Shen Qianshan got into the carriage again, and ordered the guard to drive, “Hurry up.”
Gu Qiang turned around to look at his face. He looked awful and was close to rage obviously, but she didn’t know why he got angry.
They reached the palace at noon, and the carriage ran into the resting place of the Empress Dowager directly through a side door.
Gu Qiang got off the carriage, adjusted her clothes, and stood in this large room.
When Shen Qianshan entered, someone rushed to him like a gust of wind and wanted to jump into his arms. Standing next to him, Gu Qiang was almost blown down by the wind and moved away at once. She turned around only to find the wind was Infanta Ziyan that she hadn’t seen for a long time.
She was in white, and her clothing material was as extravagant as that of Shen Qianshan.
Compared with them, Gu Qiang seemed to be unattractive.
Shen Qianshan stepped aside, avoided Ziyan’s intimate hug and stood nearby.
It seemed that Ziyan was accustomed to Shen Qianshan’s attitude. After all, he always kept her at a distance. It was his way to say hello to her. Then Ziyan noticed Gu Qiang standing behind Shen Qianshan.
When meeting Ziyan’s eyes, Gu Qiang wanted to smile, but she didn’t finally. Ziyan was just a child, so she didn’t take what she had done in mind.
Ziyan pouted and turned around to ask unhappily, “Brother Qianshan, why do you take her here?”
Shen Qianshan pointed at Gu Qiang and responded, “She can save the Empress Dowager, so I have to take her here.”
Ziyan’s eyes lit up and she asked, “Really? Do you know how miserable the Empress Dowager is these days? Eaten up with the disease, she is in poorer and poorer health. Her temper is bad. I have to be careful when looking after her, or she will scold me.”
Talking of it, Ziyan seemed to recall the terrible feeling when she was scolded by the Empress Dowager.
With no expression on the face, Shen Qianshan patted Gu Qiang’s back and told her, “Talk nicely with the Empress Dowager after you enter.”
Gu Qiang nodded, walked to the main hall, and found the Empress Dowager didn’t look well. Gu Qiang had seen the Empress Dowager several times before. She used to look well with good care and had the imposing royal temperament.
However, now the Empress Dowager was sitting on a chair and looked gaunt. Her eyes were closed, and she didn’t want to open them.
Kneeling before the Empress Dowager, Gu Qiang said respectfully, “I greet Your Highness.”
The Empress Dowager opened her eyes slowly. When meeting Gu Qiang’s eyes, she smiled and said, “Here you are. Do you know I’m infected with the plague and can’t be visited easily?”
Gu Qiang nodded, rummaged around in her bag, and took out the Suxin Grass. She told the Empress Dowager, “Your Highness, I’ve brought the herbal medicine that can treat your disease. If you believe me, I’d like to have a try.”
The Empress Dowager withdrew her hands and stared at Gu Qiang peacefully. She kept silent for quite a while and seemed to be considering whether what Gu Qiang said was true. But apparently, she was eager to survive, so she told Gu Qiang, “You can have a try, but you know the result. If you fail, not only yourself but also your whole family will be implicated.”
Gu Qiang nodded. Even if her whole family was implicated, it didn’t matter. She would be happy if her family members could die together with her.
The Empress Dowager stood up and walked in slowly. Not all patients had the same result. Though she looked pale, her symptom was controlled well at least.
Gu Qiang began to decoct the Suxin Grass in accordance with Gu Huaian’s prescription at once. Soon the medicine was prepared, she took it to the Empress Dowager.
Ziyan had always looked after the Empress Dowager. Hearing she might be saved, Ziyan was excited.
After feeding the medicine to the Empress Dowager, Ziyan turned around and said to Gu Qiang, “Sister Qiang, shall we go for a walk?”
Gu Qiang paused. In fact, she felt nervous. After all, Ziyan was a typical capricious kid, so Gu Qiang was worried that Ziyan would attack her again.
Gu Qiang nodded. The Empress Dowager told her while lying on the soft couch, “Go out with Ziyan for relaxation. She always stays with me these days and must be bored.”
Before she was done, a eunuch reported suddenly in a thin voice, “The Empress has arrived.”
Ziyan asked curiously, “Why does the Empress come here?”
The Empress Dowager rolled her eyes, which seemed that she was reluctant to see the visitor. Soon the Empress walked in. She was dressed up extravagantly with phoenix coronet and robes of rank, showing a remarkable temperament.
