Time Travel: The Best Doctor in Ancient Times

Chapter 102: Chapter 56 Joy for Some, Sorrow for Others

Gu Changsheng, passionately involved with the whole family, opened a gambling house for bets, playing with such joy and excitement.

Meanwhile, the guard sent reported their conversation back to Eunuch Yuan Bao, who fell silent and, after chewing on his pen and pondering for a moment, resigned himself to noting it down.

On the other hand, Hu Yihai, who had just been chased away by Gu Changsheng, pressed his mustache into a line, and furiously slapped the family table making it go “slap, slap” with noise.

“Wretched son! Look at the trouble you’ve caused!” Hu Yihai angrily inhaled and delivered a fierce kick to the solar plexus of his son kneeling on the ground.

“My lord, please calm down. You’re going to get both mother and son killed!” An older Lady Xu kneeled to one side, grabbing hold of Hu Yihai’s feet.

“Indulgent mothers are sure to spoil their children. This is the good son you’ve spoilt!” Hu Yihai pointed to the medical books placed by the table, his rage unabated, “And you, you’ve done a great job, daring to divert the money for buying medicine to encourage that ruffian Gu Saner to take the medical books!”

“A thousand taels of silver! You’ve brought me nothing but disaster!”

“Father, haven’t we plotted and calculated all for this medical book? With it, great-uncle would agree to arrange for me to join the Imperial Medical Bureau…” Hu Tiandong’s defense was silenced under the fiery red eyes of Hu Yihai. It was true he had tempted Gu Saner with a thousand taels of silver, but what had he done wrong? After all, hadn’t the medical book come into their possession? Why was his father so thunderously furious?

“Foolish, utterly foolish!” Hu Yihai shoved his sobbing wife aside, with a trembling hand pointing at his son who still didn’t realize his mistake, “Such a ruffian as Gu Saner, do you think you can settle the matter with a mere thousand taels of silver? The more you give, the more he wants. Now that he’s got something on you, won’t he twist you around his finger in the future?”

“And that Lady Changsheng, with her unparalleled medical skills and extremely arrogant personality, clear-headed as she is, do you think you can fool her sharp eyes with your little trick?”

“She demanded the medical books through Gu Saner, unkindly drawing a line between the Gu Family in the back street and her own, and then let him go easily. What do you think that was about?” Hu Yihai gasped with rage, holding his chest to catch his breath. He vividly remembered the meaningful look in Lady Changsheng’s eyes when she sent him away.

“She must have noticed the trickery, and that’s why she staged this to let things take their course.”

“Father, you’re overestimating that Lady Changsheng; she’s nothing but a shrew…” Hu Tiandong fell silent again under his father’s glare, with a face full of resentment.

“Haha… If she were just an ordinary shrew, it would be nothing, not to mention her rare medical skills. Just the backing of the County Prince’s Mansion alone, even Mo Wu doesn’t dare provoke, and do you think you can? Even your great-uncle, when meeting Eunuch Yuan Bao from the County Prince’s Mansion, has no choice but to bow and scrape. Who gave you such confidence to hanker after a tiger’s skin by provoking Lady Changsheng?”

“Father, I…” Hu Tiandong shivered, turning a pleading gaze toward his mother and hesitantly called, “Mother…”

Seeing her son begging for help, how could Madam Hu pretend not to hear? She hurriedly moved forward on her knees, “My lord, please calm your anger. The damage has been done, but what should we do now? We can’t really get entangled with the County Prince’s Mansion; we only have this one son, this would really be the death of me… wu wu…”

“Ah…” Hu Yihai glanced at his wife on the ground and sighed. How could he really let his son get involved with the County Prince’s Mansion? That would end badly, wouldn’t it?

“Father, does that Lady Changsheng really have so much face before the Prince?” Hu Tiandong, seeing his father’s expression soften, asked hopefully.

“You only followed Gu Saner blindly, maybe you don’t know. Today, at Si Hour, a surprising youngster claiming to be Lady Changsheng’s husband appeared at the Gu Family Medical Hall. According to Lady Changsheng, this person is a trusted aide of Prince Mu, and Eunuch Yuan Bao personally issued a king’s decree with the Royal Seal. Do you know what was the first decree issued by Prince Mu after more than ten years in Liuzhou?”

“What was it?” Hu Tiandong asked, aghast.

“He who intrudes upon the Medical Hall shall live not, penned by Lady Changsheng, sealed with the Royal Seal.” Hu Yihai sighed again, “Though we haven’t seen the Prince himself, if one obtains the Commandery Prince’s Official Seal, it must undoubtedly be at the Prince’s behest. Do you still think you and I are in a position to provoke Lady Changsheng?”

“Father, save me!” Understanding the implications, Hu Tiandong’s face instantly turned ashen, and he knee-walked a few steps to grab Hu Yihai’s trouser legs, begging continuously. With a real king’s decree at stake, this could indeed cost lives!