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Keeping a Distance
Second geng
Zhao San was extremely anxious. “But if gongzi’s treatment is delayed again, what should we do?”
Liu Zhao was calm. “No matter.”
Saying so, he began writing.
Zhao San didn’t dare to disturb him, so he could only stand at the side, quiet as a chicken.
After Liu Zhao finished writing a page, he folded it in half twice and gave it to Zhao San. “Give this to Gu guniang and wait for her reply.”
Zhao San was filled with doubts.
Liu Zhao said, “Although describing my condition on paper is not a substitute for direct observation, it saves a lot of trouble.”
Zhao San understood. “This subordinate will go to Gu guniang at once.”
Liu Zhao reminded him, “After Gu guniang reads it, remember to destroy the letter.”
“This subordinate obeys.”
Zhao San took the letter to Puxian courtyard and knocked on the door.
Qing Zhu opened the door narrowly. “Guard Zhao?”
Zhao San nodded. “Is Gu guniang asleep? I am here to find her for an urgent matter.”
“My guniang hasn’t gone to bed yet. Wait a moment, Guard Zhao. I will report to my guniang.”
Gu Jiu was surprised to learn that Zhao San was looking for her.
Then, she thought of that gongzi who hadn’t shown his face all along and his injury.
Had the injury worsened?
Gu Jiu said at once, “Invite Guard Zhao in.”
“Yes!”
Qing Zhu opened the door. “Guard Zhao, my guniang invites you in.”
“Thank you!”
Zhao San followed Qing Zhu into the room and looked around with hesitation on his face.
Gu Jiu understood and said, “You all go outside and guard the door.”
“Guniang?” Qing Mei was worried.
Gu Jiu smiled slightly and said, “Don’t worry. Guard Zhao is my benefactor. I trust him.”
Qing Mei was helpless, with no choice but to leave the room with Qing Zhu and guard the door.
Zhao San’s expression relaxed. “Thank you, Gu guniang.”
Gu Jiu asked, “For Guard Zhao to find me this late in the night, is something wrong?”
Zhao San nodded but didn’t speak. He just took out a folded letter from his bosom and handed it to Gu Jiu.
“My gongzi asked me to pass it on to you. Afterwards, guniang must please write a reply.”
Gu Jiu took the letter and read it carefully. She frowned slightly.
Zhao San became worried. “Is it very severe?”
Gu Jiu nodded. “It is indeed severe. The prescriptions I gave earlier are not suitable. The dose of the medicine needs to be increased. Also, the wound needs to be treated again.”
“Can it be cured?” Zhao San asked nervously.
Gu Jiu looked at Zhao San and said with certainty, “If the patient’s condition is true, then it can be cured.”
Zhao San suddenly breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Gu guniang.”
Gu Jiu began rewriting the prescription.
Before writing, she remembered something.
“Guard Zhao, I haven’t asked your gongzi’s surname.”
“My gongzi’s surname is Liu.”
Surname Liu?
The surname Liu was Da Zhou’s imperial surname. Besides the members of the imperial household, the country’s guogongye had the last name Liu. Furthermore, the zuo xiangye was also had the last name ‘Liu’.
Was it possible that this Liu gongzi was from the guogong fu? Or the zuoxiang fu?
But who was the white-robed ‘gongzi’ from the other day?
She hadn’t heard of the guogong fu or the zuoxiang fu having distinguished relatives in the northwest.
But the cross-dressing woman’s style was by no means small. Without sufficient power and status, no one would dare to take so many able guards so flamboyantly.
If the Liu gongzi next door wasn’t from guogong fu or from zuoxiang fu, which of the capital’s upstart clans was he from?
It certainly couldn’t be the imperial household.
Gu Jiu shook her head. Imperial relatives could not leave the capital without a decree.
She hadn’t heard from Gu daren recently about any imperial relative coming to the northwest.
So, Liu gongzi was most likely a junior from some upstart clan.
