Gu Jiu rushed to the outer courtyard in a hurry.
As soon as she stepped inside the gate, she heard Gu Ting wailing like a pig being slaughtered.
Her heart clenched—her brother was screaming so miserably. How serious was his injury?
Without hesitation, she rushed straight into the room.
“Gege!”
“Meimei is here.” Gu Ting lay on the bed, drenched in cold sweat, yet still managed to force a smile as he greeted Gu Jiu.
“Stop smiling.”
Gu Jiu frowned deeply and shifted her gaze to Gu Ting’s leg.
His left calf was swollen and bent unnaturally.
Gu Jiu nearly cried out in shock—his leg was broken.
How did this happen?
Doctor Xu was preparing to set Gu Ting’s bone. “San shaoye, bear with it. This will hurt a little.”
Gu Ting said, “Go ahead, I’m fine.”
“How could you be fine? Be careful not to bite your tongue!”
Gu Jiu scolded Gu Ting sternly. At a time like this, why was he still trying to act tough?
She stepped forward, picked up a pillow, and handed it to him. “Bite this.”
Gu Ting thought biting a pillow was humiliating.
Gu Jiu’s expression instantly changed. Her eyes turned sharp and menacing.
Her gaze seemed to say, If you don’t listen, I’ll be really scary.
Gu Ting immediately caved in. He didn’t care if it was embarrassing anymore—he obediently took the pillow and bit down on it.
Gu Jiu looked at Doctor Xu and said, “Please do your best to treat my gege’s injury.”
Doctor Xu nodded slightly. “Er guniang, rest assured.”
He had a deep fear of Gu Jiu. He would never forget how she had extorted him before—it was a miserable experience.
He had always lived smoothly, yet he had fallen into the hands of a little girl. It was too embarrassing to even speak about.
However, he dared not tamper with Gu Ting’s treatment.
Gu Jiu could create medicinal formulas, so she might also know how to set bones.
He didn’t want to leave any weaknesses for her to exploit again.
Gu Jiu asked, “Doctor Xu, will my gege’s leg be okay? Will there be any lasting consequences?”
Doctor Xu said, “To be honest, I can guarantee that san shaoye’s leg will heal, but I cannot guarantee that there won’t be any lasting effects.”
Gu Jiu frowned at his words.
Gu Ting also became anxious. “Doctor Xu, you can’t leave me crippled! If I end up lame, how will I ever join the military?”
Gu Jiu stared at Gu Ting, surprised—he wanted to join the military?
But on second thought, it wasn’t unexpected.
“Ridiculous!”
A stern voice rang out as their father, Gu daren, walked in.
“What military? Focus on your studies and stop talking nonsense. Doctor Xu, please treat my son properly.”
Doctor Xu nodded. “Gu daren, rest assured. I will do my best to heal san shaoye.”
He had been a military doctor and specialized in treating external injuries. Bone-setting was his expertise.
He turned to Gu Ting. “San shaoye, are you ready?”
Gu Ting, still biting the pillow, nodded. Unknowingly, his clothes were already soaked with sweat.
He had been enduring intense pain all the way back.
At this moment, he just wanted it to be over as quickly as possible.
As he was thinking this, an unimaginable wave of pain struck.
“Ahhhh—”
Gu Ting screamed in agony.
Gu Jiu pressed the pillow against his mouth, afraid that he might bite his tongue in pain.
“Mmmphhh—”
Gu Ting groaned and sweated profusely. The pain was unbearable—he would rather die.
Fortunately, the excruciating pain subsided quickly.
Gu Ting pushed the pillow away and panted, “Doctor Xu, is it done?”
Doctor Xu carefully felt along Gu Ting’s calf, checking if the bone was properly set.
Finally, he nodded. “It’s done. Now we will apply medicine and secure it with a splint. San shaoye, injuries to bones and tendons take a hundred days to heal. You will need at least six months of rest. Before then, do not put pressure on this leg or walk on it. If the injury worsens, it could leave permanent damage.”
Gu Ting looked utterly devastated. “Half a year? That means I won’t be able to go out until next year?”
Gu daren snorted coldly and sternly said, “You’re already this injured, and you’re still thinking about going out? Ridiculous.”
Gu Ting shrank back—he was quite afraid of his father.
Whenever Gu daren put on a stern face, Gu Ting would feel guilty.
Doctor Xu applied medicine to Gu Ting’s injured leg, secured it with a splint, and then left to prepare anti-inflammatory and pain-relief medicine.
