嫩草影院地址一二三

Chapter 418: 418. Gu Ling, come with me

As deep autumn was approaching the nights were rather cold, he was abruptly awakened by the chilly air. Not knowing how much time had passed, he vigorously rubbed his face, stood up, stretched his limbs, and looked up but couldn’t see the moon. It was the darkest time before dawn.

Gu Ling hadn’t returned yet. To keep himself warm, Qiao Jing quietly practiced a set of Martial Arts in the woods.

While practicing, he suddenly felt someone watching him. Instantly on guard, the next moment, he heard a familiar voice from behind him, “You’re practicing so hard. Are you trying to beat me?”

Qiao Jing: …this joke is a bit cold…

Previously, Qiao Jing aimed to surpass Gu Ling, but now that he understood the real gap wasn’t about Martial Arts, his ambition dissipated.

Gu Ling brought back a large bag of medicinal herbs. Some of them had been “bought” from the county town – self-service, but the change left was more rather than less money. And some of them were precious herbs he had asked for from Hu Er.

Hu Er was deeply asleep and was suddenly woken up in the middle of the night. He was startled, but after confirming Gu Ling’s identity, he respectfully asked what he needed, willing to do anything even if it involved danger or hardship. After all, not only was Su Liang the benefactor who saved Hu Er’s life, but she also inspired him to reform and start a new life. She even provided him with the opportunity to associate with the Wan family and grow an honest business. To Hu Er as well as his family, Su Liang and Gu Ling were their benefactors.

When Gu Ling needed medicinal herbs, Hu Er went to get them himself. He used to have poor health, and so he had quite a lot of good herbs at his disposal. Also, while conducting business trips these years, he had collected many more. After hearing that Gu Ling needed ginseng, Hu Er generously took out a thousand-year-old ginseng stem from a carefully packaged gift box originally prepared as his father’s birthday present.

“There’s one thing missing, which we have at home in the county town. I’ll send someone to fetch it. Prince, you may rest here while waiting.” said Hu Er, while hot soups and meals were served.

Gu Ling didn’t refuse, he ate a bit, then went to rest in the room arranged by Hu Er, instructing him to wake him up as soon as the herbs arrived.

Hu Er waited personally, as soon as the man sent to the county town returned, he woke Gu Ling up and packed the herbs.

“I was going to go to the village today anyway.” Hu Er said as he saw Gu Ling off.

Gu Ling replied indifferently, “Ah, you can carry on as usual, just pretend you didn’t see me last night.”

Hu Er was taken aback, “Understood. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“You suggested moving me and the patient in my home to the county town.” Gu Ling replied.

Hu Er nodded, “Alright.”

Without another word, Gu Ling departed with the herbs. Hu Er thought it over and concluded that Gu Ling must have run into some kind of trouble. He remembered Gu Ling’s request and told his confidants not to let any information slip about tonight.

At this moment, Gu Ling briefly explained Hu Er’s situation to Qiao Jing.

“Does this mean I should take Yan Shiba to the county town?” Qiao Jing asked.

Gu Ling shook his head, “No, back to the capital.”

Qiao Jing pondered, “That’s better. Leaving the village sooner will prevent causing harm to the villagers if there really is a trap. We can let Hu Er arrange the transportation. I will just say that Yan Shiba is not going to die and that Yan Shijiu can attend to her.”

“Alright.” Gu Ling handed the herbs to Qiao Jing, and they parted ways in the woods.

When Gu Ling saw Yan Shiba last night, he gave her a pill made by Su Liang. Not seeing any black fog between Yan Shiba’s eyebrows, he knew that she would not die within three days.

Returning to the courtyard in the early morning mist, Yan Shijiu, who had been waiting, came out immediately from Yan Shiba’s room upon hearing noises, “Prince, did you succeed in finding the herbs?”

Without answering Yan Shijiu’s question, Qiao Jing walked straight to the room previously occupied by Gu Ling, “I need to rest.”

Yan Shijiu watched as Qiao Jing entered the room and closed the door. With a flicker in his eyes, he then returned to Yan Shiba’s room.

When Qiao Jing said he needed rest, he truly fell asleep. By the time he woke up, it was already broad daylight outside, and he heard low voices talking. After getting up, he saw the table full of herbs, some of which had already been processed…

Qiao Jing: …when did Gu Ling come? Why didn’t I notice it?

