Married Thrice to Salted Fish

Chapter 50

Lin Qingyu was slightly startled — Just now, that wasn’t what Gu Fuzhou had said. Chu Zhengde was also at a loss as to why the general’s attitude changed so quickly. Father Lin was already used to General Gu’s inconsistencies during his time in Yongliang; he had long since stopped seeing it as strange. “Qingyu, serve the general his medicine.”

Lin Qingyu stepped forward. Holding up the medicine bowl, he handed it to Gu Fuzhou: “General, please take this medicine.”

The two were a little too close. Gu Fuzhou glanced at him quickly and then immediately turned his head away, his breathing becoming unsteady.

It seemed to Lin Qingyu that Gu Fuzhou was a little nervous. He didn’t know what was there to be nervous about drinking his antidote, so he asked, “Is there anything the general finds improper?”

Gu Fuzhou muttered, “…You’re too close.”

Lin Qingyu heard him. He put the medicine bowl on the table and retreated.

“Ai, that’s not what I meant… Forget it.” Gu Fuzhou seemed ashamed of his behavior but there was nothing he could do about it. So he picked up the medicine bowl and drank it clean.

Chu Zhengde said, “The antidote must be taken once a day and any residual poison will be eliminated in one month. Every day starting from tomorrow, the Imperial Medical Office will deliver the antidote to the general’s mansion. I ask that the general take it on time.”

In other words, Gu Fuzhou could only stay in the capital for one month. After his detoxification was finished, he would need to return to the Northwest frontier.

“Then the question is, who will come to deliver the medicine to me every day?” Gu Fuzhou looked around and set his eyes on Lin Qingyu, “Imperial Physician Lin, can you be the one to do it?”

Without waiting for Lin Qingyu’s answer, Chu Zhengde said, “Imperial Physician Lin was late in delivering the medicine today. Were it to happen another time, would this not cause harm to the general’s health?”

Father Lin knew that his eldest son was not such a careless person; there must be a reason for the incident. He asked Lin Qingyu, “News of the general’s arrival in the capital today was sent to the Imperial Medical Office early this morning. Why were you late?”

Lin Qingyu said, “I was told that the general would arrive tomorrow.”

Chu Zhengde furrowed his brows tightly, “By who?”

“Hong Changfeng.”

Gu Fuzhou quickly cast down his decision. “Then it’s that Hong Changfeng’s fault. What wrong has Imperial Physician Lin done? And even if he has, he is this general’s adopted brother. I am more than willing to wait for him.”

Father Lin was helpless. “Since the general has said so, Qingyu, from today on, it will be up to you to come to the general’s mansion every day to deliver his medicine.”

Lin Qingyu nodded in agreement. He didn’t have the patience to run errands, but Gu Fuzhou had been kind to him and he ought to return that kindness.

It was getting late. It was time for most ordinary people to be going to bed. Father Lin said, “General, this official wishes to visit the Lin Residence.”

Gu Fuzhou smiled and said, “As it should be. I have made my adopted father work hard during this journey. Head home and reunite with your family.”

Lin Qingyu withdrew together with his father. When he reached the door, Gu Fuzhou suddenly called him, “Qing-… Imperial Physician Lin.”

Lin Qingyu turned around. “Does the general have any other instructions?”

Gu Fuzhou hesitated to speak. Finally, he glanced at the Tianji Camp guards beside him, and said slowly, “It is nothing. I would just like to thank you for your hard work.”

Lin Qingyu said politely, “It was this official’s honor to be able to serve the general.”

Gu Fuzhou said with a smile, “It was this general who was honored.”

Lin Qingyu followed his father back home. Mother Lin had not received any news of her husband’s return. Upon seeing her husband, she burst into tears. Father Lin and Mother Lin have been together for many years, they were a couple very much in love. At this moment, their silence surpassed even a thousand words.

“Father!” Lin Qinghe ran towards Father Lin and threw himself into his father’s arms. Father Lin leaned down to catch his youngest son. He then lifted him up high. “Qinghe has gained weight.”

After a very long time, their family of four finally gathered together to eat. During the six months that Father Lin was away from the capital, too many things have happened. Lu Wancheng died of illness and Lin Qingyu separated from the Nan’an Hou’s Mansion; he then became a medical officer of the Imperial Hospital. In the future, father and son would be working in the Imperial Hospital together; they could be regarded as colleagues.

Speaking of Lu Wancheng, Father Lin couldn’t help sighing. “In the end, Young Master Hou was unable to survive past weak crown. It is a pity.”

Lin Qingyu didn’t feel that it was a pity. Being able to be rid of that weak and sickly body was a good thing for that person.

