Jiangshan Fengwuzhi

Chapter 47 Strange Disease
Gu Jingnian only knew that Chao Heng fell seriously ill at the end of last year and told others that he had tuberculosis. Today it is obviously not the case, but he does not know what the specific illness is.

From what Liu Huan said, Chao Heng had it all his own fault. Perhaps he had touched an unclean woman and contracted that disease.

He was not sure, so he said nothing and just looked at Liu Huan with a cold gaze.

"Why? Blame me?"

Liu Huan sat up, showing her proud figure in front of Gu Jingnian without any hesitation, and said, "I have long advised you not to associate with that evil doctor, but you didn't listen. Do you think I am useful? Go away, stay away from me, I am disgusting."

When he heard the word "evil doctor", Gu Jingnian first thought of "Liu Heng", and wondered how to get more from Liu Huan.

But he had just entered Chao's Mansion and had not yet figured out the details, so he should not act rashly. He ordered Qiao'er to push him away.

Chao Heng usually lived alone in the main house. The house was very spacious and luxurious, and there was a huge bed. However, there was only one person, Qiao'er, who could serve him closely. The rest of the servants had to stay outside the door even if they came to help with the rough work.

This was exactly what Gu Jingnian wanted, but unfortunately the dinner delivered was very little, only half a bowl of rice and two vegetarian dishes.

"Sir, are you going to take a bath today?"

"No, I'm tired."

Gu Jingnian was quickly helped to lie down on the couch. During the process, Qiao'er wanted to unbutton his underwear, but he stopped her impatiently.

After turning off the lights, he successfully spent the first day of sneaking into Chao Mansion.

There is some information that Chao Heng may have become paralyzed due to his association with an evil doctor, but it has not been confirmed yet.

Maybe we can follow this line to investigate further.

With caution, Gu Jingnian gradually fell asleep.

This time he was very alert. When it was dim and he vaguely felt some movement beside him, he woke up immediately.

He raised his eyelids slightly and saw Qiao'er sitting on the couch, staring at the quilt covering his lower body with sharp eyes.

Seeing him wake up, she asked in a surprised tone: "Sir, I went to the clinic yesterday. Are you feeling better today?"

"Ah."

Gu Jingnian turned sideways and curled up his legs.

He confirmed his guess yesterday and found the direction to investigate the relationship between Chao Juzhi and "Liu Heng".

That morning, Gu Jingnian was leaning on the couch, reading a Buddhist scripture in his hand. This was Chao Heng's daily routine, and he hoped that chanting the scriptures and reciting the Buddha's name would help him recover from his illness.

When he thought of his spy Zhang Fan disguised as a peddler selling steamed cakes around Chao's mansion, he put down the scripture and said weakly.

"I suddenly want to eat steamed cakes."

Qiao'er was stunned, with doubt in her eyes, and replied: "I will ask the kitchen to do it right away."

"Go out and buy some. I want to eat it now."

"Yes."

Qiao'er immediately told her servants to go buy it. After only an incense stick of time, she bought a plate of hot steamed cake and brought it to Gu Jingnian. The snow-white cake was embedded with three wolfberries, which was exactly what Zhang Fan was selling.

Gu Jingnian tasted two, but thinking that Chao Heng didn’t have a big appetite, he stopped eating and focused his eyes on the scriptures.

After a while, he suddenly pulled Qiao'er's hand and touched it. The beautiful maid was a little surprised. She lowered her head and said in a delicate voice, "Sir, are you feeling better today?"

“Where do you buy steamed cakes?”

"Slave, go and ask now."

"Bring the cake maker here directly."

"Yes."

After a stick of incense had passed, Zhang Fan knelt outside the door.

Gu Jingnian did not go out to meet him, but asked through the door: "What ingredients do you use in your steamed cakes?"

"I use the best flour."

"Are there any ingredients that can nourish the kidneys and strengthen the yang?"

"Yes, wolfberry."

Gu Jingnian waited until Zhang Fan was taken away before speaking again, his weak voice filled with strong hope.

He has seen it a lot and is very good at interpreting this emotion.

“Go buy wolfberries, the more the better.”

"Yes."

Qiao'er was a little dazed. She had never thought that the young master's strange illness could be cured by such a simple medicinal ingredient.

She has always believed that only miraculous methods can be used.

Besides, it seems that something was wrong with the young master when he came back from Xinglin Pavilion yesterday...

Gu Jingnian looked at Qiao'er's back as she left, knowing that his actions had aroused her suspicion.

But his goal is not to pretend to be Chao Heng for a long time. Being exposed is only a matter of time. The key is to find the "evil doctor" before that.

While Qiao'er was arranging people to buy wolfberries, he got up and searched around the house. He flipped through the manuscripts in the drawer and found that Chao Heng had liked to collect some methods to increase male sexual function for a long time.

Although these seem unreliable, they will not have serious consequences. I just don't know what the evil doctor did.

Not long after, Qiao'er came back and Gu Jingnian had sat down on the couch again.

He knew that he would be discovered by her sooner or later, so the worst that could happen was to get rid of the maid first. So he decided to take a gamble and started to test her.

"Actually, I know wolfberries can't cure me."

"Sir, don't be discouraged."

"I just regret that I shouldn't have listened to that old guy."

Gu Jingnian carefully considered the decision to use the word "old guy".

Qiao Er didn't react much, she whispered to comfort him: "Since he is dead, it can be regarded as evil deeds have been punished, young master will be fine."

