novelaction Chapter 431 The Playboy's Divorced Woman 27
Chapter 431 The Playboy's Divorced Woman 27
"Are you awake?" Lord Gu rushed back from outside, his steps unsteady.
When the First Madam saw him, the spirit she had been holding up for several days finally crumbled.
"No." The First Madam's voice choked with sobs, and she didn't dare to look into the room.
The thought of the two people lying in bed made her heart ache.
"You've worked hard." Lord Gu said, supporting the First Madam's shoulder as they entered the room. Two beds were placed in the room for easier care.
Gu Shenbai and Xie Qingyu were each on a separate bed.
Both of them had their neck wounds bandaged and were lying motionless, looking quite pitiful.
Xie Qingyu's face was completely pale, and she looked like she was about to die.
"I met Lord Xie today, and he asked about the situation," Lord Gu said in a low voice.
After such an incident, the Xie family had already sent people to check on it the following day.
But the person didn't wake up, so there was nothing that could be said.
"Poor children..." The First Madam looked at the two of them, and tears finally welled up in her eyes and fell.
She injured her body when she gave birth to Gu Shenbai, and this was her only child, whom she truly cherished and raised.
Gu Shenbai was so smart when he was young, but under her education he turned into this spoiled brat. She felt a little guilty, but it was the best way to protect him.
She never even laid a hand on Gu Shenbai once.
My heart bled the moment I saw him fall off the cliff.
Just a few days ago everything was fine; Gu Shenbai and Xie Qingyu's relationship had even improved, and she had relaxed. How could something like this have happened?
"Lord Xie is also very concerned, but he hasn't found anything out. However, as you know, we can't count on him anymore," Lord Gu said to the First Madam.
He deliberately brought up things outside at this time.
He's been running around these past few days dealing with these issues.
He personally interrogated those bandits.
All they learned was that they had been left there with money to be robbed this morning, but they didn't know who had given them the money.
This kind of behavior—having clues but being unable to find them—is incredibly frustrating.
Although the Emperor took it very seriously after learning about it, investigating something that had no clue whatsoever was really not easy.
Although we can't find the information, we can probably think of a few people involved.
The Emperor was furious, and the court was in chaos. Everyone involved in the matter was trying to find the murderer.
Even Lord Gu only had time to go home these past few days.
“That’s his own daughter too,” the First Madam said in a low voice.
"Qingyu is a good child," Lord Gu exclaimed.
"Mother also fainted, but she should be feeling better these past couple of days; only the Xie family has come, everyone else has been turned away; we should also send a message to the palace, His Majesty is probably worried, and we haven't thanked the Cai family yet..."
"Alright, I understand. Leave these to me. Have you not slept these past few days? I'll watch over things here. You should get some sleep." Lord Gu gently interrupted the First Madam, speaking softly.
"I can't sleep." The First Madam shook her head.
Now, every time she closes her eyes, she sees Gu Shenbai and Xie Qingyu falling off the cliff, her second brother's figure. No matter how fast she runs, she can't hold onto their hands.
"It's alright, don't worry, I'm here. If you can't sleep, just close your eyes and rest for a while." Although Lord Gu's voice was gentle, his attitude was firm.
The First Madam, unable to refuse any longer, went to the couch next to her.
Lord Gu didn't say anything, he just held her hand and stayed by her side.
The First Madam was unwilling to return to her own courtyard to rest, so she made do on this couch for a while.
Perhaps because Lord Gu was by her side, she closed her eyes and soon her breathing became steady, and she quickly fell asleep.
Lord Gu covered her with the brocade quilt beside him, then checked on Gu Shenbai and Xie Qingyu before coming out of the room.
He instructed the maid to stand at the door and keep watch, and to immediately send someone to inform the First Madam if she woke up, before he went out.
The Gu family has been in chaos these past few days. Although no one else has come to visit, there have been quite a few imperial physicians coming and going every day. There are even two imperial physicians staying in the next room, who have been left to check on Gu Shenbai and Xie Qingyu's condition at any time.
This was also the first place Lord Gu came to after he came out.
"...Both of them coughed up blood, and their injuries were to their internal organs. They should be treated with medicine and gentle care..." The imperial physician's words were almost meaningless, but it was practically a death sentence.
They were given medication and were kept warm, but they are currently unable to even take the medicine.
"Young Master Gu's injuries are slightly less severe, and he'll be able to take his medicine in the next couple of days, so there's a better chance he'll wake up. However, the young mistress not only suffered a serious fall, but also has knife wounds to her throat and body, so I'm afraid her chances of survival are slim." The imperial physician finished speaking, his expression also looking grim.
They dared not say these words in front of the First Madam, for fear that the only person in charge of the household would also fall.
It was only because Lord Gu noticed their strange expressions and demanded they tell the truth that they received this answer.
