Lin Yi stared blankly at Gu Fang, her voice a little dry. "Then what do we do?"
We can't let all our efforts go to waste.
"There is a way." Gu Fang still maintained his close posture, his voice as light as a breeze. "This matter must be reported to His Majesty."
Lin Yi's breath caught.
Go to that foolish emperor? It would be a blessing if he didn't cause trouble; could she count on his help? But she couldn't say that. She couldn't bluntly tell Gu Fang, "The one you are loyal to is a foolish emperor," could she? And she certainly couldn't criticize the Son of Heaven to his face.
The hesitation and reluctance in Lin Yi's expression were too obvious. Gu Fang actually let out a low laugh. He moved back a little, tilted his head to look at Lin Yi, a lingering smile still rippling in his eyes.
"With an expression like that, Xiaoyi... do you not trust His Majesty?" Gu Fang paused, his voice even lighter but each word clear. "Then let me tell you another secret."
"What secret?" Lin Yi pressed subconsciously.
Gu Fang crooked a finger at her. Lin Yi leaned in, and she heard him say in almost a whisper, "This body of mine, every wound, was bestowed by the current emperor. So I've returned the favor a little." His eyes were calm and deep. "Now His Majesty is bedridden and unable to rise. All state affairs have been handed over to Prince Ning to manage. Prince Ning is a man of fine words and virtuous deeds, as pure as the clear moon. If I make a request, he will not refuse."
Lin Yi was completely stunned, her mind buzzing.
Had Gu Fang known all along that the emperor had harmed him? And had even retaliated to the point of making the emperor bedridden?
And Prince Ning—wasn't that the protagonist Ying Baichuan who eventually ascended the throne in the original novel? Had the plot already reached this point? Although the novel had indeed portrayed Prince Ning as both benevolent and virtuous, how could Gu Fang be certain that the prince about to take power would definitely help him?
Gu Fang raised an eyebrow, a knowing smile spreading at the corners of his eyes. "Xiaoyi's thoughts are written all over your face. I am, after all, a general who leads troops into battle. If I didn't even have the ability to read people and judge situations, how could I be undefeated?"
"But," Lin Yi still couldn't wrap her head around it, "if you were really so perceptive, how could you have fallen into His Majesty's trap?"
"That's because I never expected him to be so purely stupid." Gu Fang raised his brows slightly, a hint of helplessness in his expression. "I had thought that anyone with a slight understanding of the situation would know that the temporary ceasefire on the Northern Frontier was not because the border tribes feared the imperial court, but because I was still here. Who would have thought he was blinded by an empty peace treaty from the Northern Frontier, actually believing the world was at peace thanks to his own strategizing?"
Lin Yi nodded in deep agreement and couldn't help muttering, "This is called 'Not afraid of a godlike opponent, but afraid of a piglike teammate.'"
Who would have thought? The Northern Frontier offered a peace treaty simply to outlast Gu Fang. Once he grew old, Great Qian would have no such war god, and the flames of war at the border would reignite. Yet that lofty emperor was probably still dreaming of universal submission.
Hearing this, the smile in Gu Fang's eyes deepened. "Xiaoyi, that's a brilliant summary."
Lin Yi was silent for a moment. That wasn't her summary; it was a saying crystallized from the countless bloody lessons of players of an incredibly popular online game in another world. She shook her head and pulled the topic back on track. "But how can you be so sure that Prince Ning will definitely help you?"
The corners of Gu Fang's mouth lifted slightly. "As I said, I have some skill in judging people." He looked at Lin Yi with certainty. "Just as I agreed to the surgery without hesitation because I could tell that you and Brother Huang genuinely want me to get better. As for Prince Ning, I can see that he genuinely wants Great Qian to prosper. In that case, letting me stand again and guard the Northern Frontier is beneficial to both him and Great Qian. Why would he not help?"
Lin Yi was stunned.
