Time Travel: The Best Doctor in Ancient Times

Chapter 291: Chapter 176 Deeply Rooted Affection Chapter 291: Chapter 176 Deeply Rooted Affection “Strip him!”

“Strip him!”

“…”

The onlookers had long recognized Gu Changsheng and had witnessed the evolution of the scene from violently abducting a village girl to robbery on the streets, and now they were egging it on!

Han Qiu, who had kept her head down since Zhou Zongbao appeared, finally lifted her head.

Zhou Zongbao was immediately shocked to see her face clearly.

He forgot to cover his clothes and, with a trembling hand, he couldn’t believe his words, “You! How could you be here? How did you end up like this?”

Han Qiu just looked at him coldly, silent.

Zhou Zongbao became anxious, took a step forward to grab Han Qiu’s shoulders, but she turned and avoided him.

“Speak! Why are you here? Weren’t you following your father to stay in Tongguan City? How come you’re with Gu Changsheng?”

Zhou Zongbao anxiously stood beside Han Qiu. Just now, he had seen Gu Changsheng speaking to her dressed as a maid, and he seemed to be calling her name, Han Qiu.

He thought it was a coincidence!

Han Qiu was the daughter of a high-ranking official; it was impossible for her to have fallen to such a wretched state, not to mention becoming a servant or a maid!

When Zhou Zongbao mentioned her father and Tongguan City, a flash of pain and hatred shone in the depths of Han Qiu’s eyes, and the moisture in her eyes began to gather.

Gu Changsheng’s eyes widened as he watched the scene unfold.

Gu Changsheng knew all too well how cold Han Qiu could be; after all, he had bought her half a year ago, and their time spent together had given him a deep understanding.

Even when she spoke of her father’s death, her face was numb, her color did not change, let alone shed tears!

But now, Gu Changsheng clearly saw the traces of tears forming in Han Qiu’s eyes!

“Gu Changsheng! If she won’t speak, you tell me! How is she here, and why is she with you?” Zhou Zongbao’s face, once frivolous, now showed visible anxiety and concern.

He suddenly had a bad premonition!

Gu Changsheng looked at Zhou Zongbao, whose hair crown was disheveled and whose embroidered clothes were stained with dust, then at Han Qiu standing beside him, and eventually he tugged on Han Qiu’s clothes and asked, “Do you know him?”

Despite asking, Gu Changsheng was one hundred percent certain that Han Qiu definitely knew Zhou Zongbao!

And it seemed that their relationship was exceptionally close!

Seeing that the robbery could no longer continue, and that Zhou Zongbao, who a moment ago had been cowardly, was not frightened at all and kept asking her questions, Gu Changsheng interjected.

“Gu Changsheng, how can Xiao Qiu be here? Go on, tell me!” At this moment, Zhou Zongbao couldn’t care less about running away; he just wanted to know what had happened while he had been away in Southern Chen for over a year.

“Can I say?” Gu Changsheng looked between the two, her expression inscrutable.

The role reversal was a bit too rapid, and she had not yet figured out what was going on, let alone where to start!

And there stood Han Qiu, looking dazed, her entire being seemingly plunged into painful memories, her tearful eyes swirling with emotion but stubbornly holding back the tears.

Her vulnerable expression surprised Gu Changsheng.

It made Zhou Zongbao even more anxious!

He, disheveled, circled Han Qiu twice, and eventually stopped in front of her, bending over and with a fawning face, he cautiously asked, “Xiao Qiu, tell me, how have you become a maid? What on earth happened in Zhou Dynasty during the year I was absent, why didn’t you send me a letter?”

Gu Changsheng’s gaze shuttled between the two, a moment of realization dawning on her.

She dared to be one hundred percent certain that she seemed to see a sense of scandal swirling around the two!

She coldly deduced that the maid Han Qiu and the wealthy prodigal Grand Commander had an illicit relationship!

The onlooking crowd was also puzzled, how had the situation suddenly turned so harmonious?

Just moments ago, there was beating, robbing, and stripping, but now why did it become so eerie?

“Looks like Lady Changsheng’s maid knows that prodigal son.”

“I think so too, did you not see that Changsheng’s maid, that guy’s eyes went straight.”

“To me, it’s certain that the prodigal son has flirted with Lady Changsheng’s maid before, and now they have bumped into each other.”

“…”

Murmurs of private conversation kept coming, distressing Zhou Zongbao deeply.

“All of you shut up for me! If any of you dare to speak again, beware I pull out your tongues!” Still looking anxiously at Han Qiu, Zhou Zongbao loudly and coldly shouted.

His command was full of force, scaring the onlookers into covering their mouths, not daring to speak.

Gu Changsheng was also taken aback, not expecting the prodigal Grand Commander to show some genuine authority when being serious.

At this moment, tears finally overflowed from Han Qiu’s eyes, unstoppable.

“I did send you a message…”

In a low murmur, Han Qiu bowed her head, desperately trying to hide the hatred and struggle in her eyes.

Seeing that she was willing to speak at last, Zhou Zongbao excitedly rushed forward, grasping her arms and shaking them, “When? What happened? I never received your letters, really, I didn’t receive them!”

