Chapter 15: A Bet is a Bet
Gu Yan knew perfectly well that if he forced Yan Xuerui to see a doctor, she would eventually yield. She might be angry with him at the time, but after twenty years of marriage and with three children between them, for the children's sake, she would still play the part of a loving wife.
She had always been clever and knew how to read a situation. It had been this way for so many years.
But this time, Gu Yan suddenly didn’t want to do that. Ming Wei had gone to the academy, Ming Lan was following A Yuan to get a lay of the land in the capital, and their youngest son had yet to be added to the family registry and given his formal name. Six nursemaids in the mansion took care of him; he ate well, slept soundly, and was growing quite sturdy.
Without the children around, it was just him and her.
Gu Yan suddenly wanted to try a different approach.
……
Everyone in the mansion noticed that the atmosphere had been a bit unusual lately. The Marquis and his wife were acting strangely—it didn’t quite seem like a quarrel, but more like... a lovers’ tiff.
Because of that "Divine Doctor Gao," the Madame was so angry her face turned crimson. The Marquis stepped forward to coax her gently. The Madame shook off the Marquis’s hand, but he followed her step for step. Then came the sound of "crashing and shattering" porcelain from inside, along with the Marquis’s amused voice, "Slow down, Rui Er, be careful not to hurt your hand."
The Madame, usually so gentle, had been driven to overturn the table!
At first, the maids serving in the main courtyard thought the Marquis and Madame had fallen out. But behind closed doors, they argued fiercely, yet when they went together to the elderly Madame’s Chunhui Hall, they supported each other arm in arm, the picture of a deeply affectionate couple. Then, at night, the main courtyard often buzzed with activity late into the night, leaving the maids on night duty blushing and weak at the knees.
Bi He, Yan Xuerui’s personal maid, had to steel herself and repeatedly admonish them to behave properly and avoid idle fantasies.
Bi He was also at her wits' end. If not for the Eldest Young Master’s self-discipline, given the Marquis and Madame’s age—where they could already be grandparents—the fact that they were still so vigorous made it difficult for her to manage the courtyard staff.
After letting go of a few young maids whose eyes practically glued themselves to Gu Yan, she purged the restless, romantic atmosphere in the main courtyard. Bi He sighed inwardly; these young girls were so naive. Had they forgotten how many lives had been buried in that dry well? The Marquis was usually stern and imposing, enough to make anyone serving tea tremble and make mistakes. Now that the Marquis and Madame were playfully bickering, showing a more refined and amiable side, it gave these girls delusions.
The Madame was kind-hearted and didn’t want these flower-like young women to waste their lives away in a small courtyard. Even if they had signed lifelong contracts, as long as they didn’t make mistakes and served for three to five years, upon turning twenty-five, the Madame would graciously release them to return home.
Bi He had already served Yan Xuerui for three years, with two more years to go. All she hoped for now was to peacefully finish these two years. She had saved up a good amount of money over the years; even if she didn’t marry and instead established herself as an independent woman, she could live comfortably for the rest of her life.
Life in the Marquis's household was luxurious, but one had to be alive to enjoy it. Having seen too much, Bi He never dared to aspire to climb the social ladder. After disciplining everyone in the main courtyard, she put away the ruler but found herself troubled by one matter.
The others were manageable, but the Madame had specifically mentioned that girl named "Yao Er," who also seemed to be getting restless.
Not toward the Marquis, but toward the Eldest Young Master.
The Madame had explicitly instructed Yao Er to rest and recover, not allowing her to serve upfront. Yet, every morning when the Eldest Young Master came to pay his respects, Yao Er insisted on serving him tea, putting Bi He in a difficult position.
Should she scold or punish her? Yao Er had gained the Madame’s favor, and the Eldest Young Master was so filial—who knew if this girl might rise to power one day? It wouldn’t be wise to offend her.
But to let it slide? That girl’s eyes were always darting around restlessly; Bi He had a feeling she would cause trouble.
After much thought, Bi He decided to find an opportunity to be frank with the Madame. Having served by Yan Xuerui’s side for three years, she knew the Madame valued loyalty. As long as she remained devoted, the Madame would protect her.
Bi He had made up her mind, but she never found the right opportunity. Gu Yan had taken sick leave, not attending court or receiving guests, spending all his time indulging in domestic life. Because of the Divine Doctor Gao matter, the couple had argued repeatedly, often leaving Yan Xuerui fuming, her chest heaving and face flushed. He would chase after her, soothing her gently, and the two would engage in their back-and-forth, leaving no room for others to intervene.
The Madame had become more temperamental lately. In the past, she was gentle and compliant, indifferent to everything, almost like a doll. Now, with all her laughter and anger, she seemed much more vibrant.
……
Suppressing her thoughts, Bi He lifted the bead curtain and announced respectfully, "Reporting to the Marquis and Madame, Mr. Gao has arrived."
Yan Xuerui lifted her eyelids, glanced at the unremarkable old man, and turned away.
"My wife is impolite. Please proceed, sir."
Though his words were polite, Gu Yan, dressed in a moon-white casual robe with his ink-black hair tied up, sat casually in a rosewood armchair without rising to greet the guest.
Senior Tutor Gu might play the meek role in front of his wife, but that didn’t mean he was a paper tiger.
Fortunately, Mr. Gao was neither sharp-eyed nor clear-eared and didn’t mind the discourtesy. He asked hoarsely, "Is the Marquis still concerned about the Madame’s cold syndrome?"
"Indeed."
Gu Yan took Yan Xuerui’s arm, pushed up her sleeve, and revealed a slender wrist so pale it seemed to glow.
"Please examine my wife once more."
This time, Gu Yan didn’t hold her wrist down. Yan Xuerui almost instinctively pulled her arm back, then looked up and unexpectedly met the man’s teasing dark eyes.
