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

This wasn't the first time Zhu Qingyu had dinner with Gu Zhao. The last time, on the cruise ship, the two could still address each other as friends, and the atmosphere during the meal was relaxed and easygoing; they could even chat.

But today, the atmosphere at the table was clearly different. Zhu Qingyu remained silent, only picking at the food in front of her, without saying a word.

The lingering influence of that vague promise was still palpable, and Gu Zhao's understanding and pity for her had reached its peak. Not only did he not blame her for her restraint, but he also took the initiative to start a conversation, asking:

"Your hand is injured, can you eat by yourself?"

The injury on my hand still hurts a bit, but it's not to the point where I can't eat.

Besides, even if it really had an impact, she wouldn't say it out loud; she couldn't possibly let Gu Zhao feed her, could she?

Zhu Qingyu nodded and said succinctly:

"OK."

This perfunctory answer did not displease Gu Zhao. His desire to explore her was at its peak, and this desire was not just physical, but also directed towards her as a person.

Gu Zhao was in high spirits today and very interested in chatting with her about everyday matters, so he asked:

"Qingyu, I haven't asked you yet: how old are you, where are you from, and who else is in your family? Is your medical skill a family tradition?"

Zhu Qingyu glanced at him. Gu Zhao's expression was clear and without any ulterior motive; he seemed to simply want to learn more about her.

If she wants to break free from their current inappropriate relationship in the future, she shouldn't reveal too much about herself, especially about her relatives.

After all, having one more person to worry about means having one more vulnerability and one more variable.

Fortunately, apart from Zhang Shen and Zhang Ruohua, all her other relatives were in the modern world. Even though Lord Gu was extremely powerful, he was still no match for them.

Zhu Qingyu spoke frankly:

"I am twenty-five years old. I am from Sichuan. My family consists of my parents and elder brother. We all make a living by practicing medicine. My medical skills were taught to me by my mother."

As she said this, Zhu Qingyu observed Gu Zhao's reaction. Twenty-five years old is considered young and vigorous in modern times, but in this place, it is not considered young.

After all, even palace maids would be considered too old and driven out of the palace when they reached the age of twenty-five. Even wealthy families would look for teenage girls when buying maids or concubines. I've never heard of anyone buying a twenty-five-year-old concubine.

I wonder if he'll mind knowing she's three years older than him.

It would be best to dislike her, for beauty fades and love wanes, and the same applies as age increases. But once love fades, affection ends. He should know that she is already twenty-five, no longer young, and his interest in her won't last long.

Gu Zhao didn't react much to her age. He peeled shrimp and put them in her bowl as usual, then asked:

"The roads to Shu are difficult to travel. If they are in Shu, thousands of miles from Yangzhou, it will be difficult for you to see them. Do you miss them?"

Hearing this, Zhu Qingyu was somewhat moved. Since coming here, she had not seen her family for more than three years, and she could even foresee that she would never see them again in this lifetime.

She lowered her head, didn't speak, and only hummed in agreement.

Gu Zhao said this not to upset her, but to help her solve a practical problem.

She was the eldest daughter-in-law of the Zhang family before. Given the Zhang family's wealth, she must have experienced all kinds of affluent life. He could give her a life of luxury, but Zhang Jingyan had probably given her all of that before, so it wasn't anything special and might not even be of interest to her.

If what he can give her is no different from what Zhang Jingyan once gave her, will she feel wronged every time she thinks back on it?

He said he would treat her well, but that couldn't be just empty words, and he couldn't let her feel wronged.

Could it be that what a son of a noble family like him could provide for her could be inferior to what a merchant family could provide?

Gu Zhao said in a very casual tone:

"Seeing your superb medical skills, I imagine your parents and elder brother are equally skilled. With the Emperor's ascension, he favors appointing newcomers from respectable families. Many have retired from the Imperial Medical Academy this year, leaving several positions vacant. I can vouch for your father, recommending him for a position as an eighth-rank imperial physician. This way, your parents can reside in the capital permanently, and you can see them whenever you wish. Above the imperial physician is the sixth-rank chief physician, and above that is the fifth-rank head physician. If your father is loyal and devoted to the Emperor, performing his duties well, he might even rise to the fifth-rank head physician position in ten years. A fifth-rank official would allow you to request an imperial decree for your mother. Even if your father retires in the future, the title of imperial physician will ensure the prosperity and honor of your Zhu family for generations. Qingyu, what do you think of my suggestion?"

Just now it was coercion, now it's bribery. Zhu Qingyu was astonished by the huge, round pie in the sky that Lord Gu was painting.

Even knowing it's a bribe, most people would find it hard to resist the lure of such a tempting offer, after all, Lord Gu's slight intervention was aimed at changing the social class of her entire family.

Here, the highest pursuit of a physician is to become a royal physician, an achievement that many physicians strive for their entire lives but cannot attain. For Gu Zhao, it is merely a casual remark.

Zhu Qingyu believed that the fact that he dared to say it proved that he was confident he could do it.

No wonder everyone wants to meet a benefactor and rise to prominence. At this moment, Zhu Qingyu gained a deeper understanding of the power that the words "powerful and influential" can wield.

It's a pity that her parents and elder brother are all in the modern world, so she can't eat this big, round pancake.

Seeing that Zhu Qingyu was just staring at him with her chopsticks after listening, even looking somewhat dazed, Gu Zhao patiently smiled and asked again:

"Qingyu, what do you think of what I just said?"

Gu Zhao was so confident that Zhu Qingyu was also curious about the extent of his energy. Knowing it couldn't be, she still tentatively asked:

"Why must I vouch for my father? My medical skills are quite good; can't I be a royal physician?"

Gu Zhao was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and shook his head:

"If you were a man, let alone an imperial physician, I could even help you rise to the rank of a fifth-rank imperial physician."

As expected, it wasn't possible. Zhu Qingyu wasn't disappointed; she was just curious and didn't necessarily have any designs on the imperial physician.

Although she couldn't get the pancake, Zhu Qingyu could see Gu Zhao's sincerity in it.

As a powerful minister, the power he controls and the resources he can mobilize are his most important possessions. The fact that he is willing to use his power and resources on her and her family shows that he is not just making demands, but also genuinely wants to treat her well and cares about her feelings.

If that's the case, does it mean that when Zhang Shen and she were just husband and wife, Gu Zhao would naturally only feel hostility towards him?

But if Zhang Shen and she are not only husband and wife, but also relatives, wouldn't Lord Gu have more reservations when dealing with Zhang Shen's case? Would he be less likely to take his life so easily?

So, could Zhang Shen be both her husband and her blood relative?

In modern times, marriage laws restrict marriage between blood relatives within three generations.

But in ancient times, marriage between cousins ​​was perfectly normal, so if she said so, then so be it.