Chapter 221: Afflicted by the Gu

The female official escorted Su Wan back to Yaoguang Hall. Exhausted, Su Wan collapsed onto the soft couch and instructed the female official, “Go to my inner chamber; on the table, there’s a small bundle. Inside, there’s a porcelain bottle with a white glaze. Take it to the female doctor and have them each take two pills.”

“Yes,” the female official replied, retrieving the porcelain bottle from the inner chamber and leaving.

Su Wan, looking apologetic, said, “Master, I apologize. I am unwell and may have acted improperly.”

“It’s alright.” Master Mingjue noticed something unusual about Su Wan. He approached the soft couch, and upon seeing Su Wan’s pale, bluish complexion, his gaze turned serious.

He took hold of Su Wan’s hand, inspecting the scratch on her finger. “You’ve been poisoned by the gu?”

Su Wan nodded. “The mother gu was placed in the bowl, intended to lure out the child gu. If the child gu doesn’t come out and the mother gu is directly destroyed, it could harm my father. I dare not take that risk.”

Who could have expected that the bowl would be broken, causing the mother gu to embed itself in her body?

“I’ve already used the child gu to force out the mother gu,” Su Wan sighed, still worried. “But I fear lingering complications, so I specifically invited you here, Master, to ask if you might have any jiacao^[1]Jiacao (嘉草): Jiacao refers to a special medicinal herb mentioned in traditional Chinese texts. It is described as having detoxifying properties effective against poison gu. Its exact botanical … Continue reading.”

Master Mingjue was momentarily stunned. According to The Rites of Zhou^[2]The Rites of Zhou (周禮): The Rites of Zhou is an ancient Chinese text, traditionally attributed to the Zhou dynasty, that outlines idealized bureaucratic and governmental systems. It is one of … Continue reading, it is recorded: “The Shushi^[3]Shushi (庶氏): In The Rites of Zhou, “Shushi” refers to an official or group of officials responsible for certain practical and specialized tasks, such as managing resources or … Continue reading are in charge of eliminating poisonous gu, using it to counter evil spirits. Jiacao is used to counter it.”

“I don’t have jiacao on hand,” Master Mingjue replied, “but I know where one can be found. I’ll have it delivered to you within three days.”

Master Mingjue took Su Wan’s pulse; it was steady, though her energy and blood were weak. “Your pulse is fine; there’s no need for concern.”

Su Wan nodded slightly.

Master Mingjue left a bottle of medicine before taking his leave.

Su Wan picked up the medicine bottle and poured out a green pill, emitting a faint medicinal fragrance. She swallowed it, then, exhausted, hugged a pillow and fell asleep.

A palace maid noticed and quietly entered, bringing over a quilt to cover her.

Inadvertently, she touched Su Wan’s back, only to realize it was soaked with sweat.

Startled, the maid quickly brought a basin of warm water, wiped Su Wan down, and changed her into a set of clean clothes.

—

Su Wan slept for an entire day and night.

People came and went in waves, all with worried expressions.

Gurgle—

Su Wan shifted, clutching her painfully hungry stomach, and opened her eyes. The light stung, so she closed her eyes, raised her hand to shield her forehead, and after adjusting, opened them again—only to be met with an enlarged face right in front of her.

She couldn’t help but be stunned.

Qi Min was sitting on the couch, wrapped in a thick fur coat. Her face was still pale, showing signs of illness.

“You’re awake?” Qi Min said as she saw Su Wan open her eyes, still somewhat unaccustomed to the fact that she had such a grown child.

Seeing the sleep marks on Su Wan’s cheek, Qi Min reached out, brushing aside the stray hair covering her eyes, revealing a face still carrying a touch of innocence—one that reminded her of her own youth. A subtle, indescribable feeling stirred within Qi Min. “Hungry, aren’t you? There’s soup simmering in the kitchen. I’ll have someone bring it to you.”

Su Wan watched as Qi Min leaned closer, her cool fingers brushing across Su Wan’s brow. An odd feeling arose within her. Uncomfortable, she adjusted her hair and tried to sit up, but her arms felt like limp noodles, lacking strength, and she fell back into the blankets.

“What’s wrong?” Qi Min’s expression changed as she attempted to help Su Wan sit up. However, with the wound on her wrist still unhealed, she lacked the strength. She fetched a pillow, carefully using her uninjured hand to prop Su Wan up little by little. In the process, Su Wan’s collar loosened, revealing a patch of fair skin on her chest. Qi Min’s gaze shifted dramatically. “You—you’ve been afflicted by the gu?”