Chapter 159: A Lord Like You

The Regent’s cold, stern voice sounded from behind them.

Su Wan breathed a sigh of relief, and her brows lifted with a hint of joy. She winked at Gu Huaizhi: Your godfather has agreed to the treatment!

Gu Huaizhi gave a faint smile: It’s up to you now.

Su Wan raised her chin: Just watch!

“The Regent has agreed to the treatment?” Su Wan handed the wooden box in her hand to Gu Huaizhi, looking directly at the Regent. “Earlier, it was me who pleaded with you, so I used the marriage document as a condition. Now, it’s you asking for my treatment, so once you’re cured, I’ll give you the marriage document.”

The line of poetry written by her mother on the marriage document wasn’t exactly kind; Su Wan feared it might provoke the Regent and make him change his mind about the treatment.

The Regent’s gaze fell on the box, and he snorted coldly, “I am ordering you.”

Su Wan: “…”

Fine, whatever you say, Your Lordship.

“Why are you so intent on treating me?” The Regent glanced at Gu Huaizhi, not believing it was his idea.

Though Gu Huaizhi acknowledged him as his godfather, their relationship was more akin to a partnership.

If he died, no one would be able to control Gu Huaizhi, which would be more advantageous for him.

“Thank you for sending me birthday gifts every year. More importantly, you changed my marriage arrangement and did not force me to marry the Crown Prince.”

Su Wan thought about how Emperor Jing had even killed his own son out of fear of the Empress’s family’s power.

With her bloodline from the royal family of Xiliang, if she were married to the Crown Prince, she would likely face a life of severe hardships.

Given the original owner’s disposition, she might not survive, and becoming a palace consort and trying to change her situation would be a thousand times harder than it is now.

The Regent’s expression grew solemn as he stepped out from behind the desk and walked to sit on the soft couch, resting his arm on the small table.

Su Wan quickly walked over and rolled up his sleeve to check his pulse.

Her initially relaxed expression immediately turned serious.

The Regent’s physical condition was worse than she had anticipated.

The poison was not a big issue for her.

What was critical were the Regent’s chronic ailments.

“Do your bones ache on rainy days?” Su Wan withdrew her hand, her mind racing as she considered possible treatment plans.

The Regent responded with a nonchalant “Mm,” dismissively saying, “It’s a small matter.”

Su Wan sneered, “Yes, just a small matter that could cost your life.”

The Regent furrowed his brows, wondering if he had been too lenient, allowing Su Wan to become so bold as to talk back to him.

Just then, Luo Cheng came in with the medicine. He overheard the last two sentences, his lips twitching as if he wanted to speak but held back.

When Qi Min married Su Jihong, it coincided with an invasion by the Tartars. The Regent, leading the army, fought as if he didn’t care for his life. Fueled by this relentless determination, he swept through enemy lines and directly captured the Tartars’ stronghold.

This stunning victory left him with numerous scars, one of which was a fatal wound.

Luo Cheng’s gaze fell on the Regent’s neck, where a gruesome scar lay—an arrow had nearly grazed his carotid artery, missing it by a hair’s breadth.

“Master, it’s time for your medicine.”

Luo Cheng withdrew his gaze and respectfully placed the medicine on the small table.

The Regent looked at the thick, dark medicinal liquid, its bitter scent wafting up, and his brow furrowed deeply.

Silently, Su Wan reached into her sleeve pocket, pulled out a sachet, and took out a piece of maltose candy, placing it on a clean dish beside the medicine.

“This will help suppress the bitterness.”

The Regent’s frown deepened further, seemingly provoked by Su Wan’s action. He picked up the bowl and drank the medicine in one gulp.

Luo Cheng was almost moved to tears!

Good heavens, the master finally agreed to take his medicine!

Su Wan asked for a brush, ink, paper, and an inkstone, then wrote down a prescription and handed it to Luo Cheng. “This prescription is for a medicinal bath for the Regent. Get three doses of the herbs and prepare a bath for the Regent each day, soaking for two ke (half an hour) each time. Once the medicinal baths are finished, I’ll come back to check the Regent’s pulse.”

