Chapter 153: Severe Illness

The Regent paused when he heard her cry out in pain and instinctively loosened his grip. In his cold, abyss-like eyes, a faint trace of panic flickered briefly before he quickly concealed it. He frowned deeply as he stared at Su Wan’s face, which was scrunched up in pain.

“Regent, you almost broke my hand,” Su Wan said, forcing a hint of tears into her eyes. She resembled her mother, and a significant part of the Regent’s tolerance toward her stemmed from this face. In order to find out about the Regent’s physical condition, Su Wan had no choice but to shamelessly exploit her advantage in front of him.

“Look.” Su Wan cunningly extended her reddened wrist.

The Regent’s face remained tense, his jaw clenched as he focused on her slender wrist, the red marks on it particularly striking.

He raised his eyebrow slightly, thinking of telling her she was too useless.

Qi Min had a delicate frame but could sweep through a thousand troops.

She wouldn’t be so easily defeated.

“My hand isn’t sprained, is it?” Su Wan said, but the supposedly sprained hand swiftly grabbed the Regent’s wrist again. The moment he made a move, she gasped, “Ouch!”

A vein throbbed at the Regent’s temple. Those who dared to be so presumptuous in front of him had long since been turned into flower fertilizer.

He glanced at the red marks on her wrist, then looked up, meeting her eyes misted with tears, as she put on a pitiful expression.

The Regent found the sight unpleasant and turned his face away, unable to understand how Qi Min could have given birth to such a shameless creature.

It must be Su Jihong’s blood at work.

Su Wan got what she wanted, but instead of relaxing, her brows furrowed even more tightly.

The Regent did not cooperate; he disrupted the pulse reading.

Su Wan withdrew her hand and stood beside Gu Huaizhi.

“How is Godfather’s health?” Gu Huaizhi asked, noticing her grave expression, and couldn’t help but suspect that the situation was not promising.

Su Wan shook her head without saying a word.

The Regent slowly adjusted his sleeves and said, “If there’s nothing else, you should leave. There’s no need to fulfill your filial duties in front of me.”

“Tingyuan has matters to discuss with Godfather.”

Su Wan, being perceptive, exited quietly, planning to find Luo Cheng to inquire about the Regent’s condition.

Once the door closed, Gu Huaizhi sat across from the Regent. “Jingyun has come to the capital. I intend to ask the old master to teach him.”

“Your mentor?” The Regent’s tone was ambiguous. “You followed me, and he expelled you from the sect. If he learns of Jingyun’s identity, he surely won’t accept him as a student.”

The former Chief Assistant of the Inner Cabinet was extremely stubborn and, in his struggle against the Regent, retired and returned to his hometown.

According to the laws of Great Zhou, the heir to the throne is chosen based on seniority, not legitimacy.

Gu Jingyun intends to overthrow the Crown Prince. With his mentor’s pedantic and stubborn nature, how could he be willing to teach him?

Gu Huaizhi remained silent. Back then, his senior brother had asked Su Wan to act as a mediator, hoping that he would attend their mentor’s birthday banquet and make amends. Su Wan arrived in the capital ahead of time, while Gu Huaizhi went alone to celebrate his mentor’s birthday.

His senior brother, with a face full of worry, told him, “The mentor left Xihe Town early due to pressing matters. His only wish is for you to take the right path. When he heard that you participated in the provincial examination, he was especially happy.”

Gu Huaizhi didn’t respond.

Dean Lin patted his shoulder and earnestly said, “Do not let down your mentor’s kindness, nor yourself.”

Gu Huaizhi pulled himself out of his recollections. Precisely because of Gu Jingyun’s special status, the selection of a tutor had to be especially careful.

His mentor was his teacher. If he took Gu Jingyun as his final disciple, even if it drew some attention, the mentor’s status would prevent others from overthinking it.

If they sought another prominent scholar, it would inevitably attract undue attention.

Gu Huaizhi quietly said, “The mentor is not someone who stubbornly clings to his own views.”

The Regent held power in his grasp, capable of turning the tides with a flip of his hand. Gu Huaizhi acknowledged him as his godfather, and the Regent had long arranged a promising future for him.

