“Eldest Brother, take care.” Gu Chaonan said with a smile: “When Eldest Brother officially assumes his position, we younger brothers will certainly present generous gifts and offer our congratulations.”

Gu Chaodong’s mouth moved, but ultimately he only snorted, glanced at Shen Guiyan with unwillingness, turned and walked out of the Northern Courtyard.

As soon as he reached the entrance, he ran into the manor’s Doctor Liu.

“The Eldest Young Master’s complexion doesn’t seem very good. Do you need this old man to take your pulse?” Doctor Liu asked with a squinting smile.

Gu Chaodong frowned and touched his face: “Just recovered from serious illness—taking the pulse again would be good. Doctor, come with me to the Eastern Courtyard.”

“Ah, very well.”

He had originally thought that once he obtained the Vice Minister of Justice position, he would leave the manor to establish his own residence, then find a way to seize Yan’er back. But now Yan’er was no longer a virgin, and he felt very unwilling while simultaneously regretting why he had married Shen Guiya in the first place.

Walking back to the Eastern Courtyard with a gloomy face the whole way, Doctor Liu took his pulse and pulled out a booklet, writing while saying: “The Eldest Young Master has long been troubled in his heart without relief. The previous serious illness left lingering sickness in your heart, which may affect your future health.”

Gu Chaodong absentmindedly responded: “I’ve been troubled for a long time. Each day I cannot obtain what I desire, I will be troubled another day. Medicine and remedies cannot resolve it.”

Doctor Liu frowned: “This won’t do. This old man shoulders the responsibility of protecting the health of the masters in the manor, so naturally I cannot be careless. Troubles must be spoken aloud to improve. According to this old man’s understanding, is the Eldest Young Master vexed over the Eldest Young Madam’s miscarriage?”

“Not exactly… but also yes.” Gu Chaodong sighed: “This child of hers is gone—I can no longer distinguish whether it’s good or bad. I only regret why I married her in the first place.”

Doctor Liu said nothing more, only lowered his head to concentrate on recording Gu Chaodong’s current condition.

Seeing him write so attentively, Gu Chaodong couldn’t help but glance: “What is the Doctor recording?”

“The physical conditions of the masters in each courtyard. This old man records every time I take a pulse.”

This was quite rare. Gu Chaodong became interested and smiled: “May I take a look?”

“You may.” Doctor Liu nodded.

Gu Chaodong took it and flipped through. He first saw his own entry, where the previous days were recorded as “high fever difficult to subside, heart knot unresolved, danger of consumption.”

During his serious illness those days, he indeed had a fever that wouldn’t break, but Doctor Liu had only come to take his pulse and prescribe medicine—he never said there was a possibility of consumption.

With lingering fear, Gu Chaodong clutched the booklet and looked at Doctor Liu: “Why did you write it down but not tell me?”

Doctor Liu stroked his beard and smiled: “Physicians do not speak. What’s written above is left for this old man’s own medical treatment records, not to frighten patients.”

Gu Chaodong suddenly understood and continued looking down. There was Madam Gu’s entry, which stated: facial bruising difficult to fade, with broken skin, risk of scarring, treat with aloe and other substances, observe results.

It seemed he hadn’t told Madam Gu either, otherwise she would surely have been frightened into frantically searching for remedies everywhere. No matter how old women become, they still love beauty.

Continuing to read, Gu Chaodong discovered Doctor Liu’s booklet truly recorded quite a lot. Doctor Liu was also a remarkable person with superior medical skills who could diagnose everything.

He read with a slight smile, finding it extremely interesting, until he turned to Shen Guiya’s page.

“Menstruation regular, blood vessels unobstructed.”

Gu Chaodong could no longer smile.

Shen Guiya was detained and couldn’t return to the manor, so she could only have someone go back and say Han Shi was too enthusiastic and kept her overnight at the manor. If it were any normal time, Gu Chaodong wouldn’t care where she was and would certainly just wave dismissively. But this time, the Gu family actually dispatched servants to go personally to Yuwen Manor to find her.

Han Jiangxue faced the Gu Manor’s servants, very bewildered: “The Eldest Young Madam Gu?”

“Yes, the Eldest Young Master sent this humble one to bring the Young Madam back.”

Han Jiangxue was very confused. She turned to ask the manor’s maids: “Did the Eldest Young Madam Gu come today?”

“No.” The maid shook her head.

The Gu Manor’s servant was dumbfounded, standing at the entrance not knowing what to do. Just then, Yuwen Changqing passed by after practicing swordplay. Seeing the Gu family servant’s clothing, he stepped forward to ask the reason, then smiled lightly: “The Eldest Young Madam Gu? I just saw her today.”

The sky gradually darkened. Gu Chaodong ordered over ten household servants to leave the manor.

“What’s all this about?” Gu Chaobei was somewhat curious.

Shen Guiyan smiled: “Want to go see?”

It was rare for her to be interested. Gu Chaobei nodded very readily: “Let’s go, let’s go.”

Then the two mounted a double-saddle horse and followed behind the vast procession of Gu family servants.

Gu Chaodong’s expression was extremely unpleasant. He walked briskly the whole way and barged directly into Youyuan Inn. The people in the inn’s main hall were startled and scattered to avoid him. He led his people directly up to the third floor.

“Why come here?” Gu Chaobei held Yan’er as they sat on the horse: “This posture is like catching adultery.”

Shen Guiyan was also very curious. She had only asked Doctor Liu to show the records to Gu Chaodong, then later go appear before Madam—no lying, no harming anyone, just letting them see the facts clearly. But why had the Eldest Young Master Gu brought people here?

