Clouds and Moon Shadow

Chapter 257 Qin Shi falls seriously ill and rushes back to the capital.

The Duke of Jingcheng's Mansion.

Gu Yuanming, Gu Yuanchen, and Gu Qingyue's eldest brother Gu Yuanjin, whom she had never met before, were all gathered around their mother Qin's bedside, their faces solemn.

Three pairs of eyes were fixed on Physician Hu's hands as he took Qin's pulse.

Since learning that Gu Qingyue was still alive before the Lunar New Year, Qin was overjoyed, which made her illness worse.

Physician Hu said that this was called "excessive joy turning to sorrow." The body could not withstand the intense emotional change. The heart meridian was already weak, and now it was even weaker due to the emotional shock.

The letter that the old Duke wrote to Gu Qingyue and the others naturally concealed this matter.

As soon as Gu Yuanming returned to the capital, he sought out Mu Yun Chu. Mu Yun Chu sent a letter to Bai Jingzhi, estimating that the divine physician Bai had just set off from Lizhou and was still on his way.

But this morning, my mother's condition worsened.

He was almost unconscious the whole time, which terrified the brothers.

Physician Hu has visited the Duke's mansion twice since this morning.

Fifteen minutes later, Gu Yuanjin took the prescription from Physician Hu and hurriedly went to the pharmacy, leaving only the brothers Gu Yuanming and Gu Yuanchen in the room.

"I suggest sending a message to Steward Qiu via carrier pigeon to bring my younger sister back. Her medical skills are excellent, and she should be able to save Mother," Gu Yuanming said to Gu Yuanchen after thinking for a long time, his brows furrowed.

They knew that Steward Qiu must have already picked up his sister, but it would take more than a month to get to the capital by carriage. He should be on the way now. If he rode back on horseback at full speed, it would be much faster than Bai Jingzhi's journey.

Gu Yuanchen thought for a moment, "But, it's my little sister's first time returning to the capital. Can she handle a long ride on horseback? Although her medical skills are excellent, her body may not be able to take it." He thought for a moment, "I'll go pick her up and take her."

Gu Yuanming grabbed his arm impatiently and said, "With Yuan En here, let him take care of the little sister."

After discussing it, Gu Yuanming immediately wrote a letter and sent it to Gu Yuanen by carrier pigeon.

We're still two days away from Beijing.

Gu Yuanen suggested that the group rest and freshen up, since they had spent the last twenty-odd days traveling on horseback and were mostly covered in dust and dirt. So they decided to stay in Qianshan Town for the night.

Qianshan Town was an important hub connecting the capital city to various prefectural cities, so it was very prosperous.

They were almost in the capital. Gu Yuanen wanted his sister to rest well and freshen up before going to see their mother.

He knew his sister was also feeling anxious and fearful, so he needed to give her some time to prepare herself mentally.

It can be said that Gu Yuanen is a very considerate older brother.

Although Gu Qingyue had been living away from home for more than a decade and was not pampered like other noble ladies, she was no longer the same Gu Qingyue she used to be.

She wasn't actually that fearful or worried; she was more curious and excited and joyful that she was about to fulfill the original owner's wish.

So today they stayed at Xiangfu Inn, the largest inn in town.

Gu Qingyue sat in front of the mirror with her hair still wet. She was about to meet her relatives from the Duke's mansion. Gu Qingyue didn't know what had happened back then, but she had a vague feeling that her 'disappearance' was not simple.

Gu Qingyue raised her eyebrows and brought the candlestick closer.

In the mirror was a face with exquisite features; she hadn't looked at herself closely in a long time.

Having been here for nearly two years, I spend every day thinking about making money and protecting myself, and rarely have time to be alone and clear my mind.

She has grown a lot, especially in height, which has increased rapidly.

He must be at least 1.65 meters tall by now.

She has a well-proportioned and slender figure. Although she is still a little thin, she is no longer the skinny, frail figure she used to be.

With a curvaceous figure and a shapely physique, her body was supple due to martial arts training. Her skin was fair and radiant with a healthy pinkish glow; everything about her was perfect.

She was even quite certain that she would be even more beautiful when she grew up.

Gu Qingyue whistled at her reflection in the mirror; she was indeed a natural beauty.

I wonder what the mother of this body looks like?

She said that her eyebrows and eyes looked a lot like her father's, so her father must have been a handsome man.

If he were still alive, he'd probably be a handsome middle-aged man by now.

Gu Qingyue felt sorry for Gu Changling for a while, but could only give up.

I hope he can live a good life and one day be reunited with his family, fulfilling the original owner's wish.

"Sister," came Gu Yuanen's voice from outside the door, followed by urgent knocking.

Gu Qingyue stood up and quickly opened the door.

"What's wrong? Why are you in such a hurry? What happened?"

"When my mother was seriously ill, my third brother sent a message by carrier pigeon, asking where we were."

Gu Yuanen held a letter in his hand, speaking hurriedly, his hands trembling slightly with anxiety and worry.

Gu Qingyue's heart skipped a beat. Was he seriously ill?

They traveled at a great speed because they were worried about Qin's health; now she has suddenly fallen seriously ill?

"Let's go, let's set off," Gu Qingyue said without hesitation. She didn't want to leave Qin Shi with regrets when they were almost in the capital, and she didn't want to have any regrets either.

"Dry your hair first," Gu Yuanen said. He was also in a hurry to leave, but then he noticed that Gu Qingyue's hair was still wet and hanging over her shoulders. She would definitely catch a cold if she went out like that.

Gu Qingyue also remembered that her hair was still wet. Although the weather was getting warmer, it was still not good to go out in the wind like this.

"Give me a quarter of an hour," Gu Qingyue said, then went back into the room and turned around to close the door tightly.

Gu Yuanen paused for a moment, then hurriedly went back to his room to pack his things.

A quarter of an hour later, the five men finished packing, mounted their horses, and galloped swiftly toward the capital.

Working tirelessly, they finally entered the capital city the next day when the city gates closed.

Looking at the towering city wall standing in the dim night, like a giant beast lying in front of her, and the open city gate like the beast's gaping maw, seemingly able to devour and annihilate everything, Gu Qingyue couldn't help but take a few more glances.

This was the first time in both her past and present lives that she had seen such a tall and majestic city wall, which gave Gu Qingyue a clearer understanding that she had indeed arrived in a world completely different from her previous life.

Zhenguogongfu.

The night was hazy, and lights were lit up under the eaves.

In the still chilly breeze, lanterns sway in the wind, like mischievous smiling faces teasing the hurried figures passing by in the night.

In the vast Zhenguo Duke's mansion, the servants walked on tiptoe.

At this moment, the main bedroom of the second house was filled with people, who silently craned their necks to look at the bedside, not daring to breathe.

Physician Hu stroked his gray beard with one hand and pressed the pulse of the person on the bed with the other, closing his eyes and remaining silent for a long time.

The woman on the bed was thin, with a pale face, purple lips, and barely breathing.

The spacious room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; everyone was waiting for Physician Hu.

A quarter of an hour later, Physician Hu opened his eyes, shook his head at Gu Yuanjin and his brothers, indicating that he was powerless to help.

He sensed it when he took her pulse yesterday; Qin Shi had endured so many years, and was now on her last legs.

But he never expected that Qin's health would deteriorate so quickly, without any warning.