The Prime Minister’s Darling - Chapter 1447

Chapter 1447: 707 King of the Black Wind (First Update)

Lord Jing went to the kitchen and found a pile of food, fruits, braised chicken, dried meat, and he filled several large bowls to take to his elder brother.

As soon as he entered the room, he saw his elder brother having a seemingly enjoyable conversation with that kid.

In reality, his elder brother was not at all talkative, and he himself found it odd that he’d thought of the phrase “seemingly enjoyable conversation.”

The hand massage for the Duke of An Country was finished, but Gu Jiao was still sitting on the little stool beside the Duke.

The scene was eerily harmonious, making him feel like he was the one who was out of place.

Lord Jing stood there, confounded for three seconds, then walked over to Gu Jiao and said, “Don’t sit here, my elder brother doesn’t like people getting too close to him.”

The Duke of An Country: “…”

Was it still not too late to beat his own younger brother to death?

After the old Lady passed away, the old Duke of An Country remarried. The stepmother was a woman of virtue and benevolence, who took care of the young heir meticulously. It was only after the young heir expressed his desire for siblings that the stepmother gave birth to two children, one of whom was Lord Jing.

The Duke of An Country regretted it, he should not have wanted a younger brother.

The rain had stopped, and it was time for Gu Jiao to go back.

A strong sense of reluctance appeared in the depths of the Duke of An Country’s eyes, which was also a strange feeling for him– he wanted to keep her here.

The Duke of An Country looked down, tapping his fingertips on the armrest a few times.

Gu Jiao watched his fingertips and said, “No need, it’s getting too late. After dinner, the inner city gate will be closed.”

Upon hearing this, Lord Jing was startled, “My elder brother spoke to you?” How had he not heard it?

Gu Jiao pointed to the Duke of An Country’s hand: “He did.”

Lord Jing: “…”

Kid, I’m not very educated, don’t try to fool me.

Lord Jing felt that Gu Jiao was just talking nonsense. He and his elder brother had a telepathic brotherly bond, and he couldn’t even understand what his elder brother was trying to say with those taps, let alone a total stranger, this kid.

Gu Jiao was about to leave, and Lord Jing couldn’t ask her to stay longer, but under the stern gaze of his elder brother, he still took out the food he had painstakingly brought from the kitchen: “Take it for the road.”

“No need,” said Gu Jiao.

“Take some anyway,” insisted Lord Jing.

Gu Jiao hesitated, then reached out and took a piece of dried meat.

Lord Jing was surprised, “Eh? You like to eat this too?”

“Do you like it?” Gu Jiao asked him.

Lord Jing shook his head, “I don’t, but my elder brother does.”

Gu Jiao: “Oh.”

Although Lord Jing often complained with his words, when it came to giving things to Gu Jiao, he was surprisingly generous. He wrapped the entire plate of dried meat in paper and handed it to Gu Jiao, “Take it, eat it on the way.”

Gu Jiao broke half and handed it to the Duke of An Country.

Lord Jing thought to himself that there was still more in the kitchen and he could just go get more for his elder brother later.

But then he saw his elder brother’s fingertips press down on the half-wrapped piece of dried meat.

That strange feeling returned; had his elder brother just smiled? It was as if the father was overjoyed because his child had thought to offer filial piety to him.

Lord Jing clutched at his heart, “I must be seeing ghosts, truly ghosts.”

This kid sometimes reminded him of his eldest brother-in-law, and at other times, of the departed Yinyin. He seriously suspected that he had encountered something unclean recently, and decided to have his wife go to the temple to light some incense and get a talisman for peace to ward off evil.

Gu Jiao went to the stable.

The Black Wind King’s injuries had already been treated by the doctor Lord Jing had called, with medicine applied, but its spirit was not in good shape.

Gu Jiao decided to take him back first.

Lord Jing said, “Have you thought it through? This is Han Ye’s horse.”

“Who is Han Ye?” Gu Jiao asked.

Lord Jing replied, “The Crown Prince Han, his name is Han Ye, not the ‘ye’ of night, but the ‘ye’ of shining brilliance.”

Gu Jiao: “Oh.”

Lord Jing drew a weak breath of air: “You really aren’t afraid? This is his horse! If he finds out you’ve taken his horse home, he will surely come looking for trouble! And– this horse seems to still remember its former owner; it only recognizes one master in its life, even if you take it back home, it will not acknowledge you as its master.”

Gu Jiao: “Oh.”

Lord Jing: “…”

Can you not react so calmly?

Gu Jiao and Crown Prince Han had a feud that had been established long ago; with or without Black Wind King, they were not on friendly terms. As for matters of ownership, Gu Jiao had never given it a thought.

What’s with all this talk of masters and servants, it’s just troublesome.

Gu Jiao rode the horse, taking both the Horse King and the Black Wind King back with her.

Everyone at home was surprised to see the Black Wind King, and Gu Jiao recounted the events of the afternoon.

The family sat in the main room, while only Gu Yan had gone to the backyard to brush Black Wind King’s coat.

Mrs. Nan, puzzled, said, “Why did it suddenly go to find its former master? Was it stimulated by something?”

Master Lu suddenly slapped his forehead, “Did it realize its master was no longer on the battlefield after seeing your Red-Tasseled Spear?”

As long as the spear was with the man.

The Red-Tasseled Spear of the War God Xuanyuan Li would not leave his hands lightly. Hence, with the return of the Red-Tasseled Spear, the people of the Xuanyuan Family must have returned as well.

