Chapter 45 Punishment
"This smell... it's off."
Yan Xuerui had always detested taking medicine. Her keen sense of smell instantly detected that today's calming draught was different from usual.
"Hmm? This servant will see."
Bi He scooped a spoonful, stirred gently, then dripped a drop onto the back of her hand and brought it to her nose for a light sniff.
"There’s a hint of blood."
Bi He murmured thoughtfully. After a moment, she exclaimed, "Ah, this servant knows!"
She half-knelt, positioning herself level with the bed to make it more comfortable for Yan Xuerui to drink the medicine.
As she blew on the medicine to cool it, Bi He explained, "This servant has heard that some prescriptions use earthworms and cicada molts. After brewing, the medicine gives off a bloody smell."
"Perhaps Mr. Gao adjusted the formula."
Mr. Gao had been living comfortably in the estate, well-fed and well-cared for, yet Her Ladyship’s health remained delicate. It was only reasonable for the physician to modify the prescription.
Yan Xuerui seemed convinced by this explanation. Half-doubting, she took a sip. The thick, bitter taste mixed with a metallic, blood-like flavor spread across her tongue—an indescribable sensation that made her clutch her chest and retch instantly.
"Oh dear, mistress! Someone, come quickly!"
Dark brown medicine splattered across the crimson lovebird-embroidered brocade quilt, staining her white silk sleeping robes as well. Panicked, Bi He set the medicine bowl aside and called for the maids to bring water, towels, and clean sleeping robes. The group attended to Yan Xuerui, and another two quarters of an hour passed.
The medicine had gone cold.
Bitter medicine turned even more bitter when cold.
Yan Xuerui frowned deeply, eyeing it with distaste.
Bi He said considerately, "Don’t worry, mistress. This servant will have someone warm it up."
"Forget it."
Yan Xuerui rubbed her temples wearily. It was already the hour of Zi (midnight); warming the medicine would require rousing the kitchen staff to restart the fire and add firewood—too much trouble.
She truly couldn’t bring herself to drink it anyway.
The night-shift maids had already withdrawn, leaving only Yan Xuerui and Bi He in the room. Yan Xuerui signaled for Bi He to lean in and whispered instructions.
She told Bi He to pour the calming draught on her precious plants in the flower room.
Bi He’s eyes widened at first. All the servants in the main residence treated the Marquis’s words as absolute authority. This medicine had been personally instructed by Gu Yan; she wouldn’t dare openly defy him while secretly ignoring his orders.
But the mistress was also her master, and one she had served for many years. Looking at Yan Xuerui’s exhausted expression, Bi He thought that if they fussed any longer, it would be well past midnight.
It was just a bowl of calming tonic. The estate brewed three doses a day; pouring out one bowl shouldn’t matter.
Bi He adjusted Yan Xuerui’s blankets and blew out the candle. Under the cover of darkness, she quietly poured the medicine into a flowerpot. After ensuring no one was around, she returned to her room to rest, relieved.
Head maids in the main residence had higher status but also many responsibilities. She was on leave the next day and could rest properly.
***
The next day, Yan Xuerui didn’t rise until nearly noon. Maids entered in succession to attend to her grooming and meal. Bi He had the most skillful hands—her coiled hairstyles resembled stacks of ink clouds, loose yet elegant, neither too tight nor uncomfortable, adding a touch of refinement.
Yan Xuerui gently touched the cloud-chignon at her temple. It wasn’t as well done as when Bi He styled it. She was about to call for Bi He when she suddenly remembered—Bi He was off duty today.
Changing the subject, she asked, "Where is the Marquis?"
These days, Gu Yan and Yan Xuerui had been together day and night. Waking up without him by her side felt strange.
"Replying to the mistress, the Marquis left early this morning and said he would return before noon. By the hour, he should be back soon," replied a round-faced maid with almond eyes. She placed a freshly bloomed Wei-Zi peony hairpin beside Yan Xuerui’s temple, then bowed and stepped back respectfully.
The other maids kept their eyes down, focused on their tasks. The room was unusually quiet. Yan Xuerui was a lenient mistress who never punished servants without cause. The main residence was usually filled with young, lively maids who often joked and laughed, making it a lively place.
Today felt different, but Yan Xuerui’s waist was sore, and her mind was preoccupied with thoughts of the Yan family, so she didn’t pay it much attention.
In about the time an incense stick takes to burn, Gu Yan strode in. His black robes and wide sleeves billowed with a light breeze. Tall and straight as a pine tree, his white jade crown gleamed under the sunlight. With his sharp eyebrows and phoenix eyes, his commanding presence made the oil-paper package tied with a red string in his hand seem out of place.
