Jiangshan Fengwuzhi

Chapter 323 Gossip
While everything was happening in the Marquis of Wuding's mansion, A-Wan was completely unaware of it. Looking up at the sky, she murmured, "How did it suddenly get dark?"

The darkness lasted only a short while before dissipating, and some noises came from the backyard.

Ah Wan, being very curious, rushed over to see what was happening, only to find the young lady leading several servants out of Xue Juju's room, her face as cold as ice, looking very angry.

"Young lady, what's wrong?"

"It's okay, just leave me alone."

A-Wan wanted to follow, but Shen Lingshu walked straight out.

Shen Lingshu had never kept anything from Awan before, but lately things had been really strange. Awan turned around and saw that Xue Juju's maids were all pale and looked very frightened.

"What happen to you guys?"

"Judging from this, Madam Xue is probably... probably caught red-handed."

Ah-Wan didn't understand what the sentence meant at first, but over the next two days she often heard people whispering about it, and gradually she realized what had happened.

The servants in the manor all said in private that Xue Juju had been having an affair with a man while the Marquis was away, and that Shen Lingshu had caught them in the act.

The reason Shen Lingshu didn't react and kept Xue Juju at the mansion was because the man escaped quickly and slipped away at the last moment, and wasn't really caught.

Ah Wan was shocked to hear that Xue Juju was that kind of person, but when she recalled the events of that day, it seemed that it really was true.

Thinking about it this way, her daughter's recent unhappiness might be due to this matter.

That night, A-Wan helped Shen Lingshu to bed. In the middle of the night, in her drowsy state, she suddenly heard Shen Lingshu say something.

"Miss?" Ah Wan hurried over and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Gu Jingnian!"

Shen Lingshu gritted her teeth and uttered those three words, saying hatefully, "I'll kill you!"

Ah Wan looked over and saw the girl's brows furrowed, and immediately understood what was going on.

So, the person who committed adultery with Xue Juju was Gu Jingnian.

No wonder the girl has been behaving this way lately, both angry and unable to express it.

I've heard that Gu Jingnian is clearly in a relationship with Pei Nian, so how did he end up getting involved with the Xue family?

Ah Wan was puzzled, and the next day she went to ask those maids again.

“Gu Jingnian? I heard from the guards in the manor that when they caught them in adultery, they seemed to hear a servant call out that name.”

"It's him. No one else will say it, but he's the girl's fiancé."

Later in the conversation, perhaps because they were getting excited, one of the maids told Ah Wan something else.

It is said that Xue Juju's adultery with men is not a recent occurrence; the Marquis discovered it once long ago.

That time, Xue Juju ran to a room in the backyard to meet someone in secret. She was discovered by the housekeeper, Zheng Sanniang, who informed the Marquis. The Marquis reprimanded Xue Juju but did not punish her.

"Now that she has committed another crime, she will fall into the young lady's hands again. The young lady will definitely not let her off. Ah Wan, you must help me then."

While they were still whispering, a maid from the front yard ran up to Awan, saying that Princess Yushu had arrived.

A-Wan hurried over to help Shen Lingshu with her makeup.

When she arrived, Shen Lingshu had already met Wei Chan in her boudoir. They were sitting opposite each other without saying a word.

"Where did you run off to, you little maid?"

Wei Chan, feeling bored, decided to scold A-Wan, saying, "You went off to play by yourself, leaving your young lady here alone, sulking."

“It’s none of her business,” Shen Lingshu said. “I just want to be by myself.”

"What's wrong with you?" Wei Chan asked. "You can't tell others, but are you being too polite with me?"

"nothing."

Shen Lingshu turned her head away and pushed away Awan's hand that was trying to fix her hair.

"I can handle it myself."

"Then you'll have to figure it out yourself."

Wei Chan was also a woman of temper. Seeing this, she snorted, got up and walked out, saying, "Shen Lingshu, since you don't consider me a friend, let's have less contact in the future."

Ah Wan quickly followed and saw her off, saying, "Princess, please don't be angry. My lady also has her own difficulties."

"Oh?"

Wei Chan was more curious than angry, and asked, "It seems you know?"

"I...I don't know if I should say it." A-Wan lowered her head, looking very troubled.

Although she liked to gossip and was a chatterbox, she knew that this matter concerned the reputation of the Marquis's mansion, so she couldn't say anything carelessly.

Wei Chan adopted a princess-like demeanor and said, "Your daughter and I have been close friends since childhood, as you have seen. If anything were to happen, how could I not side with her?"

Ah Wan was persuaded. After hesitating for a while, she finally told him about the scandal in the Marquis's mansion.

