Chapter Eighty-Nine: The Poison of Gu Strikes

When Wind Frost returned to the Gu Family manor, he gave the household quite a fright. Before anyone knew what was happening, a massive osmanthus tree was slowly lowered into the Fragrance-of-Pears Courtyard. Steward Yang had no idea what was going on, and with Zhongli Yu and Zhan Yan both absent, he had no choice but to report to the old prince and Gu Yan. The two old men hurried over to the courtyard, only to find that Wind Frost had just finished setting the tree down.

The old prince did not recognize him. Seeing that he had actually carried in such a huge tree, he asked in astonishment, "Who are you? Why have you brought a whole tree into our home?"

"Replying to Your Highness, I serve Prince Chun. It was the prince who ordered me to transplant this tree here," Wind Frost said respectfully.

"Why would that brat suddenly decide to plant a tree?" Before the old prince could speak, Gu Yan could not help blurting it out.

"Replying to Elder Gu and Your Highness, it seems to be because the princess said the osmanthus scent was pleasant and could ease morning sickness. So the prince ordered me to dig up the tree and bring it back," Wind Frost answered politely.

Gu Yan burst out laughing and scolded good-naturedly, "That boy! The young lady merely said a word, and he went and did something this grand. This old man is truly impressed."

The old prince was also laughing. His grandson really could not be judged by ordinary standards.

Seeing that neither elder intended to blame him, Wind Frost could not help thinking privately, Birds of a feather, indeed. Outwardly, however, he remained respectful. "Your Highness, Elder Gu, I still need to go and bring back the remaining trees, so I will take my leave for now."

The two old men waved him away, and Wind Frost quickly went to fetch Lihun and the others for help.

In less than half an hour, several osmanthus trees by Moonlit Lake had vanished without a trace. When people came upon the bare stretch of land, they could not understand how those trees had simply disappeared. The transplanting had happened at noon, when few people were around, so almost no one saw it. By the time anyone realized the trees were gone, they were already standing neatly in the Gu Family manor.

No one knew where Qingxian had found such a skilled gardener, but the trees had been planted so perfectly they seemed to have always belonged there. Their faint fragrance drifted through the entire Fragrance-of-Pears Courtyard.

As Zhan Yan breathed in the floral scent, she thought of her husband’s indulgent gesture and smiled with unmistakable sweetness. Seeing his wife’s contented expression, Zhongli Yu was equally pleased. He embraced her from behind, resting his head against her shoulder as he always did, and asked softly, "My dear, are you happy?"

Happy? How could she not be? Zhan Yan turned back to look at him and nodded. "Yes, I am very happy. Husband, you spoil me so much. Aren’t you afraid of ruining me?"

"Could I ever spoil you rotten?" he raised an eyebrow.

"That’s hard to say. Haven’t you heard of the saying that one grows arrogant when favored?" she teased.

"Being able to spoil you rotten would be my honor."

When had this man learned to speak such sweet words? And yet, hearing them was unexpectedly delightful.

Zhan Yan turned around, her eyes curved with a smile, then kissed his cheek hard. "That was well said. This is your reward."

"Yan’er, it seems you kissed the wrong place." He looked at her lips, red and glossy, his eyes full of anticipation.

Seeing that expression, Zhan Yan wrapped her arms around his neck, rose onto her toes, and pressed her lips to his.

The softness of her mouth against his instantly tightened something low in his abdomen. Since learning of her pregnancy, he had been living like a monk, and sleeping each night while holding her had become a kind of torment, though he could not bring himself to stop. Now, with her taking the initiative to kiss him, he was nearly unable to restrain himself. He returned her kiss with fervor until she let out a faint, breathy sound, and only then did he suddenly come to himself. Reluctantly, he left her lips and said in a husky voice, "Yan’er, I’m going to take a bath."

Needless to say, it would certainly be a cold one.

