Chapter 44: Change the Letter

Gu Huaizhi picked up the letter with two fingers, glanced at the content, and the sharpness in his eyes made people shudder.

Thirteen’s scalp tightened, and swallowed his saliva silently.

“Wait.” Gu Huaizhi went back to his room, took out a piece of coarse Xuan paper^[1]宣紙(xuānzhǐ ) = Xuan paper, Shuen paper, or rice paper, is a kind of paper originating in ancient China used for writing and painting. Xuan paper is renowned for being soft and fine-textured, … Continue reading, imitated Song Dalang’s handwriting, changed the part of Su Wan’s letter, and wrote a new letter to Thirteen: “Have you investigated the matter I asked you to?”

Thirteen’s throat tightened, his eyes darted towards Su Wan’s room, and he said tremblingly, “Su… Young lady Su?”

Seeing that Gu Huaizhi had no reaction to this address, he said carefully, “Young lady Su did sell Jingyun and Baozhu to Liu Lao Liu, and the money she got was used to buy… buy arsenic.”

Gu Huaizhi’s eyebrows furrowed. Su Wan knocked over his medicine, not to treat him, but there was arsenic in the medicine bowl?

Her change started from knocking over his medicine.

Was it at this time that someone replaced her?

“We have carefully investigated, and Young lady Su has not been replaced.” Thirteen scratched the back of his head, puzzled, “When Young lady Su was in the boudoir, she didn’t seem like a martial artist, nor did she know medical skills. Before and after her marriage, she really seems like two people. Did she disguise well and deceive everyone?”

Gu Huaizhi pursed his thin lips, convinced that Su Wan was not the original Su Wan.

“No need to investigate her further.” Gu Huaizhi believed that everyone had their motives for doing anything, and Su Wan’s motive would be revealed sooner or later.

He suddenly thought of something, looked at Su Wan’s room, and asked in a light tone, “Do you know the whereabouts of the Qi family army?”

“Qi Yuan’s trusted general, Qi Guang, has been seen in Guangling Prefecture. It seems he has encountered some difficulties. We followed his trail and it seems he has returned to the capital.”

Thirteen said solemnly, “Zhao Wei and Su Jihong are both looking for the Qi family army.”

Gu Huaizhi looked at the bright moon in the sky, the cold moonlight casting a frosty layer on his face. He coldly said, “Don’t let them fall into Su Jihong’s hands. If they encounter difficulties, help them and recruit them.”

He waved his hand, gesturing for Thirteen to leave.

Thirteen took a few steps but then turned back and whispered in Gu Huaizhi’s ear and said, “Eleven said that the poison in your body is dominant. Other poisons are ineffective against you, but you can’t touch arsenic, it will trigger the suppressed poison in your body.”

Gu Huaizhi slightly raised his eyebrows. Eleven had joked about him being poisoned before. Although it couldn’t be cured, at least he was immune to all poisons, so he didn’t have to worry about his food being poisoned.

Now it turns out that arsenic can trigger the poison.

Gu Huaizhi stood quietly in the backyard, the mist wetting his thin shirt. He coughed lightly a few times before returning to his room.

—

The next day, Su Wan sent Mother Gu to Zuixiang Pavilion. After instructing shopkeeper Xu, she went to the Xinglin Medical Hall.

Doctor Zhou was seeing a patient, and there were several patients waiting.

Su Wan washed her hands, took a pulse pillow, and helped to see the patients.

A patient immediately came over and said enthusiastically, “Young lady, you are the divine doctor in town, right? I’ve been feeling hungry recently but can’t eat. After eating, I feel bloated and uncomfortable, and sometimes I even vomit. What do you think is wrong?”

Su Wan felt the patient’s pulse and said, “You have insufficient stomach qi. Take Dry Rehmannia Decoction, adjust your diet to something light, and acupuncture the Sanli acupoint. It’s not a severe condition.”

The patient trusted Su Wan very much. Upon hearing her words, his worry that had been hanging in his throat fell to the ground.

Su Wan took a silver needle and acupunctured the Sanli acupoint for the patient, then prescribed medicine for him.

Doctor Zhou saw Su Wan going to grab the medicine and reminded, “Dry Rehmannia and Pulsatilla are drying in the backyard.”

“Okay.” Su Wan went to the backyard to get these two medicines.

There was a dull thud.

A person flipped over the wall and fell heavily at the root of the wall.