Lord Gu didn't have much interaction with Xie Qingyu, but he knew from the beginning that the First Madam often told him how wonderful her chosen daughter-in-law was, and after their marriage, she often praised her in front of him.
All her injuries are from trying to save her son.
If she doesn't wake up...
"Madam, please don't say such things," Lord Gu instructed.
"Don't worry, Lord Gu," the imperial physician readily agreed.
Lord Gu knew that with the princess's experience, she couldn't possibly be unaware that the imperial physicians were hiding something, but she probably wouldn't dare to ask.
Being unconscious is the worst possible outcome; she can't bear to hear any worse news from here, and she can't hold on any longer.
No mother could hold on if she saw her child fall off a cliff in front of her.
Lord Gu dared not even think about it.
Having learned about the situation, he still needed to find some time to visit the old lady.
These past few days, the old lady only went to see Gu Shenbai at the beginning, but then fainted again when she saw the wound, so she was stopped from going there again.
She could only anxiously wait here. Even the old lady, who had never believed in Buddhism, started praying to the gods and Buddhas.
Seeing Lord Gu arrive, she seemed to have found her pillar of support.
"My son!" The old lady wiped away her tears with both hands. "How is Shen-ge'er? Has he woken up yet?"
"It'll be soon. He couldn't drink his medicine before, but he can now. He should wake up soon," said Lord Gu.
"Damn those bandits! Why did they target my precious grandson?" The old lady cried and wailed. "It's all that granddaughter-in-law's fault! Why did she have to take him to burn incense? If she hadn't gone, none of this would have happened."
"Mother, don't say such things. If Qingyu hadn't been trying to save Shen-ge'er, she wouldn't have fallen off the cliff or been stabbed. Now her injuries are even more serious than Shen-ge'er's." Lord Gu sternly stopped the old lady from speaking.
Lord Gu had already investigated the reason for their departure from the beginning.
Although it was the two of them who decided to go to Fahua Temple, only the two of them know why they suddenly decided to go, and it is still uncertain whether others had any involvement.
However, no matter what, Xie Qingyu cannot be blamed for this.
"I won't say anything." The only good thing about the old lady is that she listens to Lord Gu, which is why she can live here peacefully as an old lady.
Otherwise, it would be easy for the First Madam to say she didn't want to live with her anymore.
Although she didn't say it, she still thought that way.
Lord Gu could tell what she was thinking just by looking at her expression, but there was nothing he could do about it.
"You should rest and recover these next few days. I'll have someone report to you every day. You can go see them after you've recovered. Otherwise, if you faint again when you go, the imperial physicians won't know whether to save you or Shen-ge'er," Lord Gu instructed.
"I know, your wife won't let me go anymore," the old lady murmured.
Lord Gu then called over the old lady's maids and nannies separately and gave them a final instruction, telling them to keep a close eye on the old lady and not to let her know if there was any bad news.
After making the arrangements here, Lord Gu went to his study in the front yard to write a visiting card and handed it to a servant to deliver to the Cai family.
After he finished all that, he returned to the courtyard where Gu Shenbai was recuperating.
When he returned, the First Madam was still asleep.
He sat quietly to the side, watching the three people in the room.
I couldn't possibly connect the person who could have done this to any prince.
According to the maid, their trip to Fahua Temple was a spur-of-the-moment decision and they shouldn't have been targeted by anyone.
However, it is unknown who arranged for the soldier who finally fired that arrow.
Silence reigned both inside and outside; at this critical moment, no one outside dared to make a sound.
Lord Gu, who had been traveling for five days, had barely slept a wink, yet he didn't feel sleepy sitting down.
The sorrow between the First Madam's brows made him feel distressed.
The silence was broken when the maidservant, who was about to feed the medicine, broke it.
As the maids brought in the brewed medicine, Lord Gu's thoughts returned to normal, and the First Madam on the bed also woke up.
This hour should have been the most peaceful rest the First Madam had had in the past few days, but even so, when she woke up and saw Lord Gu, she still felt a sense of grievance.
But she quickly suppressed her emotions and, in front of others, she put on a brave face and watched the maids feed her medicine.
Gu Shenbai is already able to swallow on his own.
Xie Qingyu, however, still had to have her tongue pressed down with a bamboo stick and the liquid forced down her throat.
Seeing this, she felt distressed and began to change the subject, "What about Mother..."
"I've already gone to see her and told her to take good care of herself."
"In the palace..."
"I will go to the palace to meet the emperor tomorrow morning."
"besides........"
"I have already sent a visiting card to the Cai family, and I will go there tomorrow after I leave the palace."
"I was only busy sending people to deliver medicine and fetch a doctor, so I don't know how Cai's son is doing. He was injured while saving Shen'er. Tomorrow, take an imperial physician with you to see him, bring some extra supplies, and see if they have any requests," the First Madam said.