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

“Miss, my brother is a Red Guard. Five years ago, General Zhang wanted to find the missing General Gu and discovered that the Yang family was looking for a maid who knew martial arts. I was chosen because I was the best in martial arts, and the Yang family sent me up the mountain to learn martial arts. I only came down the mountain when you returned, Miss. This noon, General Zhang found me and wanted to talk to you. I don’t know anything about the Crimson Blood Token.”

Looking at Xia He kneeling on the ground, Gu Xinyue remembered what her grandfather had said, telling her to use it without worry. But it turned out that Xia He was also by her side with ulterior motives.

"Grandfather doesn't know your background, does he?"

"Miss, no one in the Yang family knows about this."

"Is the household registration information on your indenture real or fake?"

"Miss, it's all true."

"what's your plan?"

“Miss, I have no plans. I swear to follow you to the death.”

"Can I trust you?"

"can."

Seeing Xia He pleading her loyalty, Gu Xinyue told her to get up.

Peony reported that the Marquis was furious and had scolded the Master.

The young master was to be beaten with 20 strokes of the rod, and the entire household was to witness the execution. He was then sent to the ancestral hall to reflect on his actions before the ancestors. No one was allowed to visit him at the ancestral hall; anyone who did so would be expelled from the manor.

She also ordered the First Madam to find the rare copy within three days and apologize to the teacher together with the First Master and the Third Young Master. This was the proper way for a legitimate mother to love her illegitimate son.

Aunt Yu was confined to her quarters for a month, indulging the Third Young Master.

All the maids and servants in the Third Young Master's courtyard were sold off.

In the front yard, Gu Bai lay shivering on a bench, while Qing Dong waited for everyone with a stick in his hand.

When Gu Xinyue arrived, almost everyone had arrived. The First Madam looked unwell, and many people thought she didn't want Gu Bai to be punished. Gu Xinyue knew she was worried about finding rare books.

Gu Sicheng's face darkened. He had lost all face, both inside and outside the mansion. He had rarely been impolite in his life. Today, when he saw the teacher, he wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into. Now, he was also embarrassed in front of the servants. His father's handling of the situation made everyone think that he hadn't handled things well, which was why the Marquis was angry. It was all because Gu Bai was useless. He should give this unfilial son a few more beatings to teach him a lesson.

He just couldn't understand why his father was so angry. Zhu Wan had managed these matters in the inner courtyard very well; he should have just let her continue. Instead, he had made them lose face.

Aunt Yu felt a pang of heartache; the stick seemed to be about to strike her. She was still deeply grateful to the Marquis for intervening. She hoped the Third Young Master, who had suffered so much, would change his ways and study diligently from now on.

Gu Hao hadn't thought that if he didn't want to study, he should just join the army. Using such methods to damage the reputation of the Marquis's mansion deserved a good lesson. He was worried that people at the Imperial Academy would definitely be talking about this tomorrow.

Gu Xinyao glared at Gu Bai with hatred, wishing she could stab him a few times. What a disgrace! And her mother was always protecting him. She wouldn't go out for the next few days to avoid being mocked for this.

"Smack!" Qingdong smacked Gu Bai on the buttocks with a stick, and Gu Bai screamed like a pig being slaughtered.

The scream sent shivers down the spines of the onlookers, but Qingdong remained unmoved and showed no pity, immediately followed by another blow.

"Ah!" Gu Bai couldn't help but cry out, his voice filled with pain and grievance.

Two, three... the stick kept falling, and Gu Bai's buttocks turned bright red, with clearly visible welts on them.

His shouts grew louder and louder, making Gu Xinyue's eardrums hurt.

When the fifth blow came down, Gu Bai, who was screaming, looked at the people in the crowd. Why was no one there to help him? Normally, his stepmother would not let him be punished. This was the first time in his life that he was in pain. He thought his stepmother would protect him. His stepmother, who always doted on him in front of others, was now looking at him with disgust. Everyone else just watched the punishment. Only his aunt was heartbroken.

Grandfather is really something. He made him be punished and everything changed. Every time he did something wrong, his stepmother was the first to protect him. Today, not only did she not protect him, but she also seemed to dislike him. She's stopped pretending to be a loving mother. This is the real stepmother, isn't it?

The sixth blow landed on Gu Bai's buttocks. He didn't make a sound. Since no one dared to save him, who would he cry to? It would only make him a laughingstock.