Gu Qiang and Ziyan lowered their heads and greeted the Empress on their knees. She waved and sat down next to the Empress Dowager.
Gu Qiang raised her head and met the Empress’s eyes. Avoiding the eye contact, the Empress pointed at Gu Qiang and asked the Empress Dowager, “Mother, why do you allow such a woman to be with you?”
The Empress Dowager looked casual. After taking the medicine, though the effect was not obvious, she felt she became better perhaps due to the psychological effect.
“What’s wrong with the girl?” The Empress Dowager touched the fruit on the table. It seemed that she’d like to eat the fruit but didn’t want to move.
The Empress glowered at Gu Qiang and said, “Mother, you don’t know that Miss Gu is cold and indifferent to what happened around the country. She didn’t give a cent at the donation banquet I held last time.”
Hearing what the Empress said, the Empress Dowager frowned slightly and sneered, “Ming, the donation banquet is of a voluntary nature. If you really care about the result, why did you hold the activity under the cloak of donation? Why didn’t you ask for money directly?”
It was indeed typical of the imperial family to do something under the cloak of donation while cracking down on those that didn’t donate. If the Empress Dowager didn’t count on Gu Qiang at present, she would not stand up for her. Gu Qiang was familiar with the imperial practice.
Fortunately, Gu Qiang was useful now.
The Empress was made speechless by what the Empress Dowager said and looked at Gu Qiang helplessly. She was worried that Gu Qiang would overdo around the Empress Dowager.
“Miss Gu is treating my disease, so she is my guest. Ming, be nice to her. Treat her properly and don’t cold-shoulder her.” After saying it, the Empress Dowager closed her eyes slowly as if she didn’t want to talk more. Empress Ming understood her meaning and left at once.
Gu Qiang and Ziyan got out too. When walking to the vacant ground before the main hall, the Empress Ming turned around, smiled at Gu Qiang embarrassedly, and said slowly, “I didn’t know Miss Gu had the medical skill. I cold-shouldered you before. Please forgive me.”
How capricious she was. Gu Qiang was peaceful in heart, but she smiled and said, “Your Highness, you work for the sake of the country and people. I am unable to do that. It is my fault. How can I blame you?”
She looked respectful. The Empress nodded and then left quickly. She originally intended to drive Gu Qiang out of the palace. How could such a person who let her lose face stay in the palace? However, the Empress Dowager seemed to believe Gu Qiang could cure her and thus was nice to Gu Qiang.
Perhaps it was because the Empress Dowager was nervous about her disease and could do nothing but give any solution a try. After all, Gu Qiang was her last life-saving straw.
When Gu Qiang looked up, Ziyan was standing next to her. She patted Gu Qiang’s shoulder and said with a smile, “Sister Qiang, I didn’t think you would offend the Empress. It seems that you will have a tough time.”
It was beyond Gu Qiang’s expectation that Ziyan would be so innocent. She once cried to battle with Gu Qiang as if she wanted to kill Gu Qiang, but today she was friendly to Gu Qiang.
People in the palace acted on impulse and were capricious, while Gu Qiang was different.
“Your Highness, you must be joking.” Gu Qiang turned around and smiled at Ziyan respectfully. Ziyan was surprised because she felt she couldn’t help being close to Gu Qiang. Though she didn’t want to, she liked Gu Qiang’s personality.
“Sister Qiang, are you still angry with me? What happened before was my fault. Because I cared about Brother Qianshan and didn’t expect he would be so close to you, I got angry and did that.” Infanta Ziyan said pitifully while lowering her head to look at her tiptoes.
Was she apologizing to me? Gu Qiang couldn’t believe it but still smiled, “Your Highness, I’m flattered.”
What Gu Qiang said made Ziyan uncomfortable. She wanted to be close to Gu Qinag, but the latter pushed her away as if she wanted to keep her at a distance.
Therefore, Ziyan said, “Sister Qiang, I know you are still angry with me, but we’ll stay together for a long time, so can you forget all unpleasant things that happened before?”
Gu Qiang paused and didn’t know whether Ziyan was joking or sincerely wanted to bury the hatchet. But with a different status, Gu Qiang was not a tuft-hunter.
“Your Highness, please forgive my boldness. Why do you adore the Ninth Duke so much?” asked Gu Qiang.
Ziyan was still a kid while Shen Qianshan was older, but what made him so attractive?
Ziyan’s infatuation for Shen Qianshan was not second to that of Gu Zhihua for Shen Zhongbai.