Chapter 49: Long Time No See, Great Reputation

Tattered clothes, severely worn-out cloth shoes, booking only a cheap common room at the inn, and ordering just two simple vegetable dishes—this was unquestionably the lifestyle of someone in dire poverty. If they possessed a banknote, scraping together fifty taels with the strength of an entire family would already be the absolute limit; it was simply impossible for it to be one hundred taels!

He looked up at Du Jingzhong seated above and affirmed with certainty, "My Lord, the denomination of the banknote inside the lining is fifty taels."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Ziheng immediately dropped to his knees on the upper dais, kowtowing as he said, "My Lord, please forgive this humble servant for not telling the truth earlier. There is no lining in this money pouch, nor is there any banknote, and the peace amulet is actually in my possession." With that, he drew a peace amulet from his sleeve and presented it.

"What this humble servant said earlier was merely to trick him into confessing."

The burly man was dumbfounded. Realizing he had been outwitted, he grew furious out of shame, glared fiercely at Zhang Ziheng, and scrambled up to strike him.

"Hold him back!" Du Jingzhong raged, slamming the gavel down with a deafening crash.

"Lawless and contemptuous of the court, committing daylight robbery, intentionally injuring others, showing no remorse, and making reckless accusations! Drag him down and flog him! Beat him until he confesses!"

Though the burly man looked robust, he could not withstand a beating at all. After a mere ten strokes of the staff, he confessed to everything.

As it turned out, he was an habitual offender. Whenever festivals or major holidays arrived, wherever the crowds were densest, he would slip in, specifically targeting people like Zhang Ziheng—those with no family background or power, and no companions by their side. Such targets allowed for quick success and minimal trouble.

Yet he never expected that his very first job of the year would hit an iron wall, resulting in a total loss on all fronts!

Du Jingzhong had always been strict and impartial in enforcing the law, and he certainly would not condone such acts of extortion and violence. With a sharp crack of his gavel, he delivered the verdict: "Fifty strokes of the staff, followed by two years of imprisonment for reform. Furthermore, a fine of fifty taels of silver, alongside ten taels of silver to compensate the injured party for medical expenses."

Because Gu Tingzhi's injury today stemmed from a righteous act of chivalry, the county yamen not only rewarded him with twenty taels of silver but also granted him a special convenience, handling his registration procedures on the spot so he would not have to return in the afternoon to wait in line for hours.

Zhen Mier took the thirty taels of silver handed over by the yamen bailiff, feeling rather conflicted as she casually tucked the silver into her pouch.

"Husband, let's hurry to the apothecary." Having been delayed for so long, the wound on the top of his head had already stopped bleeding, though what had flowed previously had dried into a small pool across his forehead.

Zhen Mier felt a pang of heartache so acute it was almost unbearable. Her eyes red-rimmed, she kept her head lowered as heavy tears fell drop by drop onto the ground. She had been frightened to death just now; if anything had happened to him, she would not want to live either!

When the group arrived at the apothecary and the physician had examined him, he declared that there was no serious harm. He instructed Zhen Mier to gently wipe the dried blood clean from Gu Tingzhi's wound while he led Gu Qingbai away to mix and prepare the poultice.

Taking advantage of the moment when Zhen Mier also stepped outside with the young apothecary's assistant to fetch water, Gu Tingzhi raised a hand, wiped away the crust of blood on his forehead, and casually smeared it onto the person sitting next to him, his eyes still fixed on the doorway. If Manman was so worried, she wouldn't be so sad anymore once she couldn't see the blood.

With his considerable strength, he managed to reopen the wound that had already stopped bleeding, causing fresh blood to well up. Gu Tingzhi grew terribly anxious; if Manman saw this, she would start crying again. Hurriedly, he raised his hand to wipe it away and continued smearing it onto the human-shaped towel beside him.

Zhang Ziheng: "..."

He glanced down at his cyan robe, silently thanking the heavens that the dark color made the stain less than obvious.

Seeing that Gu Tingzhi was about to reach for the blood on his forehead again, Zhang Ziheng hastily reached out to stop him. "You really mustn't move anymore. The more you wipe, the more it bleeds."