As he opened the door, a breeze of fresh, moist air greeted him. The sunlight illuminated the entire courtyard brightly.

Madam Bai, wearing an apron, peeked out from the kitchen. When she saw “Gu Ling’s” face, she was taken aback. Though there were rumors previously saying that the top scholar Ning Jing had been masquerading as the current regent, Gu Ling, Madam Bai knew only Ning Jing’s face. At the sight of “Gu Ling,” she was initially apprehensive and awe-struck. She bent forward and called out, “Prince.”

“There’s no need for such formalities. Just behave as before,” Qiao Jing imitated Gu Ling’s tone. “Is everything well at home, Madam?”

Madam Bai hurriedly nodded, “Yes, everything’s good! Little Tiger and Zhuzi always miss you. They were here this morning, but now they’re off to school!”

“Hmm.” Qiao Jing nodded his head, “Thank you for your efforts, Madam.”

“Oh, don’t mention it. You’re not an outsider.” Madam Bai waved her hand, “Your meal will be ready soon.”

When Qiao Jing entered Yan Shiba’s room, Yan Shijiu was passing by. The door was open, and Yan Shijiu “accidentally” glanced in to see the partially processed medicinal herbs on the table. He silently withdrew his gaze, entered the kitchen, fetched hot water for Qiao Jing to wash with, and brought it to the room door, but didn’t go inside.

Qiao Jing came out of Yan Shiba’s room, “I gave her some medicine yesterday. Her condition has improved a bit.”

Yan Shijiu was taken aback. Qiao Jing hadn’t mentioned this before. He was unaware, but he noticed that Yan Shiba’s condition had indeed shown slight signs of improvement.

Qiao Jing took the wooden basin from Yan Shijiu, entered his room, and closed the door.

Breakfast was something Qiao Jing ate alone in his room. He found Madam Bai’s cooking to be really delicious; the homely meals were very comforting.

After breakfast, Yan Shijiu asked Qiao Jing when Yan Shiba might be expected to regain consciousness.

Qiao Jing shook his head, saying it was uncertain for now. It could take a few days, or it could take half a month.

Madam Bai brought a pair of finely stitched tiger-head shoes that she had made for Gu Xiaonuan. Qiao Jing accepted them and thanked her.

Qiao Jing spent the entire morning in the room “processing herbs”. As noon was approaching, Hu Er arrived.

A large carriage stopped outside the courtyard. Yan Shijiu walked over and saw a tall, thin middle-aged man get off the carriage.

“I heard from Madam Bai that the prince is back?” Hu Er assumed that Yan Shijiu was one of Gu Ling’s attendants.

“Who might you be, sir?” Yan Shijiu asked.

“Hu Er. I have just returned from doing business out of town. My father’s birthday is in a few days. I got back a bit late yesterday and didn’t get to visit. Today, I came to the village and didn’t expect the prince to be back. Is he in?” Hu Er said, his eyes turning to the closed room door.

Qiao Jing opened the door and came out.

Hu Er immediately straightened up and bowed deeply, “I pay my respects to the prince!”

“There’s no need to be overly polite.” Qiao Jing’s expression was calm, “Thank you for looking after the village these past two years.”

Hu Er looked terrified, “Prince, you’re too kind. Without the prince and the princess, where would I be today? Being able to serve the prince and the princess is a great privilege. If there’s anything the prince needs during this visit, just give the word.”

Qiao Jing glanced in the direction of Yan Shiba’s room.

Yan Shijiu lowered his eyes, hiding his unease. He didn’t know who Hu Er was, but from his words, it seemed he was a local who had a close relationship with Gu Ling and Su Liang.

Before Qiao Jing could speak, Hu Er offered, “I just saw Little Tiger’s grandmother. I heard the prince came back this time to save a friend? If the prince won’t mind, why not bring the friend to my house for the time being? After all, the conditions in the village are rather limited and there’s no one to provide care. It might be inconvenient.”

Qiao Jing did not agree nor disagree; instead, he turned around and went back to Yan Shiba’s room.

Hu Er waited where he was, and after a while, Yan Shijiu also went into Yan Shiba’s room.