Yan Xuerui: "..."
She lowered her head awkwardly and placed her arm back on the pulse pillow.
It wasn’t that she avoided doctors; it was that the truth was too cruel. She didn’t want to face it. Her parents had treated her well, and she had fulfilled her filial duties as a daughter. Why stir up more complications?
Because of this Divine Doctor Gao, she had been angry with Gu Yan for a long time. No matter how he pressured her, she refused to give in this time. Little did she expect this cunning man to drop the matter for days, making her think it was over—until they idly played a game of Go to pass the time.
Senior Tutor Gu was a brilliant strategist, unmatched in wisdom, so his Go skills were naturally exceptional. Some said that those who could beat Senior Tutor Gu by even one move were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns—one in ten thousand.
As it happened, Yan Xuerui was that "phoenix feather." When Gu Yan was recuperating in Yangzhou all those years ago, they played their first game of Go, and Gu Yan lost.
The Go board was like a battlefield, but his opponent was a delicate young girl. The young Gu Yan hesitated whether to bend his principles and let her win—otherwise, victory would feel unearned. But in the moment he was distracted, the girl decisively placed her piece and said, "Sir, your concession."
He had lost.
Losing his first game of Go to a girl was... a peculiar feeling. It wasn’t the humiliation of defeat; Gu Yan only remembered how her dark eyes sparkled cunningly and full of spirit when she said "your concession," making his heart itch slightly.
After that, they often played Go together, with a win-loss ratio of seven to three—Gu Yan seven, Yan Xuerui three. Gu Yan discovered she was very clever; even when at a disadvantage initially, she would follow his strategy, find a way out of desperation, and he would pursue relentlessly... leaving them both exhilarated after each game.
Then too many things happened, and by the time they could sit calmly before the Go board again, Ming Wei had already been born.
The wind in the capital was heavier than in Yangzhou, and they could never recapture the leisure of those years. When the couple played Go in their spare time, Gu Yan never intentionally let her win, and Yan Xuerui always gave her all. After so many years, they knew each other too well, and their games became evenly matched.
It was meant to be a pastime, so Yan Xuerui let her guard down. Who could have guessed Gu Yan would suddenly say playing alone was boring and suggest placing a wager? At first, it was Gu Yan’s seals, calligraphy, and paintings, or the precious flower seeds Yan Xuerui nurtured with care. After a few rounds, still unsatisfied, they made a bigger bet.
The loser had to grant the winner one wish, no exceptions.
……
Yan Xuerui’s expression was still sour. Looking back, it was clearly a trap the man had set step by step, and she had walked right into it.
A bet was a bet—she could accept defeat!
Yan Xuerui shot a fierce glare at Gu Yan and told Divine Doctor Gao to continue taking her pulse. She wanted to see what else this quack could come up with.
Unaware of the tension between them, Divine Doctor Gao carefully inquired about Yan Xuerui’s symptoms again. Yan Xuerui answered perfunctorily, but Gu Yan responded clearly and thoroughly, even remembering details like her menstrual cycle, which gave Yan Xuerui a strange feeling.
After about quarter of an hour, Gu Yan took a sip of tea and asked patiently, "Do you have any further questions, sir?"
"None."
"Is there a cure?"
"There is."
"What is the solution?"
Mr. Gao said, “It will require the Marquis to spend some money to procure the necessary medicinal ingredients.”
Gu Yan raised an eyebrow, as if hearing a joke, and chuckled deeply, “Speak freely, sir.”
He, Gu Yan, was least short of silver.
“Two liang of thousand-year-old wild ginseng, a whole plant of red-headed fleeceflower, three qian of Paris polyphylla, a cluster of resurrection plant…”
“...supplemented by blood from the heart of a close relative to be used as a key ingredient. Only then will the prescription be complete.”
Gu Yan remained expressionless upon hearing the list of rare and precious medicinal herbs—until the mention of blood from the heart. Not only Yan Xuerui, but even Gu Yan, who had trusted this “miracle doctor” greatly, darkened his expression.
Gu Yan’s voice remained gentle, but there was not a trace of warmth in his eyes. “My wife suffers from a chronic illness. I entrusted A Yuan to travel far and wide to bring you here, treating you with respect and courtesy all along, without any disrespect.”
“The last person who spoke recklessly... well, let’s see, by now his reincarnated self should be about a month old. Sir, choose your words carefully.”
“I have been a doctor for many years and never spoken recklessly.”
Mr. Gao spoke with conviction. Gu Yan narrowed his eyes and scrutinized him from head to toe. After all, he had paid a great price to bring him here. Suppressing his impatience, Gu Yan truthfully recounted the previous incident of using blood from the heart as medicine—it had been utterly useless.
The only effect... was perhaps her unusually compliant nature during that period, which led to them getting along perfectly and the birth of another son.
Unconsciously, Gu Yan touched his chest. Blood from the heart—a blade cutting through the skin, drawing blood directly from the heart. That winter, she had fainted from the pain. If it could truly cure her, he would accept it.
“Why use the Marquis’s blood?”
Mr. Gao sounded puzzled. “By ‘close relative,’ I naturally mean blood relatives. Those who gave me life, those I gave life to, or siblings—any would do.”
Though husband and wife are close, they share no blood ties, so it would be useless.
He stroked his sparse beard and said, “The Marquis must have been misled by an incompetent doctor. The blood from the heart itself is not at fault.”
Gu Yan fell silent for a long time, his expression grave. It seemed he was genuinely considering the miracle doctor’s words.
Those who gave me life, those I gave life to...
*Slap!*—A delicate hand slammed heavily on the table. Yan Xuerui suddenly stood up, gritting her teeth. “Gu Yan, don’t you dare even think about it!”