When Mother Lin took the sleepy Lin Qinghe to bed, Lin Qingyu asked, “Father, do you know of that phrase — ‘If odd, change; if even remain the same’?”

Father Lin nodded. “This phrase was widely circulated among the Zhengxi Army. It is said that it came from a secret Xixia letter that General Gu intercepted. The general remained puzzled despite much pondering. He relayed this phrase to the Crown Prince, wishing that he would summon the masters in the capital to resolve his confusion. However, even until now that we’ve been allowed to return to the capital, still no one has figured it out.”

Lin Qingyu was lost in thought.

So, was that person really in Xixia?

Having been reunited after a long parting, they shared some wine. Father Lin told him a few more things, “General Gu is truly a wonderful person.”

Lin Qingyu asked, “Why do say this?”

Father Lin smiled and shook his head. “You’ll know after you spend a few more days with him.”

Lin Qingyu also smiled. “I was really surprised when Father recognized General Gu as his adopted son.”

“The general is an official of the highest rank serving our country. I am but a fifth-rank Yuan Pan of the Imperial Hospital. How could I possibly dare to be his adoptive father? At first, I refused in every possible way. Later, the general said, if I recognize him as my adopted son, the status of the Lin Residence in the capital will be substantially different from before. It will be very beneficial to your career. It was only then that I felt relieved.”

Lin Qingyu nodded and said, “The general truly has helped me a lot.”

The next day, Father Lin returned to the Imperial Hospital. The first thing he did was to find out all the details regarding the delayed delivery of the antidote. He asked Lin Qingyu and Hong Changfeng to confront each other. Hong Changfeng insisted that he was not wrong, but that Lin Qingyu had misunderstood. They only had each other’s verbal statements to go by. There hadn’t been a third person present at the time. Father Lin has always been fair in his dealings. Even if he believed in his eldest son, he would not make a decision without evidence. Fortunately, the general did not pursue the matter and Father Lin punished the two with a small penalty, fining the two of them of a month’s salary.

Hu Ji said, “Hong Changfeng must have been instigated by Chu Yuan Pan. Who doesn’t know that these two are blood-related master and apprentice?”

“Not necessarily. It hasn’t been just a day or two since Chu Zhengde has found me disagreeable. He is pedantic and stubborn and it is clear that he is targeting me.” Lin Qingyu said, “It seems that he isn’t the only one who dislikes me in the Imperial Hospital and the Imperial Medical Office.”

Hu Ji sighed. “They say that a tall tree attracts the wind. You came up with the cure for the epidemic. You’re the youngest doctor in the Imperial Hospital. You’re related in some way to both the Empress and General Gu. What’s more, your father is the head Yuan Pan of the Imperial Hospital. Naturally, you would attract people’s jealousy. Regardless, they should learn to draw in their claws in normal times.”

Lin Qingyu said coldly, “I don’t need for them to draw in their claws. I need for those idiots to provoke me less.”

After the evening meal, Lin Qingyu prepared the Sky Spider antidote at the Imperial Medical Office and delivered it to the general’s mansion. The housekeeper of the general’s mansion was named Yuan Yin. Gu Fuzhou was away from home most of the year. With no parents or wife, Yuan Yin was usually left to take care of everything in the house.

Yuan Yin knew that Lin Qingyu would come to deliver medicine and was ordered to wait at the door early on. “The general is enjoying the shade in the backyard,” Yuan Yin said respectfully. “Imperial Physician Lin, please come with me.”

The summer heat was scorching and the cicadas were chirping. The handsome, tall and imposing man lay on the rocking chair. His eyes were closed and he was rocking back and forth slowly. He was extremely tall of stature and there was hardly any room to stretch out his long legs; he could only let them hang where they lay. Two pages were positioned on either side of him, holding long fans and fanning the wind for him.

Gu Fuzhou’s lazy and indolent appearance seemed very familiar to Lin Qingyu. Behind him stood two imperial guards with swords by their waists. Their temperament did not resemble that of a military officer used to fighting and marching; rather, their temperaments were similar to Shen Huaishi’s. If he guessed correctly, these should be the people from Tianji Camp. Xiao Cheng had ordered the people from Tianji Camp to follow Gu Fuzhou. Nominally, they were there to guard the general but everyone knew what they were actually there for.

Yuan Yin stepped forward and said, “General, Imperial Physician Lin has come to deliver the medicine.”

The rocking chair stopped and Gu Fuzhou stood up. Compared to last time, he no longer seemed so nervous. He walked to face Lin Qingyu, lowered his head and said, “You’re here.”

Lin Qingyu was not short but standing in front of Gu Fuzhou, he unexpectedly seemed as petite as a woman. His chin didn’t even reach Gu Fuzhou’s shoulder. They only thing that could be said was that Gu Fuzhou was certainly worthy of being the fierce general known as the Dayu’s god of war.

