In ancient times, the powerful and wealthy seized power step by step.

As Zhu Qingyu and Gu Zhao were talking, the two mothers and two young ladies returned nimbly, one carrying gauze, the other fetching medicine, the other bringing hot water, and the other carrying a medicine box.

With a room full of men in the way, Gu Zhao dodged and weaved, and gave the order:

"Everyone else, get out of here and don't get in the way of the doctor's treatment."

He then said to Zhu Qingyu:

"Then we'll leave it to Madam Zhu. How to treat her is entirely up to the doctor."

When a patient's condition is critical, it's most undesirable for family members to be emotionally unstable and cause trouble. It's rare to encounter a family member like Minister Gu, who is both decisive and emotionally stable; naturally, they should be put to good use. Zhu Qingyu called him back again:

"Please wait, Your Excellency. The patient may wake up midway. Please have a strong young man stay to help hold the patient down."

Gu Zhao slowed his pace:

"I'll do it."

Just as Zhu Qingyu had expected, without anesthesia, the excruciating pain of stitching up the wound woke Xie Ze from his coma. He stared at Zhu Qingyu with wide eyes, panting, and gripped her wrist tightly as she stitched him up.

Seeing that the half-stitched wound was about to tear open again, Zhu Qingyu looked over, her voice calm and utterly unmoved:

"If you want to live, let go."

Gu Zhao, who was standing guard nearby, stepped forward, pulled Xie Ze's hand away, and pressed it down. Taking advantage of the moment when Xie Ze was awake, she poured a bowl of anesthetic into his mouth and knocked him down.

Despite Xie Ze's struggle to get up, Zhu Qingyu's hand remained steady as she stitched up the wound. She didn't even blink. Even the two young women assisting her changed the gauze and pressed on the wound without showing the slightest panic.

This composure was truly rare, prompting Gu Zhao to take another look. She felt that her demeanor when treating patients was completely different from the previous two times she had given off such a feeling.

Only after taking one more look did Gu Zhao realize how close the two of them had been, shoulder to shoulder, clothes touching, in order to hold Xie Ze down.

A sudden surge of heat, without any apparent cause, swept over her entire body from top to bottom. It was just a touch of her clothes, yet she reacted so strongly. What kind of evil spirit had possessed her, or what kind of hysteria was she experiencing?

Gu Zhao took several steps back, and during the subsequent treatment, until Zhu Qingyu finished stitching up Xie Ze, applying medicine, and bandaging him, Gu Zhao did not step forward again.

Zhu Qingyu went to the side to wash her hands. Seeing that Vice Minister Gu was standing far away and looked rather unwell, she said:

"The bleeding has stopped. Please arrange for a few people to keep an eye on him. I will deliver the medicine three times a day for the next few days and change the dressing every evening. If this young man develops a fever, please report to me immediately."

Seeing that his clothes were covered in blood, Zhu Qingyu asked cautiously:

"My lord, are you injured? Would you like to take a look?"

Gu Zhao glanced at the bruise on her wrist where Xie Ze had gripped her, then looked at her with an unreadable expression before pushing open the door and leaving without saying a word.

The young woman, Su Mu, who was collecting the gauze and cleaning up afterward, felt indignant and muttered:

"What's wrong with this man? My wife has gone to great lengths to treat and save lives, and he hasn't even said thank you. He's so handsome, yet he doesn't even offer a word of thanks."

Xiong Kun had already brought his men in. Zhu Qingyu gave Su Mu a look, signaling her to be quiet.

Zhu Qingyu repeated the instructions she had just given to Minister Gu to Xiong Kun, left the consultation room to them, and brought her own people out.

First, she went to check on Uncle Qi, the gatekeeper, and seeing that he was unharmed, Zhu Qingyu gathered all her people together and gave them instructions:

"Uncle Qi, for the next few days, put up a 'Closed' sign and don't let any unauthorized people in. As for their people, let them come and go as they please; don't interfere. Su Mu and Lin Lan, you two move upstairs and live with me for the next few days. Remember, don't inquire about anything that doesn't concern us, and definitely don't gossip about it."