However, Gu Huaizhi chose to participate in the imperial examination. Although the Regent couldn’t fully understand, he vaguely knew why Gu Huaizhi was doing this.

In some ways, Gu Huaizhi was similar to Elder Jiang.

Stubbornly holding on to their own views.

“As you wish. At the latest, by early summer next year, Jingyun should enter the Eastern Palace.” The Regent’s throat itched, and he coughed violently, a metallic taste rising in his throat. He took out a handkerchief, wiped his mouth, and tucked it back into his sleeve. “Go and call Luo Cheng in.”

Gu Huaizhi’s expression turned stern. He was particularly sensitive to the scent of blood, and a glance at the Regent’s pale lips was enough for him to understand the severity of his illness. That was why the Regent was so eager to push Jingyun into that position.

Feeling heavy-hearted, he left the inner chamber.

——

As Su Wan stepped out of the house, she saw Luo Cheng pacing back and forth at the courtyard gate.

She raised her eyebrow and walked over. “The Regent doesn’t want to see me? He wants to see Gu Huaizhi?”

Luo Cheng’s expression stiffened, and he forced a smile. “What difference does it make if he sees you or Young Master Gu? The two of you are husband and wife; meeting Godfather together, is there a problem with that?”

Su Wan was momentarily at a loss for words, wanting to ask why Gu Huaizhi was the Regent’s godson. After a moment’s thought, she decided to set that aside and deal with Gu Huaizhi directly about it later.

“How is the Regent’s health?” Su Wan went straight to the point.

Luo Cheng hesitated for a moment, his expression turning serious. “Not very well. I don’t know the specifics; the imperial doctors just instructed me not to let His Highness overexert himself and to ensure he rests in bed. But His Highness is not one to follow orders. He continues attending court and going to the military camp, and it’s only in the past couple of days that he’s stayed within the residence.”

The Regent not going out didn’t bring Luo Cheng any relief; instead, it made him even more uneasy. This indicated that the Regent’s health was deteriorating further!

“Did you check His Highness’s pulse? What’s the diagnosis?” Luo Cheng’s tone was somewhat urgent.

Su Wan sighed helplessly. “It seems His Highness doesn’t want anyone to know about his health condition. When I was taking his pulse, he interfered with the reading, so I came to you to get some information.”

She bit her lip, thinking for a moment, and then said, “Show me the medicine that His Highness has been taking.”

Luo Cheng didn’t dare delay and immediately led Su Wan to the kitchen, taking out a package of medicine and handing it to her. “All the medicine he takes daily is here. The imperial doctor also prescribed a bottle of medicine, which is in His Highness’s hands and doesn’t go through us.”

“Which imperial doctor is treating His Highness?” Su Wan asked as she opened the medicine package and carefully examined the contents. The more she looked, the more her brows furrowed. This prescription was merely for nourishing the body and replenishing blood and energy, nothing more.

The Regent kept his health condition tightly concealed, so much so that even his closest confidants were unaware.

“Imperial Doctor Liu,” Luo Cheng promptly replied, showing his sharpness. “Young lady Su, when might you be available? I can arrange a meeting with Imperial Doctor Liu.”

“Tonight.”

Imperial Doctor Liu was on duty in the palace during the day, and if Su Wan were to meet him abruptly, it would attract the Regent’s attention.

“Alright, I’ll make the arrangements!” Luo Cheng was very grateful for Su Wan’s dedication to the Regent’s matters.

The two of them returned to the main courtyard, just as Gu Huaizhi happened to come out from inside.

“Luo Cheng, His Highness wants you inside.”

Luo Cheng felt a chill run down his spine but didn’t dare to hesitate. He quickly stepped into the room.

Su Wan and Gu Huaizhi returned to the residence. She said, “According to Luo Cheng, the Regent’s condition doesn’t seem optimistic. He’s keeping it very secret, and the medicine being prepared is just for nourishment, a smokescreen. I’m going to meet with Imperial Doctor Liu tonight to get some information.”

“Alright.”

Su Wan was silent for a moment before speaking calmly, “So, is there nothing you want to say to me?”