Oops! The Black Lotus Can’t Be a Female Supporting Character

CHAPTER 16

Gu Feichi curled his lips into a faint smile and instructed Uncle Li, “Go make some chicken porridge and keep it warm over the stove.”

Uncle Li quickly pulled himself together and nodded repeatedly. “Yes, yes, some porridge would be good—easy to digest.”

For days, the duke had been unable to sleep or eat properly, wasting away before his eyes. Uncle Li had felt helpless, unable to do anything but watch in distress.

But now, the fever had finally broken, and the coughing had stopped. Once the Duke had a good rest, his appetite would surely improve.

With that, Uncle Li hurried out again.

Gu Feichi remained by the duke’s side, quietly keeping watch. When his father awoke in the afternoon, he helped him take his second dose of medicine for the day and coaxed him into drinking some porridge.

The duke was still terribly weak. After eating, he soon drifted back into a deep sleep.

Gu Feichi continued his silent vigil, staying by his father’s side until the third watch of the night. The fever had briefly returned after the previous dose wore off, but once the next round of medicine was administered, it was finally brought under control.

His coughing had eased significantly, with only an occasional fit here and there. His breathing gradually became steadier.

Both Gu Feichi and Uncle Li could clearly see that the medicine prescribed by Xiao Yanfei was indeed effective.

Seeing his father’s condition steadily improving, Gu Feichi finally felt at ease. In the dead of night, he personally escorted the physician back to the duke’s residence before slipping away unnoticed.

The door opened and closed without a sound, disturbing no unnecessary eyes.

The night was deep, the sky scattered with stars. The capital lay eerily still, like a pool of stagnant water, with only the howling wind breaking the silence.

The next day, the gates of the duke’s manor remained tightly shut, with no movement within and no one entering or leaving. This unusual stillness quickly drew the attention of many in the capital.

Another day passed, and the manor remained closed to visitors.

For three or four consecutive days, the duke’s residence maintained its silence. Concerned friends and acquaintances grew increasingly uneasy. Some even made personal visits, only to be turned away by the gatekeepers, whose responses were vague and evasive.

News spread quickly. Within days, the entire capital was abuzz with speculation. Whispers circulated about when the duke’s manor would begin mourning rites, and some noble households had even begun preparing funeral offerings in advance.

On the morning of the fifth day, something no one had expected happened—the Duke of Wei, rumored to be on the brink of death, appeared at court.

He wore a black gauze hat and a crimson court robe embroidered with a qilin, its narrow sleeves fitted neatly to his arms. A jade belt encircled his waist. It was the same formal attire he had always worn, though his frame was noticeably thinner, his face bore traces of illness, and his energy seemed somewhat lacking.

The Golden Luan Hall fell into absolute silence.

Everyone had heard that the Duke of Wei was at death’s door. Yet now, the very man who should have had one foot in the grave was standing there before them, very much alive.

Even the emperor was visibly taken aback and asked, “Yanzhi, have you recovered?”

The Duke of Wei let out a hearty laugh, cupping his hands in salute. “Many thanks for Your Majesty’s concern. By chance, I came across a remarkable physician who prescribed me a few medicinal herbs. After just a few doses, my condition has greatly improved.”

“At this rate, I’ll be fully recovered in a few days!”

The court erupted into an uproar, the once-solemn hall suddenly buzzing like a bustling marketplace.

Such a miraculous medicine actually exists?!

The court buzzed with murmurs as ministers whispered among themselves.

Many of them had personally visited the Duke of Wei’s residence to pay their respects. At the time, he had looked gaunt and frail, coughing up blood intermittently—anyone who saw him would have thought his days were numbered.

Moreover, the Duke’s household had summoned every renowned physician in the capital. Each one had shaken their head in regret, and even the Imperial Medical Bureau had tactfully hinted that the duke’s family should prepare for his passing before the month’s end.

Yet now, this so-called miracle doctor had pulled him back from death’s door!

The court was in an uproar, but the emperor remained unmoved, sitting high upon the Golden Luan Throne, his deep gaze fixed on the Duke of Wei below.

With a faint smile, the emperor sighed and said, “If that is the case, then I am at ease.”

His right hand tightened instinctively around the carved dragon armrest of his throne, the tendons on the back of his hand subtly tensed.

The Duke of Wei, calm and composed, lifted his head to meet the emperor’s gaze.

He, too, was smiling, the corners of his eyes crinkling with faint lines—yet the smile never reached his eyes.

The emperor and his minister exchanged pleasantries, their laughter seemingly cordial, yet an invisible tension gripped the Golden Luan Hall. It was as if unseen sparks crackled in the air.

For the rest of the morning court session, most officials had little mind for state affairs. Their gazes kept drifting toward the Duke of Wei, who stood at the forefront of the military ranks.

Among them was Marquis of Wu’an, Xiao Yan.

Distracted and absentminded, Xiao Yan endured an hour of court proceedings.

The moment court was dismissed, he hurried back to the marquis’s residence and relayed everything to the Old Matriarch.

“The Duke of Wei has recovered?!”

The Old Matriarch’s hands trembled, nearly dropping the string of prayer beads she had been holding. Her voice was filled with disbelief. “He actually recovered?”

The eastern side chamber had been cleared of servants—only the Old Matriarch and Xiao Yan remained.

Xiao Yan nodded and took a sip of tea. “He’s still a bit weak, but there’s no doubt he’s out of danger.”

