Resplendent – Chapter 406

Chapter 406 – The Imperial Guards

Gu Ye took the young man’s jade locket. The carvings, both in design and technique, were unmistakably identical to the one she wore on her own chest; clearly, they had been crafted by the same hand.

The young man continued, “This jade locket was carved by our father himself. Father’s carving skills were quite ordinary. Mother even teased him for ‘wasting good jade,’ saying he had ruined such a fine piece of material. But Father only laughed and said that no master craftsman in the world could surpass his work, because every cut of his blade was filled with a father’s love.”

As he spoke, the warmth in the young man’s eyes mirrored the gentle glow of the warm jade in Gu Ye’s hand. 

“You were born after Mother had already given birth to six sons,” he said softly. “You were the one she prayed and hoped for through the years. Father was so overjoyed that he couldn’t sleep for several nights. When he carved your jade locket, he took special care with every stroke. You were the treasure of our whole family. That’s why Father gave you the childhood name: Bao’er. Tell me, did your foster mother ever give you your jade locket?”

“Sister!” Gu Ming’s voice broke, trembling with grief. 

Why did he feel as though his sister was about to be taken away from him? 

For thirteen years, the brother and sister had never been apart. Could it be that all of it was a lie? He couldn’t believe it! He refused to accept it!

And yet, the jade locket that their mother had specially left for his sister was identical to the one the young man held. They even looked so much alike… 

Gu Ming’s face turned deathly pale. He stumbled back a few steps, and if Jiang Zhongtian hadn’t caught him, he might have fallen to the ground.

“Brother?” Gu Ye pushed the jade locket back into the young man’s hands, then supported Gu Ming by the arm. Her voice was calm but resolute as she said, “Brother, you will always be my brother. That will never change, not in this lifetime!”

They had been through so much together as siblings! When she was little, if not for this brother saving every crumb of food for her, the original Gu Ye might have starved to death, and she would never have had the chance to be reborn in this body.

For the past two years since she’d arrived here, the two of them had depended on each other for everything. Her brother had always cared for her with all his heart. Whenever he had something good, she was the first person he thought of. No matter how unreasonable her words might sound, he never doubted her. He always stood firmly behind her.

To protect her better, he trained tirelessly in martial arts; to give her a safer life, he set his goal on becoming the top-ranked martial scholar in the imperial exams, and he never once gave up. When she had been sold off, he never gave up searching for her; when she treated people during the pox outbreak, he had stayed outside the estate, sleepless and worried…

Such devotion had long surpassed the bounds of mere blood ties. In her heart, he was already the very definition of a good older brother.

Gu Ming gripped his sister’s hand tightly, his nose stinging, his eyes brimming with unshed tears. Sniffling, he choked out, “And you’ll always be my good little sister! Once you finish your apothecary exams, let’s go back to Yan City. That’s our true home!” 

“Yan City? You came from Yan City? That matches perfectly! Sister, Yan City is our mother’s hometown! When the maid was released from service, she married a steward there. It all makes sense! You are my sister, without a doubt!” Overcome with emotion, the young man stepped forward and seized Gu Ye’s arm.

 “Let go! You’ll hurt my sister!” Gu Ming said, his expression a tangled mix of emotions. 

If nothing else, this youth was most likely his sister’s biological brother… No—he still couldn’t bring himself to accept it!

Hearing that, the young man quickly released her hand, panic flashing across his face. “Did I hurt you? Are you injured?” he asked anxiously. “Jimin Pharmacy sells an excellent ointment for bruises. I’ll go buy some and apply for you. Sister, it’s all my fault. Does it hurt?” 

Gu Ye looked at the boy’s face, full of guilt and worry, and something soft inside her was touched. If she truly was his sister; if they had been separated for thirteen long years, then he must have been so worried and heartsick all that time.

“I’m fine. There’s no need to buy any medicine—” Gu Ye had barely finished speaking when she was cut off.

“What are you doing! What’s going on here? What’s all this commotion?” A swaggering, authoritative voice came from behind the crowd.

The townsfolk turned to look, and someone shouted, “It’s the Imperial City Guards!”

“Disperse! Everyone, move along!” Another guard, slightly older and mounted on horseback, looked down over the crowd and called out in a commanding voice.

During the Great Pharmacists Convention, apart from the pharmacists and grand pharmacists participating in the examinations and duels, and the apprentices and disciples they brought with them, countless medicine merchants from all over had also gathered in the capital. The city’s population had increased by nearly one-third—not even counting the foreign envoys, noble families, and wealthy merchants from various provinces who had come to attend the grand event.

Maintaining public order had therefore become the top priority. 

In addition to the City Watch, Emperor Zhao Rong had dispatched the elite troops of both the Imperial City Guards and the Imperial Palace Guards to patrol the streets daily, ensuring the safety of the pharmacists and the smooth running of the event.

“Xiao Liu, what are you doing here?” When the leader of the Imperial City Guards caught sight of the ‘troublemaker’ in the crowd, a flicker of surprise crossed his handsome face as he couldn’t help asking.

“Second Brother…”

“Second Brother Chu! You’ve returned from the frontier? And your uniform—it looks so grand and impressive!” Gu Ye’s clear, melodious voice rang out brightly, easily overpowering the young man’s quieter reply. 

She looked at Chu Mufeng’s handsome silver-threaded armor, her big eyes practically shooting stars. 

Wow! Men in uniform are the best! Truly heroic and dashing, brave and extraordinary! But compared to Brother Chen, he is still just a tiny bit behind!

Brother Chen is still the handsomest! 

The little girl had become a total superfan of Ling Juechen!

Gu Ming couldn’t help but cover his face. 

Here we go again! His sister was at it again!  

When will she ever stop gawking at handsome men like this? So embarrassing!

Chu Mufeng had returned to the capital two months ago. After the successful cowpox vaccination, the eldest Chu son, Chu Muhua, by imperial order stayed to guard the frontier and had his younger brother Chu Mufeng replaced back home. 

Old General Chu also submitted a petition to retire and settle at home. The Chu family had to learn from the lesson of thirteen years ago. The old general planned to resign all his military posts by next year at the latest, take an honorary title in the capital, lie low for a while, and enjoy a sweet, quiet life…

Ahem! Those rotten boys — making them get married would be like forcing them to die. All his grandsons were already grown men and still single as could be! They ruined his chances of ever holding a great-grandchild in his arms!

As for Second Young Master Chu, Chu Mufeng, due to his outstanding performance on the frontier over the past year and a half, he had become the young deputy commander of the Imperial City Guards, responsible for the capital’s security. 

Upon taking office, he immediately faced this grand event of the pharmaceutical world. Knowing the weight of his responsibility, he personally led his subordinates on daily patrols throughout the capital.

The city’s security was fairly decent, and during the convention, hardly anyone caused trouble. Even the local thugs kept their heads down. The daily patrols were relatively uneventful. Which was exactly why his men, spotting a crowd from afar, immediately lit up and rushed over—bored out of their minds!

“Oh! So it’s someone the boss knows! And a young pharmacist too, impressive and full of potential!” The one speaking was Chen Da, a notorious hothead among Chu Mufeng’s subordinates in the Imperial City Guards.