TGFH Chapter 27: The Truth About the Illness

Previous | Table of Contents | Next

Prime Minister's Mansion.

After court adjourned, Mu Qi returned to his residence only to see Yun Mozhi’s medical kit casually tossed onto the table, while its owner lounged on a couch leisurely reading a book.

Mu Qi frowned. “Why are you here? Has Bu Huaiyuan woken up?”

"Bu Huaiyuan, Bu Huaiyuan... Mu Qi, can't you think of anything else besides Bu Huaiyuan?" Yun Mozhi glanced at Mu Qi and when he heard what he said, he replied unhappily, "I'm here to change your dressing." Then he stood up lazily and pointed at Mu Qi, "Take off your clothes."

“Has Bu Huaiyuan woken up?” Mu Qi ignored the command and repeated his question.

“No!” Yun Mozhi snapped, his tone exasperated. Seeing Mu Qi frown further, he sighed and said helplessly, “He’s not going to die. Stop worrying about him. Now come over and let me change your dressing.”

Mu Qi shot Yun Mozhi a look before walking over, slowly removing his outer robe to reveal bandages underneath. The gauze had already been stained with patches of blood. Yun Mozhi glared at him, pulled him closer, and began tending to his wound.

Mu Qi, at just 27 years old, was the head of the civil officials and already held the prestigious position of Prime Minister. Unlike Xiao Yiran and Bu Huaiyuan, who inherited their positions from their fathers, Mu Qi’s father had retired from government service when Mu Qi was still a child. Mu Qi had climbed the ranks entirely on his own, step by step. Because of this, everyone in the court knew just how formidable and ruthless this iron-faced Prime Minister could be.

Although Mu Qi was a civil official, he had mastered martial arts to a degree that was almost comparable to Xiao Yiran. However, Mu Qi's thin frame and his general tendency to avoid fighting meant that few people—other than those close to him—knew how skilled he truly was.

“All done. Another two rounds of dressing changes, and you should be fine.” Yun Mozhi clapped his hands, signaling to Mu Qi that the dressing was complete, and he could put his clothes back on.

“When will Bu Huaiyuan wake up?” Mu Qi asked while putting his robe back on.

“…” Yun Mozhi rolled his eyes. “How should I know? He’s asleep, and I can’t wake him up just because you’re worried! He’s not even injured, yet he gets to rest soundly just by falling ill. Meanwhile, you’re out here shielding him from blades. Why not let the assassins succeed and save us all the trouble?”

Yun Mozhi’s irritation flared. The An Marquis Manor had plenty of elite Shadow Guards, yet an assassin had managed to infiltrate. In the end, Mu Qi had to step in to protect Bu Huaiyuan, taking a sword wound in the process. Yun Mozhi couldn’t help but wonder if the incident had been a deliberate ploy by Bu Huaiyuan.

“He can’t die,” Mu Qi replied.

“And you can? Do you think you’re invincible? You must owe him a debt from a past life!” Yun Mozhi grumbled. “And what were you doing at the An Guo Marquis Manor in the middle of the night, anyway?”

Three nights ago, an assassin had infiltrated the An Marquis Manor, targeting Bu Huaiyuan. Mu Qi intervened, killing the assassin on the spot but sustaining a sword wound. The commotion triggered Bu Huaiyuan’s old illness, leaving him unconscious. When Xiao Yiran learned of the incident, he seized the opportunity to announce publicly that Bu Huaiyuan was gravely ill. Yun Mozhi, under the guise of treating Bu Huaiyuan, moved into the Marquisate to keep up appearances and mislead their enemies into believing the assassination attempt had succeeded.

“I just happened to see the assassin and pursued him,” Mu Qi explained blandly.

The An Marquis Manor was adjacent to the Prime Minister's residence, and Mu Qi’s courtyard shared a wall with Bu Huaiyuan’s. Mu Qi had lived there long before his residence became the Prime Minister’s estate, making the two neighbors for over two decades.

