sjar Chapter 397 What she wanted was Chu Ruohan's life and Gu Junze's pain!
Chapter 397 What she wanted was Chu Ruohan's life and Gu Junze's pain!
Gu Junze's expression turned serious, clearly unwilling to let her overwork herself.
He said in a deep voice, "There are many people and many eyes in the palace. You are currently unable to move around easily. If anything goes wrong, it will be too late to regret it. I will personally go to the Emperor to plead for your leave."
Chu Ruohan gently tugged at his sleeve, her tone carrying a hint of comfort: "I understand your intentions. However, we are now in the capital, and many things cannot be done as we please."
"With a new emperor on the throne, it is precisely the time when all the ministers need to show their obedience. If we refuse too much when Consort Shu takes the initiative to show goodwill, it will easily arouse suspicion and make enemies for no reason."
She paused, then softened her voice even more, "I will be extremely careful. Besides, Song Ruyan and Yuling will be with us, so nothing will happen."
In the end, Gu Junze compromised...
The capital city, a dark alley.
Mother Gu covered most of her face with a worn-out headscarf, revealing only a pair of eyes that gleamed with a sinister light.
She hunched over, like a rat foraging in a gutter, scurrying through those dark, sunless corners.
The five hundred taels of silver given to her by Du Ruoling were heavy in her pocket, but they could not warm her already cold heart in the slightest.
Retirement? She spat. This little bit of money wasn't even enough to fill a tooth gap.
What she wanted was Chu Ruohan's life and Gu Junze's suffering!
Why did her family fall apart and Chengyan die? It was all because of that despicable couple.
She stopped at a chaotic street corner, her gaze sweeping over the diverse group of people.
She knew that this was the place where she could most easily find out the information she wanted.
She leaned closer to a matchmaker who was soliciting business, lowered her voice, and asked in a hoarse voice, "Sister, I'd like to ask you about someone. In this capital, are there any midwives who are 'quick-witted,' bold, and willing to do things for money?"
The matchmaker sized her up and down, noticing her ordinary clothes but fierce expression, and knew she was no ordinary person.
Her eyes darted around, and she twirled two fingers together: "I've been in this business for a long time, I've seen all kinds of people. The kind of person you're talking about does exist, but... well, the price..."
A hint of impatience flashed in Gu's mother's eyes. She took out a small piece of silver from her bosom and stuffed it into the matchmaker's hand.
"As long as the information is accurate, you'll be well paid. I want the kind who's ruthless and cold-blooded, someone I can get money to do anything."
The matchmaker weighed the silver in her hand, her smile widening. "You've come to the right person. There's a woman named Wang in Li Family Lane in the south of the city. I heard she was a midwife when she was young, but later she became dishonest and her reputation was ruined. She now takes on shady jobs."
"As long as you pay her enough money, she'll kill and set fires without batting an eye."
"Old Wang from Li Family Lane..." Gu's mother murmured the name to herself, a sinister smile creeping across her lips. Good, very good! Chu Ruohan, your death is near!
On the other side, Song Ruyan paced around the room a few times before finally making up her mind.
She took a deep breath, pushed open the door, and walked straight towards the pharmacy.
Dr. Qian's wounded gaze was like a fine needle, pricking her every now and then, making her restless.
A faint aroma of medicine wafted through the pharmacy, but Dr. Qian was nowhere to be seen.
She turned and left the pharmacy, thinking that Dr. Qian must have gone to do free clinics again.
On the outskirts of the city, the open space where Dr. Qian usually held free clinics was now deserted, with only a few scattered people craning their necks to look around, their faces filled with disappointment and anxiety.
As soon as Song Ruyan walked over, the people's eyes immediately turned strange when they saw her. Some even avoided her as if they had seen something dirty, whispering among themselves.
"Is that her? The girl who was with Dr. Qian the other day?"
"Their clothes don't look like those of people from around here, and they seem to have a bad temper too."
"Why didn't Dr. Qian come today? My wife is waiting for him to prescribe medicine."
"Get out of the way quickly, this girl is ruthless. She almost killed that old man Wang..."
Song Ruyan felt extremely uncomfortable under their gazes. She considered herself upright and honest, and had never been avoided like this before.
She patiently stopped an older woman who looked kinder and asked, "Ma'am, is Dr. Qian not here today?"
The old woman glanced at her warily, shrank back, and whispered, "Dr. Qian... Dr. Qian hasn't come for two days."
"Two days?" Song Ruyan was taken aback. "Isn't he always there, rain or shine?"
A man standing nearby couldn't help but interject, his tone tinged with dissatisfaction: "Who says otherwise! Doctor Qian is a living saint here, he's never late. I don't know what happened, he hasn't even sent a message." As he spoke, he gave Song Ruyan a meaningful glance.
Song Ruyan felt a lump in her throat. The courage she had finally mustered to apologize deflated like a punctured balloon. What could she do if she couldn't find him?
She stood there, watching the disappointed figures of the people as they left, feeling empty inside.
A gust of wind blew by, swirling up a few withered leaves from the ground, adding to the desolate atmosphere.
"Hmph," she muttered under her breath, her tone carrying a hint of disappointment and annoyance that she herself didn't realize, "What a petty man! He just disappears like that! I don't believe he can hide forever."
Even so, Dr. Qian's injured eyes once again clearly surfaced in her mind.
It’s so annoying!
The Anping Princess's mansion was brightly decorated with lanterns and colorful ribbons. Red wedding silk stretched from the gate to the wedding hall, and lanterns hung high, creating a festive atmosphere everywhere.
However, what stood out starkly against this festive atmosphere was the pitifully sparse number of guests.
Wearing a phoenix crown and elaborate wedding dress, Du Ruoling sat on the bed in the bridal chamber, her heart feeling as heavy as if it were stuffed with cotton wool.
She had imagined her grand wedding countless times, with guests filling the house and dignitaries gathering, all looking at her with envy, watching how glamorous Du Ruoling would be.
But reality slapped her hard in the face.
The wedding banquet, with dozens of tables set up, was completely empty.
Gu Cheng'an was dressed in a bright red wedding gown, but there was not a trace of the joy that a groom should have on his face.
He stood there silently, letting the matchmaker do as she pleased. His eyes were mostly vacant, occasionally flashing with a complex and unreadable emotion, as if he were looking through everything in front of him towards some distant place.
The general's mansion only sent a simple, unremarkable, and certainly not generous, congratulatory gift before hastily departing.
Gu Junze and Chu Ruohan did not appear at all.
This was undoubtedly another heavy slap in the face to Du Ruoling's already embarrassed face.
Her forced smile was almost impossible to maintain; her nails dug deep into her palms as she barely managed to keep a facade of calm.