Gu Bu Ku’s face turned red, and he repeatedly waved his hands, saying it was his duty.
“Alright, Mr. Gu, let’s calm down now and figure out how to save your daughter.”
At this point, Mr. Sun quickly stepped forward to persuade them.
“Yes, yes, we must save Qing Cheng quickly. I heard that tomorrow is an auspicious day, and they will bury Qing Cheng and a virgin boy together at the base of the Seven Stars Pagoda.”
Gu Bu Ku shuddered at the thought.
Gu Chao Bei’s back tensed, and he asked,
“What kind of person is Old Master Gu?”
Mr. Zhang frowned and said,
“This is serious. It will be difficult to get Qing Cheng back from Old Master Gu. Moreover, he bought people for a live sacrifice, so he probably won’t even accept ransom money.”
“Ah? What’s going on? They buy living people like this and then bury them alive. Isn’t that illegal?”
Hu Lan Fang, a neighborhood committee auntie who handled community mediation every day, how could she not understand the law? As soon as she heard this, she instinctively retorted.
“Old Master Gu is not only not breaking the law, he is acting legally because he bought the person from Qing Cheng’s grandfather. He is Qing Cheng’s paternal grandfather, so the contract is valid.”
Mr. Sun’s answer immediately shattered Hu Lan Fang’s illusion, and her face turned pale again:
“Is there no law in this world?”
Hu Lan Fang murmured distractedly.
“Sister-in-law, what Old Master Gu is doing is precisely in accordance with the law,” Mr. Zhang said helplessly.
Gu Chao Bei’s eyes narrowed, and he said fiercely:
“If that doesn’t work, I’ll break in and snatch Qing Cheng out.”
“That’s even less acceptable, brother. That would be illegal. The authorities will then suppress you with troops, and you will have no place to stay in this world.”
Mr. Sun quickly urged Gu Chao Bei to calm down, as he saw a fierce aura radiating from him, as if he genuinely had such intentions.
“It’s alright, we still have time. Let’s think of another way,” Mr. Zhang comforted him.
“Alas, what should we do? Can any of you help me come up with a plan? I will reward you handsomely!”
Gu Chao Bei anxiously looked at everyone.
“Old Master Gu is a well-known landlord in the surrounding villages and towns. He has excellent connections with the authorities. I heard that the prefect is also a frequent guest of his, and they visit each other often. He sends gifts to the prefect during festivals and handles matters from top to bottom.
Old Master Gu is certainly not a great philanthropist, nor is the prefect. So, even if you go to the authorities, they will collude and refuse to accept your petition,” Mr. Sun said.
“Ah, then there’s no way out? Are you forcing me to break into prison? I’m not afraid of them issuing a warrant for my arrest.”
Gu Chao Bei gritted his teeth. He could not let his daughter become a virgin girl to be buried alive.
“Brother Gu, you are thinking too much. Old Master Gu has dozens of household guards, who are tall, strong, and robust. You absolutely cannot defeat them. You might be beaten to death before you even reach the prison cell,” Mr. Sun’s words were like a bucket of cold water poured on Gu Chao Bei’s heart, threatening to extinguish the flame of hope within him.
“This won’t work, and that won’t work. Is there really no solution? Can no one deal with Old Master Gu?” Hu Lan Fang said indignantly.
At this moment, Mr. Zhang suddenly said in a low voice,
“There is still someone who can deal with Old Master Gu.”
“Who? Who can deal with Old Master Gu? I’ll beg him. If he wants the stars in the sky, I’ll pluck them down for him.” Gu Chao Bei said excitedly.
“Brother Gu, don’t rush. Listen to me, who is the most powerful in our Jinsha City?”
“The prefect?” Gu Chao Bei replied.
“Wrong, it’s Prince Xia,” Mr. Zhang blurted out.
“Prince Xia? That’s right. Prince Xia is the Emperor’s son, so he can certainly deal with the prefect and Old Master Gu.” Gu Chao Bei’s eyes lit up.
“Yes, Prince Xia can deal with them, but you are newcomers, and you can’t possibly connect with Prince Xia,” Mr. Zhang shook his head again. “Moreover, Prince Xia is currently ill and his life is hanging by a thread. It is unlikely that anyone in Prince Xia’s mansion will be in the mood to deal with these matters.”
“Ah? You mentioned Prince Xia’s illness. Is he on the verge of death? That serious?” At this moment, Gu Chao Bei seemed to have grasped a life-saving straw.
“Yes, he has been having recurrent fevers that are not subsiding. The doctors have given him many antipyretic medicines, but they have been ineffective. The doctors said that if he continues to be consumed like this, he will die when his strength is exhausted by the fever. Rumor has it that Prince Xia’s mansion has already begun preparing for his funeral. The burial clothes and coffin are being prepared. These past few days, people from Prince Xia’s mansion have been purchasing mourning clothes. Even my shop has received a large order of coal. Because once Prince Xia passes away, there will be a funeral, and nobles from all over the country will come to pay their respects. Some of them will have to stay at Prince Xia’s mansion, so the coal supply must also be prepared. I learned about this when their steward came to buy coal.”
Gu Chao Bei could tell from Mr. Zhang’s tone that Prince Xia was indeed in a bad state, and even funeral preparations were underway. However, this was their only chance to save Qing Cheng!
Gu Chao Bei said resolutely:
“Mr. Zhang, do you know anyone in Prince Xia’s mansion? Can you introduce me to him and tell him that I am a hidden divine physician from seclusion, and I can definitely cure Prince Xia’s illness and save his life.”
“What? You are a divine physician from seclusion?” Mr. Zhang almost jumped up when he heard this.
He looked Gu Chao Bei up and down. At first, he felt like laughing, but after careful consideration, it seemed possible.
Gu Chao Bei’s family dressed modestly but had an extraordinary demeanor, which somewhat fit the description of a low-profile, unassuming hermit. Moreover, he was wealthy and spent money like water, being very generous. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have wanted to befriend him. In this world, one is either a good minister or a good doctor. Besides being an official, doctors are also wealthy.
Seeing Gu Chao Bei’s firm attitude, Mr. Zhang seemed to believe him a little. He pondered and said,
“If you can truly save Prince Xia, then you will be able to save your daughter. Prince Xia has 30,000 soldiers under his command, not to mention that the entire Jinsha City is under his jurisdiction. If he stamps his foot, Jinsha City will tremble. Old Master Gu is merely a servant before him, nothing at all.”
“I can definitely cure Prince Xia!” Gu Chao Bei, after hearing Mr. Zhang’s introduction, understood that Prince Xia was likely suffering from gangrene caused by a large area of infection after an injury.
In those days, common illnesses could be treated with traditional Chinese medicine, but once infected with gangrene, it was impossible to cure without antibiotics, and one would eventually die from fever and exhaustion.
When he heard about this matter before, he was indifferent and didn’t pay much attention to it. Firstly, he didn’t sympathize with these high-ranking officials; their lives were none of his business. Secondly, he didn’t want to expose his identity. What if Prince Xia became dependent on him? His family was weak and couldn’t resist a prince’s greed. For his own safety, Gu Chao Bei did not concern himself with Prince Xia’s life or death, mainly because he did not want to reveal himself and get involved.