coobybook Chapter 144 Powerless
Chapter 144 Powerless
“Let’s come here every year from now on,” Jiang Zhi suddenly said.
Gu Liang silently turned to look at her. Her bright eyes held the radiance of a lotus flower in the morning glow, as firm as a rock.
Jiang Zhi smiled slightly, stood on tiptoe, and kissed his cheek.
Gu Liang was suddenly stunned.
He quickly realized what was happening and pulled her into his arms around her slender waist.
Gu Liang bent down, and the two kissed, pulling her into his arms.
Their breaths mingled, creating an ambiguous atmosphere under the fireworks.
"Waaaaah! Mommy, look! Big brother and big sister, aren't they ashamed?!"
Jiang Zhi's cheeks flushed. She lifted Gu Liang's sleeve and looked in the direction of the sound.
It was a little girl with three little pigtails. Her mother carried her away, and they could vaguely hear her scolding, "You shameless thing, you're still looking! You're disturbing your older brother and sister, don't you know? They're so affectionate, and you little rascal, you're such a spoilsport."
Jiang Zhi took a half step back, lowered her head and smiled.
Gu Liang raised her eyebrows and took out a delicate little box from her sleeve.
He touched his lips, which were stained with his kisses, and said, "Your lip rouge."
She took the lipstick, peeled it open, and was stunned. The color inside was extremely ugly; it wasn't pink at all, and it even had a purplish tinge to it.
She thought to herself, "He must have taken a liking to me."
"You don't like it?" Gu Liang frowned and stared at her.
He then took out a handful of porcelain boxes from his sleeve and handed them to Jiang Zhi.
Jiang Zhi unveiled them one by one, her fingers paused, and she looked up at Gu Liang.
Unexpectedly, he was so ignorant of women's things, and each one was uglier than the last.
She simply said, "I want this lip color."
Jiang Zhi pointed to his own lips, and Gu Liang looked at them as instructed—they were moist and full, slightly red and swollen from his kisses.
Gu Liang chuckled and retorted, "Didn't they all disappear?"
Jiang Zhi beckoned to him, "Lower your head."
Gu Liang leaned down. "Lower yourself a little more."
Gu Liang lowered his head again, and Jiang Zhi took the opportunity to wipe his lips with hers, "Here."
He saw that Jiang Zhi had two fingers imprinted with vermilion, and then took out a box of lip rouge of the same color from his sleeve.
Seeing that Jiang Zhi was pleased, she touched up her lips with her finger, looking quite focused.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk."
"Is this what they always say in plays about kings trying to make their concubines smile?" Xingluo exclaimed.
Gu Liang had already inquired with Xing Luo and learned that today would be the Lantern Festival in Jizhou.
He specifically asked Qin Qi for this method, just as he had done to win the favor of the Princess back then.
“Our prince is not a king, and the queen is not a concubine,” Jiaoyue corrected.
“I’ve made up my mind,” Xingluo said seriously, “I will do even more romantic things for my wife in the future.”
The bright moon scoffed.
"With whom?" Jiaoyue saw through his little scheme. "Did you confess your feelings to Wushi?"
Xingluo's eyelids twitched, and she reached out to cover Jiaoyue's mouth, "You, you, what nonsense are you talking about!"
"How could I possibly fall for her?"
Jiaoyue smiled, her eyes crinkling.
Xingluo didn't argue with him and let go of his hand.
"I'm just teasing you," Jiaoyue smiled. "It's good that Your Highness is alive now."
“Yes, that’s great,” Xingluo said softly.
-
Kyoto has been peaceful lately, and the fire at Hakuba-ji Temple has gradually faded from public memory.
The next day, an old gentleman stepped into the door of Junkangtang with some urgency.
He was short, plump, and had a ruddy complexion.
"Is your doctor, Dr. Yu, here?" he asked the waiter who came to greet him.
The waiter asked politely, "Sir, are you looking for Dr. Yu to buy medicine or to find someone?"
Dr. Han smiled and said, "My surname is Han. Please inform Dr. Yu that an acquaintance has come to visit, and I would like to see him."
The shop assistant at Houputang noticed that his demeanor was unlike that of an ordinary customer and also noticed the faint medicinal scent on his body.
Guessing that he was either a fellow doctor or a professional, they invited him to the side hall where guests were received.
"Please sit down, Mr. Han. I'll go see if Dr. Yu is available." The waiter brought him a bowl of herbal tea. "Mr. Han, this is a special herbal tea made by Junkangtang. You can try it. If you get impatient while waiting, there are also medicine books here for you to look through."
