Resplendent – Chapter 439

Chapter 439 – Seclusion to Refine Medicine

The next day, Gu Ye was awakened by the sound of a panther and a falcon fighting outside her window. The fluttering of Xiao Bai’s wings, accompanied by the hushed voices of the young maids in the courtyard trying to calm things down, drifted faintly to her ears. Gu Ye sat up and stretched lazily.

Ying Lan, who had been waiting outside, lifted the curtain and entered. Her smiling eyes curved sweetly. “Miss, you’re awake? Shall I help you wash up now?”

Ying Lan was a senior maid who served the Duchess. Lady Jun was worried that her daughter might not get used to living in Mingzhu Pavilion right away, so she sent her over to assist Yue Yuan. Whether she would eventually stay at Mingzhu Pavilion or return to Rong’an Garden would depend on the young lady’s wishes.

Ying Lan was quite fond of this good-tempered young lady who carried no airs; serving her made Ying Lan especially attentive. After Gu Ye finished washing up and began eating breakfast, she still didn’t see Yue Yuan. She casually asked, “Where’s Yue Yuan? Where did she run off to play now?” 

Ying Lan admired the relationship between the young lady and Yue Yuan. They interacted more like close companions than mistress and maid. Hearing the question, she smiled and said, “Miss, did you forget? Yesterday you gave her a list of medicinal ingredients and told her to buy them today. Yue Yuan left at dawn, and she didn’t even stop for breakfast!”

“She is quite enthusiastic, going that early. Who knows if Jimin Pharmacy has even opened yet? That girl has never been this diligent when running errands. She must be using this chance to wander around the streets!” After a simple breakfast and rinsing her mouth, Gu Ye got up and went to Rong’an Garden to pay her respects to her mother.

When she arrived, Lady Jun had not yet risen. 

Chu Bufan spoke a few words with his daughter, and upon learning that she planned to prepare medicine for her mother today, he sent her back. It had only been a day since Lady Jun began taking the medicine her daughter made, and her condition had already shown obvious improvement. Her spirits were much better too.

Back when Chu Bufan was leading troops in the Northland, he met Lady Jun by chance while she was traveling with her elder brothers. It was love at first sight. He went through quite a bit of effort to marry her. After their marriage, the two were deeply affectionate, inseparable, and remained as loving as newlyweds for more than ten years.

In the past year, Lady Jun’s health had declined day by day. Even the imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Bureau were helpless. Each shake of their heads and each sigh felt like another heavy stone piling onto his heart. These past few days, she had been bedridden, spending more time unconscious than awake.

Whenever he had a spare moment, he sat by her bedside, holding her hand and gazing forlornly at her pale, thin sleeping face, recalling the sweet memories they shared. He had followed his father onto the battlefield since his teens, facing bloodshed, storms of blades, and the threat of death—yet he had never felt fear.

But now, he finally tasted the feeling of fear. He was afraid—afraid that his wife would leave him, afraid of facing the rest of his life alone, afraid that her presence would disappear from his world…

His daughter’s return had filled him with overwhelming joy. And the medicine she brought had given his wife new hope for life. He had barely slept the previous night. Only by touching the bite mark on the back of his hand and feeling the faint ache did he convince himself that everything was real.

He had never believed in gods or Buddha, yet that night, he almost never stopped offering thanks to them, begging for their forgiveness and protection.

Early this morning, he had wanted to go to Mingzhu Pavilion to see for himself, to make sure everything from yesterday wasn’t just an illusion. But he also feared disturbing his daughter’s rest. So he paced back and forth in the flower hall of Rong’an Garden, alone, until a servant reported that his daughter had come to pay respects to him and his wife. Only then did his heart finally settle completely.

Originally, he had wanted to pull her aside and talk with her a bit longer. But remembering that she had said she would seclude herself today to prepare medicine for her mother, he urged her to return. His daughter had finally come home. There would be plenty of time together in the future, but his wife’s illness could not be delayed. He was still waiting for her to recover, so their family could once again enjoy the warmth of being together!

Gu Ye had just returned to her courtyard when a group of young men, dressed in short training clothes and drenched in sweat, rushed into her Mingzhu Pavilion. Gu Ye wrinkled her nose in distaste. “You all went to the training grounds again? Look at you, covered in sweat. Go wash up and change your clothes.”

“I told you! Sister is quite the clean-freak. She is bound to dislike your sweaty stench!” Gu Ming had been getting one-on-one guidance from the Chu brothers today. Although he had been thoroughly beaten down, he had gained a lot. His was the dirtiest body and he had sweated the most!

Chu Xiaowu rolled his eyes at him. “As if your sweat smells like perfume. Didn’t little sister say she was going into seclusion? I just wanted to talk to her a bit before she shuts herself away.”

Gu Ye looked at him curiously. “Fifth Brother, do you have something to tell me?”

Chu Xiaowu scratched his head and gave a few silly laughs. “Nothing much. I just wanted to see you a few more times and hear your voice.”

Chu Xiaosi shot him a disgusted look. “Sister, you don’t know how annoying he’s been. In the middle of the night, instead of sleeping, he ran into my room and wouldn’t let me sleep either. He kept saying, ‘What if this is a dream? Did our little sister really come back?’ I was nearly driven crazy by him. Look at these dark circles under my eyes. He’s the one who caused them!”

Gu Ye pressed her lips into a smile and prepared refreshing, cooling tea for her brothers to quench their thirst. Listening to her brothers bicker and expose each other’s shortcomings slowly filled that empty place in her heart.

Gu Ye cleared out a side room to use as a temporary medicine-refining room. She only kept Yue Yuan to assist her; the other maids and older servants wanted to help but couldn’t, so they could only stay quiet so as not to disturb their lady.

Gu Ye not only improved the Blood Rejuvenation Pill but also made a month’s supply of it. For her mother’s illness, after two weeks of taking the pills, she could switch to the Blood Nourishing Pills. Her mother’s body had been severely weakened; she would need to take the Blood Nourishing Pills for at least a year to fully restore her health.

Thinking of that pot of jade-orchid and the almond goat’s milk her mother drank every day, Gu Ye couldn’t help but frown. If it was a coincidence, then so be it. But if someone had deliberately harmed her mother, she would absolutely drag that person out into the light!

Fortunately, her alchemy skills were proficient, and she had the capable Yue Yuan helping her. Before evening fell, both kinds of medicine had already been completed. After tidying herself up, she went to Rong’an Garden to deliver the medicine to her mother.

Learning that her mother was still napping, Gu Ye handed the medicine to Granny Ge, her mother’s most trusted confidant, and carefully explained the method of administration. 

Granny Ge was her mother’s wet nurse. Though she was over fifty, she was still strong and healthy. Her son and daughter were both part of Lady Jun’s personal dowry staff, managing the estates and shops that came with her dowry. All of them were trustworthy people.

After returning to Mingzhu Pavilion, Gu Ye ate some snacks and rested for a bit. Unable to stay idle, she decided to take advantage of the cooler evening weather and go out for a walk in the streets.

She took Yue Yuan with her and left through the side gate. The gatekeeper had already received instructions from the Duke: the young lady had complete freedom to enter and leave the manor. He asked enthusiastically whether she needed a carriage prepared. Gu Ye thought for a moment, then declined.