"Awake?"
Gu Yan raised an eyebrow and placed the sweetmeats on the table. A maid immediately brought a brass basin for him to wash his hands.
He leisurely pushed up his sleeves and said casually, "I went early today and happened to catch the preserves just out of the vat. These apricot preserves are freshly coated in sugar. Try them."
Yan Xuerui glanced at them—they were from Furong Pavilion. Remembering the bowl of calming tonic she had secretly poured out yesterday, she felt a pang of guilt.
She spoke first defensively, lowering her eyes gently. "My body is sore. I can’t eat."
Gu Yan dried his hands with a brocade towel and walked toward Yan Xuerui.
"My fault."
He never quibbled over words. Gu Yan said, "Lie down. I’ll massage you."
Off the bed and fully dressed, Gu Yan’s handsome face was the picture of gentleness and consideration—a stark contrast to the fierce, ruthless man from last night. After sharing a bed with him for years, Yan Xuerui was no longer fooled.
"No, it’s fine."
She subtly edged backward and turned her face away. "I’m alright."
"If you’re fine, then drink your medicine."
Gu Yan’s tone was mild. As soon as he finished speaking, a maid brought over a bowl of dark, thick liquid. The nausea from last night resurfaced, and Yan Xuerui clutched her chest, her delicate eyebrows furrowing.
"Be good. Listen to me."
Gu Yan stepped closer, and Yan Xuerui, with nowhere to retreat, stumbled back onto the narrow couch.
It was the same narrow couch from yesterday. The maids had erased all evidence, replacing it with a new brocade blanket embroidered with intricate patterns of intertwined lotus flowers—vivid and luxurious, showing no trace of yesterday’s indiscretions.
Yan Xuerui’s fair face flushed slightly. Gu Yan stood before her, hooking a finger under her chin. His rough thumb brushed against her soft lips.
"Open your mouth."
A sweetmeat was placed between her teeth. Just as the mix of sourness and sweetness exploded on her tongue, his slender fingers suddenly slipped inside, the pads gently pressing against her trembling tongue. "Keep it there. Don’t drop it."
His low voice carried a dangerous undertone. Forced to tilt her head back and endure, glistening teardrops gathered at the corners of her eyes.
Did I offend him yesterday?
His fingertips brushed against the soft part of her mouth, making her shiver. The sweet and sour taste of the preserved fruit mingled in her mouth—sweet yet unbearable. Their eyes met, and seeing the dark, unfathomable depths of Gu Yan’s gaze, Yan Xuerui suddenly realized.
He was doing it deliberately!
What madness is this again?
Over the years, Yan Xuerui's temperament had been worn down by him into pliancy and meekness. Whimpers trapped in her throat, melting into soft, pleading whimpers, yet Gu Yan seemed not to hear, his fingers thrusting harder against the roof of her mouth.
Unable to bear it any longer, Yan Xuerui suddenly clenched her teeth, her small white teeth piercing his fingertips. The metallic taste of blood blending with honey spread in her mouth.
But Gu Yan did not withdraw his hand, allowing her to bite him, instead tilting her chin even higher.
"Don’t waste it next time."
He said in a deep voice, his blood-stained fingertips brushing over her lips, as though applying lip color, making them look brilliantly crimson.
Yan Xuerui coughed, holding her chest. The resentment she had felt moments earlier suddenly deflated upon hearing Gu Yan’s words.
She had always known that Gu Yan had informants watching her. Those people watched her, ensuring she wouldn’t escape. Over the years, her relationship with Gu Yan had gradually eased. She no longer dwelled on those unnecessary thoughts, simply treating those people as ordinary guards.
But just dumping a bowl of medicine—did that really need to be reported to Gu Yan?
At this moment, a deep sense of powerlessness surged in Yan Xuerui’s heart, so stifling she could hardly breathe.
Gu Yan wiped his wound with a cloth and casually tossed it aside. He picked up the porcelain bowl, scooped a spoonful, and held it to Yan Xuerui’s lips.
"Be good—it isn’t bitter."
That small pot of medicine from last night had cost enough in manpower and resources to buy a large three-courtyard mansion in the capital. And she had been willing to waste it.
Gu Yan wasn’t distressed about the money—such things couldn’t be taken with you in life or death. The Marquis’s household had been prosperous for generations, and Gu Yan had never cared much for wealth since childhood. Even if he had to spend every last coin to cure her, he wouldn’t so much as frown.