“Spying on the Marquis Manor late at night… Some habits never change,” Yun Mozhi muttered, clicking his tongue.

Mu Qi coughed lightly, avoiding the comment.

“Well, I’m leaving. If Bu Huaiyuan gets into trouble, don’t come blaming me. I had to crawl through two dogholes just to get here and change your dressing—completely not worth it.” Yun Mozhi grabbed his medical kit, ready to return to the Marquisate.

“Is his illness still beyond your skills?” Mu Qi asked, ignoring Yun Mozhi’s complaints.

“I’m a divine physician, not an immortal. Years ago, his meridians were severed, and his heart and lungs were severely damaged. The fact that my master saved his life was a miracle. All I can do now is keep him alive, but if he keeps disregarding his health, it’s only a matter of time before he succumbs.” Yun Mozhi huffed.

“Understood,” Mu Qi replied quietly.

“Mu Qi, you’re starting to resemble Xiao that Blockhead, you know?” Yun Mozhi shook his head, his tone carrying a trace of sorrow. He often thought about how much Mu Qi had changed over the years. As a child, Mu Qi was lively and mischievous, brimming with energy. But after a certain incident, his personality grew colder, becoming increasingly similar to Xiao Yiran’s stoic demeanor. Yet, while Xiao Yiran was simply reserved, Mu Qi seemed lifeless, as if all vitality had been drained from him. Over the years, Yun Mozhi had heard countless tales of the ruthless, emotionless, and politically dominant Prime Minister Mu, a far cry from the kind and innocent boy he once knew.

Mu Qi remained silent, gazing into the distance as though lost in thought. After a long pause, he finally asked, “When will he wake up?”

Yun Mozhi sighed and replied, “Don’t worry. He’s just exhausted and was temporarily overwhelmed. He should wake up in the next day or two.”

“Thank you.” Mu Qi nodded lightly.

Waving a hand dismissively, Yun Mozhi asked, “By the way, what’s going on with you and Rong Chuhuan? Rumors are spreading that the two of you have been quite close recently.”

“Nothing worth mentioning,” Mu Qi replied.

“Tch, troublesome. Take care of yourself, then.” Seeing that Mu Qi didn’t want to elaborate, Yun Mozhi clicked his tongue and left with his medical kit.

While Yun Mozhi was tending to Mu Qi, Bu Huaiyuan had already regained consciousness. By the time Yun Mozhi returned to Bu Huaiyuan’s chambers, the still-pale Marquis was lying in bed, conversing with Xiao Yiran, who stood by his side. Both turned to Yun Mozhi as he entered the room.

“Some people really must think they’re invincible,” Yun Mozhi muttered, tossing his kit onto the table and brushing off the dust from his clothes.

“Thank you for your help this time, Mozhi,” Bu Huaiyuan said with a faint smile.

“Don’t thank me. Thank Mu Qi—he dragged me over here in the middle of the night. If you want to express gratitude, thank him,” Yun Mozhi replied flatly.

Bu Huaiyuan’s expression darkened slightly. “How is Xiao Qi’s injury?” He had seen Mu Qi take the assassin’s sword for him before losing consciousness himself.

“With me here, what do you think? He’ll live, but he keeps flirting with death, and I’m getting tired of dragging him back. You all seem to think my time is expendable.” Yun Mozhi’s frustration boiled over as he glared at Bu Huaiyuan. “You lot keep pulling stunts like this—one overworking himself, the other walking straight into blades. Do you find this amusing?”

“I’m sorry.” Bu Huaiyuan gave a helpless, apologetic smile. Lately, he had indeed been pushing himself too hard, knowing that certain people were starting to make moves against him. However, Mu Qi’s injury and his own collapse had caught him off guard.