"Gu Jingnian?"

Upon hearing that name again, Wei Chan became inexplicably excited.

She then thought of the fart she had deliberately let out in the library, and suddenly felt uncomfortable all over.

"That guy, how...how did he get involved with Xue Juju?"

"I don't know either," Awan said. "The girl was heartbroken by him, and she keeps calling his name in her dreams."

"He deserves to die."

Wei Chan gritted her teeth and said, "I understand. I will definitely kill Gu Jingnian to avenge your young lady."

Before they knew it, they had left the Shen residence.

Wei Chan's carriage was parked outside the gate, and standing beside it was a richly dressed young man, Liang Caixing, who had long admired Shen Lingshu. "Princess!"

Liang Caixing hurried forward, and even from a distance, asked with concern, "How is Miss Shen? Why is she unhappy?"

Upon seeing Liang Caixing, Awan tried to back away, but Wei Chan grabbed her arm.

"Why avoid him?" Wei Chan said in a low voice. "Your young lady will marry him sooner or later, and as her maid, you'll get to know him eventually."

"Can……"

Ah-Wan was startled by these words and quickly waved her hands twice.

She secretly felt that her daughter didn't like Young Master Liang because he was just too annoying.

"What exactly happened to Miss Shen?" Liang Caixing asked, her concern growing stronger.

Wei Chan was not good at keeping secrets, and soon Liang Caixing's indignant voice rang out outside the Marquis's residence.

"Gu Jingnian?! I will definitely kill him!"

--------

Gu Jingnian was walking through Fengchun Lane, observing carefully.

He didn't expect to find the person Xue Juju was talking about just like that... Suddenly, he stopped and saw a clinic in the alley.

The clinic had no signboard; instead, it had shelves of medicine inside, emitting a rich yet comforting aroma that let people know it was a clinic.

It was very small inside; besides the tables and chairs, there was only a bench.

An elderly man with white hair and beard was sitting there taking pulses, while five or six other people, all ordinary people dressed in short jackets and coarse brown clothes, were standing outside the door.

Gu Jingnian stepped into the clinic and said, "Old sir."

"There's a line at the entrance."

The old man didn't even raise his head, and said something in a frail voice.

Gu Jingnian then went out again, stood behind those people and waited, asking them a few questions.

"May I ask who the old gentleman in the house is?"

"You didn't know you came to see a doctor? This is the legendary doctor Xun!"

Without needing to ask any further questions, they quickly started discussing it.

"The medical skills of Doctor Xun are beyond question, but he has an eccentric temperament. Whenever he stays in one place for a long time and there are too many people coming to him for treatment, he will move."

"What?"

"I want some peace and quiet, but with his medical skills, how can I find peace and quiet? Every time, it doesn't take long before the door is crowded with people again."

"If that's the case, then he should just stop treating patients."

"I practice medicine to help the world, treating five or six people who are destined to receive my treatment every day, without being burdened by fame..."

Gu Jingnian waited for a long time, until it was almost dark, before he entered the clinic.

"Sir."

"Hand out."

"I didn't come here for a medical consultation."

The white-haired old man glanced at him and said indifferently, "Are you sick? Aren't you going to get it checked out?"

"Am I sick?" Gu Jingnian asked in confusion.

"hand."

Gu Jingnian then reached out his hand, and the old man pressed the back of his hand.

That was the spot where Xue Juju had stabbed him; it was now a red dot with a faint blackening under the skin, and it hurt when pressed.

"This is poison, which I cannot cure. I can only prescribe two doses of medicine to delay its onset. If you want a cure, you must find the person who poisoned you."

Gu Jingnian asked, "What will happen if this poison takes effect?"

"If the poison enters the brain, no matter how capable you are, you will fall into a coma."

"What if I cut off this arm?"

"It's too late. After just one day of poisoning, the toxins have already spread throughout your body via your bloodstream."

Gu Jingnian asked, "May I ask who you are, sir?"

“Xun Yan”.

"Is it an extraordinary person?"

Xun Yan did not answer, but said, "I only treat people's illnesses, not others."

Gu Jingnian said, "What if Shen Jichi sent me to find you?"

Xun Yan gave Gu Jingnian a deep look and said, "Then you must bring a token."

"Ancient Tree Token? I forgot to bring it."

"The token is not to prove your identity, but because with the token, this old man can take you to that place."

"where?"

"The place you want to go."

Xun Yan answered, then looked up and glanced outside the door. Night had fallen in Zhuojing.

Deep within the capital city, thousands upon thousands of lights are lit.

(End of this chapter)