But why did Liu gongzi hide his identity and live in Tianmen Temple?
To avoid people’s eyes and ears?
Gu Jiu looked at Zhao San calmly.
Could an up-and-coming clan have a martial arts expert like Zhao San as a guard?
Furthermore, there were a dozen more experts like Zhao San by Liu gongzi’s side.
A fearsome force to reckon with.
Gu jia was also a clan with deep heritage, but there were only two or three guards with Zhao San’s ability.
Most guards could only shock commoners. When they encounter real experts, they couldn’t even defeat them ten to one.
Gu Jiu couldn’t help but open a brain hole.
Was it possible that Liu gongzi was indeed from the imperial family?
If Liu gongzi was real an imperial clan member, then all questions had reasonable answers.
Liu gongzi snuck out of the capital without a decree, risked being discovered and secretly travelled to the northwest all for certainly no small agenda.
Therefore, he had to hide his identity and not live at an inn but in Tianmen Temple.
As for the white-robed ‘boy’ who was a woman in disguise from that day, her identity was rather obvious.
If in the entire northwest there was someone with such weight and pomp, it was none other than Zhengxi general, Lu hou Pei Ren.
That female gongzi who called Liu gongzi ‘biaoge’ was probably Lu hou’s daughter.
Lu hou’s daughter was also in the northwest?
“Gu guniang?” Zhao San called out softly.
Gu Jiu came back to her senses in an instant, avoiding Zhao San’s gaze.
Her heart beat faster.
She didn’t expect that while thinking aimlessly, she stumbled upon a disastrous truth.
An imperial family member secretly came to the northwest. Lu hou Pei Ren’s daughter came to see this imperial family member in disguise. Was there some kind of a deal?
Thinking of the military power in Lu hou Pei Ren’s hands, it was unlikely that

Gu Jiu shook her head quickly, not thinking any deeper.
The more she knew, the more dangerous it would be.
Gu Jiu didn’t forget, but Zhao San had made no secret of his murderous intentions towards her when they first met.
It was better for her to be trapped in inner yard conflicts as an official’s daughter.
What imperial family member, what Lu hou’s daughter, all that had nothing to do with her.
Gu Jiu began writing the two prescriptions. She also wrote a note.
Folding the letter, she handed it to Zhao San. “Please pass this on to your gongzi. The injury must be dealt with as soon as possible. Otherwise, the consequences will be disastrous. If there’s any shortage of medicinal materials, I can sell some to you.”
The first part made Zhao San nervous. The second part made Zhao San not know how to respond.
Should it be said that Gu guniang was a profiteer or should it be said that she was quite wise to draw a line?
Gu Jiu gave an understanding smile. “Guard Zhao must forgive me. Although my father is Jinzhou’s provincial governor, I am truly very poor. My stepmother manages the household, so it’s not easy for me to get good medicinal ingredients from the warehouse. I use fewer ingredients. Poverty stunts ambition. If your gongzi needs them, I can sell a bit to you.”
Zhao San said, “I understand. Many thanks, Gu guniang. I will come back if required.”
Gu Jiu nodded. “After Guard Zhao returns, please treat your gongzi’s injury as soon as possible.”
Zhao San nodded and left.
Gu Jiu exhaled, feeling relieved. She was nearly drenched in a cold sweat.
From then on, she had to avoid the neighbouring Jingzuo courtyard and refrain from interacting with Liu gongzi.
At the moment, Liu Zhao looked like a bag of explosives; a bag of super explosives, even.
Once it exploded, it had a wide area of effect, and Gu Jiu was worried that she would also face a dead end.
Qing Mei and Qing Zhu entered.
Gu Jiu exhorted, “From now on, keep a distance from Guard Zhao and don’t interact too much.”
“Guniang, did something happen?”
Gu Jiu said, “We don’t know their identity. If we have a bad relationship with them and affect laoye’s career, that would be bad.”
The two maids chorused, “Nubi understands.”