Chapter 270: Blocked by Someone

Gu Huaizhi and Su Wan were worried that the remnants of the Liu family might cause harm to Gu Huaizhi’s mother in Great Zhou. They dared not linger along the way. Only when they were utterly exhausted would they stop at an inn to freshen up, have a hearty meal, and then spur their horses on to continue their journey.

What originally would have taken over three months was shortened by nearly half. In just two months, they arrived in Great Zhou.

When they left for Xiliang, the capital was filled with withered yellow hues. Upon their return, it was already early spring, and the grass and branches were sprouting fresh greenery, with flower buds beginning to form.

Su Wan lifted the curtain, and her gaze fell upon the lush green grass stretching across the wilds. The air carried the crisp and fresh scent of spring.

The thick cotton jacket she had been wearing had already been replaced with a lighter spring robe.

“Finally, we’re back!” Su Wan tilted her face upward. The light drizzle fell onto her cheeks, icy and refreshing, sending a shiver through her body that made goosebumps rise on her arms. “My entire body feels like it’s been jolted apart from all the traveling. If we had to endure another ten days to half a month of this, you’d have to find a doctor to reset my bones, one joint at a time.”

Gu Huaizhi draped a light cloak over her shoulders. “Though it’s spring, it’s still the season of lingering cold. It’s chilly outside. Wear more layers and don’t catch a cold.”

Su Wan’s excitement quickly faded as the cold seeped in. She shivered, as if trying to shake off the chill, and hurriedly lowered the curtain. The smile on her face, which had appeared the moment she saw the city gates of the capital, had not left her lips since.

“You didn’t tell Mother that we’re coming, did you? Let’s give her a surprise later!”

Su Wan had already inquired about everything. Mother Gu, unable to stay idle in the capital, was helping prepare meals three times a day for the doctors at her medical hall.

“Let’s go to the medical hall first… no, no, no… let’s go back to the residence to take a bath first. I smell like the road,” Su Wan said, wrinkling her nose.

Gu Huaizhi noticed she had lost a considerable amount of weight. She was already slender before, but now she looked even more frail and worn out. His heart ached as he gently brushed her cheek with his fingers. “I think it’s from the fright.”

Su Wan’s smile faltered but quickly regained its vigor. She climbed onto his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck, and her eyes sparkled with a dark, luminous light. “We can tell Mother that in Xiliang, being thin is considered beautiful. I simply followed the local customs and slimmed down on purpose.”

Gu Huaizhi remained expressionless and silently pinched her slender waist with his palm.

What was once a waist that required both hands to encircle could now nearly be grasped with just one.

Su Wan felt a twinge of guilt. Back when Gu Huaizhi had left to handle some affairs, she had been too exhausted. After bathing at the inn, she hadn’t dried her hair properly and had fallen asleep on the bed.

By the time he returned, her hair was almost dry, but it had already upset him. He angrily summoned the waiter to prepare a bowl of ginger soup and brought over a small brazier to dry her hair and dispel the chill. Despite all his efforts, it was in vain—she ended up falling ill anyway.

She rarely fell ill, but when she did, it was like a mountain collapsing. This time, her illness lasted nearly half a month, leaving her visibly thinner.

Su Wan smiled sweetly as she leaned in to kiss him, spouting her absurd logic: “Actually, catching a small illness once a year can boost your immunity. The next time you get sick, you’ll recover quickly. The reason I fell so seriously ill this time is because I was too well-nourished before and rarely got sick.”

“Uh…” Gu Huaizhi pressed his palm against her forehead, pushing her head away. “By your logic, since I’ve been sick for so many years, I should be immune to all illnesses now?”

“You’re so smart!” Su Wan pulled his head closer, nipped at the corner of his lips, then buried her face in his neck, speaking softly. “When Mother sees how thin I’ve become, she’ll surely feel distressed. That way, I can take her to visit Second Brother and Third Sister, letting her take care of my daily needs. It’ll also keep idle people from bothering her, and you can focus on handling your official duties with peace of mind.”

Gu Huaizhi watched her act coquettishly and let out a helpless sigh. “Until the weather warms up, you mustn’t wear such thin spring robes.”