Two lines of tears continued to stream down Han Qiu’s face as she slowly closed her eyes and shook her head, murmuring as if to herself, “It’s too late, everything is too late. The hatred of family extermination… The vengeance of annihilation… Everything is too late…”

As she spoke, she struggled to break free from Zhou Zongbao’s grasp and, with a few movements, resolutely and swiftly vanished from everyone’s sight.

Even Gu Changsheng was left behind.

Zhou Zongbao, stunned as if turned to stone, murmured repeatedly, “The hatred of family extermination? The vengeance of annihilation?”

Gu Changsheng also stood there, stunned, with his eyebrows tightly furrowed.

“What is the hatred of family extermination? What is the vengeance of annihilation?” Zhou Zongbao looked bewilderedly at Gu Changsheng and asked, “I was just away from the Zhou Dynasty for a bit more than a year, what exactly happened? How could I have such deep hatred and grudges with her, the hatred of family extermination? I was only a bit too fond of her beauty…” Zhou Zongbao’s voice got softer and softer until it faded away, “Family extermination… Family extermination…”

“The Han family… was exterminated, right?” Zhou Zongbao, with disbelief on his face, looked towards Gu Changsheng with eyes filled with hope.

Considering the scene before her, Gu Changsheng knew Zhou Zongbao wanted her to deny the truth.

But the fact was irreversible, and Gu Changsheng could only nod gently, “When I came across her, she and her brother had already become official slaves in the pawnshop in Huaian City…”

“Impossible! This can’t be true! Han Jingye was a High-ranking Official, stationed in Tongguan City, dutiful and conscientious, how could the Han family have been exterminated? Impossible!” Zhou Zongbao shook his head, refusing to accept such a reality. If there was a great vengeance of family extermination between them, then he and Xiao Qiu…

With Xiao Qiu’s resolute nature and harsh past, he and Xiao Qiu would then have no possibility at all!

Suddenly, Zhou Zongbao felt the world spinning around him and his vision went dark.

This sudden bad news was too much for him to accept, too much to bear!

“Last winter, the Tartar army pressed towards Tongguan City, and Han Jingye, with no one to turn to, sacrificed his life for the city. The Court, however, charged him with the crime of failing to defend the city, leading to the loss of the border defenses, and decreed the execution of the entire Han family…” Gu Changsheng’s voice also involuntarily took on a heavy tone, stating the factual truth she knew.

“The entire family executed! The entire family executed! Impossible!” Zhou Zongbao shook his head in shock, “Old Man Du was retiring in Huaian City; he promised me, he would definitely take care of Xiao Qiu for me, and Fat Du, he’s been fond of her since childhood, how could he watch her become an official slave?”

“It was Elder Du who rushed to the Court overnight, managing to save Han Qiu and Han Mo before the execution. When the Son of Heaven is enraged, blood flows for thousands of miles, who can quell the Son of Heaven’s thunderous rage? Once the imperial edict is issued, it can’t be taken back,” Gu Changsheng explained patiently.

“The imperial edict issued, it can’t be taken back? Where was Zhou Mu then? He could have stopped the imperial edict too!” Zhou Zongbao couldn’t help but roar, his voice hoarse and exhausted, he still couldn’t accept such a reality.

“I heard from Zhou Mu that he was on an expedition to Northern Mongolia at the time, and by the time he received the news, there was nothing he could do…” Gu Changsheng sighed, remembering Zhou Mu’s look of regret when they spoke of Han Qiu. It seemed that Han Jingye was indeed a loyal general to the country.

But the Court, it granted him such a posthumous reputation.

Slap! Zhou Zongbao fiercely slapped his own face, “It’s all my fault! If I hadn’t insisted on going to Southern Chen for beauties, none of this would have happened!”

Gu Changsheng watched in shock as his full, wealthy-looking face visibly swelled up quickly, showing how much force he had used.

“Uh…” Gu Changsheng was at a loss for words for a moment.

This member of the Imperial Family, notorious for his collection of beauties, had somewhat changed her opinion of him.

His feelings for Han Qiu seemed to run deep…

Slap! Another slap landed on his face, and Zhou Zongbao, filled with remorse, wished he could beat himself to death.

“My Lord!” cried the guard, who had just woken up from being knocked out by Gu Changsheng, his eyes wide with distress and anxiety.

“Where was I last winter? What was I doing?” Zhou Zongbao asked his guard with a bewildered face.

Born with a rebellious nature, frivolous and wasteful of life, at this moment he couldn’t remember what he had been doing at that time.

The guard lowered his head and thought for a moment, then answered, “Last winter, my Lord, you were stripping the eldest legitimate daughter of the Loh family, a noble family from Southern Chen, who claimed to be a beauty. The Loh family was chasing you, and you were busy running away.”

Slap! Slap!

Two more slaps landed in quick succession on his own face, Zhou Zongbao’s expression turned to one of ashen despair, “It’s all my fault! All my fault! If I hadn’t insisted on going to Southern Chen, none of this would have happened! None of this would have happened!”

Slap! Slap!

As Zhou Zongbao spoke, he continued to slap himself without stopping, and Gu Changsheng wanted to intervene but wasn’t sure how to begin.

“Hetian, stop!”