Gu Tingzhi looked up at him, uttered an "oh," and lifted his hand to wipe it once more.

Fortunately, Zhen Mier returned at that moment with the young apothecary's assistant carrying a basin of water, prompting him to obediently lower his hands. Zhang Ziheng let out a long sigh of relief.

He could now be certain that this young man, who appeared to be roughly his own age, had a mind somewhat different from ordinary people. However, constrained by courtesy, he found it difficult to inquire directly.

Sure enough, upon seeing the fresh blood newly emerged on his forehead, Zhen Mier, who had only just managed to stem her tears, almost lost composure once more.

"Manman, it doesn't hurt at all." Gu Tingzhi blinked his large, innocent eyes and even shook his head to prove it to her.

"Don't move around!"

Zhen Mier dipped a cloth into the wooden basin, wrung it out, and carefully began wiping the blood from his forehead.

Shortly after, Gu Qingbai and the attending physician returned. Gu Qingbai carried several packages of medicinal herbs meant to be brewed at home. The physician applied medicinal ointment to a piece of gauze, wrapped it securely around Gu Tingzhi's head, and instructed him to return daily to have the dressing changed.

Zhen Mier thanked the physician, helped Gu Tingzhi to his feet, and the three of them began the journey home.

After walking for a stretch, they realized that Zhang Ziheng had been following closely behind them. Gu Qingbai asked with a puzzled expression, "Aren't you going to line up for the imperial examinations?"

Zhang Ziheng replied, "Queueing tomorrow will do just as well. I'll escort this brother home first."

"There's no need. Go ahead and tend to your own affairs with peace of mind. My brother's wife and I will take good care of our third brother."

Zhang Ziheng hesitated for a moment, pondering briefly before saying, "Then let me go back and finish my registration first. May I ask how this brother is addressed, and where your honorable home is? Once I have finished my business here, I will surely visit in person to express my gratitude."

Seeing his persistent expression, Gu Qingbai figured there was no harm in sharing, so he answered truthfully: "We two brothers bear the surname Gu. I am Gu Qingbai, the secondborn, and my third brother is named Tingzhi."

"Tingzhi? Gu Tingzhi! You are Gu Tingzhi!" Zhang Ziheng stared intently at Gu Tingzhi, a mixture of excitement and delight washing over him.

Both Gu Qingbai and Zhen Mier wore bewildered expressions, failing to understand why this person was reacting as though he had stumbled upon a thousand taels of silver. Even Gu Tingzhi looked at him as if he were a fool.

Zhang Ziheng hurriedly straightened his expression, cupped one fist in his palm, and bowed toward Gu Qingbai. "Second Brother Gu, please forgive me. I have long heard of Tingzhi's great reputation, yet unfortunately never had the affinity to meet him. Having the fortune to witness him today, I am both deeply moved and overjoyed. Please excuse my lack of manners."

Not a single scholar in the county was ignorant of Gu Tingzhi. He took first place in every seasonal examination and first place in the annual grand examinations, securely holding the top spot without ever yielding it. It would have been difficult indeed for anyone not to know him.

He turned his gaze toward Gu Tingzhi with a worried expression. "I heard that Tingzhi injured his head when he returned home during the seasonal break, causing him to forget many things. Has there been any improvement now?"

Gu Qingbai shook his head.

"How can this be! There are only twenty-odd days left before the examination period. If he cannot recover, he will waste another three years for nothing!" Zhang Ziheng paced back and forth a few times on the spot, looking even more anxious than Gu Tingzhi himself. Suddenly struck by a thought, he hurried back and fixed his unblinking gaze upon Gu Tingzhi's eyes.

"Tingzhi, how does your head feel right now? I had an elder paternal uncle who left home when he was young and completely lost contact thereafter, with no news for over a decade. Everyone simply assumed he had died out there, but the year before last, he suddenly returned home with his wife and children!"

"After everyone questioned him, we learned that when he went out back then, he accidentally injured his head and was rescued by a caravan. After waking up, having forgotten all past events, he drifted north and south with that caravan to make a living, and even after marrying and having children, he still failed to recall his past."