“General, it’s time to drink your medicine.”

Gu Fuzhou drank the medicine, raised his head and sighed, “The moonlight is so beautiful tonight. If Imperial Physician Lin has nothing else to do, why not accompany this general to drink some wine, eat some snacks and admire the moon?”

Lin Qingyu hesitated for a moment, then nodded: “Thank you for the invitation, General.”

Gu Fuzhou revealed a smile. When he wasn’t smiling, his face appeared grave and stern. When he smiled, it seemed to fit his face, making him look a lot younger. Gu Fuzhou ordered Yuan Yin to serve them a late-night snack. Lin Qingyu reminded him, “It would be better for the general to refrain from drinking alcohol.”

“I won’t drink but you should.” Gu Fuzhou poured a cup of wine for Lin Qingyu. He looked on with a smile as Lin Qingyu took a sip, his eyes seemed to fill with moonlight.

Lin Qingyu frowned. He had this nagging feeling that this situation seemed familiar. “Why is the general looking at me like that?”

Gu Fuzhou coughed lightly and said, “I heard that Imperial Physician Lin has just recently gone through the pain of bereavement. Now, it seems that you are not particularly grieved?”

Lin Qingyu said lightly, “He has already passed away. Those left behind should learn to look forward.”

“It is only right that you should not grieve. Grieving harms the body.” Gu Fuzhou paused and said, “Has Imperial Physician Lin ever heard the phrase, “If odd, change; if even remain the same?”

As soon as he said these words, the two guards turned to look at them.

Xiao Cheng hadn’t made this matter public. Naturally, he couldn’t reveal the cloven foot. “I have never heard of it.”

Gu Fuzhou raised his eyebrows and said with a smile, “Is that so. That’s interesting.” He glanced at the two guards and said vaguely, “Nevermind, now is not a good time.”

Lin Qingyu asked, “What does the general mean?”

Gu Fuzhou changed the subject, “By the way, were you able to get down to the bottom of the late delivery yesterday?”

Lin Qingyu briefly explained the matter. When Gu Fuzhou learned that he had been fined a month’s salary, he smiled and said, “Then you must remember this animosity and pay it back tenfold in the future.”

The subtle feeling of familiarity grew stronger. Lin Qingyu stared at Gu Fuzhou for a long time then said simply, “I will.”

After admiring the moon for about an hour, Lin Qingyu got up to say goodbye. Gu Fuzhou rubbed his lower abdomen and sighed, “I’ll get up too and move around a bit, work up a sweat.”

That sense of familiarity instantly disappeared. If it were that person, he definitely wouldn’t move about in the middle of summer, working up a sweat.

Lin Qingyu said, “The residual poison has yet to clear form the general’s body. Please remember not to practice excessively.”

Gu Fuzhou’s face sank. “I’m older now. I’m no longer seventeen or eighteen when no matter what I ate or how much I slept, I wouldn’t gain weight. I don’t want to move, but I want to get fat in my middle years even less.” Gu Fuzhou seems to be thinking of something. His lips curved into a smile. “Adopted brother, would you like to see how I usually practice?”

To be honest, he didn’t really want to. But thinking of the help Gu Fuzhou had extended to him, Lin Qingyu nodded anyway.

Gu Fuzhou’s heroic manner was suddenly reaching for the clouds. “It’s time for you to see my true strength. Let’s go, I’ll take you to the military drill grounds.”

Torches were lit around the military drill grounds. However, it still wasn’t as bright as it was during the daytime. Lin Qingyu asked, “Why doesn’t the general practice during the day?”

“It’s too sunny in the day. Only fools would train then.”

Lin Qingyu was puzzled. Were people who engaged in fighting all year round still afraid of the sun?

Gu Fuzhou walked to a stone padlock and said, “This stone lock should be about the same weight as you.”

Lin Qingyu: “…Oh.”

“Please, watch closely.” Gu Fuzhou did some light stretches, squatted down, and lifted the stone padlock with one hand.

Lin Qingyu did him the honor of praising him, “The general is mighty.”

“Look, look.” Gu Fuzhou took a deep breath and raised the stone lock above his head again, “How about now?”

“Amazing.”

Gu Fuzhou smiled and dropped the stone padlock down with a boom. “Is this general better than your deceased husband?”

“En.”

“Compared to him, do you admire this general’s figure more?”

Lin Qingyu’s tone became somewhat lighter. “The general has his good points but I prefer my deceased husband’s type.”

Gu Fuzhou’s smile froze. “No, what’s so good about a sick seedling like him?”

Lin Qingyu lowered his eyes and said, “If the general has no other instructions, then this official shall withdraw.”