Gu Jiu sat on a round stool by the bed. “Gege, does it still hurt?”
Gu Ting nodded, then shook his head. “Not much anymore. Don’t worry, meimei.”
Gu Jiu looked at his injured leg—his bone had broken. How could it not hurt?
She asked, “How did this happen? Why were you injured so badly?”
Gu Ting answered carelessly, “It was an accident. I fell off a horse.”
“A horse?”
Gu Jiu was surprised. Where did he get a horse to ride?
Gu daren frowned deeply. “Were you riding with the gongzi from Li daren’s family?”
Gu Ting hesitated, then nodded guiltily.
Gu daren scolded coldly, “I tell you to study, but you refuse. Yet when it comes to running around outside, you’re more eager than anyone else. Breaking your leg this time should serve as a lesson.”
Gu Ting had nothing to say. He could only lower his head and listen obediently.
At that moment, the steward, Gu Quan, entered. “Laoye, someone from Li daren’s fu has come to visit san shaoye. They are waiting in the Flower Pavillion.”
Gu daren glared at Gu Ting. “Behave and rest properly.”
Then, he left Siguo Courtyard.
Phew!
As soon as Gu daren left, Gu Ting immediately let out a sigh of relief.
During the scolding, he had been too scared to even breathe.
Just when he thought he was free, he turned and met Gu Jiu’s gaze. His heart trembled.
Oh no—he had forgotten that his sister was still here.
“Meimei should go back. I’m fine now.”
Gu Jiu sneered. “Are you in such a hurry to send me away? Are you feeling guilty?”
“Of course not.”
Gu Jiu immediately called out, “Li Chuan, come here.”
A servant named Li Chuan hesitantly stepped inside. “Xiaode greets er guniang.”
Gu Jiu’s expression was serious and imposing. “Li Chuan, tell me—how exactly did san shaoye get injured? And what is this about horse riding?”
Li Chuan glanced nervously at Gu Ting.
Gu Ting frantically signaled him not to say anything.
Gu Jiu smirked at Gu Ting. “Gege, focus on recovering. We’ll talk outside so we don’t disturb your rest.”
“Meimei, I don’t mind hearing your conversation. I like lively places.”
Gu Jiu scolded, “Gege, with such a serious injury, you can’t be reckless. You need quiet rest.”
Then, she stood up and walked out.
Gu Ting was on the verge of tears.
He feared two people—his father and his sister.
Sob, sob… His sister’s gaze was too terrifying. How did she become so authoritative? He really needed to learn from her.
Outside, Gu Jiu sat down and said, “Li Chuan, explain everything clearly.”
Li Chuan swallowed nervously and thought, san shaoye, it’s not that I’m disloyal. Even you are scared of er guniang—how could I dare disobey her?
He then recounted the entire incident truthfully.
“Er guniang, Li gongzi invited san shaoye to go horse riding today. San shaoye eagerly agreed. Everything was fine at first, and san shaoye is quite skilled at riding. But suddenly, his horse lost control and ran faster and faster—straight toward a cliff. With no choice, san shaoye had to jump off to save himself, and that’s how he got injured.”
Gu Jiu frowned. “Who is this Li gongzi? How does he have horses?”
Li Chuan replied, “Guniang, did you not know? Li gongzi’s father, Li daren, is an official in the Ministry of War and oversees the Qingping Racecourse. Other families may lack horses, but the Li family certainly does not.”
Gu Jiu asked, “Where did they go riding? Who else was there?”
Li Chuan answered, “They went to the northern horse field. Apart from Li family relatives, there were also several young masters from the prefect’s fu, as well as si shaoye, liu shaoye, qi shaoye and ba shaoye.”
Gu Jiu furrowed her brows. “Liu ge was there too?”
“Indeed.”
Gu Jiu asked, “Gege is injured, why don’t I see liu ge and the others?”
Li Chuan bowed and replied, “Before you arrived, the young masters, as well as Li gongzi, were all here accompanying san shaoye. But later, they had things to attend to and left. They said they would come back later to visit him.”
Gu Jiu tapped her fingers lightly on the table—one tap after another—making Li Chuan nervous.
She stared at Li Chuan. “Earlier, you said gege’s horse suddenly went mad and ran toward the cliff. Gege had no choice but to jump off the horse to save himself, which led to his injuries?”
Li Chuan nodded. “That’s exactly what happened.”
“Why would a perfectly fine horse suddenly go mad? What did Li gongzi say?”