A high-ranking official of the second rank, the emperor's cousin, encountered assassins in Yangzhou. It's easy to imagine the huge uproar this would cause.

Zhu Qingyu's principle was that in such a feudal class society, ordinary people like her were surrounded by people with the legal right to harm them. Therefore, she should stay as far away from these high-ranking officials as possible to avoid being implicated and suffering undeserved disaster.

As for Gu Zhao's attitude, it was relatively mild before, but suddenly he became cold and unfriendly. Perhaps it was because I didn't know why I offended him, or perhaps he was just such an unpredictable person.

Regardless of the reason, staying away from him, keeping your distance, and not provoking him is always the right thing to do.

In the following days, Gu Zhao led his guards out early and returned late, leaving only Xiong Kun and a few guards to take turns looking after Xie Ze.

Xie Ze's condition fluctuated. When he was in good condition, he would find it uncomfortable to lie down for too long and could sit up to read for a while, or even walk a few steps with support. When he was in bad condition, he would have a high fever all night long, or his wounds would appear to be healing, but he would still feel pain in this and that and it would not get better no matter what.

As the weather gets warmer, wounds are more prone to infection. In the past, an antibiotic would have been enough, but here, there was no other choice. Zhu Qingyu could only make her own garlic extract for Xie Ze using traditional methods, three times a day, and each time she had to make it fresh.

That afternoon, Zhu Qingyu was distilling garlic extract in the pharmacy when a shadow fell over the doorway, blocking out half the light.

Zhu Qingyu looked over and was surprised to find that it was none other than Minister Gu, whom she hadn't seen in a long time.

These past few days, no matter when or when she went to deliver medicine to Xie Ze, Minister Gu was never there, and even the consultation fee was specially paid by Xiong Kun.

It goes without saying that they deliberately avoided it.

Since the other party's avoidance and disdain were so obvious, Zhu Qingyu naturally wouldn't cling to him. She thought he wouldn't appear until Xie Ze recovered, but unexpectedly he did.

Perhaps they've come to inquire about Xie Ze's condition, Zhu Qingyu thought to herself, and nodded politely.

"Young Master Xie is already able to walk. Would you like to go and see him, Your Excellency?"

Gu Zhao stepped inside:

"I'm here to see you. Xiong Kun said you've received two taels of silver for your consultations these past few days."

Zhu Qingyu was genuinely surprised. Could it be that Minister Gu had come to complain about her overcharging? They were both from the Gu family, so why were Old Madam Gu and Madam Gu so generous, while Minister Gu was so stingy, haggling over two taels of silver?

If he wanted to argue, Zhu Qingyu wasn't afraid. She had clearly stated the prices, calculated every expense, and written a list for Xiong Kun.

Zhu Qingyu stood up straight and said, neither humble nor arrogant:

"Yes, the consultation fee is two taels of silver. My consultation fee here is one hundred cash per visit. Since it is a nighttime visit, the consultation fee is doubled. Also, because it involves acupuncture for external injuries, an additional five hundred cash is added, making it seven hundred cash in total. Young Master Xie's injury is severe, and he has used a lot of my medicines and supplies, and has also occupied my consultation room. My clinic's business has been delayed these past few days, hence the higher price. The total is two taels. I have written a list for Lord Xiong, with each item listed. If there is anything unclear, you may ask me again."

Gu Zhao listened as she meticulously calculated her accounts, penny by penny, and observed the cloth clothes she wore and the wooden hairpin in her hair, without interrupting her.

In ordinary households, it's not easy for men to make a living, let alone a weak woman like her.

Only after she had finished speaking did Gu Zhao say:

"A consultation only costs one hundred coins, and saving a person with great effort only earns two taels of silver. Even with a large clinic, working all year round, we might not earn much silver. Madam Zhu, have you ever thought about changing your way of life? It may be presumptuous of me to ask this, but it would be too outrageous of me to keep pretending to be deaf and dumb. Do you expect me to take responsibility for what happened that night? You must know my situation. At least I won't make things so difficult for you financially."