He glanced at his elder brother's disappointed look. Was he wrong? Yes, not a single master in the manor had ever been flogged.

Gu Bai's tears welled up in his eyes, and he bit his lip tightly, trying his best not to cry out loud.

The eldest brother is so outstanding, the second brother is often praised by the tutor, and the tutor of the fourth brother of the second branch is the great scholar Yang. Although the great scholar Yang is his maternal grandfather, he couldn't possibly be teaching a four-year-old child if he weren't outstanding. Of the four children in the Changning Marquis's mansion, he is the only one who is useless. No wonder his grandfather is angry.

His body trembled uncontrollably, his hands clenched into fists so tightly that his nails almost dug into his flesh.

Ten strokes, fifteen strokes, twenty strokes... Finally, the twenty strokes of the cane were over.

Gu Bai's buttocks were swollen like a steamed bun. He lay helplessly on the stool, motionless, as if he had lost all his strength.

His heart was filled with fear and remorse. If it weren't for this punishment, how long would it have taken him to realize his wrongdoing? But he really didn't want to study anymore.

Two guards came and helped Gu Bai away, and then everyone dispersed.

Back at Lingmeng Pavilion, Gu Xinyue instructed Xia He to tell Gu An that once they found a rubbing of the unique book, they should not let their uncle find it. Their people should not show up, but let the madam buy it at a high price. They should let their aunt suffer a loss in silence first, so that their grandfather's efforts would not be in vain.

Early in the morning, the sun was shining brightly. After finishing her morning exercise and breakfast, Gu Xinyue prepared to read for a while.

Peony reported that no one dared to visit the Third Young Master, as there were guards standing watch at the entrance of the ancestral hall.

Gu Xinyue took some ointment and went to Qingfeng Courtyard with Chuntao.

She explained the use of the medicine to her grandfather, hoping he could see Gu Bai's injuries.

Gu Yong said to Gu Xinyue, "Now, apart from you, no one dares to see Gu Bai. It's time to wake him up. Even you can see that the Zhu family is trying to ruin Gu Bai, but your uncle is still stubbornly clinging to his delusions. Gu Bai is my bloodline, and I can't just stand by and watch him be destroyed."

“Grandfather, Yue’er understands. If you don’t punish him, he might be ruined when he gets older. His brothers and sisters in the mansion might be ashamed and despise him because of him, and Aunt Yu can’t do anything about it.”

Gu Xinyue felt that if Gu Bai got a little older, Zhu Shi would be ruthless and might raise him into a spoiled brat who only knew how to eat, drink, gamble, and whore.

"There's breakfast in the small kitchen. Take it with you and let Qingdong take you there."

"Okay, thank you, Grandfather!"

Inside the ancestral hall, it was cold and gloomy. Gu Bai lay on two prayer mats, his face pale, and the guards had already treated his buttocks the day before.

"Third brother, aren't you cold?"

"Third sister, I need to clear my head. What brings you here?"

“I went to my grandfather, and he agreed to come.”

"The Imperial Academy will not accept you. What are your plans?"

"You're not going to make me go to Qingshan Academy, are you?"

"No way, you're not cut out for studying, sending you there would be a waste."

"Third sister, I miss Grandmother so much. You know, Grandmother told me that I could go to the battlefield when I grow up, but my stepmother disagrees. She says the battlefield is too dangerous, and if I lose my life, my aunt will not survive."

"If everyone is afraid of death, who will protect the Great Leap Forward?"

"Third sister, am I useless? My eldest brother, second brother, and fourth brother are good at studying, but I don't like studying. Am I completely useless?"

"Don't belittle yourself. I think you're amazing. Yesterday when you were being hit with the stick, you didn't utter a sound, even though it hurt a lot in the back. I think you're very tough. You'll definitely become a great general in the future."

"Really? Do you believe me? Ah!" Gu Bai was so excited that his wound was being torn apart. "But my stepmother doesn't agree."

“Tell your grandfather directly that I think he wants to see if you can endure and whether you have the makings of a military general. The fact that I am here today shows that your grandfather approves of you.”

"Thank you for your guidance, Third Sister. I will seize every opportunity to make my aunt's life less aggrieved. Third Sister, do you know? The more I do this, the better my aunt's life will be."

Hearing this, Gu Xinyue almost burst into tears.

So Gu Bai is so sensible. "Third brother, I think you are a sensible and good child. Your sister looks forward to you becoming a general."