After the shop assistant left, Dr. Han got up and walked to the bookshelf, squinting as he looked at it carefully.
He thought to himself, "These books are rare finds."
No wonder Junkangtang is the largest pharmacy in Kyoto; its generosity is beyond the reach of ordinary people.
Unfortunately, he had important business to attend to today; otherwise, he would have loved to read all of these books.
Hurried footsteps sounded outside the door, and Yu Jiuxia walked in.
"Oh, it's Elder Han."
She was overjoyed to see that the guest was indeed Doctor Han.
She met Dr. Han because of Jiang Zhi.
Knowing that she still wanted to improve her medical skills, Jiang Zhi acted as a middleman, introducing the two of them to each other and allowing them to discuss medical techniques.
At first, Yu Jiuxia looked down on the old man, until Doctor Han explained the most fatal flaw in Jiang Shuyue's leg ailment and the fastest way to get better.
She followed this method and administered strong medicine to Jiang Shuyue. Only when it was just as he said did she believe him.
She bowed to Dr. Han and asked, "May I ask what brings you here, Dr. Han?"
Dr. Han stroked his beard. "Dr. Yu, please don't stand on ceremony. I've come today to ask you something."
"Please speak, Dr. Yu."
"Doctor Yu, do you know what the Kirin Clover is?" Doctor Han asked calmly.
Yu Jiuxia was taken aback. "Why do you say that, Elder Han?"
"I mentioned this item to the Princess," Doctor Han said. "I heard someone offered to sell it, but the price was very high. I should have informed the Princess, but she is not in the capital, so I cannot make the decision."
Yu Jiuxia nodded. "If the Princess knew, she would probably spend a fortune to buy it. But do you know where the Kirin Clover is and how much it costs?"
Jiang Zhi had told her to keep an eye on the whereabouts of the medicine, and she guessed that it was related to someone important to her, so she kept a close eye on it.
Dr. Han pondered for a moment and said, "Then I will contact them again."
Doctor Han bowed sincerely to Doctor Han, "Please leave this item with me, Doctor Han. The Princess will be extremely grateful."
“I know,” Doctor Han said slowly.
After seeing Doctor Han off, Yu Jiuxia could not hide her joy and lifted her skirt to head towards the small building in the backyard.
Inside the Liang Prince's Palace.
Qinghuai and Doctor Han sat facing each other in the pharmacy.
On the table beside him was a scroll of notes, an urgent message sent this morning by Gu Liang's carrier pigeon.
Qinghuai's face was grim. "Elder Han, did you really ask according to His Highness's instructions?"
"What can we do if we don't do as he says?" Doctor Han pushed a cup of mint drink towards him. "Drink some mint to cool down."
"In my opinion, this shouldn't have been done this way," Qinghuai said.
Doctor Han lifted his eyelids. "This is His Highness's choice, and we cannot interfere."
Qinghuai glared at him, "But you're still His Highness's physician!"
"You are still His Highness's chief bodyguard." Doctor Han said dismissively, "His Highness's orders are military orders, and military orders are as solid as mountains."
Qinghuai was speechless. "Anyway, I don't agree."
"Then will you change His Highness's mind?" Doctor Han asked.
Qinghuai gritted her teeth, "I just want His Highness to live, but His Highness is still devoted to the Princess. Anyway, I don't care, I'll accept military law if necessary."
"Alright," Doctor Han picked up his teacup again. "It's fine to say those angry words. Why do you think His Highness put you in charge of Junkang Hall? He already has the answer in his heart."
Qinghuai slapped the table. "So, you, old man, still have the mood to drink tea?"
Dr. Han snorted, "To be honest, we doctors are all hard-hearted."
"Who dares to compare with you?" Qinghuai said irritably. "This matter is neither up to me nor you; only Doctor Xiaobai has the final say."
After taking a sip of cold tea, Dr. Han said, "Dr. Xiao Bai is also a doctor. Why don't you make a bet with me and see if he'll agree?"
Bai Wuyou stared at his retreating figure and asked in a deep voice, "Was it worth it?"
Seeing that Gu Liang did not answer, he stepped forward and said again, "Gu Liang, you are a patient I saved, you can't just give up like this!"
He was both angry and saddened because there was no way to salvage the black lines on Gu Liang's wrist.
He's been racking his brains these past two days, even considering using his own life to prolong his lifespan.
Gu Liang glanced at him, "What a pity, I won't be able to see you get married."