The Results

"Please, could you spare their lives?" Principal Zhou pleaded nervously.

Gu Chengrui met his gaze, his expression turning solemn, as if a dark cloud loomed over him. 

The sudden shift in his demeanor startled Principal Zhou, who felt a surge of fear he hadn't anticipated.

'Him, harmless?' he thought, bewildered. 'How else could he have repeatedly eluded the remnants of the Hui Prince's party and established medical centers under such scrutiny? We clearly underestimated him.'

Sensing Principal Zhou's apprehension, Gu Chengrui softened his tone. "They won't be executed, but the royal merchant title and the counterfeit medicine will be confiscated. The rest remains undecided."

"That... that's good," stammered Principal Zhou, turning to leave.

"With three generations of imperial physicians in your family, I trust you won't jeopardize your esteemed reputation," Gu Chengrui called after him.