?”
Lin Qingyu said, “It can’t be that the general is interest in medical studies.”
Gu Fuzhou smiled and said, “No but I’m interested in everything Imperial Physician Lin has to say.”
“Southern Border Gu poisons.”
“Gu? Gu is good. Great beauties should use Gu.”
Lin Qingyu paused in his steps. He looked at Gu Fuzhou, a meaningful and probing look in his eyes.
Gu Fuzhou didn’t notice at all or maybe he noticed it but pretended not to. “Speaking of which, I’ve always wanted to light some incense sticks for your deceased husband. It is only right as your adopted brother.”
Lin Qingyu withdrew his gaze. “The general can go to Nan’an Hou’s Mansion to pay his respects to Young Master Hou.”
“Forget going to the Nan’an Hou’s Mansion.” Gu Fuzhou said, “Why don’t we go to your residence?”
“My residence?”
“You should have a tablet enshrined in your house...” Gu Fuzhou paused, verifying uncertainly, “You do have it, yes?”
Yes, he did. But that wasn’t Lu Wancheng’s tablet.
Gu Fuzhou saw that Lin Qingyu’s expression showed a hint of complexity that could not be understood by outsiders. His mood too became complicated. He teased, “Aren’t you ashamed to say that you like his type better when you didn’t even set up a tablet for him? Actually, I can understand. It was a marriage bestowed by the Emperor and you, my adopted brother, don’t really care much about my poor brother-in-law.”
Brother-in-law, what kind of strange form of address is that?
Reason told Lin Qingyu that he ought to ignore words like these that were meant to provoke. But somehow, when Gu Fuzhou spoke to him in this tone, he couldn’t help but want to respond. “I do have one.”
“Who knows whether that is true or not?” Gu Fuzhou raised the corner of his lips, “Then take me there and prove it to me.”
Thinking of the words “Jiang Dazhuang” engraved on the tablet, Lin Qingyu said calmly, “It is not very convenient to do so.”
Gu Fuzhou was puzzled. “Why would it be inconvenient?”