She pointed at the empty bowl on the small table and added, “This medicine should be taken twice a day, continuously for half a month.”

The Regent’s health was poor, and a medicinal bath was the best option. It could promote blood circulation, regulate the meridians and organs, heal bones and muscles, and warm the muscles to dispel cold.

Thinking about bone healing and muscle regeneration, Su Wan suddenly recalled another prescription—the Hei Yu Duan Xu Paste.

Shaolin Temple is known for its integration of meditation, martial arts, and medicine, with meditation and medicine being the most discreet and mysterious. Among their most famous remedies is the Hei Yu Duan Xu Paste, made from 108 different herbs through a highly intricate process.

Her grandfather had once told her that brewing this paste involved one part in the herbs themselves and nine parts in the external processes, such as precise control of temperature and attention to the weather, which were extremely critical. If successfully prepared, it would have remarkable effects on bone healing and muscle regeneration.

“Wait a moment.” Su Wan took the prescription from Luo Cheng’s hand and added the herb Xu Duan to it.

Luo Cheng immediately went to gather the herbs.

“Take your medicine on time, and I’ll come back in three days,” Su Wan said, now that her task was completed. The tension that had been holding her up finally relaxed, leaving her feeling utterly exhausted.

As she yawned, she drowsily asked Gu Huaizhi, “Do you have anything you need to discuss with the Regent?”

“Let’s go back,” Gu Huaizhi said as he and Su Wan took their leave.

The Regent remained in his previous position, his dark gaze fixed steadily on the piece of maltose candy on the dish.

He could brave mountains of blades and seas of fire, invincible and fearless.

But he had a singular aversion—taking medicine.

When ill or injured, he would stubbornly endure it without complaint.

After Qi Min noticed his aversion, she would bring him sweets to coax him into taking his medicine—maltose candy one day, candied fruit the next, always something different. This habit led her to always carry sweets with her.

When Su Wan naturally took the maltose candy from her sachet, it unknowingly triggered the Regent’s long-buried memories.

His lips pressed into a tight line. If Qi Min were truly alive and now the Empress of Xiliang, the man beside her would not be Su Jihong but ultimately someone else.

It felt like all his affection had been wasted, on someone so cold-hearted and unfeeling.

The Regent found the candy on the dish an eyesore, and with a flick of his sleeve, he was about to sweep it to the ground. Yet, just as it was about to fall from the small table, he deftly caught it in his hand and tossed it back onto the table, resuming his work with the memorials.

Luo Cheng ordered the medicinal bath to be prepared, and when it was brought over, he noticed the Regent’s expression was dark as water, covered with a layer of frost, clearly in a foul mood. Luo Cheng’s heart trembled, but he braced himself and said, “Master, the medicinal bath is ready; it will cool down soon.”

The Regent’s face remained sullen, and he did not move.

Luo Cheng sneakily raised his eyelids to glance over and saw that the dish on the small table was empty—the piece of maltose candy was gone!

Luo Cheng’s eyes darted around, but he couldn’t find any trace of the candy. It was as if he had discovered a new continent.

So the reason the master refused to take his medicine was because there was no candy!!

He cautiously said, “Would you like to go take your bath? Shall I go prepare some maltose candy?”

“Get out!”

Luo Cheng scrambled out of the inner chamber.

——

Su Wan and Gu Huaizhi returned to the courtyard and closed the door behind them.

“Huaizhi, is my mother really the Empress of Xiliang?”

Su Wan recalled how, after returning from the Qi family, Gu Huaizhi had been dealing with official documents. Could it have been related to matters concerning Xiliang?

“The information the spies gathered is exactly what I mentioned in front of the Regent. As for whether it’s truly about your mother, that’s still up for discussion.” Gu Huaizhi rubbed his forehead and spoke gently, “I’ve already arranged for someone to continue the investigation, and the Regent has also sent Jiang Cheng. We should have definite news soon.”