Li Chuan shook his head. “It happened too fast. There wasn’t time to investigate.”
Gu Jiu smiled slightly. “Can you contact Li gongzi? Tell him I want to personally inspect the horse gege was riding.”
Li Chuan was startled. “Guniang suspects that someone tampered with san shaoye’s horse?”
Gu Jiu said casually, “Anything is possible.”
Li Chuan grew uneasy. “Guniang, I can contact Li gongzi on san shaoye’s behalf, but I can’t guarantee that he will allow you to inspect the horse.”
“I understand. Just do your best.”
Li Chuan nodded. “Then I will go contact him now. Also, laoye might send people to investigate as well.”
Gu Jiu said, “You don’t need to worry about laoye.”
The one dealing with Gu daren was Li daren, while Gu Jiu needed to negotiate with Li gongzi.
The Li father and son were not on the same level.
Gu daren had his way of handling matters. And Gu Jiu had her own approach.
Gu Jiu returned to the bedroom.
Gu Ting looked at her eagerly.
“Meimei, this was really an accident. Don’t be angry.”
Gu Jiu shook her head slightly and sat down on a round stool. “Gege, do you have a good relationship with Li gongzi?”
“It’s okay. We often eat and drink together.”
Gu Jiu thought for a moment before asking, “How is Li gongzi’s relationship with liu ge and the others?”
Gu Ting pondered and replied, “Also not bad. Everyone interacts with each other. Meimei, why are you asking these questions? You’re not suspecting that Gu Cheng harmed me, are you? No way. Gu Cheng may be annoying, but he’s not that kind of person.”
Gu Jiu smiled. “Gege understands liu ge well?”
Gu Ting scratched his head. “Not that well. But we grew up together, and I have some idea of his temper. This kind of thing is beneath him. Besides, he’s good at studying while I’m not, so there’s no huge conflict between us. He has no reason to harm me.”
“What about Li gongzi?”
Gu Ting shook his head repeatedly. “That’s even more impossible. Li dalang may not be a good person, but he wouldn’t use such despicable means to harm a friend. Meimei, this was just an accident. Don’t overthink it.”
Gu Jiu chuckled. “Maybe I’m just overthinking. Gege, when you went riding, did you notice anything unusual?”
Gu Ting thought carefully. “No, everything seemed normal. Meimei, why do you keep thinking someone wanted to harm me?”
Gu Jiu sighed lightly. “I’m worried that I’ve implicated you.”
“You? How?” Gu Ting shook his head. “I told you you’re overthinking. If anything, I’m the one who causes trouble for you. There’s no way you implicated me. This was just an accident, don’t dwell on it.”
Gu Jiu smiled. “I’ll listen to gege and not think too much.”
But was the horse’s sudden madness really an accident?
Gu Jiu instructed Gu Ting to rest well, checked the prescription given by Doctor Xu, and ensured there were no issues.
Then, she prepared to return to Zhilanyuan with her maidservant.
“Er meimei is leaving already?”
Gu Jiu looked up to see Gu si ge, Gu Yu, entering from outside.
She nodded. “Gu si ge came to visit gege?”
“That’s right.”
Gu Yu studied Gu Jiu. It had been a while since they last met. She had grown taller, her complexion had brightened, and she had become even more beautiful.
He asked, “Is Gu Ting’s injury serious?”
Gu Jiu replied, “It’s hard to say right now. We’ll only know after the splint is removed.”
Gu Yu nodded. “That makes sense.” With leg injuries, even the doctor can’t guarantee there won’t be long-term effects. “Er meimei, don’t worry. Gu Ting has good fortune and will surely recover quickly.”
Gu Jiu nodded slightly. “Thank you for your kind words, Gu si ge. I also hope he recovers soon.”
After a moment of hesitation, Gu Yu asked, “I heard from Li Chuan that er meimei wants to inspect the horse that caused the accident?”
Gu Jiu answered frankly, “Yes. Li Chuan said the horse suddenly went mad, causing gege’s accident. If I don’t check the horse, I won’t feel at ease.”
Gu Yu frowned slightly. “Er meimei is a young lady, it’s inconvenient for you to go out. Why not let me handle this?”
Gu Jiu was delighted. “Would that be too much trouble for Gu si ge?”
Gu Yu smiled. “No need to be polite with me. I also know a bit about horses, so I might discover something. In the future, if you need errands run, you can count on me.”
“Thank you, Gu si ge. I’ll wait for your news.”
