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

At that moment, Lord Gu's eyes were different from any other time. Like a sudden storm in a calm sea, it seemed to blot out the sky and devour everything.

Being stared at with such deep eyes, I felt a strange, indescribable feeling.

Zhu Qingyu suddenly felt like a small boat tossed about in a storm, feeling uneasy and panicked, adrift and lost. She subconsciously lowered her eyes to shut out the tempest.

Lord Gu has released his grip and said:

"Feel sorry."

Zhu Qingyu stood up and looked over again; Lord Gu's eyes were now clear.

Gu Zhao was still wearing half of her clothes, while the other half hung loosely around her waist. Half-covered and half-revealed, she smiled apologetically and with a hint of distress:

"I'm so sorry, please forgive me."

Medical staff do not distinguish between genders, but they do distinguish between beauty and ugliness.

Lord Gu's features were already handsome, and with his body partially concealed, his muscles appeared even more powerful and his physique majestic and heroic. His entire being exuded masculine charm.

Judging from Zhu Qingyu's disrespectful view, Lord Gu's current appearance is the kind of thing she would repeatedly save and watch when she was browsing her phone in modern times. If he were to go live without using beauty filters, she would be unable to resist sending him money.

But Zhu Qingyu has no time to appreciate Lord Gu's charm and charisma.

She knew why Gu Zhao apologized.

Although Lord Gu wields great power and influence, he is only twenty-two years old, the age of a university student, the most active time of his life, and also the time when he is least susceptible to the temptations of romance.

It ignites instantly, very clearly, just like last time, and it's the same this time.

This kind of thing is actually not suitable for discussion. If she responds and brings it up again, it will only make things more awkward. Besides, that strange feeling from just now is still lingering in her mind and is hard to dispel.

Zhu Qingyu almost instinctively skipped over the topic.

She took several steps back, and finally said only:

"Judging from your condition, it should only be a superficial injury. Applying some blood-activating and stasis-removing medicine, both externally and internally, should help it heal in a few days. Do you have any bruising at the injury site?"

Gu Zhao watched as she, who had already approached, retreated step by step until she was out of his reach.

He had already restrained himself enough. What happened just now wasn't entirely his fault. She also had some responsibility. Why couldn't she give him some understanding?

Watching her walk away, Gu Zhao smiled, a smile gentler and more harmless than the first spring breeze.

"Qingyu, I can't see it myself, could you please take another look for me?"

Seeing Zhu Qingyu hesitate and remain silent, Gu Zhao used the same tactic as before, understanding her situation and saying:

"If it's difficult for you, then forget it. I'll have Xiong Kun take a look; it'll be the same."

The same tactic suddenly failed her, and Zhu Qingyu quickly replied, following his lead:

"Okay, I'll call someone for you. This afternoon I'll have Uncle Qi bring over some medicine for your injuries—oral medicine, three times a day, and topical medicine. Have your attendant remember to change your dressings every morning and evening."

After saying this, Zhu Qingyu turned and ran, disappearing without a trace.

Hearing Zhu Qingyu calling Xiong Kun from outside, Gu Zhao's warm smile vanished without a trace.

Gu Zhao stood up, expressionless, put on the inner garment that she had torn off, then took the outer garment and slowly put on his clothes.

The door to the inner room was clearly open, and Zhu Qingyu had clearly called Xiong Kun as Gu Zhao had instructed, but Xiong Kun stood in the outer room and didn't dare to go in.

After Gu Zhao finished dressing and went out, Xiong Kun stood outside with his head down, not daring to breathe loudly.

Gu Zhao went to the table and began to eat lunch.

Without Gu Zhao's instruction, Xiong Kun reported the information he had just gathered:

"I just asked, and it turns out that while you were away, Madam Zhu brought Zhang Jingyan lunch every day at noon, hence her presence here."

The food at the government office wasn't good, but Gu Zhao had also eaten something even worse.

During the most difficult time in the palace, the current Empress Dowager, who was then the Empress, was imprisoned, and Consort Gao took control of the harem. The late Emperor wanted to make the Second Prince the Crown Prince, but had no reason to depose him.

For a time, Gu Zhao accompanied the current emperor and secretly ate the meals of the palace servants for a long period of time.

Therefore, even the current emperor, who is the Son of Heaven, suffered a lot before ascending the throne.

She talked about loyalty and respect, but it was all just perfunctory talk. She knew perfectly well that the food at the government office was bad, so why did she only send some to Zhang Jingyan and not to him as well?

Gu Zhao said expressionlessly, as if chewing wax:

"Put what Zhang Jingyan wrote in the study. I'll read it later and tell him he doesn't need to come tomorrow."

After lunch, Gu Zhao returned to his study, opened the box on the shelf again, took out the account book, and also looked at the account book and documents that Zhang Shen had compiled in recent days to allocate the grain and fodder for the bandit suppression.

In fact, after receiving the fragmented but detailed account book that the second manager later transcribed from memory, Gu Zhao had already made up his mind.

The reason for summoning Zhang Shen to the government office and having him write under the watchful eyes of the soldiers was to prevent him from using the household manager or secretary to cause a wrongful judgment.

To be fair, as the head of Yangzhou merchants, Zhang Shenshi was a man of genuine talent and learning. His materials were meticulous, detailed, concise, and accurate, without a single error.

Even within the imperial court, among all the people Gu Zhao had employed, few could write documents as solidly as Zhang Shen.

You wouldn't notice it if you looked at it alone, but now that you put the two ledgers together, even though the handwriting is different, the personal style is so obvious between the lines that it almost leaps off the page.

With witnesses and physical evidence present, the crime of deceiving the emperor is irrefutably proven.

Gu Zhao put the account book aside, then laid out paper, ground ink, and picked up his pen to write a secret memorial to the emperor once a month.

After writing the memorial, Gu Zhao put it in the box used for secret reports and summoned Xiong Kun.

"As usual, send it back to the capital by express courier, 600 li away."

Zhu Qingyu said she would have Uncle Qi send over the medicine in the afternoon, and sure enough, it arrived that afternoon.

Before going to bed that night, Gu Zhao looked in the mirror and slowly applied ointment to the bruises on her waist.

The room was empty. She had appeared briefly before fleeing in a panic.

Gu Zhao lay in bed, and even after taking the sedative medicine she was prescribed, her mind was still filled with the scene of her running away that afternoon, making it difficult for her to fall asleep.

He habitually took out the plain handkerchief, brought it to his lips, kissed it, and chuckled softly:

"The building is about to collapse, where can you escape to, Qingyu?"