Recalling the subtle battle of wits between the emperor and the Duke of Wei during court, Xiao Yan’s gaze darkened, and the restlessness in his heart gradually settled.

The Old Matriarch slowly rubbed her prayer beads, sighing wistfully. “What a pity.”

Now that the Duke of Wei had recovered, the marriage alliance between their family and the Duke of Wei’s household was likely doomed. Given the Duke of Wei’s status, he would never have considered a concubine-born daughter unless it was out of desperation to ward off misfortune.

The timing couldn’t have been worse.

If the Duke of Wei had recovered just a few days later—if their family had managed to finalize the marriage first—then when his health improved, wouldn’t they have been the ones granting him a favor?

Why did he have to recover now of all times?!

A hint of displeasure flickered across the Old Matriarch’s face.

Xiao Yan noticed her irritation and moved to sit beside her on the Luohan bed, handing her a cup of tea. “Mother, don’t be upset.”

The Old Matriarch had no interest in drinking tea. She accepted the cup but quickly set it back down.

Xiao Yan pinched the bridge of his nose, composed himself, and continued, “I’ve been thinking… perhaps it’s actually a blessing in disguise that this marriage didn’t go through.”

“The Duke of Wei’s household may seem to be basking in glory right now, but it’s like oil boiling over a fierce fire—one wrong step, and they’ll be beyond salvation.”

“Think about it, Mother. If His Majesty truly held the late Empress Gu in such high regard, would he have used Gu Feichi as nothing more than a blade all these years?”

The world believed that the emperor was deeply devoted to the late Empress Gu, that his bond with the Duke of Wei was like that of true brothers despite their lack of blood ties. People praised the emperor’s loyalty and righteousness, saying that even after ascending the throne, he never forgot the Duke of Wei’s support during the battle for succession, and the two had remained in harmony as ruler and subject for decades.

The emperor’s wisdom and generosity were widely celebrated.

But anyone with sharp eyes could see the truth—His Majesty had long been entrusting all the dirtiest, most unsavory tasks to the Duke of Wei’s heir, Gu Feichi, allowing his reputation to grow increasingly notorious.

Take the flood in Yanzhou two years ago, for instance. A group of displaced refugees fled to Jizhou, only to turn into bandits, wreaking havoc on the region. The court was deadlocked in debate—should they be exterminated or granted amnesty? The argument dragged on for two days before the emperor simply handed the matter over to Gu Feichi, giving him full authority to handle it as he saw fit.

Gu Feichi responded with a bloody purge, slaughtering thousands of the so-called bandits. Soon after, he was impeached by officials accusing him of indiscriminate killing and fabricating military merit.

Now, whenever his name was mentioned, there were only four words on everyone’s lips—ruthless and merciless.

Xiao Yan left it at that, saying no more. But the Old Matriarch had lived long enough to grasp the implications. With just that little nudge from her son, she could see the truth clearly.

And yet…

She clenched the string of Buddhist prayer beads in her hand and said, “Originally, I thought it was just a mere concubine-born daughter—an insignificant sacrifice. At the very least, marrying into the Duke of Wei’s household could have secured you the vacant Deputy Commander position in the Shen Shu Battalion.”

“Sigh!”

She let out a long sigh, but the more she thought about Xiao Yanfei smashing her Guanyin statue, the angrier she became. With a heavy slap on the tea table, she snapped, “That girl is utterly useless!”

“How unlucky!”

That single curse of “unlucky” from the Old Matriarch marked the abrupt end of Xiao Yanfei’s previously comfortable and carefree days.

At first, she didn’t think much of it when her evening meal consisted entirely of vegetables, tofu, and pickled cucumbers.

But when the same bland fare appeared meal after meal, three times in a row, even she wasn’t foolish enough to miss the message.

“Unlucky?” Xiao Yanfei curled her lips into a smile.

Haitang looked at her mistress with a trace of sympathy. For a young lady to be labeled as “unlucky” was no trivial matter—it could ruin her reputation. The Old Matriarch was being utterly unreasonable. How could she possibly blame her for the Duke of Wei’s sudden recovery?

Xiao Yanfei turned her gaze to the tea plum blossoms outside the window. Casually, she plucked a branch, brought it to her nose, and inhaled its fragrance before asking, “Did you find out if He momo has been feeling unwell lately?”

“I did.” Haitang nodded. “When I went to the kitchen early to fetch your meal, I noticed He momo looked a little pale. Qian momo from the kitchen said it’s because her monthly cycle has come.”

As she spoke, a hint of embarrassment and unease crept onto Haitang’s round face. “He momo always suffers terribly whenever it comes.”

“Is the pain severe?” Xiao Yanfei interjected.

“Very.” Haitang sighed sympathetically. “She couldn’t sleep a wink last night from the pain. Qian momo even mentioned that last year, there was a time when she fainted from it.”

“In the past, my mother and grandmother always told me that once a woman has children, her monthly pains will naturally go away. But He momo has already given birth to two sons and a daughter,” Haitang said, puzzled.

“Some people say she must have committed some terrible sin in her past life, and now she’s paying for it.”

Xiao Yanfei couldn’t help but feel exasperated. “What nonsense!”

Why did people always blame women for everything?

Menstrual pain could be categorized as primary or secondary dysmenorrhea. For the former, most women found relief after childbirth. But for cases like He momo’s, where even having multiple children didn’t help, it was clearly the latter.

And in such cases, the most effective solution was—

Ibuprofen.

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