Peerless Physician: The Path of a Foolish Eldest Daughter's Rise to Power

"Grandfather, your eyes have just healed. You should rest more and close your eyes to relax."

Gu Yong looked at Gu Xinyue with doting eyes and asked, "What are your plans for the future? Tell your grandfather."

“I miss him very much. I want to find my father first, and then our family can be together happily. We can also study medicine together.”

"Don't you want to practice medicine and save lives, become a miracle doctor, or have a position in the Imperial Medical Academy?"

“I can exchange medical skills with the imperial physicians of the Imperial Medical Academy, but I would never go to the palace. The powerful and arrogant people there would order me around and I might accidentally get caught up in palace intrigues and end up losing my life. Wouldn’t my grandfather be heartbroken? My father and mother would be devastated. I think it’s better for me to remain the legitimate granddaughter of the Marquis of Changning.”

Looking at the girl in front of him, Gu Yong couldn't help but feel a surge of shock.

The granddaughter frankly expressed her wishes; she did not envy the life of those in the palace, but was content to simply be the legitimate granddaughter of the Marquis of Changning.

Her gaze was clear and firm, revealing a maturity and confidence beyond her years. This made Gu Yong look at her with new respect.

Little did Gu Yong know that Gu Xinyue had simply been deterred by watching too many palace dramas on her phone and TV in modern society.

“You make your grandfather proud and make him happy. I have been looking for your father, but I still have no leads.”

“Grandfather, there are two major factions in the palace, the Empress and Consort Zhu, and behind them are the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince. Why don’t we investigate whoever needs military power the most?”

“Xinyue, that’s what I thought at first too. It’s easy to investigate them. Don’t alert them. Grandfather has already made them lower their guard over the past few years.”

"Does this involve external forces?"

“Xin Yue, be careful what you say. Your grandfather will tell you if there is any progress in finding your father.”

“Okay, I’d like to ask Grandfather something.”

"go ahead."

"Other marquisates have heirs or grandsons, why didn't Grandfather establish one?"

Why did you ask that question?

"Grandfather, I want to know everything that is related to my father."

"The late emperor hoped that the Marquis of Changning would protect the country for generations. Our Marquisate is hereditary. My grandfather only had two sons. In order to preserve the Gu family line, your uncle chose to pursue a literary career, while your father trained on the battlefield from a young age. The two brothers were modest towards each other. Your father felt that your eldest uncle was the eldest son, and your eldest uncle felt that the Marquisate was a military title and should be inherited by your father."

Gu Yong paused, took a sip of tea, and continued, "This matter has not been settled yet. Later, your mother and aunt both became pregnant, and your grandmother and I decided not to establish an heir but a grandson."

"Alas, fate is cruel," Gu Yong sighed. "Your mother gave birth to a stillborn girl, and your aunt gave birth to a weak baby boy, who is your eldest brother. Unfortunately, your eldest brother is not your father's child. At that time, your mother was devastated and her health was poor. Your grandmother took pity on her, so we never had a grandson. Your father disappeared, and that was the end of that matter."

“Grandfather, have you considered what my eldest aunt thinks? She definitely wants my eldest brother to be the heir. If this matter isn’t settled, Hui’er will definitely be implicated.”

"Do you suspect that Gu Hui's illness isn't due to physical ailment, but rather something deliberately caused?"

"I don't have evidence right now, but I already have a plan. I should be able to gather evidence within the next day or two. Does Grandfather intend to make my eldest brother the heir apparent?"

"Your eldest brother has never been to the battlefield. Although he is skilled in both literature and martial arts, his martial arts skills are far inferior to his literary skills. Your aunt is unwilling to let your eldest brother go to the battlefield to gain experience."

“Grandfather, don’t just think about training generals, you can also train strategists. They are all for the same purpose of protecting the country.”

I will consider your opinion.

Gu Xinyue thought that she was glad she had talked to her grandfather. Gu Hui was still young, and he didn't want his younger brother to live with the family's mission. As the eldest son, this was his mission.

It was very cold tonight, and the charcoal fire inside was burning brightly. Gu Xinyue asked Xia He to keep an eye on Gu Hui's room tonight.

"Xia He, it's cold, please keep warm."

"Miss, I will certainly not fail in my mission. Please rest well, I will definitely handle it well."

Xia He was very excited. This was the first time her mistress had assigned her a task, and she was determined to do it well.

That night, Granny Li went alone to the back garden behind the artificial hill, only to find someone waiting for her.

Xia He looked closely and realized it was Granny Wang, who served the First Madam. The two whispered to each other for a while, then Granny Li left first, followed by Granny Wang.