Gu Jingnian gnashed his teeth and said, "Is his death enough? Do you know what he did to me?"

He felt that this sentence was very accurate and might be able to find out some key information. Unexpectedly, Qiao'er knelt in front of him and said, "Sir, don't pay attention to what the young lady said. It's not disgusting, because it grows on your body. Qiao'er thinks... it's pretty good."

Gu Jingnian was stunned and didn't say anything.

It took him a long time to figure out what Qiao'er meant by this.

--------

"Captain, I have seen Chao Heng and found out that he may be suffering from paralysis."

On the other side, Zhang Fan was reporting to Tingqiao Bing.

Tingqiao Bing did not tell Zhang Fan that Chao Heng was impersonated by Gu Jingnian. He just asked for details and realized that it was Gu Jingnian who was passing on the message.

He immediately rushed to Xinglin Pavilion and interrogated Liu Ren.

"Tell me, what disease does Chao Heng have?!"

"I don't know. It's a strange disease. The blood is hot and the qi is weak. I just use golden needles to clear the heat in his blood. If I don't clear it every seven days, he will be exhausted."

No matter how many questions he asked, Liu Ren always gave the same answer.

Seeing that the doctor might really not know, Tingqiao Bing rushed to the secret cell where Chao Heng was imprisoned and stripped off Chao Heng's skirt.

He was startled at one glance.

Because he had never seen such a large object in his life, it was hanging limply.

"How did you..."

Chao Heng was handcuffed to the rack. He was filled with shame and anger when he saw his secret was discovered. He cursed in a weak but vicious voice: "Dwarf, I will kill you!"

"I haven't asked you to give me back my eyes yet!"

Tingqiao Bing rubbed his eyes and said, "Isn't this...not right?"

"Go to hell."

"Wait for your punishment, boy."

Tingqiao Bing turned around and left, and sent people to check whether Chao Heng had ever been to the brothels in Shuyang City when he was young.

He had never paid attention to this matter before, but he found a clue as soon as he checked.

"Captain, many prostitutes have entertained Chao Heng."

"How's his skill in bed?"

"Yes, although the words are a little small, they are strong."

"Are you sure it's 'slightly smaller'?" Tingqiao Bing was a little confused.

"They all say something like this, or 'a little small', or 'small but firm' or something like that."

"Really? Go to the cellar and see if it's a little smaller."

Tingqiao Bing soon determined that Chao Heng must have used some evil methods to ruin himself, and he quickly took him back to Kaipingsi and handed him over to Yougui.

You Gui knew that things had progressed, so he personally interrogated Chao Heng.

"Speak now, confess now and avoid physical pain."

"What? Am I guilty just because of this?"

"What happened?"

"I applied the medicine the quack doctor gave me, and it's swollen."

You Gui shook his head and said, "I've been to Wanchun Palace and saw what they were doing inside. You... I'm really afraid that a leech will crawl out of there."

He took a few steps away in disgust and instructed the torturer in the dark, "Cut it first, be careful."

"Yes."

"It was Liu Heng." Chao Heng saw this and spoke up, "In fact, I was the one who had been colluding with Liu Heng."

You Gui stopped the torturer, picked up the pen and started recording.

"A year ago, I met Liu Heng in Xiangwan Tower. We have the same name and we are both admirers of the famous prostitute Qi Shushu, so we became close friends regardless of age. He is an imperial physician with superb medical skills. I trust him very much. Later, he said that he had made a magic medicine with the exotic beasts of Yihai, the Bashe and Xixiang, which could solve my long-standing troubles. After I used it, it worked well at first, but gradually problems arose. I asked Liu Heng for medicine again, but he forced me to help him make medicine in Wanchun Palace, because Wanchun Palace was built by my father. I went to ask my father for help. At that time, I thought he only needed some human blood, but I didn't expect him to make such a big fuss. But we can't get off the boat anymore."

Yugui put down his pen and asked, "You begged your father, and he committed such a big crime for you?"

Chao Heng didn't expect that he would be held responsible for everything. Gouzi was still pressing him with questions, so he closed his eyes and said, "I advise you to close the case with me. It will be better for everyone."

"Closing the case against you?"

Yugui keenly realized that there was something wrong with this sentence, rolled his eyes, and asked: "Could it be that you were thrown out on purpose?!"

Suddenly, the sound of a door opening was heard outside the torture chamber.

Someone in the dark corridor said, "Captain You, the new commissioner has taken office. Call everyone over."

You Gui didn't even have time to report the secret trial of Chao Heng to Pei Nian. He didn't want others to know about it, so he gestured to his confidant and hurried out before outsiders came in.

"coming."

"Who is Captain You interrogating?"

"A flower thief." Yugui said, "Let's go, who is the new commissioner?"

"Captain You has seen it."

You Gui also became curious, thinking that perhaps Pei Jishi could take advantage of his great achievement to go one step further and become the youngest chief of Kaiping Division in history.

But when he arrived at the Tisitang and looked up, he saw a feminine-looking man standing on the stone steps - Mei Chengzong, the Northern Yamen Justice.

The image embroidered on his brocade robe was no longer a Gu Diao, but a Suanni.

"Everyone is here?"

Mei Chengzong took a deep look at the late You Gui, snorted coldly, and started to lecture him.

"The good things you did in the Southern Court caused me to be transferred out of the Northern Court. I have no choice but to teach you how to do things from now on!"

(End of this chapter)