Gu Fuzhou laughed again, “Hey, adopted brother, what are you doing? Why are you so angry? We won’t talk about him anymore. How about I show you how I chop these bricks barehanded as an apology?”

Lin Qingyu: “…”

In this way, for half a month, Lin Qingyu went to the general’s mansion to deliver medicine every day. He understood why his father said that Gu Fuzhou was a wonderful person. But he felt that the word “weird” would be more appropriate to describe him.

For the past few days, the Imperial Medical Office has welcomed a distinguished guest – a world-famous genius doctor from the southern border.

Doctors at the southern border were experts at the use of gu and this genius doctor could be said to be the king of gu. Most of the people in central continent regard the cultivation of gu as sorcery, but the truth of the matter was different from the stories. Drugs could be divided into medicine and poison and likewise, gu could also be divided into good gu and poisonous gu. Poisonous gu could harm people and so, good gu could save people. Father Lin knew the benefits, so he wrote to the genius doctor of the southern border many times, finally managing to invite him to the Imperial Medical Office to teach his gu technique to many of the students. Father Lin hoped that the students of the Imperial Medical Office would not only learn how to use Gu to save people but also learn how to detoxify poisonous gu.

Although Lin Qingyu has read medical books, his understanding of the gu technique was limited to the theoretical. This time, the genius doctor from the southern border was going to hold a class at the Imperial Medical Office, naturally, he would not miss it.

After this day’s class, Lin Qingyu, medical books in hand, walked out of the classroom. He suddenly heard a whistle. Looking towards the sound, he saw Gu Fuzhou leaning against the railing, waving at him with a smile, still followed by the guards of the Tianji Camp.

Lin Qingyu hurriedly stepped forward and said, “Has the general come the Imperial Medical Office because there has been a flare up of the Sky Spider Poison?”

“No, I went to the palace to report to the Crown Prince and have happened to pass by the Imperial Medical Office. I just thought…” Gu Fuzhou gave an embarrassed smiled. He raised his hand and scratched the corner of his eye, “Well, I’ll should drop by and pick you up after your class.”

Lin Qingyu was startled – pick him up from class? He wasn’t a child on his first day at school. Does he need for someone to come pick him up? And from the general’s mansion to the Imperial Palace, how could he have possibly just passed by the Imperial Medical Office?

Before Lin Qingyu could answer, he found his hands suddenly empty. Gu Fuzhou had taken the medical books he was holding. His movements are so natural, as though it was books and not the Qingyun Jiuzhou Spear that he usually held.

Lin Qingyu said: “General, there is no need for you to bother.”

“It’s alright. I’m stronger than you. The strong should work harder.” Gu Fuzhou casually flipped through his book, “So, what did Imperial Physician Lin learn in school today?”

Lin Qingyu said, “It can’t be that the general is interest in medical studies.”

Gu Fuzhou smiled and said, “No but I’m interested in everything Imperial Physician Lin has to say.”

“Southern Border Gu poisons.”

“Gu? Gu is good. Great beauties should use Gu.”

Lin Qingyu paused in his steps. He looked at Gu Fuzhou, a meaningful and probing look in his eyes.

Gu Fuzhou didn’t notice at all or maybe he noticed it but pretended not to. “Speaking of which, I’ve always wanted to light some incense sticks for your deceased husband. It is only right as your adopted brother.”

Lin Qingyu withdrew his gaze. “The general can go to Nan’an Hou’s Mansion to pay his respects to Young Master Hou.”

“Forget going to the Nan’an Hou’s Mansion.” Gu Fuzhou said, “Why don’t we go to your residence?”

“My residence?”

“You should have a tablet enshrined in your house…” Gu Fuzhou paused, verifying uncertainly, “You do have it, yes?”

Yes, he did. But that wasn’t Lu Wancheng’s tablet.

Gu Fuzhou saw that Lin Qingyu’s expression showed a hint of complexity that could not be understood by outsiders. His mood too became complicated. He teased, “Aren’t you ashamed to say that you like his type better when you didn’t even set up a tablet for him? Actually, I can understand. It was a marriage bestowed by the Emperor and you, my adopted brother, don’t really care much about my poor brother-in-law.”

Brother-in-law, what kind of strange form of address is that?

Reason told Lin Qingyu that he ought to ignore words like these that were meant to provoke. But somehow, when Gu Fuzhou spoke to him in this tone, he couldn’t help but want to respond. “I do have one.”

“Who knows whether that is true or not?” Gu Fuzhou raised the corner of his lips, “Then take me there and prove it to me.”

Thinking of the words “Jiang Dazhuang” engraved on the tablet, Lin Qingyu said calmly, “It is not very convenient to do so.”

Gu Fuzhou was puzzled. “Why would it be inconvenient?”