On the third floor, hearing the commotion, Shen Guiya reacted extremely quickly, pulling Yuwen Houde and saying: “Don’t you know martial arts? Use lightness skill to fly me down to the second floor!”

Yuwen Houde put on his clothes while his face darkened. Knowing martial arts and being able to fly seemed like two different concepts—what was this woman thinking?

However, hearing the sounds of people searching room by room, there was no time to hesitate. Yuwen Houde hurriedly took her out the window, using a bed sheet as rope to lower them to the second floor.

Perhaps heaven had gone for an afternoon nap—these two people safely climbed into a second-floor room using the bed sheet, then each arranged their clothing and sat facing each other, pretending to be discussing business.

People also came from Yuwen Manor. Yuwen Changqing brought Han Shi all the way to watch the excitement. Han Shi’s face was pale, murmuring the whole journey: “They should only be discussing business, right?”

Yuwen Changqing shook his head. This cousin’s wife was too foolish—what man and woman discuss business until dark without going home?

Youyuan Inn instantly became as lively as a marketplace. Gu Chaodong searched the entire third floor without finding anyone. Only the last room refused to open its door.

Standing at the door, Gu Chaodong’s emotions surged. If this cuckold’s hat were placed on him, he truly would have no face to show anyone.

Yuwen Changqing also arrived quickly. Seeing Gu Chaobei and Shen Guiyan at the entrance, he raised an eyebrow slightly.

“General Yuwen has also come?” Gu Chaobei said with a squinting smile: “Hearing there’s excitement upstairs, why don’t this subordinate accompany the General to go see?”

“Good.” Yuwen Changqing adopted a superior’s bearing and nodded to Gu Chaobei.

Shen Guiyan saw Han Jiangxue but didn’t recognize who she was, only assuming she was General Yuwen’s wife, and nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

Han Jiangxue glanced at her. She didn’t recognize her, but recognized Gu Chaobei’s striking face, and understood in her heart this was the Fourth Young Madam Gu. Because of what Shen Guiya usually told her, she had no good impression of Shen Guiyan.

However, right now the urgent matter was to go see if there was anyone upstairs.

Several groups converged. Gu Chaodong finally ordered people to break down the door.

“Bang!” The door opened. Many people stretched their necks to look. Gu Chaodong took a deep breath and stepped inside.

No one was there.

Greatly relieved, Gu Chaodong calmed himself for quite a while before turning back to look at Yuwen Changqing outside the door: “General Yuwen said my humble wife and Lord Houde were here, but where are they now?”

Yuwen Changqing entered and swept a glance around: “Lord Gu must have heard incorrectly. This subordinate said your honored wife and my cousin parted ways with this subordinate at Youyuan Inn today. Does Youyuan Inn only have this one floor?”

Han Jiangxue followed inside and circled around the room. Just as she was feeling relieved, she saw a knotted rope by the bed.

The knot was tied to the window sill, and it looked like something had been lowered down below.

“Perhaps the lords should look at the second floor.” Han Shi’s eyes flooded with overwhelming disappointment, yet she still turned to block the window and said softly: “Perhaps everyone has misunderstood, and the Eldest Young Madam Gu is just discussing business with my husband on the second floor.”

Gu Chaodong frowned: “She’s a woman—what business would she have to discuss?”

“Lord Gu misunderstands your honored wife.” Han Jiangxue lowered her eyes: “She has always been wholeheartedly planning for you, my lord. Recently she’s been constantly running about for you… You should still go look at the second floor.”

Gu Chaodong looked at her doubtfully for quite a while. A servant beside him came forward to explain: “This is Lord Houde’s wife, Han Shi.”

“I see…” Gu Chaodong nodded to her, then said: “Then let’s search the second floor.”

Turning back, he saw Gu Chaobei and Shen Guiyan. Gu Chaodong’s eyes held some anger: “Does Fourth Brother really need to follow along to watch the excitement?”

“If there’s excitement and I don’t watch, that’s not my temperament.” Gu Chaobei said with a grin: “Eldest Brother, don’t be too angry.”

“Hmph.” Gu Chaodong angrily swept his sleeve and pushed past them toward the second floor.

The servants searched the second floor, and it was also in the very last room. Opening the door, they saw the two people they’d been searching for.

Shen Guiya was kneeling on the ground, the tears on her face not yet dry. Yuwen Houde sat to one side shaking his head repeatedly.

When Gu Chaodong and the others walked over, these two could still maintain this pose—quite impressive indeed.

“Ya’er.” Gu Chaodong entered, frowning at her: “What are you doing kneeling on the ground?”

Shen Guiya’s robe was wrapped tightly around her. She looked up at him in surprise: “Husband, you all… why are there so many people?”

Han Jiangxue also entered from behind and calmly helped Shen Guiya to her feet.

“You didn’t return at night, claiming to be at Yuwen Manor, but the manor said you weren’t there.” Gu Chaodong swept a glance at her, his eyes full of suspicion: “Why did you lie?”

Shen Guiya froze, then tears immediately flowed unceasingly, crying until everyone in the room was bewildered.

Yuwen Houde, sitting beside her, quickly stood and bowed to Yuwen Changqing: “General, forgive me. Madam Gu had a request of this subordinate, so I had no choice but to stay long at the inn.”

“It’s nothing. I don’t blame you.” Yuwen Changqing leaned against the doorway with a smile: “You’d better beg your wife’s forgiveness instead.”

Yuwen Houde’s heart panicked. He turned to glance at Han Jiangxue. The latter stared straight ahead, her face showing no ripples: “Husband met with Madam Gu at my suggestion. What crime is there?”