It’s unimaginable what emotions it harbored as it went to greet its master, or how it coped with the blow that its master would never return.

Gu Jiao paused, “My Red-Tasseled Spear…”

Master Lu looked at her puzzled expression, unbelievably asking, “You can’t possibly have always been unaware of what spear you’ve been using, could you?”

Gu Jiao, “Uh…”

Mistress Nan was also astonished, “Do you really not know?”

Gu Jiao looked at the two of them, “You both know?”

The couple answered in unison, “Of course we know! We thought you knew long ago!”

Gu Jiao said, “When my sworn brother gave it to me, he did not mention its origin.”

Master Lu asked, “So, what do you think of this spear?”

Gu Jiao thought about it seriously and said, “It’s useful, I like it.”

Master Lu stated as a matter of fact, “Could Xuanyuan Li’s divine weapon possibly not be useful?”

Gu Jiao was slightly taken aback, “It’s Xuanyuan Li’s spear?”

Honestly, the Red-Tasseled Spear had been so battered by little Jingkong that Master Lu wouldn’t have recognized it himself if he didn’t see it every day; it was no wonder that during Gu Jiao’s recent exchange with the Han Crown Prince, even he had failed to recognize it as Xuanyuan Li’s divine weapon.

Gu Jiao finally understood, “No wonder.”

Mistress Nan puzzled, “No wonder what?”

Gu Jiao said, “When I was practicing with the spear, I noticed that the Black Wind King showed great interest in this Red-Tasseled Spear.”

As it happened, Gu Jiao’s acquisition of the spear was entirely by chance.

After the Xuanyuan Family suffered a military defeat, Xuanyuan Li’s Red-Tasseled Spear was ‘awarded’ to an envoy from Chen Country, who later lost to Xuanping Marquis of Zhan Country. Xuanping Marquis then snatched the spear for himself.

Xuanping Marquis did not practice with spears himself; he had snatched it just for fun and tossed it into the Military Camp’s arsenal, probably having himself forgotten about the existence of the Red-Tasseled Spear.

It was Gu Jiao who unwittingly entered the weapons store and took a liking to it at first sight, and she was discovered by the passing old Marquis because she had been staring at it for too long.

At that time, the old Marquis did not know that Gu Jiao was the ‘younger brother’ he had sworn allegiance to, but he did notice the Red-Tasseled Spear and thought it very suitable for his ‘little brother,’ so he took it and gave it to Gu Jiao.

…

The Han Family.

After the Black Wind King left, the Han Crown Prince, furious and embarrassed, wanted to chase and bring it back, but was stopped by Chu Nan.

Chu Nan said, “It won’t come back.”

The Han Crown Prince said coldly, “Then I will catch it and bring it back, regardless!”

Chu Nan shook his head, “It’s no use catching it; once it realizes its master is dead, it will not live on its own.”

The Han Crown Prince frowned, “You mean it will die out of loyalty to its master?”

Chu Nan sighed, “Even if it doesn’t die for its master, it will no longer be the Black Wind King. Unless you, Crown Prince, are willing to keep a useless warhorse; then disregard what I said.”

The Han Crown Prince looked in the direction where the Black Wind King had disappeared, slowly clenching his fist tighter and tighter.

…

Chu Nan’s predictions about the Black Wind King proved correct.

Upon returning to Yangliu Lane, it first refused treatment, then began to refuse food, not eating anything offered by anyone.

Gu Yan initially thought that the food at home wasn’t good enough and specifically went to the Academy with Gu Xiaoshun to ask Master Wu for some high-quality feed for warhorses.

But the Black Wind King still wouldn’t touch it.

In the end, all that premium feed went into the stomach of the Horse King.

Mistress Nan had a sudden inspiration; she chopped up some carrots and went to a horse farm ten miles outside the city to buy some top-quality hay.

Yet even with that, the Black Wind King still refused to eat.

It even stopped drinking water.

Watching it, the Horse King hesitated for a moment, then turned around, dug out the fruits it had secretly stashed behind a big tree, and brought them to the Black Wind King.

The Black Wind King still wouldn’t eat.

Mistress Nan and the others watched the Black Wind King refuse to eat, all sighing helplessly.

Gu Jiao returned to her room, opened the first-aid kit, and injected two syringes of nutrients into its body.

“Will this prevent it from starving to death?” Gu Yan asked.

“In principle, yes.” The nutrients from the Research Institute were very comprehensive and balanced; half a syringe could keep you from needing to eat for an entire day. Considering its weight, Gu Jiao injected two syringes into it.

“But,” Gu Jiao paused, “its will to fight can’t be restored just with nutrients.”

In short, it would never be the Black Wind King again.

“Oh.” Gu Yan was very calm. He stroked its mane and said, “Not being the Black Wind King is also quite good.”

Originally, they had taken it in not because it was the Black Wind King; they had always thought it was an unwanted, sick horse.

So what did it matter whether it was the Black Wind King or not?

Gu Yan looked at it and said, “Look, I have no great ambitions, and I’m still living well, right?”

Gu Jiao: “…”

The entire family accepted the fact that the Black Wind King had lost its will to live and fight and prepared to provide it a comfortable retirement.

The Han Crown Prince accepted it as well.

He began to nurture a new Black Wind King.

The prime age for a Black Wind King is between six to fifteen years old. After the age of sixteen, their physical strength starts to decline, so what would it matter if a seventeen-year-old Black Wind King did not lose its fighting spirit? Its peak years were anyway nearing an end.

Its legend had come to an end.