This was not Zhu Qingyu's first time dining with Gu Zhao. The last time they were on a pleasure boat, the two could still call each other friends. The atmosphere during the meal had been relaxed and easygoing, and they could even chat with one another.
Today, however, the atmosphere was distinctly different. Zhu Qingyu remained silent, only picking at the dishes directly in front of her without uttering a single word.
The lingering weight of that ethereal promise was still present. Gu Zhao's consideration and tender affection for her had reached its peak. Not only did he not blame her for her stiffness, but he took the initiative to start a conversation, asking:
"Your hand is injured. Are you alright eating by yourself?"
The injury on her hand still hurt a bit, to be sure, but it wasn't to the extent that she couldn't eat.
Furthermore, even if it did affect her, she wouldn't say so. It wasn't as if she could let Gu Zhao feed her.
Zhu Qingyu nodded and replied concisely:
"I can."
Such a perfunctory answer did not displease Gu Zhao. His desire to explore her was currently at its most passionate. This desire was not just physical, but extended to her very person.
Gu Zhao was in high spirits today and very interested in chatting about everyday matters. He asked again:
"Qingyu, I haven't asked you yet. How old are you, where are you from, and who else is in your family? Are your medical skills passed down through your family?"
Zhu Qingyu glanced at him. Gu Zhao's expression was clear and free of any hidden motives, as if he simply wanted to know more about her.
If she wanted to break free from their current abnormal relationship in the future, she shouldn't actually reveal too much about her situation, especially regarding her relatives.
After all, having one more person to care about meant having one more weakness, and one more variable.
Fortunately, aside from Zhang Shen and Zhang Ruohua, the rest of her relatives were all in the modern world. Even if Lord Gu's power reached the heavens, he couldn't possibly reach them.
Zhu Qingyu told the truth, saying:
"I am already twenty-five, from Shu. I have parents and an eldest brother back home in Shu. Our whole family makes a living by practicing medicine, and my medical skills were taught to me by my mother."
As she said this, Zhu Qingyu observed Gu Zhao's reaction. The age of twenty-five could be considered the prime of youth in the modern world, but in this place, it was no longer considered young.
After all, even palace maids were considered too old at twenty-five and would be sent out of the palace. When wealthy families bought maids or concubines, they generally looked for teenage girls. She had never heard of anyone buying a twenty-five-year-old concubine to take home.
She wondered if he would be put off knowing that she was three years older than him.
It would be best if he were. When beauty fades, love wanes; the same applied to growing older. And when love wanes, favor ends. He ought to know that she was already twenty-five and no longer young. His interest in her wouldn't last long.
Gu Zhao showed no reaction upon hearing her age. He peeled a shrimp and placed it in her bowl as usual, then continued asking:
"The roads to Shu are difficult to travel. If they are in Shu, thousands of miles away from Yangzhou, I'm afraid it would be difficult for you to see them. Do you miss them?"
Hearing these words, Zhu Qingyu was somewhat moved. Since coming here, she hadn't seen her family members for over three years, and she could even foresee that it would be hard to ever see them again in this lifetime.
She lowered her head and didn't speak, only offering a soft "Mhm."
Gu Zhao naturally didn't say this to make her sad, but rather to help her solve a practical problem.
She was previously First Madam Zhang. With the Zhang family's wealth, she must have experienced all kinds of luxurious living. He could give her a life of fine clothes and rich food, but Zhang Jingyan had likely given her all these before. They wouldn't be considered rare, nor would they necessarily catch her eye.
If what he could give her was no different from what Zhang Jingyan had once given her, would she feel wronged whenever she thought about it in the future?
He had said he would treat her well, and he couldn't just rely on empty words, much less let her feel wronged.
Could it be that what he, a dignified young master of a Duke's estate, could provide for her would be outdone by a merchant family?
Gu Zhao said in a very casual tone:
"I see that your medical skills are exquisite, so your parents and eldest brother must naturally be quite capable as well. Since the Emperor ascended the throne, he likes to employ newcomers with clean family backgrounds. Many people have retired from the Imperial Academy of Medicine this year, leaving numerous vacant positions. I can vouch for your father and recommend him to be an eighth-rank imperial physician. That way, both your parents can live permanently in the capital, and you can see them whenever you wish. Above an imperial physician is a sixth-rank academy deputy, and above that is a fifth-rank academy director. If your father serves loyally, devotes himself to the Emperor, and performs his duties well, in ten years' time, he might even sit in the position of a fifth-rank academy director. With a fifth-rank official title, he could request an imperial mandate for your mother. Even when your father eventually retires and returns to his hometown, having the plaque of an imperial physician will ensure the Zhu family's prosperity and wealth for generations. Qingyu, what do you think of my proposal?"
Earlier it was coercion, and now it was enticement. Zhu Qingyu was astounded by this massive, perfect pie in the sky that Lord Gu was drawing for her.
Even knowing it was a lure, ordinary people would find it hard to resist such a tempting offer. After all, with just a slight exertion of effort, Lord Gu was handling a major affair that would elevate her entire family's social class.
In this world, becoming an imperial physician was the highest pursuit for someone who studied medicine their whole life. It was an achievement that countless physicians scrambled for a lifetime without ever attaining. Yet for Gu Zhao, it was merely a casually spoken sentence.
And Zhu Qingyu believed that if he dared to say it, it proved he had the confidence to undoubtedly make it happen.
No wonder everyone wanted to meet a noble benefactor to soar into the clouds. At this moment, Zhu Qingyu gained a profound new understanding of the power that the word "aristocracy" could command.
What a pity that her parents and eldest brother were all in the modern era. She couldn't eat this massive, perfect pie.
Seeing that Zhu Qingyu just held her chopsticks and looked at him after listening, even appearing a bit dazed, Gu Zhao smiled patiently and asked once more:
"Qingyu, what do you think of what I just said?"
Since Gu Zhao was so confident, Zhu Qingyu was also curious about just how great his influence could be. Knowing full well it was impossible, she still probed:
"Why vouch for my father? My medical skills are not bad either. Can't I become an imperial physician?"
Gu Zhao was momentarily stunned before he smiled and shook his head:
"If you were a man, let alone an imperial physician, I could even help you ascend to a fifth-rank academy director."
Sure enough, it was impossible. Zhu Qingyu wasn't disappointed; she was purely curious and didn't necessarily have any real aspirations to be an imperial physician.
Although she couldn't eat this pie, Zhu Qingyu saw Gu Zhao's sincerity in it.
As a powerful official, the power he could command and the resources he could mobilize were his most important assets. His willingness to let her and her relatives use his power and resources showed that he wasn't just making demands—he genuinely wanted to treat her well and cared about her feelings.
If that were the case, did it mean that when Zhang Shen's relationship with her was merely that of a husband, Gu Zhao naturally only felt hostility towards him?
But if Zhang Shen and she were not only husband and wife but also blood relatives, would Lord Gu have an extra layer of hesitation when handling Zhang Shen's affairs? Would he be less likely to take his life so easily?
So, could Zhang Shen be both her husband and her blood relative?
In the modern era, restricted by marriage laws, blood relatives within three generations could not marry. This was impossible.
But in ancient times, marriages between cousins were perfectly normal; if she said it was so, then so it was.
