Chapter 16
Turning Point
Gu Yanfei rinsed her mouth and wiped the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief before saying with a smile, “Big Sister, it’s rare for you to come to Danyang City. Shall we go out for a walk?”
Gu Yunzhen pursed her lips hesitantly when Gu Yanfei continued, “I’ve lived here for three months and haven’t been out much. I heard that there are many delicacies in Danyang City. Saltwater duck, goose oil pastry, osmanthus sugar hawthorn, crispy dried fish… They’re all delicious.”
The kitten’s eyes lit up when it heard this. It meowed and helped beat the drums, looking at Gu Yunzhen expectantly.
Faced with both Gu Yanfei and the kitten, Gu Yunzhen could not reject them at all. She smiled and replied, “I’ll get someone to tell Grandma. Let’s go to the city for a walk.”
Gu Yunzhen sent a maidservant to report to Madam Gu while she and Gu Yanfei left in a carriage.
Before leaving, Gu Yanfei said, “Let’s go west.”
The hexagram showed that the turning point for Danyang City was in the west.
Gu Yunzhen thought that Gu Yanfei was being childlike and wanted to relax in the city.
Hence, under Gu Yanfei’s command, the carriage turned left and right. After driving through a few streets, they arrived at Chongxian Street in the west of the city.
The atmosphere on the streets today was different from usual and the streets were much emptier. There were no hawkers or peddlers walking around. The places they passed were quieter than usual.
Along the way, many passersby gathered together to talk. Most of them were discussing the magistrate’s order to close the city gates.
“Big Sister, let’s go to the Breeze Pavilion up ahead.”
Under Gu Yanfei’s suggestion, the sisters and the kitten entered the Breeze Pavilion in the middle of Chongxian Street.
At this time, there were not many customers in the restaurant. The tables and chairs in the lobby were only about 20% full.
The sisters chose a private room on the second floor facing the street and ordered a table of Clear Wind Restaurant’s best dishes. The waiter, who had made a big deal, happily went downstairs.
The scent of tea rose from the booth.
The sisters drank tea while Juan Bi served the kitten.
After taking two sips of hot tea, Gu Yunzhen put down the blue and white porcelain teacup and said gently, “Second Sister, when we leave later, make one for Grandma and let her try it.”
Although she had just met Gu Yanfei, Gu Yunzhen had a good impression of this cousin. She felt that she was not as vulgar as Granny Xu had said, and her bearing and words were well-mannered. She reminded her of her deceased uncle.
Gu Yanfei hummed softly. She had roughly guessed what Gu Yunzhen was going to say next.
Gu Yunzhen wanted to tell Gu Yanfei about the people and matters in the Marquis Mansion so that she would not be ignorant when she went to the capital in the future.
She thought for a moment and started from Madam Gu. “Second Sister, Grandma likes to eat fish and prawns. She believes in Buddhism and will eat vegetarian food on the 1st and 15th day of the month.”
“It’s Grandma’s birthday next month. Third Sister suggested that each of us sisters copy a Buddhist scripture for Grandma.”
“Third Sister…” Speaking of Gu Yunrong, Gu Yunzhen paused.
Gu Yanfei knew what she was worried about and said directly, “You’re talking about Mother Su’s daughter, right?”
Gu Yunzhen nodded and continued, “Third Sister was raised by Grandma since she was young. Grandma doted on her the most and usually listened to her advice. This time, it was also the Third Sister who persuaded Grandma to come and fetch you.”
Gu Yanfei blinked her big eyes and came to a realization.
So it was Gu Yunrong who was behind this. No wonder Madam Gu had arrived so quickly. She had arrived several days earlier than she had expected.
Gu Yunzhen was about to say something when rumbling footsteps sounded in the street outside the window. Someone shouted, “The officials are here!”
The commotion outside the restaurant attracted the attention of the two sisters. Both of them looked for the source of the sound.
On the street, a team of tall and mighty guards came running menacingly. They surrounded a medical center opposite them, well-trained. Several of the guards rushed into the medical center through the main entrance.
The leader was a middle-aged man in a red robe embroidered with wild geese. He was waiting outside the medical center on a brown horse, looking imposing.
“Fourth-grade official uniform?” Gu Yunzhen frowned and said in surprise, “Could this be the magistrate?”
“It really is Magistrate He!”
The person who answered Gu Yunzhen was the waiter who had just entered. He held six plates of dishes in his arms as if he was performing a sideshow.
As the waiter craned his neck to look out of the window, he skillfully served them dishes. Steamed salmon, anchovies, salted duck, goose oil pastry, osmanthus sugar hawthorn, clear soup stewed chicken… The table was filled with delicacies.
The commotion in front of the medical center also attracted the citizens walking on the street. Many people stopped curiously and discussed amongst themselves.
“Why are the officers here?”
“Did the Cheng Medical Clinic commit some crime?”
“First, the city was sealed, and now the medical hall. There must be a reason!”
“I remember that Doctor Cheng was invited to treat the Eldest Prince yesterday. Did something go wrong…”
“…”
On Chongxian Street, more and more passersby stopped to watch the commotion.
Everyone focused on the Cheng Medical Clinic.
Gu Yanfei picked up a fried fantail shrimp with her chopsticks and looked outside thoughtfully.
The kitten came over and meowed at Gu Yanfei. Its green cat eyes were soul-stirring. Unfortunately, Gu Yanfei was unmoved. She slapped it away and instructed the waiter to serve the cat a serving of boiled prawns.
A moment later, a man’s high-pitched shout came from the direction of the medical center opposite, almost overturning the roof.
“I’m innocent! I’m innocent!”
Amidst the shrill cries of injustice, Doctor Cheng was escorted out of the medical center by four or five tall and burly officials. He was in a sorry state, his headscarf having fallen off, and his hair a little messy.
“Lord He, I’m innocent. There’s definitely no problem with the medicine I prescribed for His Highness…”
Doctor Cheng raised his head and complained to Magistrate He, who was on horseback. His heart was heavy and he felt that this matter would not end well.
Just now, when the guards went in to capture him, he claimed that it was because he had used the wrong medicine, causing the Eldest Prince’s body to deteriorate drastically and be in critical condition after using the medicine.
However, Doctor Cheng was certain that Chu Yi’s critical condition had nothing to do with him.
He was familiar with the medicinal properties of the Jade Moon Grass. After taking the Jade Moon Grass for the first time, the patient would only feel good and refreshed. However, he would not know that this was just a dying flash.
...
Next, the toxicity of the Jade Moon Grass would slowly erode the patient’s internal organs, causing the patient to slowly weaken and die, making it impossible to determine either the cause of death or the time of poisoning.
He’d only given the packet to Chu Yi’s personal guard early this morning, which meant it would be at least half a month before the virulence of the Jade Moon Grass took effect.
Moreover, judging from Chu Yi’s pulse yesterday, he was only weak and sickly, not fatal… Could it be that someone else had drugged Chu Yi and deliberately framed him?!