She had never imagined that beneath Gu Fang's gentle and calm exterior lay such clear-sighted, almost sharp insight. He was not a naive flower unaware of the world, nor was he a blindly loyal and brave general. He could see through the ulterior motives in people's hearts and understood the threads of weighing pros and cons.
Yes, a general who could make the Northern Frontier tribes sue for peace could not rely solely on benevolence and kindness. The battlefield changes in an instant; the court is full of undercurrents. What brought him to where he is today was never naivety.
Lin Yi suddenly felt her face grow warm. She had been prejudiced and saw him too simply.
"So you..." Lin Yi said softly, "are this kind of person."
Gu Fang still looked at her quietly, neither denying nor explaining. He only deliberately lowered his head, a hint of elusive loneliness in his voice. "Does Xiaoyi think I'm different from what you imagined?"
Ah, well... Even if I'm dense, I should understand by now. Lin Yi muttered inwardly, but her expression softened, and she said gently, "You are a little different. But this kind of you, I think is better. I used to worry that you were too kind-hearted and would get taken advantage of. Now I don't have that concern anymore." There was no help for it—Gu Fang's expression with lowered brows and downcast eyes was too pitiful; anyone would find it hard to harden their heart. Lin Yi thought expressionlessly, "This is definitely not my fault; it's that beauty is irresistible."
Hearing this, the loneliness in Gu Fang's eyes instantly melted away, replaced by a shallow smile. He tactfully didn't pursue it further and instead said, "Then I'll find an opportunity to visit Prince Ning together with Xiaoyi. Is that all right?"
"Huh? Take me along?" Lin Yi was a little surprised. "Is that appropriate?"
"Why wouldn't it be?" Gu Fang's tone was firm. "I can tell that Prince Ning is not one to dismiss words just because the speaker is a woman. Besides, you know the key points of this matter better than I do. It's better that you're there."
"Alright, since you think it's okay, then it's okay." Lin Yi set her mind at ease, then remembered something. "By the way, I had someone make something a few days ago, and they said it would be done in a few days. I'll send Xiao Zhu to check on the progress."
Lin Yi stood up and called for Xiao Zhu, instructing her to go find the craftsman Niu Tou and ask how "that chair" was coming along. Just as she finished, A Fu lifted the curtain and came in, asking whether they should have dinner in the side chamber.
Lin Yi turned to look at Gu Fang. "What do you think, husband?"
Seeing the cautious expressions on both Lin Yi and A Fu, Gu Fang couldn't help laughing. "Let's have it in the side chamber. I don't feel like moving anyway."
Lin Yi walked back to his side but didn't sit down. She gently placed her hand on his shoulder and asked, looking down, "Do you want to know what I had Niu Tou make for you?"
Gu Fang looked up at her, the fading twilight from the window reflected in his eyes. "If I say I want to know, will you tell me now?"
"Mm..." Lin Yi pretended to ponder, then smiled. "I'll tell you anyway. It's a chair with wheels, with handles on the back so someone can push you. If you want to move yourself, you can also turn the big wheels with your hands and make the chair move."
After hearing this, Gu Fang's eyes lit up. "It sounds ingenious. You hid it so well—was it meant to be a surprise for me?"
"Yes." Lin Yi nodded, then gave a soft "ah." "But later I found a problem—this chair can't go over thresholds. I originally wanted to install a mechanism on the wheels, but no matter how I calculated, it required a lot of force to lift the person and chair over, which was more troublesome. Since it's meant for convenience, it shouldn't be more strenuous. So the solution I finally came up with was to add gentle slopes by all the thresholds in the mansion. That way, you can pass unimpeded, and it won't get in the way of others walking."
"Good," Gu Fang nodded, a smile spreading from the corners of his eyes. "I'll follow Xiaoyi's arrangements."
As they were speaking, A Fu had already led the servants to set up dinner. As he was about to withdraw, Lin Yi called him over and gave instructions about modifying the thresholds into ramps. A Fu nodded knowingly, didn't ask any questions, and left after agreeing.