“I know, I know,” Su Wan replied, tightening the cloak around herself to prove her sincerity and tying the sash into a knot.

Gu Huaizhi reached out and flicked her forehead.

Su Wan instinctively wanted to dodge but, remembering she still had something to ask of him, shut her eyes and stayed put without evading.

Warm lips pressed against hers.

Su Wan opened her eyes in surprise, sticking out her tongue to lightly lick him, only to be captured by him, deepening the entanglement.

The carriage stopped in front of the Gu residence, and Qi Sixteenth jumped off, lifting the curtain of the carriage.

Gu Huaizhi carried Su Wan off the carriage.

The mansion gates opened, and Qi Fifth, brimming with excitement, rubbed his hands together. “Young Lady, Young Master, you’re finally back!”

He stepped aside to let them in. “Come inside quickly. Mrs. Hu has prepared a table full of hot dishes waiting for you.”

Hearing this, Su Wan immediately poked her head out. “Mother knows we’re back?”

“She doesn’t know. We didn’t tell her!”

Su Wan quickly wriggled out of Gu Huaizhi’s embrace and hurried toward the house. “Qi Fifth, go fetch a bucket of hot water—I want to bathe.”

Then, spotting Mrs. Hu approaching, she gave another order. “Hurry and pack the luggage for me and Mother. We’re going to stay in the mountains for a while.”

Mrs. Hu asked in surprise, “Young Lady, you’ve just arrived, and now you’re leaving again?”

“There’s something we need to take care of,” Su Wan replied, unwilling to linger in the capital for long. She urged, “Hurry up and get moving.”

Mrs. Hu turned to Gu Huaizhi. “Young Master, do you need to pack as well?”

“No need,” Gu Huaizhi replied as he headed to the study.

A secret guard appeared and closed the door behind him.

“How are things in the palace?” Gu Huaizhi asked, sitting behind the desk and opening the stack of secret messages piled on the table.

“Since you left, His Majesty has remained unconscious. The Crown Prince, upon learning you were no longer in Great Zhou, attempted to contact his confidants to arrange his escape. When he realized it was futile, he quieted down, as if accepting his fate. However, the Empress suddenly left the palace for the Guo Temple and brought the Empress Dowager back.”

“Why wasn’t this reported?” Gu Huaizhi’s expression darkened. “Investigate and find out what’s going on.”

“This happened two days ago,” the secret guard explained. “I guessed you would return to the capital around this time, so I thought the delay in sending the message wouldn’t make much of a difference.”

The secret guard lowered his voice further to explain the reason: “The elderly matriarch of the Zhao family went to the Guo Temple to offer incense and was detained by the Empress Dowager. The Empress compromised and brought the Empress Dowager back to the palace.”

Gu Huaizhi rubbed his temples in frustration. With the Empress Dowager back in the palace, it was like a fish returning to water. Dealing with her now would undoubtedly become much more difficult.

“Prepare the carriage; I’m going to the residence of Duke Zhao,” Gu Huaizhi said as he put away the secret messages. He instructed the servant to let Su Wan eat first and not wait for him.

After bathing, Su Wan heard that Gu Huaizhi was not in the residence. She hastily ate a bowl of rice, then ordered Qi Fifth to load the luggage onto the carriage and headed straight to the medical hall.

——

Mother Gu tidied up the medical hall, preparing to visit the fabric shop to purchase material for making spring robes for Gu Baozhu and Gu Jingyun.

After informing the doctors, she picked up a basket and headed to the street.

The secret guards followed closely behind to ensure her safety.

Mother Gu entered a fabric shop and selected several bolts of fabric. Her gaze fell on a silver-red piece, and she immediately thought of Su Wan, feeling that this color would suit her well. She imagined how beautiful Su Wan would look wearing it.

Calculating the time, she figured that by the time the clothes were finished, Su Wan would likely be back and could wear them right away.

She also picked out a few bolts of fabric for Su Wan and Gu Huaizhi. After paying the shopkeeper, Mother Gu took the fabric and prepared to leave, only to find her path blocked by someone.