Watching him flee in embarrassment into the bathing chamber, Zhan Yan blushed. It seemed she really should not provoke him so carelessly in the future, she thought helplessly. Remembering the scorching heat of his body when he held her at night, she could not help feeling a little sorry for him. But she could not be as broad-minded as others and arrange for him to have a concubine maid. What would he think of that? Although he had said that in this life he would only ever want her, did he truly mean it without regret?

When Zhongli Yu came out, he found his wife sitting quietly, dazed and troubled. He did not understand why she had been perfectly fine just moments ago and was now lost in thought.

"Yan’er, what’s wrong? What are you thinking about?" He approached her and spoke gently.

"Husband, do you need a bedchamber attendant?" Zhan Yan asked in a low voice. Only she knew how much her heart hurt when she asked it. She was terrified. If he said yes, how would she face him afterward? She truly could not bear sharing a husband with another woman.

Zhongli Yu saw every trace of emotion on her face and sighed helplessly. A hint of anger colored his voice. "Yan’er, you do not trust me."

Zhan Yan fell silent. In this age, where one man had three wives and four concubines, how could he ask her to believe that she had been so lucky as to meet such a wonderful man?

Seeing her silence, Zhongli Yu’s heart ached. He pulled her into his arms and murmured, "Silly girl. It is only because it is you that I feel anything. What do you take your husband for? Do you think I could react that way to just any woman? You are usually so clever. Why are you suddenly so muddled? Could it be that, as you said, pregnant women really do become foolish?"

"You’re the foolish one. What kind of person have you chosen to like, anyway? Why did you have to fall for a jealous woman like me?" Zhan Yan glanced at him reproachfully, sounding irritable but not truly angry.

"I like your jealousy. So remember to stay jealous for the rest of your life. Don’t ever think of sharing me with anyone else."

"Pain-seeking."

"Yan’er, having you is already more than enough for me. From now on, don’t let your imagination run wild, all right? It hurts me when you do not trust me. No matter when it is, please believe me: Zhongli Yu will love only you in this life. If you are willing, then even in the next life, or in every life after, I would still want no woman but you." His voice was full of tenderness.

"Zhongli Yu, do you have to say such moving things?" Her eyes stung, and she felt tears threatening to fall. She found this man so good that he almost seemed unreal. She was truly afraid that all of this might only be a dream.

"Silly girl, everything I say comes from the heart."

"I know. I love you too."

She reached out and clung to him tightly in return. A faint osmanthus fragrance drifted in from outside, bearing witness to his one-of-a-kind love for her. Within the room, spring warmth filled the air, and two hearts in love drew even closer.

"Your Highness, Your Highness, Doctor Meng says those two have fallen ill again. He asked you to come over and take a look." From outside came Lihun’s anxious voice.

"Which two?" Zhan Yan did not react at first.

"The two who were interrogated by Emerald Spirit last time," Lihun explained. "One is called Wang Hanwen, the other Ma Minggui. Doctor Meng took them in."

Upon hearing that it was the two who had taken the Thousand Obediences potion, Zhan Yan rose quickly and hurried with Zhongli Yu toward the courtyard where Doctor Meng lived.

Before they even entered the room, they could already hear the two men’s agonized cries from afar. When Zhan Yan stepped inside, she saw them rolling on the floor in torment. The furnishings had been smashed and scattered by their thrashing bodies, and their shrill, desperate screams were too dreadful to hear. Doctor Meng stood nearby, looking frantic and at a complete loss.

"Your Highness, kill us. Please, just give us a quick death," the two pleaded upon seeing Zhongli Yu, as if he were a lifesaving straw. They had begged Doctor Meng the same way before, but he had been unable to do it. He had always only saved lives; he still could not bring himself to take one.

"Grandfather Meng, is there really no way to relieve their pain?" Zhan Yan could not bear to watch and asked with concern.

Doctor Meng shook his head. He had tried every method and used many medicines, but none could suppress this kind of venomous gu. He truly had no solution.