Li Chuan contacted Li gongzi, and by evening, they had a response.
Li gongzi agreed to let the Gu family inspect the horse. He also wanted to find out why a perfectly fine horse had suddenly gone mad and nearly killed Gu Ting.
Luckily, Gu Ting only broke his leg. Otherwise, the Gu and Li families would have become mortal enemies.
However, the horse had fallen off the cliff and was severely injured, unlikely to survive.
Early the next morning, Gu Yu and Li Chuan went to Qingping Racecourse for the inspection.
Gu Jiu waited anxiously in her study.
She held a book, but after an entire morning, she had only read seven or eight pages.
“Guniang, have some tea.”
Qing Mei placed a fresh cup of tea beside Gu Jiu.
“Leave it there.”
The weather was cool, and the study’s windows were open.
Gu Jiu gazed outside, her brows furrowed.
Qing Mei asked, “Is guniang worried about Gu Yu shaoye’s visit?”
Gu Jiu absentmindedly asked, “Qing Mei, do you think my gege’s accident was truly just an accident?”
Qing Mei thought for a moment. “Nubi don’t understand horse riding. When Gu Yu shaoye returns, you should ask him.”
Gu Jiu sighed. “Do you think I might have implicated gege?”
“Why would you think that, guniang?”
Gu Jiu sighed again. “Over the past months, I’ve clashed with taitai several times. She must resent me. She can’t act against me directly right now, but she could target gege. If she really did this…”
Qing Mei quickly said, “That’s unlikely. Taitai is still in bed after the miscarriage, and Bai yiniang is pregnant. She wouldn’t have the energy to harm san shaoye. This might really be an accident.”
Gu Jiu smiled faintly. “You’re right, maybe I’m just overthinking.”
But if this wasn’t an accident—if someone had indeed harmed her Gege—she would never let it go.
Gu Jiu waited until the afternoon before finally receiving news from Gu Yu.
She rushed to the Siguo Courtyard.
“Gu si ge!”
“Er meimei is here. Have a seat.”
Gu Yu asked Gu Ting, who was lying in bed, “How are you feeling today?”
Gu Ting lifted his blanket slightly. “More swollen than yesterday!”
Gu Jiu reassured him. “That’s normal swelling. Don’t worry.”
Gu Ting nodded. “Doctor Xu said the same thing.”
Then, he covered his injured leg again.
He looked at Gu Yu. “Gu si ge, was there anything wrong with my horse?”
Gu Yu hesitated before replying, “The horse was severely injured from the fall. By the time we arrived, it was near death. Even if someone had tampered with it, the injuries now make it impossible to check. Er meimei, I’m afraid you won’t get any answers.”
Gu Jiu smiled bitterly. She had expected this outcome when she heard that the horse had been severely injured but still held onto a sliver of hope.
She stood up and sincerely thanked him. “Thank you for going through the trouble, Gu si ge.”
“I feel ashamed that I couldn’t be of more help to er meimei.”
“Gu si ge mustn’t say that.”
Since it was inconvenient for Gu Yu to stay longer, he took his leave.
Gu Jiu walked him to the door.
“Gu si ge, there’s something else I’d like to ask for your help with.”
“Er meimei, feel free to ask.”
Gu Jiu hesitated for a moment before speaking. “I have some money on hand and would like to purchase a horse ranch. I’ve already found a suitable one, but as a young lady, it’s inconvenient for me to handle the transaction myself.
“I also don’t have reliable people by my side, and gege is injured, so he can’t step in for me. I was wondering if I could trouble Gu si ge to handle the transaction on my behalf?”
Gu Yu said, “I can certainly help with this. However, has er meimei given it enough thought? Running a horse ranch isn’t profitable right now.”
Gu Jiu smiled and said, “Gu si ge need not worry about me. I have confidence in this matter.”
Gu Yu studied Gu Jiu closely. Her smile was calm and assured.
All of a sudden, he also smiled. “I trust er meimei. Give me the details of the ranch, and I will take care of it for you. Since the Li family owes us a favour for what happened, we might as well let them contribute a little.
“As long as the Li family holds power in the northwest, your ranch will never face obstacles when supplying horses in the future. Moreover, I can also negotiate more benefits for your ranch.”
Gu Jiu was overjoyed. “Thank you, Gu si ge. Please keep this matter a secret for me as well.”
Gu Yu chuckled. “I understand. This matter will remain between us and won’t reach a third person’s ears.”
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