Gu Fang found this amusing. "Did A Fu already know too?"
"Mm, he saw the blueprints too," Lin Yi said frankly.
"So it really was only kept from me," Gu Fang chuckled softly.
Lin Yi's ears grew warm; she thought, "This was supposed to be a surprise for you, after all." Just then, Xiao Zhu lifted the curtain and came in, her eyes smiling. "Madam, Niu Tou said the wheelchair is mostly finished, just needs the final polishing. He estimates it can be delivered after dinner."
Lin Yi and Gu Fang finished dinner with a glimmer of anticipation. Shortly after the dishes were cleared, Niu Tou came in with two helpers, carefully pushing in an object covered with blue cloth.
When the cloth was lifted, a smoothly contoured, solid wooden chair with wheels appeared before their eyes. Gu Fang's gaze fell on it with obvious curiosity. Under Niu Tou's detailed explanation and hands-on demonstration, he quickly grasped the essentials—gripping the hand rims with both hands, with a little force, the chair slid forward steadily; turning and moving backward were all nimble and smooth.
Compared to crutches that require full body strength, this wheelchair was not just a little more convenient. Gu Fang maneuvered it slowly half a circle around the side chamber, gradually showing an admiring expression. He stopped, looked up at Lin Yi, who had been following closely, and smiled. "Xiaoyi really is amazing. This is so much more convenient than crutches." Then he turned to Niu Tou, who was respectfully standing by, and asked, "Is making this wheelchair complicated?"
Niu Tou was startled and replied cautiously, "General's meaning is...?"
Gu Fang's fingertips unconsciously stroked the smooth armrest, his tone thoughtful. "I was thinking that I am not the only one in the world with impaired mobility. I wonder if they could also use this item." He paused, looked up at Lin Yi, his eyes carrying both apology and honesty. "This was a gift that Xiaoyi painstakingly designed specifically for me, yet I'm thinking of giving it to others. Will you blame me?"
Lin Yi immediately shook her head, her voice clear. "Not at all! I'm delighted that you think that way. This wheelchair was originally designed for people with limited mobility. Its greatest use is to be given to those who need it."
Niu Tou heard this, pondered for a moment, and said slowly, "To answer the general, the wheelchair can be simple or elaborate. The one before you took a long time because the madam demanded excellence. The madam said it must comply with human mechanics..." Seeing Gu Fang's puzzled look, he changed his words. "In short, the height, depth, and the distance of the armrests and footrests were all secretly measured by the madam according to your body proportions. Do you not find that both the backrest, armrests, and footrests fit you exceptionally well?"
Gu Fang was slightly moved. He tried relaxing his arms on the armrests and leaning back, then nodded. "Indeed, it feels more comfortable and fitting than a regular seat, and it pushes very smoothly."
"That's it." Niu Tou continued. "For this, the madam secretly measured your size, and the joinery was repeatedly calibrated. Even these two large wheels were layered with eucommia gum to reduce bumps. Such a method is naturally labor-intensive and time-consuming. But if only the basic function of sitting and moving is needed, making a standardized model would be much simpler and faster to produce."
Hearing this, Gu Fang looked at Lin Yi, his eyes deepening as if a thousand emotions passed through, finally turning into a low sigh. "I never expected you to plan so thoroughly for me. Thank you."
Gu Fang collected himself and looked back at Niu Tou, his tone returning to its usual steadiness. "In that case, please contact the carpentry workshops under the General's Mansion and look into how to standardize the design and speed up production. Later, I'll have A Fu compile the number of veterans disabled and with mobility difficulties over the years and report the count to you. You will oversee the workshops and supervise the production of these wheelchairs. Can you handle it?"
Niu Tou abruptly raised his head, his eyes instantly blazing with excitement. He straightened his back, clasped his fists in a deep bow, and his voice trembled with effort. "I will do my utmost to live up to the general's trust!"