Zhongli Yu’s brows were tightly knit as he looked at their unbearable suffering. Unable to stand it any longer, he asked Doctor Meng, "How much longer can they last?"

"At most a quarter of an hour," Doctor Meng answered honestly. He could not stop the worms from devouring their brains. All he could do was wait until the worms had finished and these two men finally died.

"Husband, please help them and send them on their way," Zhan Yan said. She could not watch any longer. If there was no way to save them, it was better to grant them a swift end than let them suffer like this.

Zhongli Yu looked at the two men and asked, "Do you have any last wishes?"

"Your Highness, none. We only beg for a quick death."

"Very well. I will grant you that."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhongli Yu acted. He seized their throats, and in an instant, both men had stopped breathing and collapsed limply to the ground.

Doctor Meng shook his head. Failing to save a patient left him deeply upset.

Zhan Yan saw what he was thinking and consoled him, "Grandfather Meng, this is not your fault. Please do not overthink it." No matter how skilled a physician might be, there would always be diseases beyond cure. It was no shame that Doctor Meng could not save them.

Zhongli Yu also said, "Grandfather Meng, I believe in you. One day, you will create an antidote."

Doctor Meng nodded but said nothing. In all his years of medicine, he had never felt such profound helplessness.

Looking at the two dead men, Zhan Yan suddenly thought of something. "Grandfather Meng, please open their heads and see whether there are gu worms inside. Then take the worms out and study them, to see if we can discover anything."

"Young lady, is that really appropriate?" Doctor Meng hesitated. In the old ways, the dead were to be treated with utmost respect, and a corpse could not be casually violated. So although her suggestion tempted him greatly, he still wavered.

"Grandfather Meng, do not think so much about it. What you are doing is for the sake of saving more people. I believe that if these two could know, they would be willing to let you do it." Zhan Yan urged him earnestly.

Though Zhongli Yu found his wife’s idea somewhat startling, he was not especially surprised. He simply felt that her words made sense. Since they had not yet found the source, the poison would likely be difficult to cure. For now, they could only follow his wife’s suggestion.

"Grandfather Meng, Yan’er makes a good point. Let us do as she says. If you cannot bring yourself to do it, I can have someone help you," Zhongli Yu added.

After a moment’s hesitation, Doctor Meng finally nodded. "Very well. Since there is truly no other way, this is all we can do. I only hope they can forgive this old man from beneath the earth. My apologies."

He took a small dagger from his instruments, walked over to the two bodies, arranged the dead properly, and then slowly sliced into one skull.

Perhaps it was the instinct of his profession, but Doctor Meng’s skill at opening the skull was not in the least clumsy. With a swift hand and a flash of the blade, he soon had the head opened. Inside, a pure white worm was busily feeding on the dead man’s brain matter. More than half of it had already disappeared, and the worm’s body was growing larger and larger.

At the sight, Zhan Yan could not help gagging violently. She rushed outside at once and vomited bitterly wherever she could find. Zhongli Yu followed anxiously behind her, gently patting her back the whole time.

She vomited for at least a quarter of an hour before stopping, nearly weakened to the point of collapse. Under ordinary circumstances she would not have been so sick, but now that she was with child and already uncomfortable, seeing something so revolting naturally made her retch.

Zhongli Yu supported her and urged her to return to her room to rest, but Zhan Yan refused. She insisted on going back to see whether Doctor Meng would discover anything after removing the worms.

When Zhan Yan returned after vomiting, Doctor Meng had already extracted both gu worms. Zhongli Yu ordered the two men to be given grand burials, then had the room cleaned thoroughly. Only after the air felt fresher did Zhan Yan finally manage to suppress the churning in her stomach.

"Grandfather Meng, how is it? Can you tell what kind of poison this is?" she asked anxiously.

Zhongli Yu also looked at him with evident expectation.

