Chapter 140 Miscarriage

Ji Danqing used all forcible methods in treating the poison when confronting Fang shi's complete breakdown.

When she (F) struggled, he let the maids tie her up with a rope.

If she refused to take her medicine, they pried open her teeth and poured the medicine inside her mouth. If the amount wasn’t enough, they poured again.

Ji Danqing wasn’t gentle and cultivated at all times. At this moment, he was cold-faced and cold-hearted. This let many maids cast a fearful look at him, feeling that his means were too tough. However, to him, he should always try his best to treat the patient. Whether it was medically ethical or not, it was fine as long as he had a clear conscience. He simply didn’t care about what other people would think. As for how to care for the patient's trauma, he had to save their life first. If the life was lost, then everything would be lost.

However, as expected, Fang shi had a miscarriage in the end.

Although, the amount of white arsenic consumed wasn’t huge, but as far as Fang shi's current weak body was concerned, it was already not easy to keep her alive. Let alone to save the originally unstable fetus in her belly.

When the exhausted Ji Danqing came out of the inner room, he saw Gu Da, who was waiting on the outside with the support of a cane. The head of Gu household suddenly aged so much in one day that he looked like an extremely aged old man. Even standing there, he was unable to stop trembling.

"D…doctor Ji…." Gu Da nervously asked, "The child of Xitian…."

Ji Danqing shook his head apologetically and said, "Sorry."

It was as if the whole world had collapsed and hope had instantly scattered in ashes and dispersed smoke.

• Scattered ashes and dispersed smoke: to vanish/ to be annihilated.

Gu Da originally hoped that his eldest son could leave an offspring behind, so that he could take care and see his grandchild grows up, but Ji Danqing's words shattered this last wish in his heart. He suddenly felt empty, stood blankly for a moment and turned his head to look around. He seemed a little confused about where he was and also didn’t understand how all of this had happened in such a way that he couldn’t respond to it and couldn’t ward it off.

In the middle of his absent-mindedness, he heard someone shouting anxiously…

"Master, master."

"Master, wake up, don’t scare us."

"Master."

The shouts seemed to come from afar but they also seemed close. He couldn’t tell who was calling him and he also didn’t want to know. He just muttered, "Dead, all dead…All had died."

As he muttered it, he suddenly broke in laughter, feeling that everything was ridiculous. Two days ago, his eldest son was still alive and well beside him (GD); how could he had passed away? How could Fang shi, who was still fine a moment ago, got a miscarriage? All of this was a scam, right? This definitely was a scam that they collaborated on it. It must be.

The shouting around him grew desperate and louder and there were countless hands reaching out to shake him. He was so annoyed that he threw out the cane in his hand.

He shouted, "Shut up."

He wanted all the noise around him to disappear, wanted all these hands to disappear and wanted to destroy and smash this nightmare into pieces.

After the crane was thrown, it seemed to have hit something. Someone exclaimed in pain, others rushed to shout, "Madam."

Gu Da suddenly came a bit back to his senses. He wanted to speak, but only broken sound came out his mouth. Even he couldn’t understand himself clearly. Subsequently, he felt that his body lost its control. His body went limp and couldn’t stand anymore. Then, he fell backwards….

Shu Huan was nearby when Gu Da lost his mind and swung the cane around to hit people. Coincidentally, he hit right on Lin shi's cheek with a lot of power. It was so hard that more than half of her well-maintained face was bruised and swollen. Afterwards, Gu Da fainted.

The scene became chaotic again.

Shu Huan didn’t know what to do anymore. She felt that there was a black comedy farce playing one after and another in front of her.

She always knew that Gu household was fighting openly and maneuver covertly nonstop. It wasn’t a kind place but she didn’t expect these secretly, ferociously and surging tides would be so destructive once they erupted.

Golden gate of the pavilion, brocade garments and jade meals nourished seeds of hatred. The dead, the sick, one by one, were like a domino. By just gently pushing one down, the rest of the dominoes would follow one by one until all of it fell.

• Golden gate of the pavilion: Luxury residence
• Brocade garments, jade meals: a life of luxury/ extravagance.

This place was truly terrifying. She wondered if people stayed long enough at this place, would they be infected with depression by this dark atmosphere?

Shu Huan unconsciously reached out to grasp Gu Xiran's clothes firmly. Fortunately, she had him at her side. If she was alone, she would've escaped without care and without looking back.

Gu Xiran also didn’t want to go up and pretend to be a sad filial son. He just coldly looked at Ji Danqing busy rescuing Gu Da. He felt that this doctor was rather responsible and diligent with his work but it was also unlucky that he had to meet such a family where misfortunes happened one after another. In short: Fang shi was too innocent and pitiful, and Gu Da reaped what he sowed.

As he was thinking that, he suddenly felt his own clothes being grasped by Shu Huan. His heart skipped a beat, then, without a word or movement, he held her hand and clenched it hard. There was no need to speak. His attitude was very clear. Whenever, wherever, hand-in-hand, till death do us apart.

• Not a word or movement: remaining calm and collected.

—

Ji Danqing didn’t leave Gu residence this night. After he wrote a prescription for Gu Da and put some medicine on Lin shi, he was asked to stay by Gu Xiran.

Behind people's back, Gu Xiran spoke more straightforward, "Many people in the family has collapsed. The matter has become so big that we can't hide it for long from old madam. Furthermore, the obituary will be out tomorrow, and people will come to offer condolences one after another. The matter of Gu Xiren and Gu Xuan hasn’t been resolved clearly yet. At that time, don’t know how many people will be angered and will collapse. You might as well stay here and save the pain of going back and forth."

Ji Danqing looked at him and smiled tirelessly. "Deference is no substitute for obedience."

• Deference is no substitute for obedience: said to accept somebody’s request, invitation etc.

Gu Xiran immediately ordered people to clean the guest room. He specially picked out a courtyard close to Plum Flower Pavilion.

It wasn’t odd that he was ordering people. The strange thing was the servant he ordered was someone who usually followed Gu Da. This person personally served the head of the household, hence, he had a higher status than other servants. Therefore, he would be extremely unhappy when he was ordered by others. However, at this moment, he was standing the closest to Gu Xiran. He didn’t show any displeasure when Gu Xiran called him over. Instead, he hurriedly nodded and bowed. It was overboard polite and very considerate. He even asked, "Would you like me to find two maids who are good at massage? I think doctor Ji is very tired today. He needs to have a good rest."

Is it suitable to arrange such a thing at this kind of moment?

Ji Danqing waved it away with a bitter smile. Even Gu Xiran's face had darkened and humphed, "Don’t need to."

Although the servant's suggestion was refuted, he wasn’t embarrassed about it. He even showed an fawning smile and turned around with great enthusiasm.

After this servant was far away, Ji Danqing smiled and said, "The wind has turned."

How could Gu Xiran not understand the meaning of his (JDQ) words? He (JDQ) clearly meant that Gu Xitian was dead, Gu Xiren was ruined, old madam and Gu Da were ill, and even Lin shi suffered a small injury. In this big household, he (GXR) was the only one who could still make decisions. As a result, the people who hadn't taken him seriously before, were now rushing to boot-lick and fawn upon him.

Unfortunately, Gu Xiran disdained this kind of power. He didn’t have the meaning to covet Gu household's business, so he sneered on the spot, "I just hope they stop messing around and let me live in peace for two days."

That was what he said but the development of the situation couldn’t be so easily controlled by him.

The future was bleak like this gradually darkening sky.