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Gu Yan, who just tried it casually, was astonished to find that he could actually draw a bow!
He was able to draw a bow!
Gu Yan was in disbelief and then a wave of joy surged within his heart.
Gu Changqing watched his dumbfounded little face, and the corners of his lips unconsciously curled up a bit.
Gu Changqing also went out of his way to make a special quiver and ten arrows for him, each of which was lightened in weight.
He placed the quiver on the stone table beside Gu Yan and handed him an arrow.
Gu Yan held a bow and arrow for the first time and couldn't release the arrow.
“This way." Gu Changqing held his hand and placed the arrow in the right place.
Gu Yan's hands were white and tender, slim and delicate, while Gu Changqing's were slender with distinct joints, but hardened by a lot of calluses with years of martial arts training.
He just lightly pressed his hand against the back of Gu Yan's hand and a red mark quickly appeared on it.
Gu Changqing felt a little distressed and immediately let go of his hand, telling Gu Yan, "Try shooting it."
Gu Yan shot the arrow and it flew off the target completely.
"It's alright, it's already great that your first arrow flew off." Gu Changqing picked up another arrow for him.
As a result, Gu Yan missed the target again.
Gu Yan felt discouraged.
"Your posture is off." Gu Changqing said as he stepped behind Gu Yan, holding his hands in his and guiding him as he drew the bow. "You have to draw it back to here, focus your eyes on the target… then let go of the arrow!"
The two released their right hands in unison.
The next second, all that could be heard was a swish, and the arrow flew straight to the center of the target!
Gu Yan exclaimed, "Wow!"
Gu Changqing looked at him fondly, his eyes filled with doting as he said, "Ah Yan is really amazing."
Gu Yan snorted, "Of course I am! I don’t need you to say it!"
A little tuft of hair stood up atop his head again.
Gu Changqing couldn't contain himself and let out a low laugh.
His laughter was not loud and was like a warm string under the sun. His smile was not exaggerated either. His body trembled slightly as he tried to suppress his laughter, which was strangely infectious.
Gu Yan had wanted to make a sour face, but suddenly couldn't.
He felt that he fell short of expectations. He turned his head sideways and asked non-threateningly, "Are you still going to teach me archery?"
Gu Changqing managed to stop himself from laughing, but couldn't help raising the corners of his lips, "Yes, I will!"
He circled around him again and stood behind him, gently holding his delicate hand. Suddenly, he felt a little regretful that he had made the bow too rough, scratching Gu Yan's hand.
For the entire afternoon, Gu Changqing had been teaching Gu Yan archery.
Although Gu Yan and Gu Jiao were twins, their martial arts level was really worlds apart. After learning for an entire afternoon, Gu Yan still hadn’t managed to hit the target with a single arrow.
Gu Yan was infuriated and refused to admit that he was bad at it. He said angrily, “It's all because this bow is not good! What kind of bow did you make?!"
Gu Changqing's lips curled up slightly, "Yes, it's the bow that's not good. I didn't make it well. I'll make a new one for you tomorrow."
Gu Yan turned his face away, “Humph!”
……
The Emperor was quietly recuperating in Bishui Alley, shirking his responsibilities of ruling the court and staying aloof from worldly matters. After a few days of living in a world outside of his reality, his complexion had greatly improved and it seemed as if he had even gained more hair.
Old Chief's culinary skills were second to none, and the Emperor felt it was an injustice to have appointed him as Chief of the Imperial Academy. Instead, he should have been appointed as an imperial chef.
The most lively time of the day was in the evening, when the courtyard was alive with chickens flying and a dog running around, children tugging and scuffling, the aroma of meals wafting out of the kitchen, and the alleyways were filled with the sounds of merriment and bickering.
After being Emperor for so long, he sometimes felt numb, but these past few days his heart had been stirred being in the middle of all of these. This was the State of Zhao that he had reigned over, the thousands of lives that he had worked so hard to protect.
The Emperor had decided to return to the palace, he could not let the affairs of court drift away into the hands of others.
However, the night before he returned to the palace, he suddenly fell ill with high fever.
Nobody had anticipated this mishap, so Gu Jiao went out for a house visit, Xiao Liulang and Old Chief worked overtime at Hanlin Academy and Imperial Academy all night, and Eunuch Wei was still sick and couldn't help.
Gu Changqing went to Miraculous Hands Hall to invite a doctor over.
Empress Dowager Zhuang had just finished playing leaf cards and was preparing to return to the palace when she heard Yuya'er crying at the door.
She walked over and asked, "What's wrong?"
Yuya'er was so overwhelmed with tears that she could hardly speak coherently, "That, that… The Lord… He's, he's fallen ill… It's my fault for not taking care of him… I… I…"
Empress Dowager Zhuang had no interest in the Emperor's life or death, but seeing the girl cry so sorrowfully, she furrowed her brows and nevertheless entered the room to take a look.
Despite having sold Gu Jiao's medicines before, she barely knew how to offer emergency medical assistance.
The Emperor was burning up, his whole body scorching and his consciousness hazy.
"Fetch some wine." Empress Dowager Zhuang instructed Yuya'er.
"Yes! Yes!" Yuya'er hurriedly went to the kitchen and brought a jar of flowery rice wine.
Nobody in the family drank, this was sent by a neighbor in the neighborhood.
Empress Dowager Zhuang dipped a piece of cotton cloth in the wine and wiped the Emperor's armpits and forehead.
She had seen JiaoJiao reduce Little Jing Kong's fever in this way before, but what she used wasn’t a strong liquor, but a refined wine from her medicine chest.
JiaoJiao called it alcohol.
This method did seem to have some effect. Roughly after two quarters of an hour, the Emperor's fever gradually subsided.
But after a while, it recurred again and he burned more fiercely than before. No matter how Empress Dowager Zhuang wiped him with the wine, it was no longer effective.
The physician from the medical hall arrived, it was Physician Lu. He used acupuncture and moxibustion to reduce the fever, but with minimal effect.
He wrote another prescription and asked Gu Changqing to make a trip to the medical hall to get medicinal herbs.
Gu Changqing boiled the medicine directly in the medical hall and then brought it home.
The Emperor refused to drink it.
"All of you, step down." Empress Dowager Zhuang commanded.
"Yes."
Several people retreated from the room.
Empress Dowager Zhuang gazed at the medicine bowl on the table before turning to look at the burning Emperor, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes as if making a difficult decision.
Subsequently, she came to the bedside with an expression of disgust.
The Emperor's fever was raging and he was feeling unwell all over. In his daze, he seemed to hear someone calling him.
"Hong'er…"
Who was Hong’er?
Was that him?
Who was calling his name?
"Hong’er, it's time to take your medicine."
The voice was gentle and warm, one he had not heard since he had grown up.
The Emperor was truly befuddled from his fever and didn’t remember that he had already ascended to the throne, nor did he remember the one he most detested, Empress Dowager Zhuang.
He was a prince born to a mere palace maid. He was of low birth, sent to be raised under the care of Imperial Lady Jing.
Imperial Lady Jing gave birth to a beautiful sister for him, whose name was Ning'an.
He liked his sister, and he also liked his imperial lady mother.
Was that the voice of Imperial Lady Jing?
Was his imperial lady mother calling him?
Imperial Lady Jing had been the kindest to him!
"Imperial mother..."
The Emperor himself was unaware that while he thought of then Imperial Lady Jing in his heart, what he ended up calling out was the Empress Dowager.
He held onto Empress Dowager Zhuang's hand for an entire night.
Raz P.'s Thoughts
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