Doctor Meng shook his head. "I have never seen this kind of gu poison before. I truly do not know what medicine could deal with it."

"Grandfather Meng, do you have any books on gu poison?"

"I do, but none of the texts in my collection record anything like this."

"May I borrow them to read?"

"Of course. I was already intending to take you as my disciple. I had wanted to teach you long ago, but since you are now pregnant, I did not bring it up."

"Once my morning sickness has passed, I will begin studying medicine with you. Please bring me all the medical books first so I can read through them."

"That would be best. You read the books first, and afterward I will explain my experience and some secret prescriptions to you."

Zhan Yan nodded. "Grandfather Meng, these two worms have been out for quite some time. Have they changed at all?"

Doctor Meng glanced at the gu worms he had placed in a bottle and was astonished to find that they had become much smaller than before. When first removed, each had been at least the size of a thumb, but now they were tiny little strands, even smaller than the hole in a copper coin. "Girl, after feeding on so much brain matter, they actually digested it all at once and have become this small. Truly unbelievable."

Zhan Yan looked as well, equally surprised. Such tiny worms could be turned into pills and wrapped in almost anything at all. No wonder people swallowed them without realizing they had swallowed worms.

Having fed enough, the two gu worms lay motionless and soft in the bottle, clearly in a dormant state. So after they were full, they did not move. No wonder the poisoned victims felt nothing. In other words, the antidote the man received once each month was food for these gu worms, and after they ate their fill, they would go dormant inside the human brain.

"Grandfather Meng, now that the gu worms have eaten their fill, they will not eat anything if we feed them now. Why not leave them for the time being? After a month, when they wake up again, we can find other things to feed them and see whether they eat anything besides human brain matter, such as pig brain or cow brain." After thinking for a moment, Zhan Yan felt that this might be useful and came up with the idea.

Doctor Meng nodded. "What Yan’er has thought of is the same as what I was thinking. For now, this is the only way."

Doctor Meng took out a thick stack of medical books, as many as ten volumes. The books looked very old, their pages yellowed with age, yet each one was complete, clearly well preserved.

He said to Zhan Yan, "Girl, read these books thoroughly first, and then I will explain them to you. Since you are pregnant, you should not tire yourself too much. Take them back and read them slowly. In any case, these books will belong to you in the future."

Zhan Yan nodded. Reading these books would be a trivial matter for her, after all, she had a photographic memory. What she did not know was whether the content would be difficult to understand. After all, for someone who had never studied medicine to read medical texts, that would probably be rather challenging.

"Grandfather, are the contents very specialized? Will I be able to understand them?"

Doctor Meng nodded. "There will certainly be some difficulty in understanding them, so you can only read them for now. Later, I will explain them to you slowly."

"All right, I understand."

Seeing that it was already late, and remembering that his wife had just been vomiting, likely leaving her stomach empty, Zhongli Yu said, "Grandfather Meng, I will take Yan’er back to eat first. She has just vomited, so she must be hungry by now."

Doctor Meng smiled and nodded, looking at Zhongli Yu with satisfaction before allowing them to leave.

Zhongli Yu carried the thick stack of medical books in one hand and supported Zhan Yan with the other as they walked back toward the Fragrance-of-Pears Courtyard.

When they returned, the kitchen maids had already prepared the meal. Seeing them come back, they immediately brought it out, for Zhongli Yu had sent word early that the princess had vomited and needed to eat sooner. On receiving the message, the cooks had hurried to prepare supper, and now the timing was just right.

Zhan Yan looked at the table laden with dishes and had little appetite. Thinking of the two men who had just died, and of their agonized expressions, her mood grew terribly heavy. The thought that if they still could not devise an antidote, more people would have to suffer such torment in the future made her feel even worse.

"Yan’er, why are you not eating?" Zhongli Yu’s own mood was no better, though he did not show it. Seeing Zhan Yan so downcast, he looked at her with deep concern, hoping she might take things more lightly.