Initially, he and Xiao Yiran had anticipated trouble and had stationed Shadow Guards to counter any threats. But Mu Qi’s unexpected appearance disrupted their plans. Seeing the blade pierce Mu Qi’s body had genuinely shaken Bu Huaiyuan, leaving him no time to arrange a proper response. Fortunately, Mu Qi had only called for Yun Mozhi, and the Shadow Guards had promptly alerted Xiao Yiran, preventing the situation from spiraling out of control.

“Hmph, if you don’t want to live, just say so. Don’t waste my time and effort brewing medicines for you every year,” Yun Mozhi huffed.

"Mo Zhi…"

Xiao Yiran’s voice interrupted, but Yun Mozhi raised an eyebrow and jabbed a finger at his shoulder. “Xiao Blockhead, shut it. Xiao Bai hasn’t been feeling well these past few days. He can’t eat or sleep properly, and instead of staying at the General’s Manor to care for him, you spend all your time running to the An Marquis Manor. Do you even have the nerve to speak up?”

Xiao Yiran remained silent. Since his return to power, he had only spent the first few days by Bai Yi’s side. Afterward, he’d been preoccupied, working with Bu Huaiyuan to secretly investigate Prince Luo. For the past three days, while Bu Huaiyuan was unconscious, he had been staying at the An Marquis Manor almost nonstop, handling matters in secret. Though Bai Yi always greeted him with a gentle smile and said everything was fine when he returned to the manor, Yun Mozhi’s words made him realize that Bai Yi’s condition had indeed worsened. Bai Yi’s belly was growing noticeably larger, yet he seemed thinner than before. If not for Yun Mozhi’s occasional visits to help with medical care, things might have been even worse.

*Cough*

"Yiran, you should head back. I’m fine now. The plans for the Heaven-Worship Ceremony are in place; just trust Mo Yan and Yan Lang to handle it,” Bu Huaiyuan said, noticing Xiao Yiran’s expression.

“Mm. Stay here and rest properly these next few days. Don’t leave the residence for now,” Xiao Yiran instructed. He then turned to Yun Mozhi. “What about Mu Qi? Did you ask him anything today?” If Mu Qi had indeed sided with Prince Luo, their plans for the Heaven-Worship Ceremony would need to be adjusted.

“Xiao Qi won’t betray us. I trust him,” Bu Huaiyuan said before Yun Mozhi could reply.

Yun Mozhi shot him a sideways glance and let out a snort before adding, “He didn’t say anything. But when has Mu Qi ever beaten someone with the surname Bu? Just listen to him and don’t worry about it.”

Bu Huaiyuan caught Yun Mozhi’s glance and smiled wryly, offering no further explanation. “There’s no need to doubt Xiao Qi just stick to our original plan. For now, you should head back.”

Xiao Yiran, seeing that both Bu Huaiyuan and Yun Mozhi were of the same mind, nodded and left.

“Do you really trust Mu Qi?” Yun Mozhi asked coldly, watching Bu Huaiyuan from the corner of his eye after Xiao Yiran had gone.

“We’ve all known each other since childhood. Of course, I trust Xiao Qi. Don’t you?”

“Hah! If you really trusted Mu Qi, the two of you wouldn’t be in this mess,” Yun Mozhi retorted with a bitter laugh, his expression unusually serious. This was one of the rare moments he dropped his usual flippant attitude, speaking earnestly on behalf of the childhood friend he felt was being treated unfairly.

Bu Huaiyuan responded with his usual silent, faint smile, neither confirming nor denying Yun Mozhi’s words.

“Hmph. Arrogant as ever. You’ll push him to his breaking point sooner or later,” Yun Mozhi muttered under his breath. When Bu Huaiyuan looked over, Yun Mozhi shot him a glare. “I’m heading to the General’s Manor to check on Xiao Bai. You stay home and keep pretending to be sick.”

Without waiting for a response, Yun Mozhi grabbed his medical kit and left.

Previous | Table of Contents | Next