When Yan Shijiu entered, he saw Qiao Jing had just finished taking Yan Shiba’s pulse and had turned towards him.

“Prince, considering Eighteen’s current condition, can she be moved?” Yan Shijiu asked. He had initially addressed him as Marquis Gu, but after hearing Madam Bai and Hu Er call him prince, he changed his address and did so quite naturally.

Qiao Jing’s expression remained calm, “It’s not that serious, she won’t die.”

“Well…” Just as Yan Shijiu began to speak, Qiao Jing walked past him and left the room, without any intention of discussing with him.

Yan Shijiu’s eyes darkened slightly. He gave a chilling glance at Yan Shiba who was on the bed, then turned around and followed Qiao Jing out.

“Get me a larger carriage.” Qiao Jing ordered Hu Er.

Hu Er quickly agreed, “No problem! I’m in the carriage business now, and I have new ones ready. Thanks to the blueprints provided by the prince and princess. Perhaps, prince, you should stay at my house, either in town or at the county town.”

Qiao Jing shook his head, “No, I’m heading back to the capital.”

Yan Shijiu was taken aback, “Your Highness, the health of the Eighteenth…”

Qiao Jing looked at him, a hint of suspicion had already risen in his heart, but he didn’t show it on his face. He only said four words, “I’m a doctor.”

Hu Er quickly echoed, “If the prince says there’s no problem, then there definitely won’t be. I’ll go get everything ready and assign a maid to serve the prince’s friend.”

“Mm.” Qiao Jing nodded slightly. Hu Er then hurried away.

Upon learning that “Gu Ling” was leaving, Mrs. Bai also agreed, “It’s a good thing too, the princess and the children are all in the capital, the prince should hurry back.”

Yan Shijiu didn’t dare to say anything more, for fear of arousing suspicion. All of Qiao Jing’s actions were instructed by Gu Ling, and everything was very consistent with Gu Ling’s character: Making sure Yan Shiba was not in mortal danger, and was confident of saving her life, of course he would want to return to Su Liang and his daughter as soon as possible.

Su Bai, the village head, came to see Qiao Jing and asked about Su Liang and the children.

Qiao Jing briefly said a few words. Su Bai reported to him about the situation in the village school. Everyone knew that they were the relatives of the Regent’s queen, no one dared to provoke them. Everything was going smoothly, and the lives of the villagers were getting better and better, much more harmonious than before.

When Gu Ling’s woodworking master, Su Dakuan, learned that he had returned, he brought a small cart he made for Gu Xiaonuan, which Qiao Jing accepted on behalf of Gu Ling.

By almost noon, Bai Xiaohu and Zhuzi were done with school and they ran straight to Su Liang’s house.

The two boys rushed in, one after the other. Seeing Qiao Jing’s face, they both stopped in their tracks, unsure of how to address him.

Qiao Jing waved to them, calling them over. He ruffled Bai Xiaohu’s hair, then pinched Zhuzi’s little face, “You’ve all grown taller.” He wasn’t sure, but saying this would certainly not be wrong.

“When will Sister Su Liang come back?” Zhuzi asked eagerly.

Qiao Jing responded flatly, “In a few more days, she’ll come visit you.”

“This is the letter I wrote for Sister Su Liang!” Bai Xiaohu took out a letter from his schoolbag that he wrote during recess.

Zhuzi also took out one, “This is mine.”

“May Brother-in-law Gu help deliver these.” Bai Xiaohu formally gave a hand bow.

Qiao Jing accepted the letters, promising to deliver them.

Hu Er had not come back yet, so Bai Xiaohu and Zhuzi invited Qiao Jing to dine at their home. He accepted, leaving Bai’s wife to look after Yan Shiba.

The last time Gu Ling and Su Liang saw Tiger and Zhuzi’s little sister, she was still in her swaddling clothes. Now she was already able to run. She charged over and hugged Qiao Jing’s leg, raising her little face and smiling at him.

Qiao Jing picked the little girl up and suddenly thought that having a baby of his own would be a pretty good idea. However, he would first need to find a wife. The image of Min Rou’s gentle smile floated in his mind. Qiao Jing shook his head, the situation was still far from settled, he would consider it back in the capital. Perhaps he could take Qiao Cong’s advice and actively pursue Miss Min.