After returning, Granny Li personally watched over the young master, and she sent the maids back to their own rooms.

It started snowing, and the snow fell heavier and heavier, covering the entire Marquis's mansion in white. Xia He quietly came to Gu Hui's room and hid in the shadows to observe.

At midnight, Granny Li opened the window. Xia He was taken aback. Wouldn't it be even colder to open the window on such a cold day? She also opened the door, and Xia He quietly went inside.

Xia He was stunned by what she saw. Granny Li had pulled off the young master's blanket and was taking off his clothes; she wanted to freeze him to death.

Xia He rushed forward, knocked Li Mama unconscious with a chop, covered the young master with a blanket, and quickly closed the doors and windows.

She checked the young master's breathing and was relieved to find everything was normal. She stayed by Gu Hui's side.

At dawn, Yang Ziwei and Jixiang Ruyi came to see Gu Hui and were startled to see Li Mama on the ground. Xia He was sleeping by the bedside.

Yang Ziwei's eyes widened, her heart filled with fear and anger. Her heart pounded, and her hands trembled uncontrollably.

Only when she saw Gu Hui sleeping peacefully did her heart settle down.

Jixiang shook Xiahe awake. Xiahe rubbed her eyes. How could she have fallen asleep? Oh no, she had messed up the first task that Miss had given her. But getting down to business was the priority. She told her what had happened last night.

Yang Ziwei couldn't believe that her son, Gu Hui, had suffered such a thing. The terrible scenes flashed through her mind, and her heart was filled with pain and disappointment.

When Gu Xinyue arrived, she found that Gu Hui was alright, so she had someone lock Li Mama in the woodshed first.

"Xiahe, they've released some sleeping potion. Keep this incense burner safe and go rest now."

The young lady didn't blame her, and she didn't ask any more questions after that. She just did whatever the young lady asked her to do.

Both she and Yang Ziwei knew that the servants' indentures were not in their possession, and such things were impossible to guard against.

Around noon, Gu Xinyue had someone bring Li Mama to the front yard, and had someone bring a stool. She was going to give the old woman who had plotted against her master fifty strokes of the cane, and have all the servants in the mansion come to watch the execution.

Gu Xinyue had investigated and found that Granny Li had no relatives, but her aunt, Madam Zhu, had been kind to her, so she wanted to kill the monkey to establish her authority.

Seeing that most of the servants had arrived, and that she was the only mistress present, she ordered two guards to fight.

The paddle struck Li Mama again and again, but she gritted her teeth and remained silent. Everyone present remained silent, secretly relieved that they hadn't committed any wrongdoing.

At this moment, Madam Zhu, dressed in luxurious clothes, rushed over. Her face was full of anger as she questioned Gu Xinyue, "Gu Xinyue, do you even have any respect for me as the mistress of the house? Why did you punish Granny Li?"

Gu Xinyue made Xia He recount everything that happened last night and presented evidence.

Zhu remained calm. Gu Xinyue was challenging her authority. She glared at Li Mama with hatred, then turned to Gu Xinyue and said, "Xinyue, this is my fault for not disciplining her properly. I will deal with Li Mama properly."

"Aunt, is this how you run the household? Are you just going to spoil the servants like this?"

"Is that how you talk to your elders?"

“If you had handled this fairly according to the Gu family’s rules, I would have spoken to you like this.”

“Alright, what kind of behavior is this?” The eldest uncle, who had returned at some point, stepped forward and said.

Gu Sicheng walked to Gu Xinyue's side and said, "You're almost of marriageable age, you should act like a well-bred young lady."

“Uncle, the three of us are barely surviving in the Marquis’s mansion, what’s the point of being reserved? Xiahe, you tell me.”

Xia He recounted everything that had happened the night before, and Zhu's face slowly paled.

Gu Siming glanced at the First Madam and then said, "A servant who dares to plot against his master shall be beaten to death."

The two guards who had stopped continued to beat her until Granny Li was no longer breathing.

Gu Siming looked at Gu Xinyue, who was standing there blankly, and assumed she was frightened by the scene. He said, "Go back and get some rest, and drink some calming soup."

"Uncle, do you know why she's so audacious? It's because we don't have the indentures for these unruly slaves?"

Contractual agreements were a hallmark of this era, a symbol of poverty and oppression. Whoever held the contract, the women were loyal to.

Gu Sicheng looked at Zhu Shi and said, "They are my second brother's children. Now that he's gone, it's my responsibility to take good care of them, especially Gu Hui. You are my wife, you should understand my feelings."

Zhu was so angry that her chest was churning, but she still made Wang Pozi hand over the indentures of Meixiang Garden and Lingmeng Pavilion to Gu Xinyue.