Chapter 407
Gu Chenzhi stood up and casually dusting off his robes in an elegant and noble manner.
He was already thirty-six years old this year but because of his martial arts training, his body has maintained an excelled physique, tall and straight. He was wearing a lake-like blue brocade robe with a jade belt inlaid around his waist and a sachet, he was also wearing a head gear with blood stone seal at the center of it, and a few strands of silver threads but it does not show any signs of aging but instead add a bit of mature and stable temperament.
He turned his back and gazed at the red maple trees outside the window.
After a second of silence, Gu Chenzhi suddenly said. “After father returned from his trip to the capital, he doesn’t treat me as well as he used to be.”
In the past, Duan Wangye used to look at him with full of trust, value, and kindness in his eyes, but after returning this time, Gu Chenzhi felt an extreme subtle change in Duan Wangye’s attitude towards him, there was this scrutiny in his eyes and inquiry, he was also not as unreserved as before…
Gu Chenzhi’s hands tightly clenched into fists and his heart unable to breathe as if a boulder was pressed against it.
The middle-aged man carefully recalled some events and pacified him. “Master, this subordinate think you are just overly thinking. Two days ago, Duan Wangye praised master for being steady and having the same style as Emperor Sejong.” Emperor Sejong was Gu Chenzhi’s grandfather, who has a reputation of a wise ruler unlike the later emperor…
Gu Chenzhi’s taut body relaxed a little after thinking about it and whispered, “I hope so.”
The maple forest swayed with the wind outside the window, and the red maple background reflected in his pupils made it look fierce and stern with a hint of ruthlessness.
The rising sun in the sky was blocked by layers of clouds and suddenly became darker inside and outside the house, adding a bit of condensation to the air.
Gu Chenzhi sat back down again as he ordered, “Keep an eye on Wang Yu’s side.”
As he spoke, his brows furrowed tightly, feeling not only vague pain in his chest but even his head was a bit dizzy.
Suddenly, he experienced a slight blur before his eyes and wetness on his lips ……
The next moment, he saw the middle-aged man called out nervously. “Master, you have a nosebleed!”
Gu Chenzhi raised his hand and touched his philtrum and saw his fingers were covered with bright red blood, so red that it was shocking to the eyes.
The middle-aged man stood up and shouted. “Someone, quickly invite the physician!”
His brows were tightly furrowed, as he looked at Gu Chenzhi with worry.
The heir apparent was a martial arts practitioner who had always been in good health, comparable to young people in their twenties. However, recently, it was unknown whether this was due to autumn dryness, but the heir apparent’s health was declining, and he often had headaches.
There was a sudden commotion inside and outside of the study room, and immediately, the servants rushed to get the physician.
Not long after, the fu’s physician came in, and Duan Wangye also rushed in, only one step behind the physician.
“The master is fine, it’s not anything serious. He was just too tired recently and hasn’t been sleeping well so his internal heat and qi are weak.” The physician respectfully reported, “I’ll go and prescribe some calming nerves and nourishing qi for the master, but he still needs to rest well.”
The personal boy servant on the side worriedly echoed. “Physician, the master has indeed not been sleeping well recently, and often waking up in the middle of the night…”
So, the fu’s physician added, “Then this physician will prescribe some calming incense stick for the master, he can light it up when he sleeps.”
After the physician provided more instructions, he went down to prescribe medicine. The servant escorted the physician out and instructed someone to monitor the process of making the medicine personally.
Only Duan Wangye and his eldest son were left in the study, as the middle-aged man had retreated earlier.
The blood on Gu Chenzhi’s philtrum had already been wiped off, but his face was still slightly pale, completely different from his usual vigor.
Seeing his eldest son’s lack of spirit, Duan Wangye felt distressed, so he kindly advised him. “Chenzhi, father knows that you are busy with affairs, but you should also pay attention to your body and take a good rest.”
“Father, how can I rest in peace.” Gu Chenzhi said righteously, “The frontier in the western border is still unstable, and those minor tribe are getting restless so we must show them kindness and power at the same time to suppressed their arrogance.”
Gu Chenzhi’s eyes flashed as he let out a long sigh, “Ai!”
“Father, it’s a pity that Zezhi misunderstood me too much, otherwise, the two of us brother would have been able to work together and manager the western border.”
Speaking of Gu Zezhi, who was far away in the capital, Duan Wangye also could not help but sigh, and also thought of his stubborn wife, making his forehead ached.
He waved his hand and said, “Your third brother is young and stubborn, and doesn’t understand the painstaking efforts of being a father.”
The family and everything else were prosperous, so how could the candidate for the heir apparent be changed just like that? Only when the heir was determined could the morale of the military and the people in the western border be firm!
Gu Chenzhi added, “Father, should I go to the capital and persuade him ……”
Duan Wang raised his hand to signal that he didn’t need to, “You will only have more conflict if you two were close with each other, it’s good to let him cool off in the capital.”
Duan Wangye always felt that wangfei and Gu Zezhi would figure things out, after all, they were a family, how could a wife and a child be separated just because of little provocation from outsiders!
“Father is right.” Seeing Duan Wangye’s insistence, Gu Chenzhi stopped persuading him and pretended to hesitate to speak. “Father, Zezhi and I used to be always close with each other when we were in the western frontline, and not like this. Is it possible that someone said something to him after he went to the capital?”
Duan Wangye was silent.
A few days ago, the head steward, Chief Shi also mentioned this to him. Duan Wangye thought it was just nonsense, but today, hearing Gu Chenzhi mentioned it again, he could not help but suspect something.
Thinking about it now, when Zezhi was on the western frontier, he never had any conflicts with his elder brother. The brothers have a harmonious relationship and respect for each other, while wangfei respects him as a husband; they were a happy family.
It was only after a trip to the capital that everything changed forever ……
Duan Wangye asked himself in a low voice, “Could it be the Emperor?”
Having military power in one’s own hands made emperors throughout history wary of it. Therefore, the emperor wanted to use him to guard the western border but at the same time he was also worried about the military power and support he holds, but if there were internal turmoil in Duan Wang fu, the emperor could be rest assured…
Gu Chenzhi lowered his eyes as a gleam flashes. “Mother should have no chance to get in touch with the emperor, right?”
Upon hearing that Gu Chenzhi still called Madam Xiao, mother, Duan Wangye felt deeply moved and said to himself: this son of his was truly filial, but his wangfei changed, not long after she arrived in the capital, she propose to divorce him and separate, which was something she does not usually do.
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