After a lively and warm lunch at the Bai’s family, Qiao Jing became increasingly envious of the days Gu Ling and Su Liang had spent living in the mountain village. It must have been fun. Given the opportunity, he would like to stay here for a while too.

After Qiao Jing finished his meal, Mrs. Bai informed him that Hu Er had returned. As Qiao Jing was about to leave, the head of the Bai family handed him a bamboo basket full of their homemade dried goods, such as dry kidney beans and dried mushrooms, all of which Gu Ling and Su Liang liked to eat.

Qiao Jing accepted gratefully. After all, it was not a gift for him, and there was a carriage, they could bring all of it.

“Prince, he’s called Siqi. He’s clever, knows martial arts, and he can drive the carriage.” Hu Er introduced the driver to Qiao Jing.

Qiao Jing looked at the driver named Siqi, a tall and skinny man dressed in a neat short outfit. He had a horse whip hanging at his waist, a long knife, and wore a straw hat. His features were quite ordinary.

“Greetings, Prince.” Siqi bowed with a somewhat raspy voice.

“We’ll have to rely on you from this point.” Qiao Jing said.

There was also a maid, whose bright eyes revealed a sharp intelligence. Hu Er said her name was Yu Ru, and she came from a family that once owned a martial arts school. She too was skilled in martial arts.

Yu Ru carried a still unconscious Yan Shiba onto the carriage, which was lined with quilts and blankets. Qiao Jing stored all the medicinal herbs and gifts given by everyone. He was ready to set off now.

Siqi drove the carriage while Qiao Jin and Yan Shijiu rode horses, departing from Su Village in the afternoon.

They spent the night at the county town’s inn. The next day, Yan Shijiu saw that Qiao Jing had already processed all the medicinal herbs and prepared new medicine for Yan Shiba.

Yu Ru stewed the medicine, fed it to Yan Shiba, and the party set out after breakfast.

The weather was bad that day, with thick clouds covering the skies. After a while, it started to rain. Siqi snapped his whip and suggested that there was a decrepit temple not too far away where they could take shelter.

Qiao Jing had seen the temple when they had arrived, but he had no idea that it was the place where Gu Ling and Su Liang had once saved Zhengzheng.

The rain quickly grew heavy and the wind picked up. Travelling into the wind, both the horses and the carriage found it hard to move forward.

Once they reached the run-down temple, Siqi parked the carriage in the open space inside, took out oilcloth from the carriage, and covered the carriage in the rain.

Yan Shiba and Yu Ru, the maid, stayed in the carriage while Qiao Jing and Yan Shijiu led the horses to a place sheltered from the wind and rain. After a while, Siqi also came in.

There was nobody else in the worn-out temple, but there was some dry hay and firewood.

Siqi quickly gathered some firewood and started a fire, spreading dry hay out for Qiao Jing and Yan Shijiu to sit on. He then took a box of desserts from the carriage, cradling it in his arms as he ran back. He offered Qiao Jing some osmanthus cakes from a tea house in Bei’an County – a favorite of Gu Ling’s.

Qiao Jing ate a few pieces and passed the box to Yan Shijiu.

“Thank you, Prince.” Yan Shijiu wiped his hands on his clothes and took a piece, quickly finishing it.

“This rain won’t stop for a while,” Siqi said, looking at the sky.

Yan Shijiu then asked, “Prince, do we want to move Shiba out of the carriage? It may be warmer here.”

“There’s no need. She’s got blankets.” Qiao Jing shook his head.

“Right.” Yan Shijiu bowed his head.

Siqi stood up, “Prince, someone’s coming.”

A large man wearing a rain cape and a bamboo hat walked into the entrance of the decrepit temple, his face obscured.

Yan Shijiu also stood. “Prince, should we drive him off?”

“No need.” Qiao Jing said, “We don’t own this place.”

When the man reached the eave of the temple, he paused and looked at Qiao Jing, his voice flat and emotionless. “Gu Ling, come with me, or your neighbor the Bai Family in Su Village will be razed to the ground today.”

Before his words fell, a group of men dressed in black fell from the sky, standing behind him with a threatening aura.

“I don’t like bullying children, or else it wouldn’t be hard to kidnap one as a simple solution.” the man added, “I’ll give you ten breaths to think it over.”