What truly angered him was that he had given clear, explicit instructions—word for word!
If the mistress openly defied him, the maids would follow suit. Outside, even though he had been stripped of his official rank, a single word from him would be picked apart a hundred ways, with people speculating about his intentions. Yet here in his own household, in front of his own woman, his words carried so little weight?
That was precisely the reason for his earlier actions.
Unaware of the details, Yan Xuerui sneered, "It’s just a bowl of calming medicine. Is it worth such a scene from the Marquis?"
Gu Yan replied calmly, "It’s just a bowl of calming medicine. Is it worth all your dodging and prevaricating?"
Yan Xuerui: "..."
Having suffered greatly from Gu Yan’s stubbornness in her youth, Yan Xuerui knew he always meant what he said. She didn’t want to confront him head-on.
She shut her eyes and opened her mouth to take the spoon.
The taste was strange; even after eating the candied fruit, it still made Yan Xuerui feel nauseous.
She pushed Gu Yan’s arm away, miserable. "Water."
...
A small porcelain bowl, no larger than a palm, took Yan Xuerui the better part of the day to finish. One moment she complained it was too bitter and asked for tea; after drinking tea, she found it too bland and demanded candied fruit. After all that, the medicine cooled and had to be reheated. When it returned, she complained it was too hot.
The taste was indeed unpleasant, and her frustration led her to deliberately make things difficult for Gu Yan. With no court duties to attend to, Gu Yan had plenty of time to humor her stalling.
If she wanted tea, he brewed it for her; if she wanted candied fruit, he let her have it. In between, he fed her a few spoonfuls of medicine. The bowl was reheated five or six times, yet Gu Yan remained calm, showing no sign of irritation. He continued to hold a spoon to her lips, and even Yan Xuerui couldn’t help but admire his composure.
Truly worthy of Senior Tutor Gu, who had dominated the court for twenty years. She felt she paled in comparison.
After swallowing the last mouthful, Yan Xuerui quickly took a sip of tea to suppress the strong medicinal taste.
She said, "There’s a bloody taste to it. Did Mr. Gao change the prescription?"
Gu Yan responded vaguely, "I’ve bought a house outside for your family. Tomorrow, I’ll have people move them there. If you miss your parents, you can see them more today."
Gu Yan acted with swift decisiveness. He had only agreed to it yesterday, but this morning he first went to the Eastern Palace to gauge the Crown Prince’s willingness.
The Crown Prince, eager at this time to show his loyalty to his tutor, was more than willing to accept the female cousin of Senior Tutor Gu into his household.
With so many vacant courtyards in the Eastern Palace, adding one more woman meant little to him. Once having known true love, he now had eyes only for one person. The Crown Prince no longer paid much attention to his rear court, frequently visiting the Crown Princess instead, seeing many doctors in his determination to have an "heir."
Gu Yan cared little about the Crown Prince’s inner turmoil. He resolved one problem, the Crown Prince gained peace of mind, and Zhou Yunshu, as if floating on clouds, achieved a situation where everyone wins.
At the Crown Prince’s age, the titled consort positions in the Eastern Palace were long filled. Still, she was, after all, the teacher’s female cousin, and it wouldn’t do to have her enter in a simple sedan chair. The Crown Prince demoted one of his lower-ranking consorts to make room for Zhou Yunshu, planning to select an auspicious day to welcome her into the residence.
Seizing this opportunity, Gu Yan moved the Yan family to an outside residence, stating with apparent openness, "With the outside world in turmoil right now, having her move from my Marquis residence into the Eastern Palace would inevitably invite speculation."
In truth, he felt the Yan family was no longer of use, and she, soft-hearted, couldn’t bear to see the elderly endure the hardships of travel so soon after arriving in the capital. He disliked her attention being on others and found a casual excuse to send them away.
Gu Yan handled matters meticulously, his words leaving no room for doubt. Yan Xuerui didn’t suspect anything. At this point, she could no longer afford to sulk over a bowl of medicine with Gu Yan. Supporting her aching waist, she went to see her parents.
Gu Yan had been right—she truly couldn’t let go of her parents. She saw clearly that Yun Shu would suffer in the Eastern Palace.
Even if the Crown Prince, out of respect for the Marquis’s household, gave her some face, how could he be there for her every moment? The rear court was, after all, a woman’s world.
As soon as she entered the Eastern Palace, to say nothing of other issues, she would first offend the former consort. That woman had done nothing wrong, yet to make room for her, she had inexplicably lost her position—how could she not bear a resentment?